There may be circumstances in life where you will need a vehicle for a certain period of time, and don’t want to get locked into a long-term payment. For example, you may have a temporary job opportunity, or have a family situation that requires use of a car. Depending on your situation, short term car leasing may be the best and most affordable solution.

Long term car rentals are often the proper step if you need to drive a vehicle for just a short period of time. Renting a vehicle though, can quickly get expensive, even with long-term rental discounts. However, if you will only need the vehicle for six months or less, renting is probably your best option.

If you are looking to keep a vehicle for a longer period of time, short term leasing is usually the most affordable if the duration is between 6-24 months. Unfortunately, this is usually not a possibility if you are looking to lease a new car from a dealer. Most new car leases are at least 24 months or longer, so going directly to the dealer for a new car lease will only be a choice if you can commit to something more permanent.

The best solution for a 6-24 month use is a short term car lease. You will actually be be taking over, or assuming a lease, on a used vehicle from another driver. You’ll take over the auto, the monthly payments, and the time that is left on the lease, which can usually be from a few months to 2-3 years.

Short term leases are often great bargains. Unlike a new lease, you will not have to come up with any sort of down payment or additional fees, you will just take over the payments each month. However, you may be charged at the end of the lease for excessive mileage, so its important you become familiar with the leasing contract and the vehicle condition before you agree to take over the lease.

Assuming a lease, even for a short duration, does require completing and changing the existing lease contract through the leasing company. Although you may need the vehicle relatively quickly, make sure all the paperwork is complete before you take the vehicle, in order to avoid any trouble.

The best place to find short term car leasing is on the Internet. There are a handful of specialized companies that match buyers and leaseholders together, and help facilitate the transfer of the vehicle. By going through a third party company, you will have to pay a small fee, but you will increase your chances of getting a good lease deal and having the transfer done properly.

Short term leasing may be the best way to meet your driving needs, especially if your finances do not allow for a large down payment. If you are in a situation where you need to drive a vehicle for 6-24 months, you will probably get a great deal going through a company that specializes in lease assumptions and transfers. By doing some research online, you should be able to find plenty of lease deals.
About the Author: mom blog

On the day the new car lease is over it is time to take the lease vehicle back to the dealership. At this point you can either go into another new car lease or just walk away.

But in either case the lease vehicle will be inspected and this can get tricky. Each dealer handles the lease return differently.

Some dealerships just say thank you very much and let the lease company handle the post lease inspection including contact, negotiation and billing for required repairs to the lease vehicle.

You will also find that some dealerships will perform the off lease vehicle inspection and report to you directly.

What will they report on you ask. The new car lease contract stated you would be responsible for any damage to the vehicle that was considered above and beyond normal wear and tear.

This statement alone (that you signed off on) is very ambiguous and open to interpretation. What is normal wear and tear? Again this will be different between individual new car lease companies.

In my experience the lease vehicle provider will let you slide on a few minor nicks and scratches. But will charge you full retail price for repairs such as body damage and vandalism damage.

This is why you would want to prepare the lease vehicle for turn in before the off lease inspection occurs. You can fix the car cheaper on your own by shopping around for the best prices on the needed repairs.

When the new car lease company’s saw their customers upset to the point of refusing to lease a vehicle again they developed a strategy to assist on the new car lease turn in procedure.

Some company’s started providing a free inspection a month before the end of the new car lease contract. This helped prepare the consumer of what to expect.

This is where I came in. I worked for BMW North America as an independent contractor and performed these free inspections.

I was paid to go out to the lease vehicle and educate the consumer on what they would be charged for on turn in. What I found was most of these people never read their new car lease contract and where not ready for what was to come.

I would point out chargeable damage on the lease vehicle and provide helpful instructions for the repair of the deficiencies.
The new car lease company paid for this service in full.

As a Side note you have to remember that the leasing company has planed to resell the lease vehicle in question as a low mileage perfect looking vehicle. This sale brings top dollar resale values and is how the company makes multiple incomes from just one unit.

