Have you served in the military or are still on active duty? If the answer is yes you may be entitled to one of the best benefits the VA offers, home ownership! In today’s market you can save money by buying a house, rather than renting, and building your own equity. Why pay rent when you can take advantage of your VA benefit and invest in yourself?
Now is the time to find out what’s involved in purchasing a home. With that information you can take advantage of affordable home prices combined with the lowest VA interest rates in years! You can get started by talking to a realtor who knows your market area and has all the tools to guide you in your search for the “perfect” home. The Veterans Administration also has a web site that can answer questions as well. Just go to the VA Website and “click” on the Veterans Services tab (near the top), slide down to “Home Loans”, “click” on it and find the area you want to research. Between a realtor’s expertise and the Veterans Administration you will become an informed consumer!
When you use your VA entitlement for a purchase you can qualify for 100% financing with no “private mortgage insurance” required! Unlike a VA mortgage, conventional mortgages require “private mortgage insurance”, unless you have twenty percent down. An FHA mortgage mandates “private mortgage insurance” for a minimum of five years, no matter the size of your down payment*. PMI insurance adds an additional cost to your mortgage payment and impacts the size of the loan you qualify for! It only makes sense to use your VA entitlement for the only program offering 100% financing nationally, the VA!
A VA Mortgage has several other advantages:
•VA loans have no “pre-payment penalties.”
•VA loans are assumable, subject to the VA’s approval and the buyer’s credit.
•No monthly private mortgage insurance to pay.
•Seller can pay up to 4% of the purchase price toward the closing costs.
•A VA assigned appraiser is utilized to ensure an accurate appraisal.
•The Department of Veterans Affairs staffs several regional centers to answer questions and offer financial counseling.
A VA mortgage does have an upfront “funding fee” to help pay for the program costs and eliminate t he monthly “pmi” that thee other programs have. Those fees are based on the branch of service and size of any down payment used. They range, for a first time eligibility user buying a home, between 1.25% and 2.49%. The VA’s funding fee is added to the loan’s balance and is not an out of pocket expense. If the borrower has a disability rating with the Veterans Administration the VA funding fee may be waived.
Take advantage of your entitlement and check on your eligibility with the Veterans Administration today. Why pay rent when you can own your own home and get all the benefits of homeownership. Start building your own equity and ask your tax preparer how a VA mortgage, and homeownership, can benefit you next tax season!
Your newsletter name has a big effect on your readership, so it's essential you choose a good name right from the start. Here are some ideas to help you come up with creative newsletter names...
#1. Your Niche
You can include the name of your niche in your newsletter title to explain what the content is about. This is one of the most common naming techniques people use. Here are some sample newsletter names...
Your newsletter targets a certain audience, right? How about that you use their name in your newsletter title to attract their attention? This will tell them you offer the information that they want. Here are some good newsletter names...
* Affiliate Marketers Weekly * Work at Home Moms * Pet Lovers Tips & Trends
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#3. Catchy Newsletter Names
Depending on your target market, this type of name can work for you. The benefit to these kind of names is that they're catchy and easy to remember. They're just creative names out of no where.
However, their weakness is that your audience can't understand what your newsletter is about. So you need to provide them with a short description everywhere you introduce your newsletter. Here are some creative newsletter names...
* The Great Gordino * Scootey Lindo * Zapping Tides * Blue Velvet Times
Minnesotans arrested for driving while impaired (DWI) will now be required to have an alcohol ignition interlock installed on their vehicle to reduce the revocation period. This is an additional costly consequence for DWI offenders. Its greatest negative impact is on first offenders who, prior to the new legislation, were not require to have an alcohol interlock installed to drive on a limited license. The ignition interlock program does have some positive characteristics, however, in that it allows people with multiple violations the opportunity to regain their driving privileges sooner by participating in the Minnesota Ignition Interlock Program.
Specifically, the program allows eligible DWI offenders the opportunity to have ignition interlock devices installed in their vehicles to ensure they are driving without consuming alcohol.
A. THE IGNITION INTERLOCK DEVICE.
The ignition interlock device itself is the approximate size of a hand-held calculator that is cabled to your vehicle. The device requires any driver of the vehicle to provide a breath sample before starting the ignition. If the device detects a certain alcohol-concentration level after the driver blows into its tube, the vehicle will not start. The device also calls for retests after the initial test. If you fail a retest, the failure is recorded, however, the vehicle is not stopped if the engine has been started.
The alcohol interlock testing apparatus is not infallible. This may lead to challenges to the accuracy of test results. For example, some mouthwash brands and sprays have up to 30 percent alcohol. Use of such products may result in a positive test on an interlock device.
Additionally, certain foods may cause the ignition interlock device to fail including certain candies and certain bread products where sugar and active yeast can combine to create an alcohol reading. Alcohol-filled chocolate s will also increase the likelihood of a fail reading.
