In Houston, Texas, banks or lenders have a legal right to foreclose on a home if the owner has missed mortgage payments. By doing so, they will regain the money that is owed to them by selling the property.

In extreme foreclosure cases, the property may not be worth enough to completely cover one’s debt to the lender. In this case, not only will their property be taken away from them but they will also have the outstanding balance due to the lender.

Types of Foreclosures

In Houston there are two types of foreclosures that will ensue, should the lender decide to go through with proceedings. The first type is a “deed in lieu of foreclosure,” to pay for the missed mortgage payments. This type of foreclosure will be agreed upon in a contract between the homeowner and the lender. The more common type of foreclosure is when the property goes to auction that is overseen by a court officer. This type of foreclosure will allow the homeowner to keep any equity that they have built in the home.

Because a foreclosure on a house or other piece of property reflects so negatively on a person’s credit report, it’s important that homeowners avoid foreclosure. Houston banks and lending companies will send notices to the homeowner once a mortgage payment has been missed.

Alternatives to Foreclosing

Once a notice is received, it’s important that the homeowner contact the lender to arrange for payment to be made. Houston lenders can be very understanding and will often review the homeowner’s financial situation before making any drastic decisions. Lenders don’t usually want to foreclose either as it means the added cost and time of selling the home themselves. Therefore, the homeowner and the lender should work together to devise a plan that does not include foreclosure.

In many areas, a “fast sale” or “short sale” are options where the home owner can sell their home (sometimes for less than they actually owe the bank) and walk away from their obligation. Sellers should consult with an experienced Realtor to help them understand the local market conditions and the best methods to explore this possibility.

A Partial Claim is an option that will give the homeowner an interest-free loan. This loan will be used to cover the mortgage payments and the lender will often work for the homeowner in helping them get this loan. To qualify, the homeowner must have missed at least four mortgage payments, but not exceeded twelve missed payments. The loan needs to be obtained before the home is in foreclosure status and the homeowner needs to be able to begin making payments in full immediately.

Special Forbearance is a process in which the lender and homeowner will meet and attempt to make an arrangement that is suitable to both of them for repaying the loan. The lending company is often the main force in these discussions and the options available will greatly depend on them.

Bankruptcy is a common alternative to foreclosure. Although bankruptcy does show as a large negative on a credit report, it is better than foreclosure. Because this is such a drastic step, homeowners need to speak to a lawyer before they make the final decision.

Many homeowners also choose to sell the property on their own if their home is nearing, or already in, foreclosure. There are many different aspects of selling a home when it is near foreclosure and so it’s important to hire a real estate agent that has experience dealing with these types of sales.

Of course, the easiest way to avoid foreclosure on a property is to never be placed into that position to begin with. Unforeseen expenses may pop up from time to time but it is the homeowner’s responsibility to contact the lender to make them aware of the situation and to work with them to devise a payment arrangement.

For more tips and resources to help you sell your home, visit http://www.houstonproperties.com/sell-houston-home.html

Paige Martin is a member of the prestigious Martha Turner Properties’ Circle of Excellence, an award given to honor the company’s top producers. Paige is a member of the Houston Association of Realtors, Texas Association of Realtors, and the National Association of Realtors. Her website features over 500 pages of Houston real estate information and details on over 40,000 properties and all Houston Condos for sale as well, as free tips on how to quickly sell Houston homes. Paige Martin, Realtor, Martha Turner Properties.

Are the Freemasons really a harmless charitable organization that men of all religious faith’s can innocently join and fellowship in? Are the Freemasons really a beneficial and non threatening group who pose no danger to our society? Is it biblically sound for a Christian to join the Masonic Lodge? After extensive research and reviewing the testimonies of respectable citizens of great credibility, I have come to the conclusion that Freemasonry poses the greatest threat to our society. I have come to the conclusion that Freemasonry is an anti-Christian organization that is involved in organized crime and possibly terrorism throughout the world, and involves its members in anti-Christian occult rituals that defy the Holy Bible. I have also found strong evidence that Freemasonry puts its members into the government and well placed positions to carry out an agenda upon a nation.

