My Elearning Online Experience

I’ve wanted a master’s degree since I was in high school. But since my parents can barely afford my undergraduate college fees, I’ve been forced to set aside my dream to work in the corporate world right after college. While I live from pay check to pay check, the dream inside my head dimmed but it didn’t die. Life happens and before I knew it, I had 3 kids and a husband to take care of.

I started looking at universities but the long commute and expensive fees made me hesitant to apply. I finally learned about open universities or elearning online courses that were available in the Internet. This is great, I thought. I control my schedule and not have to commute to and from the university. I decided to apply.

I found the learning interface to be a pleasant surprise. Most of the courses have text you have to read, of course but there are parts where videos and photos are included. The content is not boring, I think it’s because I’m very much interested in the course. The discussions are clearer because it is in written form. My classmates became my friends online. It’s like a real campus; the only difference is that the campus is on the Internet. We use social networking like Facebook and Twitter to keep in touch. We can even Skype each other if we needed to talk face to face.

There are drawbacks of course. We have testing whenever lessons are finished and we have to get our own proctor to witness our exam. The possibility of cheating is very tempting. Being online, it’s easy to Google the answers. There are times, too, when I tend to procrastinate because it seems like I don’t have anyone to answer to. I can pick up wherever I left of but it’s hard to do that sometimes.

What I realized is that going through this elearning online experience, the result ultimately depends on your effort just like in a brick and mortar school.

Supporting the American Dream - FHA Housing Loans

The American dream includes owning one's very own home. Everyone or almost everyone wants to achieve that American dream. But the fact is that those without enough earnings as well as those who do not have perfect credit and savings find it difficult to get the housing mortgage loans that will enable them to fulfill their dream of getting their own home. For these people, the FHA housing loans program offers the much-needed helping hand.

What exactly is this? The FHA or the federal housing administration gives out loans that are insured by federal funding. The FHA issues several private lenders and banks the ability to give FHA loans. By ensuring the loans, they make sure that the banks and lenders will be able to lower the risk measures that they take in fear of the borrower defaulting. There are a lot of private lenders that offer these. All that one needs to do is to look for a lender who offers the best deal.

One can use FHA housing loans for so many reasons. These loans are perfect for: those who want or need to buy a house for yourself or for you family of four people, those who want to buy a factory built house or the so called mobile homes, those who need to buy a house that is a "fixer - upper," and even for those people who already have a home mortgage but wants to lower their payments. In that last case, the borrower with their own home will need to refinance through the FHA. This could also help them cover costs of making the house energy efficient or of fixing something.

The FHA program has almost any kind of loan to fit almost any kind of ownership or financial situation. The best thing about it is that it so very accessible to anyone even if they do not have blemish free credit. This is particularly important at this time of economic crisis when almost everyone has some financial crisis.

It is a wise decision though for one to check out exactly if a lender's FHA loan package fits one's financial circumstance perfectly. Since these loans are made available even to people who have low credit scores and since these loans do not require high down payment amounts, there are also some stipulations and limitations as to the amount one can borrow depending on the area or region.

No matter what your financial circumstances are, there is just one important thing that you have to remember. Do not give up hope. A lot of people who are fighting what seem an impossible battle to stop foreclosure of their old beloved home may feel too overwhelmed to continue fighting on. In this case, they might just simply wait for things to unfold and let fate decide things. Waiting is a bad idea. One must act quickly. The FHA housing loans offerings are a perfect tool for people in bad financial situations so one must grab it as early as possible.

The author is fascinated by things that are simple and minimal. He likes minimalist art, lives a simple lifestyle and writes things that are light and easy to read.

Avoid A Foreclosure With A Loan Modification

Most of us have heard about the recent flood of foreclosures resulting from changes in the housing market. Now, many of the homeowners who find themselves threatened by foreclosure are seeking assistance in the form of loan modifications from lenders and other parties. Recent reports show that the demand for loan modification programs is growing, leading to a bottleneck in foreclosure prevention programs for many of those using do it yourself loan modification options to try to save their investment in a home within a certain timeframe. As American households continue to seek help, government agencies have stepped in with some recommendations for how to establish an affordable mortgage payment schedule. Here are some of the things financial experts recommend for obtaining a mortgage loan modification.

1. Collect All Necessary Paperwork

When it's time to look for foreclosure help in the form of a loan modification, you should start out with the proper documentation in hand to show lenders and other parties the financial details of your situation. This starts with having the current mortgage payment schedule handy. You will also want to have paperwork on hand for a home-equity line of credit (HELOC) or second or third mortgage to be able to see what kind of equity you really have in your home at any given time. If a property is part of a collective association, such as a condo or townhouse, those homeowners’ fees should also be included.

Along with the documents on home equity and a mortgage payment schedule, each responsible member of your household will want to have appropriate income documents available. Just like when the original mortgage was set up, having tax records of income is critical for negotiating the loan modification process. Since the writing of the original mortgage, your household’s income situation may have changed. You should collect pay stubs for salaries or weekly paychecks, as well as all applicable self-employment documents for sole proprietors or those working primarily as 1099 contractors. An accurate assessment of property taxes should also be included, and government officials recommend bringing paperwork related to any other active loans, including student loans, car loans, credit card statements and more, to provide a complete view of a household’s finances.

2. Do a Self-Assessment and Decide on a Loan Modification Process

Another critical step in the loan modification process is to decide how much legal oversight your household needs. Those with the resources to bring in qualified counsel can benefit from having an attorney look over documents from a party providing assistance with the loan modification.

In addition, recent news reports indicate that government lender Freddie Mac is recommending households create a “financial statement” in the form of an essay that details their financial situation, such as any financial hardship you are dealing with and what you expect for the future.

3. Hook Up with Loan Modification Assistance and Evaluate Professional Offers

If a household is choosing to rely on an outside third party to help decipher a loan modification kit or similar tool, that's not necessarily a bad idea. Just as the household received some professional assistance with the original mortgage, this kind of assistance can be good for a loan modification program. However, public officials warn consumers to be wary of any loan modification scams in which third-party firms make false promises up front, but fail to deliver immediate assistance after receiving payment for services. You should hold third parties to professional standards by staying engaged in the process and refusing to pay up-front fees without a reasonable assurance of a successful outcome.

If you are looking at a potential foreclosure, the above steps will get you started on the road to a brighter future. A practical loan modification will save your credit and keep you in your home. These programs are becoming a vital tool for helping us stay afloat in tough times and saves communities from the damage a rash of local foreclosures can bring.