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HGTV Home Town – A Mississippi Review

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On Sunday, January 24 on HGTV, a pilot for a new series was debuted. The name of the show is Home Town. I am excited about Home Town because it takes place in Laurel, Mississippi, which is 2 ½ hours from where I live.

The show aired at 11:00 am on Sunday, which meant that the majority of the population in Mississippi was in church. I set my DVR and started watching the minute I was home from attending the University Baptist Church in Starkville, Mississippi.

In this article, I share general information about Home Town, what I liked about the show and what I questioned about the show. (Note that I am not saying I didn’t like certain aspects of the show. Rather, I’m questioning why something was done a certain way.)

About the Show (from HGTV website)

Erin and Ben Napier love their small hometown of Laurel, Mississippi, especially the old historical houses. Using found materials and old textiles; they’re keeping the character of these classic homes, but giving them modern and affordable updates. From Erin’s imaginative hand sketches to Ben’s custom handiwork, this couple is bringing Laurel’s homes back to life and making sure their small town’s future is as bright as its past.

HGTV Home Town: A Mississippi Review

7 things I liked most about the show Home Town.

The Napiers are a friendly couple who are doing good in small town Mississippi. Erin grew up in Laurel and met Ben at college. Erin and ­­Ben have a great on-camera presence and clearly care about their town. They are cute together and work well in front of the cameras.

1- Hand Drawings

During real estate day, Erin showed hand drawings of potential renovations for the house. I really liked this because the buying couple didn’t have to envision the renovations, they could actually see it! The audience could see her drawings on the screen too with pastel coloring. Very cool.

2- Murals on the Side of Buildings

The murals that Erin designed for the city of Laurel were outstanding. It was fun seeing a time lapse of the mural painted on the building that is next to the Amtrak train tracks. Erin is very talented, and the designs truly enhanced the buildings.

3- Memorable Quotes

“Welcome to Laurel, y’all,” said Erin when referencing her murals.

“Safety 1st America,” said, Ben, when he was removing the brick from the front porch.

“Good taste doesn’t have to cost a lot of money” when talking about the pine flooring on the 2nd floor.

4- Blue Chevy Truck

Instead of the typical SUV that is seen on several home shows, the Napiers drove an old blue Chevy truck. It was charming and wouldn’t be a far stretch to see on the road in small town Mississippi. My only concern is that most people don’t drive trucks without air conditioning!

5- Keeping it Local

During the show, the Napiers talked about helping the community one house and one couple at a time. Plus, they also used local workers for the home renovations and even shopped locally for the interior decorating.

6-History

“I want to build something that tells a story,” said Ben as he was building the table. The wood is from the buyers great grandfather’s (I think) home and made a table and kitchen island from the wood. Ben’s goal was for the buyer to cry because of what the table meant- and he succeeded! It was so sweet.

7- Sidewalks

Absolutely LOVED that the Napiers walked on the sidewalks in the historic part of town. The visual of small-town Mississippi with the magnolia trees was perfect. Instead of the hustle and bustle of a large metropolis, I am glad that Home Town is about a different side of Americana – the small town.

Things I Question

I LOVED the show and wanted more!The 3 things that I question are not derogatory or negative. Rather, I’m questioning why something happened. Here goes –

1- Sewing on the Porch

It’s hot in Mississippi, especially in May and June. The humidity alone would keep you indoors when sewing. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen anyone sew on a porch. If a large space were needed, we would bring out the pads for the large formal dining table and sew there. My grandmother who lived in a 3 room house would clear­ out 1 room and hang a quilting frame in that 1 room to quilt. The quilting frame took up the entire room. That was 35 years ago, and I think she had a window air condition unit at the time.

2- Entertaining on the Porch

Full disclosure – I don’t understand outdoor summer weddings in Mississippi. Therefore, the idea of having a party outside on a porch is not a personally appealing option to me. Do people really entertain on the front porch? Maybe if I had a historic house, I might do that. But, I’ve never been to a gathering on the porch, except 35- 40 years ago. At my grandmother’s (35 – 40 years ago), we did sit on the porch and under the tree because her 3 room house was too small to fit the entire family. Today, we would probably gather in one of our larger homes.

3- Diversity

Because I live in Mississippi, I feel comfortable speaking about this issue. The only African-American that I remember seeing in the show was the Mayor. Anyone who has grown up in Mississippi will have friends of other races, will employ people of other races and will see other races when shopping locally. I would have thought that the producers would have at least had a few African American friends on the porch at the end of the renovation.