In the early 1980’s Italian Magistrate Cordova led an investigation into a Masonic Lodge in Italy, this investigation lead to police raiding the office of Mr Lucio GelIi, the “Grand Master” of P2 Masonic Lodge in Italy. The raid upon Mr Gelli’s office resulted in the discovery of a Masonic Lodge list which included: four cabinet ministers, three under-secretaries, 38 MPs or senators, 195 military officers, politicians from every party except the Communists and Radicals, as well as industrialists, bankers, diplomats, civil servants, judges, journalists, secret service officers, police officials and also members of the Mafia.

Also discovered in Mr Gelli’s office was a document titled “Democratic rebirth” the document contained a written agenda about re-writing the Italian constitution. With all the Freemasons in government belonging to Mr Gelli’s Masonic Lodge, it’s clear that the “Democratic rebirth” document was a real document that could have been implemented in reality. This discovery of the Democratic rebirth document and the list of government officials in Gelli’s office, clearly paints a dark picture of the covert infiltration of the Italian government by Freemasons.

The Freemasons also seem to be the real power behind organized crime. Many former mafioso’s who have turned crown witness in Italy against the organized crime organizations in Italy, have testified that the Masonic Lodges work in concert with organized criminals to give them protection from: judges, police, government officials etc.

Investigative journalist, Letizia Paoli reported that the Calabrian Mafia (’Ndrangheta) established close relationships with state representatives through Freemasonry. (Mafia Brotherhoods: Organized Crime, Italian Style

Letizia Paoli, New York: Oxford University Press, 2003).

Ndrangheta or the Honored Society Calabrian Mafia, is one of the most powerful and ruthless organized crime organizations in Italy.

“Antonino Calderone who is a senior member of the Mafia turned state witness in 1987 after his arrest in 1986. Antonio is the brother of Giuseppe Calderone, the boss of the Mafia in Catania. After Antonio turned state witness to testify against the Mafia he made this statement: “We in Catania, when we had a problem with the judiciary, we would turn to the local Masonic head. We knew that many magistrates were lodge members and that, thanks to the local chief, we could even interfere with ongoing criminal proceedings.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonio_Calderone)

“Mariano Agate (Mazara del Vallo, May 19, 1939) is a member of the Sicilian Mafia. He is the boss of Mazara del Vallo Mafia family since the 1970s when he replaced the old boss Mariano Licari. He also was the boss of the mandamento of Mazara, including the Mafia familes of Marsala, Salemi and Vita. Agate was a member of “Iside”, one of the most powerful local Masonic lodges.”( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mariano_Agate)

It seems in Italy the top Mafia bosses all seem to be connected to the Masonic Lodges. If there are so many organized crime figures members of Masonic Lodges, and so many government officials and police members also members, you really need to have a deep think about what sort of meetings are occurring in the Masonic Lodge secret chambers.

The meetings at the Masonic Lodges are done in secrecy and its common knowledge that upon becoming a Lodge member, you swear that if you reveal the secrets of the Lodge to the public that you will have your tongue cut out. Most of the meetings that occur in the Masonic Lodge occur in secret where only lodge members are invited, these sorts of meetings are perfect for organized crime figures who want to make shady deals with government officials, corrupt police and judges. In Italy an investigation into Gelli also revealed evidence that he was involved in selling weapons to terrorist groups. The secret meetings that occur in the Masonic Lodges are a convenient way for terrorist activity and arms deals to occur.

The Masonic order is a worldwide organization with an international leadership and the Masonic organized crime activity is not limited to one country. A senior Canadian diplomat posted in Hong Kong at the Canadian Embassy uncovered evidence, that the Triad organized crime organization in China was lead by Masonic Lodge Leaders.

