Morning Minute: Federal flood insurance program extended for 60 ...

by Stephanie Sievers on May 31, 2012

The U.S. House of Representatives has passed a 60-day?extension of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), giving the U.S. Senate more time to act on the National Association of REALTORS? (NAR) supported 5-year reauthorization and reform bill this June, NAR reports. Why is a flood insurance program so vital?

Flood insurance is required by law to obtain a mortgage in more than 21,000 communities nationwide. A lapse would have affected 1,300 transactions a day or nearly 40,000 a month, a potentially devastating blow to the nascent market recovery, according to NAR.

In other news:

Refurbished homes available to first-time buyers through Quincy?s Fix or Flatten program. (KHQA-TV)

Return of real estate as a source of retirement income? (Chicago Tribune)

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Why Consumers May Need Mortgage Services

The Halifax mortgage market is a very strong market. The strength and diversity of the mortgage Halifax market comes from the strength of the real estate market in Nova Scotia. The fact that the real estate market continues to grow triggers low interest rates for mortgages as well as job growth. The interest of the consumers in the market determines lenders to offer a diversity of mortgage products.

The Need of Mortgage Services:

• Halifax and nearby areas is very appreciated for their beauty and great locations. There is a great many people interested in this region and what it has to offer as far as real estate opportunities. With the real estate development, mortgage Halifax products have diversified significantly:
• People wish to renovate their old homes and for this they often require Halifax mortgage refinancing. This is one of the principal reasons why people request refinancing. As job situation is improving, families consider renovation or landscaping more often than ever before.
• Mortgages to get out of high interest loans which are overwhelming so many people is another reason why people need mortgages. As the mortgage market in Halifax has new and more convenient products to offer, people are either considering switching or getting a mortgage all together.
• Home purchase is the main argument associated with mortgages. The Halifax mortgage market is no exception. Many people are moving to Halifax or near Halifax; others are considering changing from living in a rental home to being a home owner. The mortgage Halifax real estate market sells more new property every year and most of them involve a mortgage.
• Construction companies need mortgages as well. This type of mortgage is in the category of business mortgage and works very well with all classes of construction companies. From big scale builders to small builders, there is a mortgage Halifax solution to serve all needs.
• Property investors also require the services of mortgage brokers. Most property investments are in fact mortgages, no matter why customers choose to invest in a property. In this section of mortgage products, you can find those who invest in buy to let property for example.
• Halifax mortgage products are now available for an outstanding range of people. If over the recent years only well-employed people with good credit history were able to get a mortgage, nowadays things have gone a long way as far as credit and employment situation. Today, the mortgage Halifax providers offer great options for self employed as well as for those with a bad credit history.
• There are many people who need to struggle with the burden of making payments to several mortgages. They prefer choosing a single mortgage to consolidate all other existing mortgages and enjoy lower rates, fixed rates, or other advantages.
• Mortgage refinancing involves with proceeds or profits which can be used in a variety of ways. However, most people prefer to pay off outstanding debts, especially credit card debts. Paying off debts comes with obvious benefits such as reduced monthly payments as well as less interest to pay.

by Vincent Dempsey

About the Author
One Stop Financial Solutions provides seamless solutions to all of your Halifax Mortgage (http://www.onestopfinancialsolutions.ca/)?needs.
Call them at (902) 468-4321 anytime to speak with one of their Mortgage Halifax (http://www.onestopfinancialsolutions.ca/)?Broker.

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Orange San Diego hands-on video and gallery

We're live in London, where Orange UK has announced (and unveiled) its new San Diego smartphone, the first phone in the UK to use Intel's new Medfield chips. It's a 4-inch device with a tasty 1024x600 display, running Android 2.3 Gingerbread with Orange's custom UI layer. It's also an incredibly speedy performer, as you'll see in our first hands-on video.

Join us after the break for our video walkthrough of the UK's first Intel Android smartphone, along with more photos.

read more

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Coming to iTunes: Free Steve Jobs Interviews - Business Forum for ...

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Syria set to become failed state: Israeli commander

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Things You Should Think about If You are to Buy Bean Bags

It?s hard to imagine bean bags being fashionable additions to your home?s interiors. But they make fun and unique accent pieces. And if anything else, they are comfortable to rest in. So, you shouldn?t hesitate to decorate your abode with a few pieces. Soothing bean bags would go well in the bedroom or in the family den. And if you like hanging out on the back porch while watching your kids play, you?d find it more relaxing to sit down on this kind of chair. Of course, you shouldn?t just go with any choice when you buy bean bags. You have to carefully assess your options if you want to end up with exactly what your money?s worth.

The first thing you have to think about is the size. Bean bags come in the following sizes - small, medium, large, and extremely large. And there are those that are almost the same size as beds.

Usually, this consideration goes hand in hand with the intended use and user. If you?d like mere support, you?d be fine with the minute types. But, if you intend to utilize bean bags like an ottoman, you should get a full-sized version. Of course, those structures will differ significantly under the child or adult category, so you have to choose wisely.

The next aspect you have to concern yourself with is the fabric. You should get soothing bean bags that are made from durable and high quality materials. This way, you can guarantee longevity, as well as reliability. On top of that, you might also consider your preference and expectations. Vinyl, for example, is the most common and affordable bean bag material you can get that promises resiliency. But some people find them too sticky. There are airy alternatives like cotton, polyester and microfibers. However, they are less sturdy. Then, there?s suede, silk, velvet, leather and fur, which are quite luxurious to the skin, but are very expensive. And on top of that, you can buy those that have prints and colourful patterns to match the theme of your house.

