Free credit card debt consolidation is now easily available both online and offline. Several debt consolidation companies offer these services with an objective to help people affected with credit card debt or other unsecured debt. These companies work on a no profit basis and are whole-heartedly dedicated to providing the debtors free debt consolidation services. Since these companies work without a profit motive, their advice and suggestions are not clouded by moneymaking motives and are thus the best path to choose for consolidation of your credit card and other debts.

A Perfect Solution For Debt Management

There are ample reasons why Free credit card debt consolidation appeals to people so much. For example, one of the greatest advantages of these free debt consolidation services is that it almost always results in a lower monthly payment that too on convenient and affordable terms. Moreover, since the credit card debt consolidation programs combine many credit card lenders, the consolidation of debts eliminates multiple payments each month.

Free credit card debt consolidation services usually include an effective counseling service to the debtors so that they could better handle their finances and offer them tips so that they do not fall in the debt trap again. If you put yourself among those who do not know how to get out of the nasty traps of credit card debts and how to regain control over their finances, the credit card debt consolidation services make an ideal choice for you.

Many people have taken benefit of the free credit card debt consolidation. The people who used to think that they would never come out of the heavy burden of debts are now enjoying ultimate financial freedom. You can also be one of them - all you have to do is just to choose a genuine non profit debt consolidation company.

The good news is that now you can easily find a free credit card and debt consolidation company online. These companies do not charge you even a single penny from you for offering their valuable services. What is more, the debt consolidation loans offered my most of these companies are usually unsecured loans and you do not have to put any collateral in order to become eligible for such programs. You just have to tell them about your specific situation and they will help you with a specific debt consolidation program. Even your credit score does not matter much. You will be amazed to know that even people with bad credit are eligible for these programs.

You must note that the objective of free credit card debt consolidation companies is just to keep the society free from debts. They do not charge you anything against their precious services. However, it is always great to take some time to research several of free debt consolidation companies to see which offers the best debt consolidation solution to your specific debt situation.

Apurva is a personal finance expert who writes articles related to free credit card debt consolidation. To read more credit card debt consolidation articles, visit http://www.best-credit-card-debt-consolidation.com

Spread the Word, like a Virus

Richard Brodie’s book is a living example of the theories he proposes. At every opportunity Brodie plants the idea that the reader should tell other people about this amazing work — even become involved with him in the multilevel marketing of it! The memes are “this is a unique, valuable book”, “I should share this wonderful news with others”, “I could make money with this book.”

A meme is “a thought, belief, or attitude in your mind that can spread to and from other people’s minds.”

The word meme reminds one of gene. Which is no accident. The concepts Brodie (who is the author of Microsoft Word) eloquently espouses are based in socio-biological theory. “Meme” was coined by Richard Dawkins, author of The Selfish Gene. Just as genes (or more particularly DNA) “seek” to spread themselves over and over in physical bodies, so too, do memes “seek” to replicate themselves in one mind after another.

So “good” memes are those which are successful in spreading themselves. There is no value judgement in the term “good” anymore than there is a suggestion of conscious intent on the part of DNA to multiply.

A good meme while I was in graduate school was that Sigmund Freud had discovered The Truth. There was no gainsaying His pronouncements. The Oedipus and Electra complexes were taught as Fact. Yet, as I wrote in Love, Sex & Hypnosis: Secrets of Psychotherapy, “the notion that a little girl would want sex with her father is patently absurd. It seems never to have occurred to Freud that, if his theory were correct, the girls would hardly have fantasised abuse; they would have dreamed of enjoyable erotic contact. The truth was that his patients had been abused and that Freud yielded to his own fears and the pressures of society [Victorian memes ?] to twist the facts and his interpretation.”

Three generations of women have been harmed by Freudian memes. In recent times new memes (including those of feminism and humanistic psychology) have begun to supplant the Freudian Myth but it still has a strong hold on many minds.

Conditioning is essential for memes to become so embedded. You might regard Freudianism as a religion evangelized until recently in most schools of psychology. This closely parallels Brodie’s explanation for the spreading of religious concepts to children:

“Children typically get programmed with religious beliefs through conditioning by repetition. Whatever the religion, children go from zero beliefs to full-fledged faith, or as fledged as they get, by being told about the divinity of God or Jesus or David Koresh over and over again until it becomes real — those memes become programmed. If you listen repeatedly to religious speech, after enough repetitions you will actually begin to notice God and his works where there was just chaotic life going on before. What was formerly chance becomes a miracle. What was pain is now karma. What was human nature is now sin. And regardless of whether these religious memes are presented as Truth or as allegorical mythology, you’re conditioned just the same.”

