Home at Last – Thanks to FHA Housing Loans

My husband and I have been married for two years and like all newly wed couples who are just starting out their lives together, one of our major considerations was to buy a home. It is after all, needed in starting a family.

What is FHA Loans?

A year ago, my wife and I started going around Tampa Bay area here in San Francisco to look for home that both fits out lifestyles and our budget. It was both exciting and challenging at the same time because while we are enjoying the options we know that we need to make do with the budget that we have. All in all, the quest to find the right home for us was not an easy one, especially considering that we do not have much savings to pay for the skyrocketing down payments the agents are offering us.

Those were very stressful times and it does not only affect our back accounts, but also our relationship. The whole hunt for the perfect house became a source of most of our fights. Then one day, we decided to sit down and talk about our options in getting out of this dilemma and stress about finally settling with a decision regarding purchasing a home.

We studied our options. I suggested something along the lines of going back to my parents’ house in Kansas, but of course, that option was out of the equation before we even discussed the pros and cons. Then, my husband convinced me about applying for one of those FHA housing loans. He said he read about it on the papers and knew someone from work who got his mortgage by applying for this loan.



It seems like a safe option (way better than living in my parents’ house) so we both decided to go through with it. My husband asked the help of his buddy from work and was told to log on to website of a nonprofit organization based in New Jersey that offers free assistance and information regarding FHA loans.

The website looks legitimate and my husband’s friend said that the nonprofit organization has all the legal papers to back up their claim to help people like us. It is good to know that something worthwhile exists on the Internet these days aside from controversial celebrity bloggers and scams.

We signed up to get help and days later, we got a call from them saying that they are ready to process our FHA housing loans and that all we need to do is to provide the necessary documents required by the Federal Housing Authority. Good thing we got all these documents covered and prepared so it did not take us that long to turn in the requirements to our assigned mortgage lawyer.

Months after that, we finally got our loan approved! We found a perfect little home in Tampa Bay area and it is just what we wanted. It is accessible and fits our budget perfectly. I guess we are just very lucky to have such kind people who helped us get through our quest to find a home.

Philippine Call Center: Stereotypes about Agents in this Major Asian Call Center Hub

The call center industry in the Philippines is considered one of the major employment generators for Filipinos. According to a recent survey, almost 900,000 Filipinos are relying on the industry for their bread and butter. It is actually safe to say that almost every citizen in the country knows someone working in the industry of call center Philippines.

This call center fad has been part of the popular culture of the new millennium so it is inevitable for people working in this Asian call center to form a sub-culture of some sort. In fact, society has already stereotyped those who are working as call center agents in both positive and negative light.



call center in the Philippines

Call center agents have health problems.
Working in this Asian call center does not only require proficient communication skills, but also the physical health to endure the demands of work. Unlike the usual reporting schedule implemented in other offices, most companies in the call center industry would require agents to do night shifts since most of their clients are from the opposite part of the world. The time difference would not allow their agents to work at the usual 9-5 pace. This is one of the reasons why there are many call center agents suffering from various health problems like insomnia, sedentary diseases, and such. On the other hand, this might not apply to all call center agents. There are some BPO companies that make sure that their employees are given the proper treatment to prevent stress that could eventually lead to such diseases.

They have been rejected by other industries so they decided to work as a call center agent.
This is just one of the negative connotations about call center agents and this is not without any reason. It is said that some companies in the call center industry do not look into an applicant’s academic achievement or attainment that much. As long as you can communicate yourself well using the English language and seem trainable to adopt an American accent, you have a sure trump card to this industry. In fact, even if you have not obtained a college diploma, you can qualify as an agent in call center Philippines. Because of the minimum requirement in terms of skills and work experience, many think that agents are those people who have either been fired from their previous profession for incompetence or those who do not have stellar skills to go head-to-head with others in their competitive industry. But then, these assumption are not entirely true. There are those who are working in Philippine call centers by choice and not because they have nowhere else to go. In fact, many agents have earned their degrees and obtained brilliant University grades. They are also very hard-working and flexible as seen in the feedbacks of many offshore clients. Good qualities that this premier Asian call center workforce have contribute to the sudden rise in interest of foreign clients opting to offshore outbound and inbound call center services from the Philippines.

What are do it yourself loan modification kits?

Ever since the crash of the U.S. economy, people have all been looking for ways to save money. One of the biggest income eaters in the common American family is the home mortgage bill that people have to pay every month nonstop. Now, since people are all losing jobs left and right, it gets harder for them to pay for their mortgage. Also, since real estate development is the main site of the economic crisis (when the loan mortgage bubble broke) the value of homes has been plummeting. Foreclosures have been cropping up left and right in almost every state. Now, one of the most popular ways to save money and to try to fight of and stop foreclosure is to do a loan modification.



loan modification helps


A loan modification is different from refinancing. With refinancing, you will have to get a whole new loan with all new terms and conditions. With loan modification, one will simply change a few terms and conditions on the original loan. A loan modification is easier to get and needs less paperwork and qualifications. These changes are permanent. These changes are of course meant to lower the burden on the home owner. Lowering interest rates, lowering monthly payments, getting extensions, and even lowering the entire loan itself are all changes that can be done with a loan modification. Now, one might imagine that the loan modification is just so complex that one cannot do it alone. But in truth one can do it yourself loan modification. There are a lot of do it yourself loan modification kits out there that one can purchase.