First they made money on the new car lease and the required repairs to return the car to top-notch condition. Then they make money on the resale of the vehicle. This double profit system is why they are in this business.

If bad things happened to this car while you owned it you will have to pay for the restoration of the unit.

As far as the BMW inspection procedure the company had me take digital pictures of the damage and also the current odometer reading and VIN plate to assure they where in the loop about the current condition of the lease vehicle.

I would also perform a complete mechanical inspection and forward the results to the company. The inspection was very thorough and often the vehicle would require tires to be replaced.

BMW required 4/32 of tread or more to be on the tires at the time of turn in. Tires can be expensive on some vehicles.

Most people did not like the inspection procedure even though I was there to help them. For many this was the first time they could actually see the costs involved with leasing the vehicle and having to return the car or truck for resale.

It is human nature to get attached to your car. And to have someone point out its deficiencies can be unsettling. My advice is to obtain a written guideline for what is required at the end of the new car lease contract.

Take the required steps and repair the lease vehicle yourself as opposed to letting the company do it for top retail prices. You can save hundreds of dollars buy doing it yourself. I hope this sheds some light on the end of the new car lease turn in procedure and that your lease vehicles turn in goes smoothly.

As the economy continues to spiral further on the strength of plunging home values brought on by rising foreclosures and lenders becoming more cautious, rising gas, food and electricity prices, and the shrinking job market, it seems consumers are turning to credit cards to help them get by, using the line of credit as a source of income. Of course it was arguably credit cards that got us into this mess in the first place. So the question is, what the heck are consumers thinking?

Already saddled with a $2.54 trillion debt, U.S consumers seem unable and unwilling to mend their ways, instead living for the moment in the hopes that things will somehow turn around. Things are turning alright, and it’s for the worse, not better, and as long as consumers continue to take this lackadaisical approach to their debt, it will not improve. This problem is as much the credit companies as it is the consumers, preying on their greed and stupidity by extending them loan upon loan that far exceeds their acceptable debt to income ratio.

And as more and more Americans see their credit scores tumble, it ultimately means that the new debt they continue to take on comes at an even steeper price than the first debt which they couldn’t handle. This exponential increase in risk has absolutely no hope of being good for consumers.

Of course lenders are more than happy to oblige consumers with more and more debt. While it’s true mortgage lenders have become more cautious as a result of the massive rise in defaults and foreclosures on mortgages, this is largely due to the limited return on equity that mortgages return, and not on any actual concern of consumers not being able to afford their loans. Lenders have proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that they really don’t care much one way or the other.

With the credit card companies having nearly tapped the country dry, they’re now looking abroad for their next victims, with American Express CEO Kenneth Chenault confirming that the company was now targeting affluent Americans and new customers abroad.

Meanwhile Citigroup opened 2.3 million new card accounts in Mexico and India where the economy is growing. Apparently those consumers haven’t seen what those credit cards have done to our country.

With their claws already dug into much of the nation, it’s now up to consumers to somehow find a way to wriggle out of the credit companies’ grasp. The trouble is the cyclical nature of credit card debt, with a load of debt taking potentially years to pay off, often to the point of detriment that the consumer needs to begin using that card to buy household needs because that money is going towards the credit card payments. Look at replacing the card with a new low fixed APR credit card.

The outlook for credit issuers may be rosy, with billions of untapped consumers in far flung reaches of the world, but for those who’ve been left behind in their wake, the future looks grim. Further job cuts, a weakening housing market and higher costs of living will leave fewer Americans unexposed in the years ahead. The power of plastic indeed.

If you’re ready to rent out your house or apartment, it is time to scout for the right tenant. Whether you’re a newbie or an old-hand to renting out properties, it is always a bit hard to determine if the person you find for your property is the right kind of tenant.