Brodie emphasises that we have Stone Age impulses ill-adapted to modern living. Thus, he says, our main urges, or instincts, revolve around danger, food, and sex . Often these primitive urges (or “buttons” as Brodie calls them) override our conscious will because the latter is a comparatively recent evolutionary development. Which explains why male politicians continue to become embroiled in sex scandals with young women, despite the political consequences.. According to my understanding of Brodie’s claims, the politicians are simply acting out a primal need to spread their sperm (and thus their DNA).

Such urges are not, as has been thought hitherto, to continue the human species, or from deliberate intent, but from the innate purpose of DNA. This purpose is self-propagation. We, as humans, are simply the vehicles which make the replication of DNAs possible. The urge continues even inappropriately or futilely in the face of technological barriers (e.g., birth control).

Memes are similar. Without attributing any divine, human, or conscious intent to them, memes “seek” hosts — minds — to copy themselves and recopy themselves over and over in subsequent minds.

When there is a conscious agency — such as someone founding a religion, or a salesperson deliberately pressing your buttons — then Brodie considers these to be “designer viruses”. He even tells you how to create what might be considered the ultimate designer virus: a cult. His purpose for this exposure is not to encourage unscrupulous persons to deceive but to enlighten the public so we will be inoculated against such scams.

Not that all viruses of the mind are harmful. Brodie tells us how to disinfect our minds of those which are, and he concludes the book on an optimistic note with proposals for “quality of life” viruses which would revolutionise education and society.

You decide if Dr Bryan Knight’s memes are beneficial or harmful. Take a peek at his other opinions http://hypnosisdepot.com

Deciding to buy a baby bath tub may be as easy as a picking out cute little baby booties, or as hard as choosing the right name for your baby. With prices on some infant bath tubs as high as 30 and 40 dollars; many may wonder if having one is really a necessity, or just an expensive baby luxury.

Well consider this… The US Consumer Product Safety Commission reports that dozens of children drown each year. Two-thirds of these accidents happened in the home in bath tubs. While the majority of these drownings took place when the child was left unattended, a few incidences occurred while a parent was trying to give their baby a bath in an adult-sized tub and the child just simply slipped away.

For safety reasons, baby bath tubs are clearly a necessity, especially during those first few months when an infant cannot sit up or provide their own support.

Many of these specialized baby tubs are designed with slings or hammocks that will hold a newborn securely in place. Others have a foam grip inside that will prevent slipping. All of them are small enough to fit inside a regular bath tub which gives the parent the convenience of bathing their baby in an environment that is water-friendly and easy to keep clean.

But make sure you do some research and read product reviews on the various baby bath tubs on the market before you fork over your hard earned cash. A tub that is perfect for one baby may be a complete disaster for another. A Soothing Spa and Shower Baby Bath Tub may sound like a wonderful thing, but if you later find out that the sprayer is too difficult to use you may end up feeling ripped off. That’s why it is always best to find out what other parents have to say before you buy.

Lastly, if you are giving your baby a bath for the very first time, consult your pediatrician or get some information online on how to do it right. Experts say you should not immerse a baby in bath water before the umbilical cord has fallen off or the circumcision has healed. Sponge baths are the only way to go in the first few weeks. You should also line up all of your baby bath items before you start the bath.

More importantly, NEVER EVER leave a baby unattended in a bath tub! If you have to leave the room, take your baby with you.

Danielle Bennett is an editor at http://www.BabyBathBasics.com . The site provides baby bath information and advice for new parents as well as product reviews and helpful online baby bath videos.

When trying to read behaviour, recognise that while body language can give clues to motivation levels, it can also be misread. More concrete signals will be provided by the ways in which individuals perform their tasks: this is likely to give you the clearest indication of their motivation. Someone who works cheerfully and efficiently is unlikely to be hiding anything if they greet you with a smile. Likewise, a dour facial expression should only be interpreted adversely if combined with a grumpy “That’s-not-my-job” attitude to work.