Overall, I thought Home Town was a hit! Congratulations to Erin and Ben Napier in Laurel, Mississippi for an excellent pilot show. I hope that HGTV picks up the show, and we will see lots more of Erin and Ben.

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Source by Kathleen C Olivieri

Making Use Of Bog Mats As Smart Flooring Solutions

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When it comes to outdoor events, flooring is always an issue especially when transporting heavy set-up equipment. Thankfully, portable flooring such as bog mats can be rented. These mats can easily transform rough grounds into smooth surfaces that make transport of equipment a whole lot easier and safer. Since outdoor events usually require a lot of heavy equipment and tools used for audio-video programs and stage set-up, it is very important that you establish a heavy-duty flooring that will keep them safe and durable all throughout the event.

Aside bog mats, heavy duty temporary roadway which support light vehicle access is also used in preparing outdoor locations for a concert or any outdoor event or program. These are necessary for organising traffic especially since a lot of outdoor venues don’t have paved paths for vehicles. Setting up these temporary roadways clearly distinguishes where cars are supposed to go for a smooth flow of traffic.

Another advantage to these flooring solutions is they are able to protect the natural makeup of the venue, ensuring that everything can look like it used to prior to the event. Plus, they are perfect for instant parking spaces which is perfect as well for those with visitors who bring their cars with them and those whose event locations are very far from the main highway.

So many other types of portable flooring apart from the two aforementioned figure in the preparation of open locations for concerts. Exhibition flooring is commonly used for artists’ tents. It comes in unique designs and colours to make spaces visually appealing which is a requirement divas always have. There is a special type that is a particularly popular choice of exhibition flooring used for artists’ tents as it provides superior ergonomic qualities with proven anti-fatigue capabilities.

Another type of portable flooring that is often used for concerts is offered by the most reliable companies or providers offering such products. This is a highly durable yet lightweight flooring option. It is a reliable decking solution for areas with heavy foot traffic, and where equipment is constantly moved around. Flooring is just one component to prepare for an outdoor concert, but it can make a huge impact on the final outcome of the event. It truly is a good thing that there are companies that can provide a variety of portable flooring options that can boost the success of such events. And using bog mats, which they usually offer, is just a smart option for people planning for outdoor events.

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Source by Mike Timothy Hawk

The Top 7 Rules on How To Get Your Contract Signed By Any Seller, No Matter What Price Or Terms

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Hello Investor.

OK…Let’s see what you’ve done so far.

You sent out your marketing, hopefully on auto-pilot, but either way, the sellers called you, to solve their problem.

You spoke to the sellers over the phone. You built repoir with the decision makers (the Sellers), over the phone, by showing them empathy to their situation. I’m also assuming that you gathered all the necessary info, which you need to verify if you want to move forward with the next step, seeing the home and meeting the sellers.

Here’s where it gets good!

Moving forward, this article will greatly increase your chances (at what I personally like to call) in getting ink or closing the deal (meaning the sellers sign on the bottom line).

I always tell investors, you can be the most creative, have the best financing or be the best in your county for painting the interior of your home…

But, IF YOU CANNOT get the sellers to sign on the bottom line of your contract…

Nothing Else Matters.

That’s what this article will be focusing on, for you to take away from it.

1. All decision makers must or should be present, when you have your in-home meeting. If they both aren’t present at this time, then you’re giving a “1 Legged Pitch”…Good Luck! Of course, sometimes, there are genuine reasons you can’t meet with all the decision makers, and then it’s up to you if you want to move forward, or pass. Normally, I will not attend the meeting, IF all parties are not present. Word to the wise, you must ask them, upfront, if all parties will be present At the meeting, otherwise, they’ll purposely only have 1 decision maker there, and then it’s very easy to give you a stall tactic, on why they can’t sign…They need to talk it over with their partner.

2. You need to take a quick 5 to 10 minute tour of the home. You’re looking for both good and bad characteristics of their home. One of the biggest mistakes I see most investors make, is they start to beat up the sellers about the home, thinking they’ll get a better price, because they pointed out every little blemish in their home. You do not want to embarrass them, that’s the worst reaction you can get. Obviously, your making notes of all the bad stuff and needed repairs, and their could possibly be a time when you need to bring these into the conversation, but not unless the sellers are unrealistic about the needed repairs to their home. Also, if you can find any reason to give the sellers a genuine compliment about something, this would be a great time, during your initial tour of their home.

