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[Q27]Questions To Ask Your Boyfriend

by Grantec Eckert, Gra

When you sit down with a mortgage lender, you should be the one in the driver's seat; after all, you are the one that will be paying for this mortgage in the coming years. To help you stay in control of the things that are happening as well as stay informed of what you need to do next or if you are dealing with the right lender, here are ten questions you need to ask.

What is the interest rate I will be getting with this mortgage?

Obviously, this is the most important question that's already on your mind. In order to negotiate for a good interest rate, you need to ask what you will be offered from a number of lenders, keeping in mind that a poor credit rating might be negatively affecting what you can expect.

Can I set up a way to lock in my interest rate?

The goal of any home mortgage is to get the lowest interest rate. But if this isn't possible in the current market, you might want to choose a loan that has a variable interest rate, keeping you available to lock in the lowest interest rate once it comes up in the market. This means that you might have to pay a higher interest rate for a while.

And depending on the lender, you might need to stay in this variable interest rate setup for a certain time period. Check to see just how long that is and how much it might cost you to lock in your low interest rate.
A good interest rate of about 6 to 7% is something a person with good credit can expect to get, though this does vary from region to region, lender to lender.

What are closing costs can I expect?

This question is especially important when you don't have a lot of money to spend during the mortgage process. If you can determine the amount of the closing costs now, you can add these onto your loan to help you move the purchase along.

Will I be penalized if I pay my loan off more quickly?

If you've set up a 30 year fixed mortgage payment plan, but you think you can pay it off more quickly, check to see how much it might cost you to do so. Since the lender will be losing money from the interest you won't be paying on the loan, they tend to create a penalty for those that pay off their homes sooner.

What down payment is necessary?

In most cases, the lender will require that you provide 10 to 20% of the home's value as a down payment. However, this is not necessarily something that needs to come from your pocket – at least, not right now. You can actually add on the down payment to your mortgage with some lenders.

Find out what the down payment will be and then if you can create a loan plan that will handle those costs too.

How many origination and discount points will I be responsible for?

If you don't know what points are, read up before you head in to talk with your lender. These points can mean that difference between a high mortgage payment and additional costs and having a very reasonable agreement.

How long will the loan process take?

If you have a particular house or moving date in mind, knowing how long the lending process will take will help you choose the best mortgage company.

What might delay my loan or the approval of the loan?

By finding out what the potential problems can be during the loan process, you can make sure you are avoiding them.

What do I need in order to qualify for this loan?

This is a great question to ask when you're not in the market at the current time. It will give you a change to get your credit and your affairs in order so that you are the best possible candidate for a mortgage agreement. Ask the lender to be as specific as they can about what you need to do.

What documents will I have to have available?

Since not all of us are great record keepers, you will want to ask well in advance of your loan process what you will need to find and have on hand for your loan application.

"My target market is everybody." Is this statement true for your business? If so, how is that working for you? My guess would be that it's not working at all. I shudder when a client tells me that their target market is everyone. When you target everyone, it's too hard to focus on anyone and you attract no one.

One of the most terrifying decisions an online business owner makes is the decision to refine and define their target market. Why? Generally because they're scared of excluding people. However, the more focused you are in your marketing efforts and the better you understand and can define your target market, the easier your marketing becomes. Really! And, what's even more astonishing is that you'll soon begin to hear, "Well, I know you only work with and have seen how successful they have been in working with you, but I'm . Will you work with me, too, and help me succeed?"

What's the easiest way to uncover the characteristics of your target market? Conduct informational interviews with those who belong to that target market. Despite the fact that most informational interviews are used by people seeking a job in a particular market, you can apply this concept to help you create a full description of your target market. If you have no idea who that might be, interview some of your favorite clients or friends/colleagues that you think would make an ideal client for you. Go through your contact database and find prospects who meet your description and request to talk to them about their challenges.

You can set up 30-minute interviews over coffee or over the phone with people who fit your ideal client profile and ask them a series of questions about things you want to know more about that will give you insight into their daily lives. Or, join in and participate in their online discussion lists, forums. or blogs and research the kinds of questions being posted. Find someone else who provides a different offering to the same target market and ask to send out a short survey to that person's contacts and to find out more about them as a group.

Here are the questions you can ask in your informational interview or survey. Some of these questions may not apply to your target market, depending on whether you're a business-to-business company or a business-to-consumer company:

1. Demographics. Are they male or female? What age group? What socio-economic or ethnic group do they belong? What is their religious preference? What levels of education have they completed? What is their marital status? Do they have children?

2. Psychographics. What are their lifestyle preferences? What kind of hobbies do they have? How do they spend their free time? Do they tend to be conservative or liberal in their lifestyle and political beliefs? Are they generally introverted or extroverted?

3. Financial. How much do they make in a year? Can they easily afford your product or service? On what do they regularly spend money?

4. Industry. What types of occupations do they hold? Are they part of a particular industry or profession? To what groups and associations (real and virtual, personal and professional) do they belong? Is there a list of them that might exist somewhere?

5. Values and Beliefs. What are their beliefs? What values do they hold dear? What is important to them in their life and work?

6. Location. Where do they hang out in real time -- at church, the local coffee shop, the hardware store, civic groups or professional association meetings? What about online in discussion groups, blogs, forums, online networking sites? Do they attend conferences or trade shows regularly? Can you open the yellow pages of your phone book and find several listings that would encompass your target market?

7. Information Gathering. What magazines, newspapers, email newsletters, blogs, and professional trade publications do they read? What television programs do they regularly watch? What kind of movies do they see? What kind of online videos do they view?

8. Connections. With whom do they do business on a regular basis? Where do they network online and offline? Who are their "natural referral partners", or other businesses who cater to the same target market but offer a different service? Whom do they trust and respect?

9. Communication. How do they prefer to interact -- in person, by email, by webconferencing? Are there buzzwords or industry-specific terms that they use frequently? What gets their attention?

10. Problems and Solutions. What are the key issues/problems/concerns keeping them awake at night? Are they in enough pain that they're willing to pay you to solve their problem? Where are they seeking assistance to help solve the problem? What kinds of products and services might they purchase to help solve this problem -- books, magazines, coaching, consulting, etc.?

Once you've completed several interviews, then compile the information you have received and create a profile of your target market. Based on the info in this profile, then answer these three questions:

1. Are there enough of them to make them viable as a group?

2. Would I enjoy working with this target market?

3. Do you offer ready solutions that would help this target market solve their problems?

If the answers to those questions are all "yes", have this profile available to you as you plan your marketing strategy, write your website copy, create information products, write articles, blog, or compose your email newsletter. When you fully understand your target market, you are able to streamline and focus your marketing, and you'll wonder why you ever waited this long to define your target market!

Copyright (c) 2008 Donna Gunter

Article Source : Pg. 4

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Both Grantec Eckert & Donna Gunter are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

Grantec Eckert has sinced written about articles on various topics from Finances, Personal Desktop and Computers and The Internet. . Grantec Eckert's top article generates over 74000 views. to your Favourites.

Donna Gunter has sinced written about articles on various topics from Internet Marketing, Property Investment and Nutrition. Online Business Resource Queen (TM) and Online Business Coach Donna Gunter helps independent service professionals learn how to automate their businesses, leverage their expertise on the Internet, and get more clients online. To claim your FREE gift, Turb. Donna Gunter's top article generates over 246000 views. to your Favourites.