Positive motivation is often signalled by positive gestures: a smile, an eager pose, and a relaxed manner. When people carry out a task in which they are interested or enthusiastic, they may have a “sparkle” in the eyes, since their pupils actually enlarge. Confident eye contact is also important as a measure of motivation: demotivated people are less likely to look you straight in the eye. Blushing can indicate pleasure, while an increased rate of breathing can indicate enthusiasm - both of these are good signs of motivation.

Motivation can be recognised in a number of ways - look particularly for signs that your staff feel useful, optimistic, or able to take opportunities. A team in which each member looks after the others’ interests is likely to be a good source of motivation. Look for evidence that your staff are satisfied in their jobs rather than anxious or frustrated. If you find no such signs, ask them whether they are satisfied. You can also establish a good idea of an individual’s level of motivation by their attitude towards work. The statements below are all indicative of motivated staff members:

Reducing Demotivation:

Workplace demotivation for many people tends to be caused by poor systems or work overload. Very clear signs of demotivation include high levels of absenteeism and quick turnover of staff. Recognising demotivation is pointless unless you intend to eradicate its causes. Remember, too, that poor behaviour and underperformance are not necessarily signs of workplace demotivation. If demotivation remains even when the situation is improved, it may be due to personal problems.

Demotivation may not always be signposted, but look out for defensive, protective actions, such as folding the arms when seated or clenching fists involuntarily. Inattention, the first sign of demotivation, may be seen in facial expressions, though tapping fingers and restlessness are also negative indicators. A sloppy, “couldn’t-care-less” attitude and a lack of enthusiasm for work may be observed. A monotonous tone of voice may tell of boredom, but be aware also of signs of aggression, such as chopping motions of the hand or pointing a finger in an accusatory manner.

Measuring Morale

It is important to measure workplace morale on a regular basis to discover of any why staff are experiencing problems. However, if you experience a rise in departures, suspect that motivation is low, or find that absenteeism is increasing, do not wait to take the workplace “temperature”: do it now. You may wish to try using employee attitude surveys; these give a broad indication of morale but can be lengthy and costly. Read the signs from your own talks with people, such as annual appraisals, or set up focus groups or one-to-one interviews. Another way to measure morale is to take a random opinion poll. Remember, however, that if you investigate staff attitudes you must act on the findings, or risk causing further demotivation.

Points to Remember

Daniel Gibbins is an experienced business professional who has worked within
Retail, Customer Service, Audit and Operations Management. He is the Managing
Director of Cortina Web Solutions, a web based Web Design and SEO Consultation
business that provides advanced internet business solutions. Daniel is a member
of the General Teaching Council of England and holds Qualified Teacher Status in
the UK.

Cortina Web Solutions provide a range of
professional web
design services and specialise in
advanced search
engine marketing and SEO. For advice and support on any aspect of your
business or online marketing strategy, contact Daniel through the website:
http://www.cortinawebsolutions.co.uk

You’d be surprised how many people in this world are decent writers. Okay, maybe they’re no Hemmingway, but they can certainly put together a coherent English sentence. Many of these people would love to take their skills to the next level and actually make some writing with their articles. Well, this article will give you a very simple blueprint for turning YOUR articles into cash.

The first thing you need to do, and I can’t stress this enough, is to make sure your writing skills are solid. Articles that sell have to be written with a certain quality. If you don’t have these skills, don’t worry. Later on I’ll show you how you can get them.

The next thing you need to do is a little bit of research. If you want to write articles for profit, you have to find out what it is that people want to read. This is actually very easy to do on the Internet. Simply go to any search engine and type in a word, phrase, activity, or whatever. You will find a number of websites for these search terms. The more sites you find, more likely than not, the more demand there is for this information. For example, if you typed in “baseball players” you’d probably find hundreds of thousands of sites, if not more. So writing articles on a topic as popular as baseball players will probably give you ample opportunity to capitalize on those articles. Find out where the money is and go after it.

After you have discovered your niche, so to speak, the next thing you need to do is search out places online that accept articles for the topic you chose. When you find one in your search, send them an email and ask them if they would be interested in any articles on this topic and if so, how much do you pay for them. Most of the places you will find will be article directories or sites that specialize in accepting articles for payment.