Finally, many perfumes and colognes contain alcohol. Testing companies claim that their devices can discern between alcohol content in ambient air from that contained in a breath sample, however, reliable evidence would have to be presented in that regard when a failure is challenged.
B. PARTICIPATING IN IGNITION INTERLOCK
The steps that are necessary to participate in the Minnesota Alcohol Ignition Interlock Program will depend on the level of your DWI offense. Additionally, the type of driver's license you receive by participating in the program will depend on the number of offenses.
·Restricted License. With a restricted license, you may drive anywhere as long as the device is installed in your vehicle. After a license cancellation, a person with a restricted license will have a notation on their driver's license stating "ignition interlock required" — meaning a person must drive a vehicle with an ignition interlock installed.
·Limited License. With a limited license, you will be allowed to drive to work, school, treatment and support programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous, to court and probation appointments.
To participate, the following steps must be taken:
·the vehicle on which the ignition interlock is installed must be validly insured;
·the driver must pass the DWI driver's license exam
·the driver must fill out an application for a new driver's license;
·the driver must pay $680 reinstatement fee and keep receipt;
·the driver must review, sign and date the Minnesota Ignition Interlock Program Participation Agreement. (This is the Agreement spelling out the terms of the program. Any violation would result in license cancellation or revocation.)
After necessary documents are sent to the Department of Public Safety to participate in the ignition interlock program, the driver must call an approved ignition interlock vendor to schedule an installation appointment. The driver must also attend a necessary training session along with anyone else who will be driving the vehicle. The vehicle must be brought in monthly for maintenance visits and to check the computerized system for compliance.
C. COSTS OF PROGRAM
DWI is already one of the most expensiveoffenses in Minnesota Statutes. In addition to fines ranging from $300 to thousands of dollars, a driver must also pay $680 as a license reinstatement fee, plus surcharges. The cost of the installation and maintenance for the Alcohol Ignition Interlock Program is additional to those expenses. Generally, there is an application fee, the cost of installation ranges from $90 to $100 and the maintenance fees amount to $60 to $125 pe r month.
D. IGNITION INTERLOCK: Level of Offense
First DWI Offense - Restricted License.
After a first offense, the individual driver may not drive for 15 days once the revocation takes effect. Generally, the revocation occurs after a seven day temporary license expires.
The ignition interlock is installed for one year with a restricted license. The person gets full driving privileges with the restriction that they must drive a vehicle with an ignition interlock installed.
Second and Third DWI Offense - Restricted License.
After a second or third offense, the driver may not drive for 30 days after the license revocation occurs. The ignition interlock system is installed for a minimum time frame of a year and a half with a restricted license. The driver must have no failed tests recorded on device.
First Cancellation as Inimical to Public Safety - Limited/Restricted License
I f a driver receives their first cancellation as inimical to public safety, he/she may no drive at all for 30 days. The ignition interlock is installed for two years. During the first year, the driver will have a limited license allowing the person to drive to/from work, treatment, or support group. In the second year, the person receives a restricted license.
Second Cancellation as Inimical to Public Safety - Limited/Restricted License
If a driver receives their second cancellation as inimical to public safety, he/she may no drive at all for 30 days. The ignition interlock is installed for four years. During the first year, the driver will have a limited license allowing the person to drive to/from work, treatment, or support group. In the next three years, the person receives a restricted license.
Third Cancellation as Inimical to Public Safety - Limited/Restricted License
If a driver receives their third cancellation as ini mical to public safety, he/she may no drive at all for 30 days. The ignition interlock is installed for six to seven years. During the first year, the driver will have a limited license allowing the person to drive to/from work, treatment, or support group. In the next five years, the person receives a restricted license.
E. CONSEQUENCES OF TEST FAILURE
Any failed breath test will be recorded on the interlock device. The failure will be downloaded at the monthly maintenance appointment. Information that is recorded includes the following:
·instances where the driver had an alcohol concentration of 0.02 or higher;
·instances where the driver tried to start the vehicle without taking the test;
·instances where the driver failed the rolling retest or refused to take it;
·any attempt to bypass or tamper with the device;
·Th e number of times the vehicle was started and stopped;
·The distance traveled by the vehicle.
A report is generated by the vendor that installed the device and is transmitted monthly to your probation officer or a representative from DVS to verify compliance.
If a driver has three non-compliant tests between service appointments, the device will notify the user of a pending "lock out" that will take effect after 72 hours. The user will need to call the interlock vendor for a code within 48 hours of this notice, key this code into the handset and follow up with a service appointment with the interlock installation service center. The user will be required to pay the $50 "lock out" fee. The driver is responsible for ALL TESTS. This would include any tests by others who may seek to drive the vehicle. Any driver must use the alcohol interlock device.
If a driver has a B card and the device registers f ailing tests, it is possible that the report to the Department of Public Safety would result in another license cancellation and potential new criminal charges.