Former diplomat of the Canadian Embassy in Hong Kong and organized crime specialist Brian McAdam says: “As well as setting up legitimate companies in Vancouver and other Canadian cities as a front for their activities, McAdam says the Triads have in many cases been successful in compromising members of the police force as well as politicians at the federal and municipal level. He says the leaders the Masonic temples in various Chinatowns are often Triad leaders, who may contribute large political donations as well as promise the vote of the Chinese community.” (http://en.epochtimes.com/news/6-12-6/49016.html)

I have been to church services where people with Masonic and witchcraft histories received prayer, and I met a girl who told me her Uncle had her arm cut off because he revealed Masonic secrets to the public. These kind of violent stand over tactics and violent intimidation mirror the behaviour of an organized crime syndicate. A banker by the name of Roberto Calvi who was a member of the P2 Masonic Lodge was found brutally murdered under a bridge, it was reported that his murder had Masonic symbolism related to it, and that his murder was carried out in accordance with the known punishment of betraying the Freemasons. In Australia the Chinese Masonic Society is also know for it’s stand over tactics and intimidation. John Fitzgerald writes this in Chapter 6. Revolution and respectability: Chinese Masons in Australian history: “By reputation it (Chinese Masonic Society) is a community organisation that provides social support for its members, that takes a patriotic stand on current events in China, and that occasionally engages in stand-over tactics against those who deny its authority.” Stand over tactics are racketeering, and this is the primary tactic of the Triad organized Crime Network. If you connect the dots of the above evidence, its probably likely that the Chinese Masonic Order in Australia is spreading the Triad organized crime network around Australia.

From the evidence and testimony of reliable and credible witnesses in addition to the evidence of a Masonic Lodge infiltrating the Italian government to carry out an agenda, its clear the International Masonic Order is involved in criminal activity and uses its secret meetings as umbrella protection for criminal and terrorist activity. The evidence also displays that the International Masonic Order places its members into important positions to influence society and governments, this is a serious breach of public trust and the public has a right to know which public officials are Freemasons.

Retired Corporal of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), Corporal Mark Murphy wrote in the epilogue of his book:

“I feel that many police officers who rise within the ranks of the RCMP do so because of their Masonic connections, not their performance as a police officer. In my opinion, some lack the ability to fight crime, especially organized crime and drug-related crime.

“Many commissioned officers that I know never made an arrest, never conducted and investigation and never had an informant. I can only think they went to the top because they were well connected.”

Murphy concludes, “In my opinion the network of masons placed in positions of power throughout the RCMP and other organizations is a breach of public trust.” (Police Undercover: The True Story of The Biker, The Mafia and The Mountie. By Mark Murphy)

Corporal Mark Murphy of the RCMP was reported in North Shore News as a highly decorated police officer, who was instrumental in the convictions of seventeen organized crime members of the Commisso crime Family in Canada. The convictions brought against these criminals included: conspiracy to commit murder, counseling to commit murder, arson, counsel to commit extortion, robbery. Corporal Mark Murphy was described as the Principal Officer who led the charge against these organized crime figures. (North Shore News on Nov. 3, 1999) As you can see Mark Murphy is one of RCMP’S finest and his testimony about Freemasons in the police force cannot be taken lightly.

The evidence seems to point toward Freemasonry not only jeopardising the police force by showing partiality when promoting officers in the police force, but it also seems to point toward a possible conspiracy of police not acting against organized crime figures, because of arrangements made between police and criminals at the Masonic Lodge.

In Australia the current Governor General and the Police Union President of NSW are both Freemasons. The Police Union President is a well known Grand Master Freemason. Freemasons make up about 1% of the population of Australia, yet Freemasons seem to appear in places of serious power all over our government and public service sector, is it possible Freemasons just have really good luck in getting placed into powerful positions? I don’t think its luck at all; I think the Masonic Lodges have their members placed in strategic authority positions throughout the government and public service sector, so the Masonic agenda can be implemented upon the nation.