However, there is another road you can take that few people know about. In your search, you will find a number of sites that specialize in the niche you’ve chosen. Maybe they have a site that has statistics about baseball players both past and present. There’s no reason why you can’t write to these places and ask them if they’d be interested in articles on your niche. If they’re a savvy site owner, they’ll know the value of content and will probably make you a decent offer.

These are just a couple of the many avenues you can take to get your articles online and get paid for them. We’ll cover other ways in future articles. Now, if you’re not sure if you’re article writing is up to par, check out my signature. There is a resource in it that should help you a great deal.

Turning your articles into cash is easier than you realize. You just need a game plan.

To YOUR Success,

Steven Wagenheim

If you need the skills to write killer articles and want to find great places to sell them, check out my book that I personally wrote called “The Complete Article Writing And Marketing Guide” which you can find by going to http://www.honestincomeprogram.com/tcawamg.html where you’ll get all the details.

In order to develop a full understanding of forex trading and why it is even possible, you need to understand a little bit about the history of money. In early human societies, goods were traded for goods. If you had anything that was of value to someone else, then you had currency. While this system worked reasonably well for thousands of years, there were also some obvious drawbacks.

As communities began to grow and trade with each other, they found that it was hard to place a determinate value on each good. It also became apparent that more than one party needed to be involved in some trades to make them profitable and beneficial for each party. The modern system of money, and eventually forex trading, was born out of the answer to this problem.

The ability to equate value with an object that was otherwise useless was the first real step towards developing currency. If you think about it, the $20 piece of paper in your pocket has no inherent value; it’s only valuable because the government says that it is. That was the challenge that these early cultures faced. How to determine what had value, and how much value, was a question that took many generations of development to work out. At the heart of forex trading are the solutions that they developed.

Forex trading involves the exchange of two base currencies. Anyone can do this. The point of trading foreign exchange currency is to make money though, so it must be done with some planning. The ability to predict the world economy and realize that at some point in the future, the value of the foreign currency that you just traded for must go up is what separates good investors from those who go broke.

Forex trading involves a cross. The cross is formed by the two currencies being traded. There are a few currencies that are considered majors. These are the largest players on the world stage and make up the majority of crosses traded. A few examples of majors are the U.S. Dollar, the Euro, and the Yen. Each of these currencies, and the economies that they represent, set the stage for and the value of the rest of the world’s currencies.

Finding a stable standard of value is what makes forex trading profitable. If one nation were to decide suddenly that their currency held no value, then the market would collapse around it. Perhaps this is why the six nations that make up the majors are the most widely traded. Their economies have proven to be stable and the value of their currency is strong. People have agreed that currency is worth something and in fact, worth having. That is the basic operating principle of finance and it is the driving force behind what make foreign exchange trading profitable.

For more information on forex trading,
please visit http://www.forextradingexplained.co.uk

Are you looking for a proven internet marketing idea? Then you must know the two important things about affiliate marketing as an online marketer. You are likely a person who wants to make a lot of money without have to dress up each morning and go to the office.

Whether internet marketing for small business or not, everyone dreams of financial independence by being a successful online marketer, therefore looking for the best internet marketing idea they can find.

Please you should keep in mind that educative and easy-to-understand content rules in affiliate marketing. If you must succeed in internet marketing online affiliate program, you need to know how to make your own content and how to have quality stuff. It is not that hard to get surfers to look at your website.

The hard part is getting them to read more than a couple of lines. Gaining links that point to your site is the second most important thing which will bounce you up in search engine ratings. The links should always come from web pages that focus on the same topic as the articles they point to, otherwise you will lose points with the search engines and this should always be avoided.

Getting It Started: After picking a niche market you should identify some topics and start writing. You website should have about ten articles to start and every one of them should have links. Then you should watch and see if people like them or not. Re-read one of the articles every morning and see if your writing is clear and if the ideas stand out from the text, which allows them to be easily grasped by everyone.

After weeks of re-reading do it once more with your first articles. You will often be surprised with how poorly written they seem. You can either re-write them or write completely new ones that focus on the same topics and solutions but with a different wording and approach. Every time you shouldn’t strive to be one hundred percent original since this is impossible.

You will notice that your site is getting a lot of attention in a short while because of the friendly content. Make sure surfers who don’t land on the home page of your site and always keep everything as simple as possible can access your pages easily. If you have a website with a lot of good content but don’t look to slick then people will feel you are a real person and aren’t trying to pull anything.