You have the right to screen and investigate your prospective tenants. However, to prevent misunderstandings and to avoid ugly surprises later on, here are some basic steps you can follow when doing your investigation:

First Time Call – Prepare a list of questions you want to ask when prospective tenants call in to find out about your property and also keep in mind all that you have to let them know regarding your rental. Prepare a comprehensive list of questions – eg. reason for moving, number of people, pets etc. Base your questions on the concerns that are relevant to you. Find out, if you can, what exactly they are looking for before you pass on details. This will give you an idea of whether or not they will be suitable for the space you have. Let them know about the rent and security deposit requirements and any other important conditions you may have – like regarding pets, smoking policy, etc.

When Showing Around – When you have tenants coming over to see your place, you bring out the guns to make sure that they like what they see. But don’t forget that it is a two way process. You too have to like what you see. Try and get to know as much about them while showing around, you may get a feel of the kind of people they are. Your prospective tenant is trying to make the right first impression. So it is up to you to see what is real and what is not.

Simple things a person does can say volumes about him/her. Apart from speaking politely and showing respect, see if the person behaves well too. For instance, did he/she wipe their shoes on the doormat before entering? Were they smoking when they first met you? Are the questions they ask about your property relevant or just things they’re picking on for later negotiations? Keep mental note of everything, as all these factors will play a role when deciding on the right tenant.

Application Form – Make sure the application form asks for all the possible details you’d want in screening the tenant. It’s important to have a form which covers all points.

Once you have the completed form in hand, scrutinize it with absolute care. Make sure you run a credit report on the applicant for your safety. Also, make sure you get references from them and follow up on these references.

Finalizing the Deal – After you’ve made a decision let your prospective tenants know about it and tell them about any concessions you ‘made especially for them’ such as overlooking any minor credit discrepancies, etc.

Don’t forget that until both signatures are on the lease, you can still back out if the prospect doesn’t quite live up to your expectations. After setting the time, date and place for a meeting, inform them about the money they will have to bring and other documentation for verification.

Lease Document – The document should be up to the mark and cover your back in the eventuality of your tenant proving to be a nusiance.

Screen your tenants carefully at every given point and opportunity you get. You have every right to examine and select your tenant as long as you do not discriminate against sex, religion, beliefs, race etc. The tighter your screening process, the more likely you are to end up with a quality tenant and longer relationship.
About the Author: kitchen gadgets

Many business people don’t know that equipment leases can be negotiated. They do a quick read-through of the contract, see that the monthly payments are what was represented, and sign where indicated. Not carefully reviewing each paragraph of the agreement can be costly. Long, drawn-out contracts are often developed by leasing companies to gain added revenues and advantages for themselves. Consequently, in this situation, it is to the detriment of the lessee.

This article discloses some of the terms and conditions that are contained in lease contracts, but can often be negotiated. A properly trained lease broker can be invaluable in helping the lessee discern the points of contention and negotiate a fair and equitable agreement.

1. Credit or commitment fees: Some leasing companies will charge you a fee simply to process the credit application. Others may charge a fee to keep the credit commitment open after the application has been approved. These are ridiculous fees that I would advise never paying.

2. End of term option: This is a critical point in the contract. Beware of language that allows you to buy the equipment at a “mutually acceptable price” as opposed to fair market value. When a lessor states they will sell you the equipment at a mutually acceptable price, they can back you into a corner by charging just about what they want. Fair market value and $1 buyout leases are legally defined and more quantifiable.

3. The never-ending lease: Some leasing companies try to lock you into a leasing situation forever and the only way to escape is to pay an inordinate fee. Beware of a lease that gives you three options at the end of the term: a. Buy the equipment at a “mutually agreeable price”. b. Extend the contract at a mutually agreeable price, or c. Return the equipment to the lessor and strike a new deal at a mutually agreeable price. These are all poor options for you, the lessee and only serve to benefit the profit of the leasing company.

4. Equipment pass title fees: These are fees that some lessors charge when the lessee chooses to buy the equipment at the end of the lease term and obtain clear title. These fees can be as high as $250 or more.