3. Third, they must LIKE YOU, period. Sounds basic, I know, but,”How do you get someone to like you?” In fact, it’s very easy, you need to get them to talk about themselves, which in turn means, you are the one asking questions, of them. Not as an interviewer from the police station, more as a concerned family member, looking to help them out of their situation, and you need this info, to help them. Normally, if you’re asking the right questions and they like you, they won’t shut up…which is what you want.

4. Fourth, they must TRUST YOU. I’ll promise you, if they don’t trust you, good night-it’s over, you’re done, stick a fork in ya, because it is not going to happen. You’d have a better chance scoring front row tickets to a Madonna Concert, then having the sellers ready to sign a contract with you. The easiest way to create trust is by not sugar coating everything you say to them, be honest and upfront. A lot of investors have a problem with this; tell them right upfront, that if you buy their home, you are going to make a profit…period. Your not there for your good looks, your there to create a Win-Win scenario. It also helps, to be a REAL PERSON, by that I mean, don’t be afraid to make fun of yourself, self-deprecating on yourself, always works great.

5. You’re a professional, be Prepared. Usually, I will bring with me a deal folder, which has all of my necessary paperwork (contracts, letter of authorization, deeds, land trusts, etc.). Also, I print out my computer research on their home, the comps and county information retrieved online. I also have a book of testimonials from my past sellers, as well a picture book with the last 50 houses, my team and I have completed. Now, if you’re a newer investor and don’t have 50 properties, you can always put together 5 character references from friends, work, family members, etc. and put it into a nice binder.

6. Be a consultant; tell them their options, EVEN if you don’t get the business. This is very important, be willing to tell the sellers, (if you know it in your heart) that YOU are not the best option for them, and they’d be better off going a different route. Here’s the catch, the alternative, would be for you to lie to the sellers, and unless their retarded, they’ll know your lying to them anyway, and now you’ve lost all your credibility. The funny part, they’ll probably still want you to buy their home, even though they can get more money using another option, because you were the ONLY one who was honest with them…people love honesty.

7. Assume the Sale and Close the Deal, BUT DO NOT be a used-car-salesman. Assuming, everything is going great; they like you, they don’t pass out from your low offer, and their asking you all types of buying questions (I.E. How soon can we close, and who pays closing costs, etc.), it’s now time to pull out your contract (never call it a contract, call it an agreement) and CLOSE THE DEAL. The best way, is simply, by asking, “If I can pay $XX, and I can close on this date, what your telling me is we’re ready to move forward, Correct?” And then SHUT UP and let them answer you.

8. BONUS: What happens, after you close for their signatures, and they don’t sign? No problem, we just need to take a few steps back, because we’re missing something. Most of the time, you’ve passed over 1 of their Hot Buttons (something that’s very important to them) and didn’t address it. The best way, is to flat-out ask them, what’s holding them back, from moving forward, right now. Listen to them, trust your intuition, does their reason sound genuine? A lot of people (including myself) just want one night to sleep on it, because they don’t want to make a rash, quick decision. If your still confused, let them know, you have a lot of opportunities on your plate, right now, and your offer is only valid or open for 1 week, from your meeting, after your deadline expires, your offer is off the table. I also like to ask them (the sellers) that if their going to be meeting with numerous investors to solicit bids, to let me try to beat the best offer, by giving me the last shot. Usually the sellers will have no problem agreeing with my request.

In conclusion, using these principles I’ve given above, will absolutely make you much more money, because you’ll know be able to close sellers on demand.

Remember, closing the deal is not a bad thing, only people or investors whom are afraid to ask for the business, hate closing. And more importantly, knowing how to close business (especially sellers) is one of the most critical attributes you need to have to be a millionaire entrepreneur.

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Source by Mike Perl

Ways to Cure the "Grass Is Greener" Syndrome

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Back in my early twenties one of my first jobs was in sales. But I didn’t just sell, I was taught to be a “one sit close,” slicker than a used car salesman, vulture-esque, closing machine. No remorse for people’s situations. No concern for their wallets. Sell them, and sell them at the highest price to get myself the highest commission possible. oh yes, the glamorous life of a home improvement salesman. At the time I had two roommates and all three of us worked for the same company. We sold sunrooms, grossly overpriced windows, and siding. And we lived the bachelor lifestyle to the max. We worked maybe 25 hours/week, went out 4 nights per week+, rarely woke up before 11am, and made great money for fresh out of college young twenty something bachelors. When we would talk to our friends, they would always ask about it. They wanted to know what we did, why we made so much money, and why it seemed like we never worked. And of course, how we got the job. They would always envy our lifestyles as they were humping it 9-5 everyday in their cubicles for pay that could barely cover the cost of their rent and college loans. So what do you think happened to these poor souls? Well, many actually attempted to work the job. Enter the thorn on our seemingly perfect job rose.