While it is nice to have marketing campaigns, try to avoid flashing banners and slick ads. Just get links and write articles. Then go back and do it again. Until your website becomes a mandatory stop for people who want to be well-informed on your topic you should keep doing this. You will gain good ratings from the links and surfer clicks and the original content is what makes you unique.

Put in plenty of keywords when writing good articles, but don’t use them blatantly. Make sure the links you have to merchant websites stand out and have these websites link to you. To make a lot of money in internet marketing online affiliate program, this is all you need to know! So this is the big list of tasks you have to do if you want to become a successful affiliate marketer online. While this sounds too simple, it isn’t as simple as you expect.

Writing good articles is important and they should really answer the questions your readers may have in mind. This means you should find a topic and become thoroughly acquainted with it while analyzing possible solutions. Also search the web for great website filled with internet marketing idea proven with money making strategies.

For example, the WebMasterAffiliateReview currently stands as wonderful internet marketing for online business and affiliate program reviews.

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Sleeping places in Lake Baringo

Budget and Midrange Lake Baringo accommodation

Roberts Camp
(Camping Kshs 350, bandas stw with shared bathroom Kshs 10002000, 4-person cottages Kshs 5000). Easily spotted off Kampi ya Samaki’s main drag, next to Lake Baringo Club is this fantastic site. It is right on the lake and offers great camping facilities, comfortable cottages as well as an open air restaurantbar.

They also rent four person tents with bedding for Kshs 850 per person (including camping fees) and there are even shared cooking facilities for self-caterers. If the odd bat doesn’t bother you the wooden hammer kop cottage with it massive deck, large loft and airy ambiance is the most atmospheric place for a snooze.

Campers need to exercise some common sense about the hippos’ which may graze within just a meter of your tent at night. Ideally you should stay at least 20metres away from them if you can especially if they have young ones and don’t frighten them with headlights, torches (flashlights), loud noises or flash photography. No one has been seriously injured by a hippo in almost 15 years but some readers have had decidedly close calls! Remember that they are wild animals and should be treated with respect.

Bahari Lodge and Hotel
(Kampi ya Samaki, stw with shared bathroom Kshs 200400) bahari is popular with the drivers of safari vehicles, which is generally a good sign! The rooms are a little shabby but they are ok. The toilets are rather odoriferous.

Weavers Lodge
(Kampi ya Samaki, stw Kshs 350700) Down a rocky alley of the towns main drag, Weavers has good sized rooms that come with fans, mosquito nets and comfortable beds; sadly toilet paper, soap and hot water are often lacking and a constant loud music from the bar can be a pain.

Lake View Lodge
(With shared bathroom Kshs 100) Think prison cellblock with distorted lake views. Although crude the rooms are quiet clean. The loos are outside and a little rough.

Top Luxury lake Baringo hotels, lodges and camps

Lake Baringo Club
(Kampi ya Samaki, High season and Nov-mid Dec; full board sd USD$ 120150, mid Dec- May and July to October USD$ 150180.)

Set in sprawling lakeside gardens, this is a grand old place. The rooms are pleasant if uninspired, with angled wooden ceilings, comfortable beds, wee terraces and linoleum floors. Facilities include a swimming pool, games room badminton court and library, and are open to non guests for Kshs 200. There is a nightly slide show featuring beautiful birds sighted around Lake Baringo.

Island Camp Baringo
(Full board sd USD$ 220295) This luxury tented lodge site seats on Kokwe Islands southern tree, and it takes a perfect hide away. It is beautifully convinced with 23 double tents set among flowering trees all over looking the lake. Facilities include two bars and water sports equipment. Prices include transfers from town.

Samatian Lodge Baringo
(Kampi ya Samaki; full board sd USD$ 255510) For a truly exclusive experience this is the place to be the three chalets on this island are rented as a unit and hefty price tag is worth it for the glorious isolation. Transfers from Kampi ya Samaki are included.

Soi Safari Lodge Baringo
(Kampi ya Samaki stw USD$ 6080) Strangely this new lodge owned by ex-president Moi’s son thought the parking lot should have the lake views instead of the rooms- so sad but so true. Rooms are bland and the place has zero ambiences. Air con is its only redeeming feature.