5. “Put” at end of lease: Make sure that you have an option to buy the equipment at the end of the lease and not a put. A put may result in lower monthly payments, but requires you to buy the equipment, as opposed to an option, which gives you a choice.

6. Delayed payment to vendor: Some leasing firms delay payment to the vendor for the purpose of increasing their yield. This is unethical, creates a hardship for the vendor, and makes your company appear in a bad light.

7. Up-front broker fees:Some lease brokers charge an up-front fee at the onset of the relationship. I have never charged such a fee because my compensation is based upon a successful completion of the transaction and is a percentage of the amount funded.

These are some of the items to look for when reviewing an equipment lease. Keep in mind that competition among leasing companies is intense and they do not want to lose your business. Do not be shy about asking that these fees be taken out of the agreement.

butterfly marketing review

If you have an investment property, should you rent it or sell it? The answer to that question is that you should do both. If you have lots of time on your hands and are handy with tools, you can choose to rent out your property. However, if you have several properties for rent, maintaining them can consume lots of your time. You can choose to hire someone else to maintain your properties, but it cost you money. And higher expenses mean lower profits. In addition to investing your time, finding good tenants for your properties is not easy. Tenants that choose to rent usually do it for a reason. They are usually having credit problems. In addition, most tenants do not take good care of your properties like they would their own homes. And when things go sour, they can mess up your house before they move out. Your goal is to find good tenants to rent your property, transfer the maintenance responsibility to them, and create incentives for them to eventually buy your property. Including the option to purchase to the least contract can eliminate most of the headaches associated with maintenance and dealing with bad tenants. There are several other benefits to the lease and purchase option.

Because the rent is usually higher when you include an option to purchase, this can eliminate most tenants only wanting to rent. People looking for the lease and purchase option are those usually in the process of rebuilding their credit, or are saving money for their down payment. To be fair, the duration of the contract should be between 2 to 3 years, long enough for your tenants to rebuild their credit.

This contract also transfers the maintenance responsibility to your tenants. Not having to worry about maintaining the property frees up your time for you to continue to expand your business. Giving your tenants the option to purchase your property create an incentive for them to take better care of your property. You may also choose to apply some of their rents toward the down payment if they decide to buy your property. This is another incentive for them to pay the rent on time, and eventually buy your property at the locked in price.

During the contract, you cannot sell the house to anyone else other than your tenants. However, you charge your tenants a fee (usually 1 to 2 percent of the purchase price) for the option to lock in the price of your property. If your tenants do not purchase the property before the purchase option contract expires, you get to keep the option fee. However, if your tenants utilize the option to purchase anytime during the contract, you must return to option fee to your tenants. Either way, you are making money whether your tenants buy the home or not. If your tenants decide not to purchase your property and the contract expires, you can begin the entire process all over again.

The important points about the lease and purchase option are that you are looking for good tenants to rent your property, create a constant cash flow from the rent, transferring the maintenance responsibility to your tenants, which frees up lots of your time, and eventually sale the property. Your ultimate goal is to sell the property to good tenants at a price that is fair. The deal should be fair enough that both parties come out feeling like winners. This is important if you want to be in this business for a long time.

If a person wants to terminate their car lease which they have, doing so they will often incur some very heavy penalties from the leasing company. Today however, there are now ways in which one can get rid of a leased vehicle and which should help to prevent them from incurring any kinds of penalties.

In this article, we look at companies who are now providing a service that matches those who are wishing to get out of a lease agreement to those who are willing to buy into one. So for a fee these companies are in fact acting as online service that is able to match up the right lease seller with the right buyer.

After a deal has been made between the lease seller and the lease buyer the company who has acted as intermediary between the two parties will arrange for the transfer of the lease and title documents. They also help both the buyer and seller to work their way through the processes to this transfer to ensure that everything remains legal and above board.

If you are thinking about using the services of anyone of the many lease-trading companies that are online, you need to factor in certain things. The first being that you will be expected to pay will be their fees for using their services. The initial fee that you are going to be charged for setting up the listing will be between $30 and $130. Plus along with this, some companies may also charge you a further fee of between $95 and $150 to carry out the transfer.