Since the mid 1800’s Freemasons have used their influence in Parliament or Government to protect fellow Masons when they infiltrated the Police Force or other organizations. “The Colonial Police Act 1850 prohibited any member of the Police Force from belonging to any political or secret society other than the Society of Freemasons.” From my understanding the Act must still be in place in Australia, and this is a breach of trust to the public, because it allows Freemasons to freely infiltrate the police force. Having Police officers who meet in Masonic Lodges under an umbrella of secrecy, is not only a breach of public trust but it also breeds corruptian.

In the 1997 Wood Royal Commission into the NSW Police Force, Justice Wood investigated corruption in the NSW police Force and discovered that Freemasonry had exercised control over the Police Force and office of the Commissioner in the past (Royal Commission into the Police Force, Commissioner: The Hon Justice JRT Wood, May 1997, Pg 41). When Justice Wood began investigating how Freemasonry had been involved in controlling the Police Force in the past, the current NSW Police Commissioner “Tony Lauer” was a well known Grand Master of the Masonic Lodge in NSW. As soon as the Wood Royal Commission begun in 1996 Grand Master Freemason Tony Lauer resigned as Police Commissioner. The online encyclopedia wikipedia describes Tony Lauers career as follows; “In January 1996, Tony Lauer’s term ended in controversy with his resignation soon after the start of the Wood Royal Commission into police corruption.”

Why did this Police Commissioner who was a Freemason resign so quickly after the Wood Royal Commission began? Is it a coincidence that the Royal Commission into Police corruption discovered Freemasonry was playing a part in Police Corruptian, and then a Police Commissioner who was a Freemason ran away from the investigation and resigned? It seem’s Tony Lauer was running from something when he resigned, and that something seems to be an investigation into Freemasonry and police corruptian. It’s obvious the Grand Master of Freemasonry wanted to run from a Police corruption investigation which explored how Freemasonry played a part in the corruption of our Police Force.

From a spiritual and religious perspective anyone who is a Freemason is an abomination. Freemasonry is a form of witchcraft and if you compare the initiation into a witchcraft coven with the initiation into Freemasonry, you will find the initiation ceremonies are identical. In a witchcraft coven initiation you are blindfolded and have a rope placed around your neck, and you also have a ceremonial knife placed upon breast as you a led through a serious of occult rituals. Many former Freemasons will tell you that their Masonic initiation ceremony was identical to the above witchcraft ceremony; this is because Freemasonry is a form of witchcraft.

Deuteronomy 18:10-12

10-”There shall not be found among you… who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer,
11-”or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead.
12-”For all who do these things are an abomination to the LORD, and because of these abominations the LORD your God drives them out from before you.

It’s clear from God’s word that Freemasonry which is a form of witchcraft is an abomination to God and that any Freemason claiming to be a Christian is a liar. Witchcraft is rebellion against God, “For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft.”(1 Samuel 15:23) It’s clear from the Holy Bible that witchcraft is rebellion against God. The spirit of Freemasonry is in rebellion against God, and God’s people and the Christian church should not tolerate Freemasonry under any circumstances. “Neither give place to the devil.” (Ephesians 4:27)

Gordon Moyes who is Vice President of the Christian Democratic Party has taken a soft and compromising stance on Freemasonry. Gordon was quoted as saying, “I guess, although I do not know, that Ministers of the Uniting Church who are members of the Masonic Orders have an obligation to their Order while in certain places and in matters of disclosure.” (Source: http://www.gordonmoyes.com/2006/01/01/parliamentarian)

These comments by Gordon about the Masonic order clearly display this mans lack of understanding or soft stance on Freemasonry, and either reason for his comments display this man is unfit to represent the body of Christ in Parliament.