Eating and Drinking in Baringo

Thirsty Goat
(Roberts Camp; Kampi ya Samaki; meals Kshs 300-450). This lovely open air restaurant and bar serves a welcome variety of foreign fare. It’s a bit pricey, but when your nose gets a whiff of the Moroccan meatballs, your taste buds will step on your whingeing wallets tongue.

Lake Baringo Club
(Kampi ya Samaki, lunchdinner buffets Kshs 13001460, mains Kshs 300-700) as you would hope for this price the food is mostly excellent. While you may shed a tear paying Kshs 120 for a large tusker, one sip of it on the shady terrace or lakeside lawn and you will soon be laughing again.

Bahari lodge and Hotel
(Meals kshs 150- 200) Of Kampi ya Samaki’s few remaining local restaurants, this is the best place for cheap stodge.

Self caterers should keep in mind that while some foodstuffs may be available at Roberts’ camp, fresh vegetables and fruits are generally in short supply, and there is only a very limited stock available in Kampi ya Samaki. Bring much of what you need- Marigat usually has a good selection

Robert is a tour expert in East Africa Kenya travel. He is a director of a Kenya tour operator company and degreed in tourism management. For more Blah on Kenya tourism see: http://www.landmarksafaris.com/planner/?refferer=ezinearticles

The State of Florida’s Smoke and Mirrors. Got to love the Florida Governor, he is trying the impossible; that is make every homeowner happy with what they are paying for their insurance premium. “The Gov” and his merry band of legislators concocted a plan that was nothing more than a pacifier to the citizens of Florida. It is a dangerous plan a house of cards that literally will be destroyed by the winds. In this plan instead of encouraging companies to write insurance using actuarially “sound” rates and build large reserves, the citizens will pay for losses by being charged “Assessments”.

The citizenry of Florida have been fed this load of crap because it makes them feel good. No one has really explained what an assessment really is and will happen if the Governor’s “BET” goes bad and we have more than one cataclysmic hurricane.

If this were to happen “EVERY” property policyholder (renter, homeowner or commercial policy holder ) will have to pay a huge assessment, which will be added on to next years premium. In other words if this was to occur you would not get your insurance for the next year until you paid THAT YEAR’S premium PLUS assessment.

HOW MUCH?

How bad? The assessment will be based on the amount of money that will be paid out from the hurricanes. One study conducted by Towers Perrin estimates the assessment to pay off bonds to bail out the state could range from $1,700 to $14,000 per policy. Floridians in return get an average saving of $265 on their 2007 property insurance rates, again only a feel good post election pacifier.

THE EVIL INSURANCE EMPIRE

The press and hapless radio talk show hosts who have no clue on what the industry is all about have demonized the insurance companies. The industry has suddenly been characterized as racketeers and thugs. Agents have become uncaring moneygrubbers who are making excess profits on the backs of the citizenry.

Since my experience in the industry is now spanning 4 decades as I remember this rhetoric is nothing new. In the late 70’s and through out the 1980’s the regulators were beating their drums and legislating limit on how much money a carrier could make and had even mandated a repayment of premium that was “over charged”.

It seems that companies were fortifying their reserve requirement and investing profits in such evil endeavors such as building, office complexes, hospitals, to build the value of there entity. In addition many of theses stock and mutual companies were “giving” back in the forms of dividends. I even remember hearing the same talk show hosts complain about the insurance rates then. Yea we are old.

HISTORY - AUGUST 24, 1992
At this time I was working for a property/casualty company who had a net value of $6,000,000,000. It was a very calm hurricane season and yes, Florida insurance companies were defending their rates that, incidentally, at that time were among the lowest in the United States. We got word that “Andrew” was coming. “Andrew” starts with an “A” our first storm of the season in August? The rest as they say was history. I was extremely proud of the company I worked for, they fulfilled their promise and paid out well over $4,000,000,000 rumor was the company was selling building to pay claims. And why were they able to do that because they were allowed to charge an actuarially “sound” rate and fulfilled their promise. For those who don’t remember here is a short excerpt from Wikipedia:

Andrew produced a 17 ft (5.2 m) storm surge near the landfall point in Florida.