Now of course these kits will also cost you. It is slightly more affordable though than getting a professional guide and help you through the process and the negotiation of the amount changes.

Wanting the training but hating the tests – thoughts about elearning solutions

I’ve been itching to be included in the employee list of our company slated to take that elearning solutions training that they have been having over the past few weeks. I’m not sure if everyone really is slated to take it or they only hand pick the participants, but I think I really do stand to learn a lot from it. I know quite a few of those who have taken the training and from what I hear, it’s quite good and they were surprised to discover how easy the entire thing was, since most of us were apprehensive about joining it, since it felt like they were sort of re-schooling the participants, and since it has been quite some time since we left school for the professional world, it could mean another re-adjustment. The people that I was able to talk to said that the entire thins was internet-based, allowing the employees to learn what was needed to be learned on their own pace, which is good, since not everyone is real fast learner. Maybe the members of the marketing department and finance department could hack regular training sessions like they were nothing, but most of us work in production, and there really is a reason why we were assigned to mostly manual labor.


elearning tools

I think it would be nice, however, to be able to learn a little something more than what I already do know from the previous company trainings that I received while working here. For people like me, learning a skill really is comparatively easy, so I would like to see if I can also learn a bit of smarts as well from the elearning solutions which they are having the employees take. My worry, however, is if they have an exam or evaluation that the employees take after they get the training. I’ve never been one for exams and tests and the like, especially the ones with a really tight time pressure that goes with them.

FHA Loans Eligibility Requirements

FHA loans are a response to the dwindling economy of ours. Millions of foreclosures are happening right now. There is an urgent need for the government to try and stop this from avalanching into another major economic crisis. Thus, the FHA has been mobilized and given a shot from the Obama bailout fund.

FHA housing loans


For those looking for FHA loans in order cut back on their financial problems here are some of the eligibility requirements:

* The potential borrower should be able to qualify for the FHA loan.

* As with usual mortgages, the FHA approved lender needs to verify whether or not the borrower meets the qualifications by looking into the borrower’s assets, other debt load, income, and credit history.

* As usual, there is an income limitation. Those who can actually afford to pay the monthlies as computed against their other monthly expenses will be qualified.

* The borrow should have a valid U.S. social security number since only United States citizens that are of legal age can obtain an FHA loan mortgage.

* Even though there are no minimum FICO score requirements in order to qualify for an FHA loan, one’s score will still be the basis for the exact interest rate that will be given.

Remember that the FHA will look for good candidates. Even though nearly everyone can get these loans, there is still a certain kind of person that the FHA prefers to give loans to and that would be a great fit for the program. The FHA is a great option for people who are getting home loans for the very first time. This is because the down payment requirement is not so high as compared to other mortgage deals. FHA loans down payments usually just require the borrower to pay 3 percent of the amount of the entire mortgage.

There are many loan modification scams out there

The sad thing is a lot of loan modification companies are really just scams. These scammers promise results or amazingly low rates but none of these actually give exactly what they promise. So what are the tell tale signs that a company is going to scam you? Here are the first scam detection loan modification tips on the list: companies that contact you before you contact them.


loan modification

This is the modus operandi of companies that are likely to scam you. First of all, scam companies love to use emails, because it is practically free and it reaches billions of people. Then, they use junk mail since it is also cheap. Finally, they use telemarketing and phone you up. These are lures cast on a wide scale in order to increase the likelihood of catching patsies.

But of course, legitimate companies do this as well because these are legitimate means of advertising marketing. But the second most tell tale sign that of loan modification scams is: upfront fees. Companies that ask for upfront fees are almost sure to be loan modification scams.

In the U.S.A today, billions of American citizens from all walks of life got caught in the recession and are having problems with their monthly loan mortgage payments. Those who are taking advantage of this situation where a lot of desperate people are willing to believe anything as long as it offers them hope to lift themselves up from their situation. These upfront fees might scare some away at first. Then the scammer will lower the amount and promise even lower loan modification rates so that you can start at least on your new loan. They will say that this is a special offer that they are giving exclusively to you. They will do anything just to reel you in.

There are really some real loan modification program companies out there. They can definitely help out by giving valuable advice and strategies and helping you along the loan modification processing. Remember that these companies do not get upfront fees. They will bill you after some time though. And also, it may be a bit hard to get a hold of their services because there are so many people availing their services as well.