James preaches on various occasions at churches and other events, he has also had many religious and spiritual articles published in various publications. James was saved by the grace of God from a life of: drugs, crime and occultism. James believes his greatest testimony is that he was brought into God’s Kingdom and his life was saved through the grace of Jesus Christ. You can contact James by emailing him at: James_m183@hotmail.com

A direct mail brochure should not be an illustrated version of your letter. Your letter is a sales pitch, meant to be read in sequence from beginning to end. It should make a personal, emotional connection. And it should make a promise and ask for the order.

Your brochure, on the other hand, is factual support for the letter and meant to be scanned or read in any order. It is less personal. It should illustrate features, list benefits, provide proofs, make comparisons, and outline technical details that lend credibility to what your letter claims.

As the saying goes, “The letter sells. The brochure tells.” So here’s some advice on creating a brochure that tells all:

• Make a visual impact. If your letter has done its job, your prospect should be saying, “Sounds good. Show me.” Illustrate the use of your product, its benefits, and results. Show how your promise will be fulfilled. Use photos, illustrations, diagrams, charts, tables, and other visual aids.
• Make the brochure readable. Use design to draw the reader into the copy, not to call attention to itself. Use a readable typeface. Avoid large blocks of italic or reversed type. Divide your copy into short sections. Highlight important items with borders, boxes, and color. Use bullet lists for miscellaneous or technical information.
• Use headlines to tell a complete story. Avoid empty statements, such as “Why customers love Yahoo Widgets.” Use specific and complete sentences, such as “You’ll love Yahoo Widgets because they last longer and cost less.” Some people will only scan the headers, so make sure they get the gist of your message at a glance.
• Start strong on the cover. A brochure isn’t a stage show where you have to wait for the curtain to open before the drama begins. Right on the front cover, put a big benefit in your main headline. Use secondary headlines for secondary benefits. Then use copy and graphics to lead your reader through the rest of the brochure.
• Develop your big benefit immediately. Use your first few sentences to summarize what the rest of the brochure will detail. This will help careful readers understand what is to follow. And it will help scanners by putting most of the important ideas up front.
• Highlight the benefits and list the features. Benefits are what sell. And every important benefit should be highlighted, perhaps with subheads and detailed copy. But don’t forget the features. Some people make final decisions based on what features are or are not included, so don’t leave anything out.
• Restate the offer clearly. Have you presented a persuasive pitch for the offer in your letter? Good. But since the brochure’s purpose is to support the letter, you must restate the offer. Illustrate it. Detail it. Dramatize it. Include premiums, deadlines, a toll-free number, and ordering instructions.
• Feature a strong guarantee. A guarantee reduces the fear of getting stuck with a lemon and increases confidence in your company. It’s one of the few techniques that almost universally boosts response.
• Group your testimonials. Testimonials support your claims. But they also engage the “bandwagon” effect: lots of people use your product or service, so it must be desirable. Sprinkling testimonials throughout your brochure diminishes this effect.
• Use the most effective selling format. If you want to make a big impression, use a broadside. If you have a long story to tell, use a booklet. If your offer is simple, use a flier. Select the format based on what is needed for a particular promotion, not on arbitrary design specs.
• Include all vital data. In addition to benefits, features, the offer, and everything else already mentioned, don’t forget your company name, address, phone and fax numbers, e-mail and Web site addresses, contacts, location maps, etc.
• Test your package with no brochure. An envelope implicitly says, “There’s a letter inside.” So you must have a letter. However, you don’t necessarily need a brochure. In fact, some promotions often do just as well (or better) without one, including lead generation and simple offers for well-known brands or easy-to-understand items, such as newsletters, magazines, or informational products.

About the author:

Dean Rieck is a direct mail copywriter, designer, and consultant who has helped over 200 leading direct marketing companies increase sales, generate leads, and raise funds with winning direct mail, ads, e-mail, sales letters, brochures, postcards, radio spots, and more. Learn more about Dean’s direct mail copywriting and design services and sign up for his free monthly newsletter at www.directcreative.com.