Andrew was responsible for 23 deaths in the United States and three more in the Bahamas. The hurricane caused $26.5 billion (1992 USD) in damage in the United States, of which $1 billion occurred in Louisiana and the rest in south Florida. Unlike most hurricanes, the vast majority of the damage in Florida was due to the winds. The agricultural loss in Florida was $1.04 billion alone. Damage in the Bahamas was estimated at $250 million.[15][9]

In Dade County 90% of homes had major roof damage. 117,000 were destroyed or had major damage.

THE FUTURE

In a word “Bleak”. The Governor of Florida has taken an enormous bet, one I hope he wins but also believe it is doubtful he will. His plan is nothing more that a casino bet. The real solution would be painful now but in the long run would prevent devastating financial consequences for the state of Florida. Invite all qualified insurers into the state and charge without regulation the premium that reflects a rate that is actuarially “sound” based on losses of the last 30 years. At first the rates will be astronomically high and folks would have to get use to high deductibles but in a few years Adam Smith’s “invisible hand” will move the rates to a true level and companies on a collective bases take the risk not the citizens of Florida. But before I leave I leave you with another note from Wikipedia, the cost in 2005 dollars hurricane losses.

Rank Hurricane Season Cost (2005 USD)
1 Katrina 2005 $81.2 billion
2 Andrew 1992 $44.9 billion
3 Wilma 2005 $20.6 billion
4 Charley 2004 $15.4 billion
5 Ivan 2004 $14.6 billion
Citizens of the State of Florida Welcome to the insurance industry.

NEXT ARTICLE FROM KAZOR - Insurance is socialist

Christopher P. Kazor is president of Nusurance Insurance agency http://www.nusurance.com He has been active in the insurance industry since 1978 and has been licensed as an insurance agent, adjuster, and insurance instructor. For more information call Christopher Kazor at 813 514 6982.

I was recently taking a look at the Tahoe Bonanza newspaper here in Incline Village and found an insert from one of the big International real estate firms. This purported biannual report covering Lake Tahoe, Truckee and the High Sierra gave a brief synopsis of the real estate market in each of the geographic regions around the Lake Tahoe / Truckee area. I focused on the statistics for Incline Village and Crystal Bay since that is my area of expertise and was astounded to read the conclusions that were drawn in this report.

I think it’s pretty difficult to try and analyze an entire year of statistics for the Incline Village real estate market in one paragraph. But that is exactly what this market comparison attempted to do. When comparing the statistics from 2006 versus 2005 for the entire year one has to first remember that the median price of condos in Incline Village rose by over $100,000 up to $580,000 and the median price of houses remained strong at $1,150,000.

Where the insert lacks credibility is in the incomplete market analysis that is being fostered upon the general public. When people see something in print they generally think that it must be true, especially when being offered up by a reputable real estate firm of international stature. However a closer examination of the facts reveals that the analysis is fraught with holes. The best example relates to the comments made concerning condos in Incline Village and sale prices in 2006 vs. 2005.

In regard to condo sales the article states that, “units sold under $500,000 were down a whopping 65% and units over $500,000 were down 31%”. This would make it appear that the low end of the market was very weak and that moderate and higher priced condos (although unit sales have declined versus 2005) were the stronger sector. This is only partly true. With the median price for condos rising from below $500,000 to well above $500,000 during 2006, it is only natural that unit sales below $500,000 would decline significantly. There is simply not as much inventory nor as many transactions under $500,000 taking place due to the overall price appreciation in the Incline Village condo market.

By doing an incomplete market analysis the person who wrote this market comparison is misleading the general public. I would anticipate with the median price of condos currently around $580,000 and showing no signs of declining significantly that looking at unit sales above and below $500,000 and comparing them year to year is a meaningless exercise. Let’s just accept that the median price for condos in Incline Village will likely remain well above $500,000 barring economic catastrophe and that the incomplete market analysis provided in this advertising insert is inherently flawed.

A better way to analyze the Incline Village real estate market would take into account the fluctuation in median prices for each property category (condos, PUDs and single family homes) and the number of sales in units in each category. Tracking the moving median average and week to week unit sales will give one a much better picture of trends and prices concerning the homes and condos for sale in Incline Village.

Don Kanare is a real estate agent with Lakeshore Realty located in Incline Village, NV at the northeast corner of Lake Tahoe. Don writes a daily column about the new listings, price changes and general market commentary on Incline Village Real Estate. You can find Don’s column on his web site at: http://www.InsideIncline.com