The third aspect you should take into consideration is the filler. Traditionally, soothing bean bags comprise of Styrofoam, so they?d have a soft, unique texture that conforms to shape. However, users have raised durability and comfort issues regarding it, so manufacturers opted to offer alternative stuffing, such as polyurethane and polystyrene beads.

Now, if you have narrowed down your options, you should add removable outer sleeves and water-resistant inner linings to the consideration. That way, you won?t have to deal with maintenance problems. After a few months, you can just slip the bag filler out of its covering, wash it, dry it, and then put it back together. When it comes to prices, you can expect bean bags to cost anywhere between $100 and $300. If you opt for something custom-made, you might probably spend more. But obviously, you have to try the merchandize out first, before you finalize your decision. Buying bean bags is indeed a gruelling process. Nevertheless, you can always count on being satisfied with your investment if you transact with a reliable distributor with a flexible return policy.

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Apple CEO sees TV as area of "intense interest"

RANCHOS PALOS VERDES, California (Reuters) - Apple Inc Chief Executive Tim Cook said technology for televisions was of "intense interest" but stressed the company's efforts would unfold gradually amid speculation the iPad and iPhone maker was on the brink of unveiling a revolutionary iTV.

In one of his more revealing interviews since assuming the helm of the world's most valuable company, Cook also said he hoped someday to see Apple products manufactured in the United States and outlined his approach to managing an organization long-associated with its late founder Steve Jobs.

"Another thing that Steve taught us all is to not to be focused on the past," Cook told this year's All Things Digital conference, an annual gathering of A-list technology and media executives in the upscale California coastal resort town of Rancho Palos Verdes.

Industry insiders and executives say Apple may unveil a TV-based device in late 2012 or 2013 that has the potential to shake up the cozy television content and distribution industry the way the iPod and iPhone disrupted music and mobile content, but Cook has steered clear of commenting on that issue directly.

"This is an area of intense interest for us," Cook said, referring to Apple's existing television set-top box product. "We're going to keep pulling this string and see where it takes us."

When asked specifically if Apple was making a television set, Cook said he was not going to answer that question.

Apple already sells a $99 set top box called Apple TV that streams Netflix and other content. Cook, who has previously said the Apple TV product had a hobby status inside the company, noted the company was sticking with it despite not being known as a "hobby kind of company."

"Here's the way we would look at that, not just at this area but other areas, and ask can we control the key technology?" he said in response to a question about how Apple thinks about improving the television experience for consumers. "Can we make a significant contribution, far beyond what others have done in this area? Can we make a product that we would want?"

Apple has been in negotiations with content companies for its devices. It began talks earlier this year to stream films owned by EPIX, which is backed by three major movie studios.

The company has a good relationship with content owners and doesn't see the need to own a content business, Cook said, adding he has met with several people in that business recently.

MADE IN USA?

In wide-ranging remarks, Cook said he would like to see more of the company's products assembled at home than in China and contain more U.S. components such as semiconductors.

Apple has been criticized for relying on low-cost Asian manufacturers to assemble its products and for contributing to the decline of the U.S. manufacturing sector.

Cook, who took the helm of the world's most valuable technology company in August shortly before founder Steve Jobs died, said manufacturing in the United States was difficult because of declining tool-and-die manufacturing expertise, among other things, but he was working on it.

"There are things that can be done in the U.S., not just for the U.S. market but that can be exported for the world," Cook said. "On the assembly piece, could that be done in the U.S.? I hope so, again, one day," he added.

Apple's final assembly is done through Asian contract manufacturers, particularly Taiwan's Foxconn Technology Group and its listed entity Hon Hai Precision. Cook noted that Apple does some component manufacturing in the United States, including the main microchip that runs the iPhone and iPad.

Apple makes the A5 processor in a 1.6 million square-foot factory in Austin, Texas, owned by Korean electronics giant Samsung Electronics.

Cook also said some of the glass for the iPhone and iPad is made in a plant in Kentucky.

The CEO talked about how the iPad was just in the "first innings," but declined to say what was in store for it next.

He reiterated his belief that many consumers will use the iPad more than computers. In response to a question about PC software-maker Microsoft Corp's efforts to enter the tablet market, Cook brushed off the threat.

"The more you look at the tablet as a PC, the more the baggage from the past affects the product," he said.

Apple released the iPad in 2010 and it has quickly defined the tablet computer market, selling more than 67 million units so far.

DOUBLING DOWN ON SECRECY

The 51-year old Cook said he spends less time focused on marketing and design as CEO than his predecessor, who Cook said spent "virtually all of his time on those two things."

At a company the size of Apple, Cook said, having a strong team is critical.

"You could have an S on your chest and a cape on your back and not be able to do everything," said Cook, who later cited Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr as well as Walt Disney Co Chief Executive Bob Iger as figures that he looks up to.

Cook also discussed efforts to make the company more transparent on certain issues, such as supplier responsibility and environmental matters, but stressed he was committed to preserving Apple's culture.

One Jobs legacy that Cook flagged is Apple's well-known penchant for going to great lengths to keep details of new products under tight wraps, noting that he planned to "double down on secrecy" on products.

But he suggested Apple would not be constrained by its past.

"I love museums, but I don't want to live in one," he said.

(Editing by Matt Driskill and Mark Potter)

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