However, what you will often find is that the fees that these companies charge you for using their services will be far less than those you would expect to pay to either a lease company or a car dealership. In a lot of cases where people have chosen to terminate the lease on a vehicle, the dealer or lease company has required any monies that are owed to be paid in full along with a fee for termination of the lease. Whilst there are other dealers and lease companies who instead will require that you actually purchase the vehicle from them.

When a person sells a leased car through a lease-trading company, they list the vehicle with them and then any potential buyers will contact them directly. Once contacted, it is then between the buyer and seller to negotiate the price at which they are both happy with.

Only after a deal has been brokered between the seller and buyer of the lease will the lease-trading company get involved again. After the deal has been done then all matters relating to the processing of the paperwork to transfer the lease and title over to the buyer will be carried out by the lease-trading company.

When you are thinking of selling a car lease by using a lease-trading company you need to be aware that although the majority of dealers, lease companies and car manufacturers are happy for such transactions to occur, there are some who are not. For example, companies such as Nissan and Audi will only allow such transfers to take place as long as the original lessor of the vehicle retains some liability for it once the transfer has occurred.

Every real estate investor dealing in rental homes has done his own clean-up and fix-up, at least in the early years. Landlords also become very skilled at managing tenants after being burned a few times.

You learn the tricks of the trade and how to get the best results for the least cost. Maybe a few of these tips will be new to you.

You can give kitchen cabinets new life with a liberal application of Liquid Gold.

Everyone has at least one chip or scratch in the porcelain on their refrigerator, bathtub, stove (except high heat surfaces), sink, washer or dryer. The solution? Touch up that nick with a tough porcelain glaze called “Porcelain Chip Repair”. Just dab it on with the built in brush and it hardens in 24 hours. If your hardware store does not carry it you can find it with a Google search.

You can quickly clean black scuff marks from vinyl floor covering with a squirt of WD 40 lubricant and a rub with a clean cloth.

Put a shiny new strainer in the sink drain. Then install new handles and drawer pulls and you often have a minor kitchen miracle.

Get rid of globs of sticky adhesive residue with Goo Gone.

When tenants move out they seldom do a really good cleaning job on the oven… or the dishwasher.

I’m sure you have discovered the many effective oven cleaners, but how about that gunk caked onto the inside of the dishwasher?

Try a product called “Dishwasher Magic”… found in many markets and some hardware stores.

The label reads “Removes Lime Scale, Rust & Buildup. Disinfectant”.

You just remove the cap… place the blue, plastic bottle upside down inside the silverware basket and turn the machine on. You might have to use two bottles if your first look into the washer causes you to run screaming from the house.

When vinyl flooring is ready to be replaced use commercial grade floor tile instead. It lasts almost forever and it is cheap to replace a damaged tile now and then.

Have you ever received an unsigned rent check? Here’s a method that often allows you to deposit that check.

Write or type the word “over” on the line where the signature would normally appear. On the back of the check type “lack of signature guaranteed”. Add your company’s name, and your name and title. Then you sign it on the back.

This guarantees your bank that you will take back the check as a charge against your account if is isn’t honored. Many banks will then process the check and remit the funds. This saves you the trouble of returning the check to your renter for a signature.

Spot those bad checks with this tips. 90% of bad checks are numbered 101 to 150, indicating a new account.

Legitimate checks have at least one perforated edge. Most forgeries are cutouts of copy machine created fakes.

Checks dated more than six months ago are usually not cashable, no matter how much money the issuer has in his/her account.

If the amounts written on a check in words is different from he amount written in numbers, the bank will pay the sum shown in words.

If you receive a check with the date missing, it’s legal to fill in a date reasonably close to the date you receive it. To predate or postdate the check by several weeks is a criminal act… don’t do it.

Remember, landlording is not for sissies. I hope these tips will save you a few dollars and a barrel full of aggravation.