Copyright © Dean Rieck. You may reprint this article online provided that you keep the links live and keep all the content “as is,” including title, author byline, article text, and “about the author” information.

Even though the big clothing manufacturers are just now jumping on the vintage denim craze, stylish trendsetters have been using classic styles to accent their wardrobe for quite some time. Those who are willing to put in the effort to hunt for true vintage jeans are rewarded with a one of a kind fashion statement that defines both their body and their individuality. But the term vintage is merely a broad description of a much larger style. There are literally thousands of ways to integrate worn denim into modern fashion. Here are some of the hottest tends.

Hip Huggers

While men are still clinging on to the baggy look that defines a generation of hip-hop and street appeal, women are reverting back to the classic jeans of the sixties and seventies for a more form-fitting look. As modern fashion has become more aggressive in its attempt to define the natural curves of a women’s body, hip huggers have made a substantial impact on the current state of our culture. Where some people are content with paying hundreds of dollars on designer brands, the vintage shopper can find the same fit with a more unique appeal and a cheaper price tag. This has spurted the demand for classic jeans from the sixties and seventies.

Colored Jeans

The late eighties and early nineties were defined by bright colors and loud accessories which brought attention to each person’s creativity. Even though most of the shirts and accessories from this era have little appeal to today’s look, bright jeans of different colors have slowly made there way back. White pants in particular are hot right now and there are plenty of great bargains to be found in the thrift market. They key of course is finding those that fit snuggly and define your own curves. While white is working well for women, only the most eccentric men should consider this an appropriate style.

Distressed Jeans

Perhaps the biggest market for vintage denim falls under the category of torn or distressed jeans. Retailers like Hollister and American Eagle who cater towards the high school and college age range are pushing their own fashions in this category. Of course you don’t need to spend big money on these synthetic looks when there are plenty of options at vintage outlets. It is not always easy to find classic jeans that are actually torn, but the same look can be achieved with a little doctoring. The best approach is to find a nice pair of worn jeans and then add your own accents as needed. Not only will you end up with a unique pair, but you can probably get the job done for less then twenty dollars.

No matter what the next groundbreaking fashion styles invade our culture; there will always be a demand for vintage denim. Jeans are the ultimate fashion staple and sometimes it is easier to go back in time rather than forward. For the small niche of hungry vintage shoppers, there is nothing quite like finding an old pair of jeans with plenty of good miles still left in them.

You don’t need to go back in time to find Vintage Jeans. Stop by RealVintageJeans.com for the latest recycled fashions from the most memorable eras.

You Logo is by far the most crucial and most prominent way for your business to get noticed. In todays competitive Real Estate Market, being able to stand out in front of your competitors is a very important fact to take into consideration. It is important that your logo be carefully designed in a professional manner to ensure that your business conveys excellence and quality.

When it comes to a Real Estate Logo Design, the right colors and fonts need to be taken into consideration. A strong bold font is usually used and colors that can be found in the logo are: Yellow, Green, Blue, Brown & Red depending on what type of real estate logo it is for and also the location.
Try and find something that matches your business for example: Stadium, Golf Course, or something historical in your region that can be implemented into the logo.

Try to use “repetitive brand positioning”, this means that your logo can be consistently used in different places and people can still recognize that it is you no matter what marketing material they see it on.

There are 2 different kinds of realtors that exist: Aggressive and energetic realtors or Smooth easy going Realtors who will not put to much pressure on you so you don’t feel like you are being intimidated.

Another important factor when creating a Real Estate Logo is weather or not to use a house in the logo. You don’t necessarily need to have a house in your logo for people to know that you are a real estate agent. There are many other symbols you can use to represent your business. Take the time to think it over and determine what makes your business unique from the others.

For more information on how to get a custom Real Estate Logo Design, please visit:
http://www.conceptmediadesigns.com/real_estate_logo_design.html