Philippines Call Center: Filipino Culture

The Philippines call center industry right now is growing at such a high rate. This industry can truly be called the sunshine industry because right now it provides jobs to thousands and thousands of Philippine professionals. The culture of the Filipino people is closely connected to why the country is highly successful in the contact global center industry game.

The Philippines was once a United States colony. As such, the influence of the U.S. weighs heavily upon the native culture. For one thing, American English is a major subject in all schools. And that’s not the half of it. Spoken English, English reading as well as writing is actually taught in Preparatory School, Kindergarten, all Grade School levels, all High School levels, and the first college years. And what’s more, the country is full of people who have had schooling since according to surveys a large part of the population has gone to school. Then, there is also the influx of American media from music, movies, literature, magazines, and television shows that is greedily consumed by the masses.


call center Philippines

Another great fact that makes Philippines call center businesses successful is that the country shares a lot more than language and culture with the United States. The country also shares the same systems with the United States. The legal system of the country, the educational system of the country, the business systems of the country and the government of the country are all patterned after the systems of the United States. With so much cultural affinity, there is no doubt that Filipino culture is a boon to Philippines call center businesses. Since contact center agents have to communicate quickly with United States based consumers, the need to be on the level is just so great. Without cultural affinity, the Philippines call center industry will not have succeeded to such great heights.

Philippine Call Center Health Hazards to Avoid

I am a professional that work in a company that has a Philippine call center. As such, I can see the culture of the agents and I can deduce the culture and the entire details that form this culture. I can honestly say that the Philippine call center is a place that promotes vices.

I once had a friend who worked in one of these Philippine call centers and he was a wreck. The industry always provides a lot of medical benefits in the form of Medicaid cards or similar medical cards. This is because of the stress level and the lifestyle that the industry creates. Although there are ways in order to avoid these factors in order to remain working in the call center while keeping healthy, a lot of call center agents just do not form this kind of discipline. As a result, a lot of them suffer from chronic illnesses such as respiratory diseases or digestive system problems. I would say that most of these are really products of stress and bad habits/vices.


call center Philippines

So what exactly are these vices that a Philippine call center agent should avoid?

1. Lack of sleep – This is something that can obviously be avoided. Now Philippine call centers work on night shift and therefore it can be hard for some to get sleep. The key is to train and readjust the body clock correctly.

2. Smoking – Obviously one of the biggest vices out there. But it is particularly prevalent because of the stress involved. Smoking for some takes out stress. But this is obviously something that drains health and eats up vitamin C in the body to boot.

3. Drinking Coffee – Because of problem number one, there are a lot of agents who love drinking coffee. Then they become a bunch of nerves as this habit goes on. Caffeine is said to be good is small amounts. Do not consume more than a couple of cups a day.

4. Drinking Beer – To celebrate a weekday, most employees love to drink. But the acidity of Call center agents, because of their awkward sleep schedules and stress, is very high. Drinking beer will serve to damage one’s digestive system and increase acidity.

The Work of Gawad Kalinga Foundation

To date, Gawad Kalinga Foundation has established 900 communities all over the country, and all of which were built through the blood, sweat, and tears of thousands of volunteers coming from different walks of life ranging from students, business executives, hoi polloi, and government officials. When it comes to GK volunteerism, your status in life and economic stability do not matter. The only thing that counts is your willing and emblazoned heart for serving the poor.

GK EXPO

Many have heeded the call for massive volunteerism because GK has made patriotism and heroism a fashionable concept. From volunteers, people who join the GK force turn into heroes for every house and community built for the poor. Aside from individuals, 200 of the biggest corporations in the country have pledged their support for GK programs such as Livelihood, Child and Youth Development, and Site Building. They do not only extend financial aid, but also contribute to the arm of the organization by involving their employees in such programs, helping to spread the good word about massive volunteerism as advocated by Gawad Kalinga.

Living in a world ruled by capitalism would make you think that patriotism is a dead concept, but Gawad Kalinga, through the power of massive volunteerism, has proven that love of country is still very much alive in the hearts of every Filipino.

Gawad Kalinga has made patriotism a fashionable concept. Through its cooperation and collaboration with schools, business corporations, government and nongovernmental organizations, the word about its altruistic goals are spreading like wildfire. The youth are also heavily involved in GK projects with the biggest universities in the Philippines encouraging the young minds to show their love for the country through helping their fellowmen. Corporations have continuously pledged financial aid and introduced their employees into the objectives of GK. Government and nongovernmental organizations use their influence to tell the world about the good works of Gawad Kalinga to rig in more volunteers for the cause.

Gawad Kalinga Foundation is more than just an organization. It is a movement will continue to move people to act on the pressing problems caused by poverty. GK breaks the deadly concept of apathy and keeps the idea of patriotism alive and burning. With more and more volunteers all over the world expressing their support for the movement, the GK goal of bringing dignity back to the poor will be an attainable goal.