I honestly hated my job and my life at the time. It was miserable. For starters, it was a 100% commission job. When you started with the company you got what was known as a “draw.” You received a small weekly paycheck to allow you to survive. Awesome right!? Too bad you had to pay it back. So if you didn’t come out of the gate guns blazing then you were up a creek without a paddle. Fortunately for me I was damn good at the job, but many of our friends who attempted it, did not fair quite as well. The appointments with customers, or “leads” as we called them in salesman speak, often times resembled trips to satan’s doorstep more than a friendly, neighborly visit to discuss how we could help people improve their homes. Hell, a friend of mine actually had to go to a lead in a bonafide crack shack. The worst part about leads is that there was so much pressure on us to pitch every lead that when walking into the crack shack, he actually pitched the crack heads! And if you were lucky enough to close a sale (a 20% closing rate meant you were an all star), you would turn in the paperwork and sit at the altar for the next three days praying for the deal “to go good.” There was a three day right of rescission law in which customers could cancel the contract and more times than we cared to admit, that’s precisely what they did. Following the three day right of rescission then our contractors had to go out and make sure they could do the project. Guess what, we couldn’t always pull off the building of a sunroom on a pool deck with rotting support beams. So combine the 100% commission with difficult customers and the constant threat of deals falling through and you’ve got yourself a good old fashion stress filled pressure cooker. Is there any wonder why we felt the need to go out drinking 5 nights/week? We were just trying to forget the fact that we had to go do our job the next day.

We all know this crazy condition of male jealousy. Our perception tells us that our yard is starting to brown like a Texas plains cotton field while our neighbors is growing a crisp green that would make the superintendent of Augusta National blush. So why do we feel this way? Why can’t we just be happy with what we have? How can we change this inevitable evil of human nature? The answer lies in our unending constantly competing human needs. Two of which compete with one another to cause us to question often whether or not what we are currently doing is good enough.

1) Stability and Comfort

2) Instability and Variety

So wait…We want stability and comfort. That makes sense. A roof over our head. A constant stream of income at a job we know how to do. A supportive girlfriend who is always there for us. But we also want variety. So we want to live in different places? Work new and exciting jobs? And experience many different women? Doesn’t quite make sense does it? Or does it? This brings us to one of my favorite words; Balance. And with the two needs of stability and instability we are always looking for a balance. Too much stability and we wind up in a place of boredom. Too much instability and we become unnerved with anxiety, fear, and stress.

What are some strategies to combat the stability vs. instability paradigm?

In Our Health

1) This is for sure the easiest to correct. If your workout is stale, then change it up. Maybe you’re hitting the weights by yourself four days/week. Join a weight lifting team, start taking classes, or find a lifting partner. Check out meetup.com. There are groups for everything there. And if there isn’t, you can start your own.

2) If you are someone new to working out, the single biggest factor keeping us from continuing with our new found pledge to physical fitness is that we find it too painful. The gains(weight loss) are not happening fast enough to justify the pain of working out. For those of us who can’t seem to quite find our swagger, we just have to keep trying different ways of getting our sweat on until we find something that we like doing. Trust me when I say this. If you can find a sport or class, etc that you become totally engrossed in the activity, you will soon forget the pain.

In Our Jobs

1) Know that growth is going to be crucial in this area of our lives. We often make the mistake of getting way too comfortable at our jobs and then we turn around and realize how unfulfilled and lazy we have become. I’m not telling you to quit and go start a business here, but start looking for new challenges at your current job or if they are not available start looking at other job options.

2) If you have chosen the path of entrepreneur, actor, musician, etc know that you are on a long term road here and nothing happens overnight. This is a path of a lot of variety and a lot of ups and downs. Find a supplemental job to give your life some much needed comfort. Your wallet and your stress levels will thank you.

In Our Relationships

1) This can be a tough one. For this balance to work, this requires a few key things. First that both people in the relationship grow individually at an equitable pace. An entrepreneur dating a teacher is probably going to present more challenges than an entrepreneur dating an actress. There is more variety in being an entrepreneur than in being a teacher and more comfort and stability in being a teacher than an entrepreneur. Secondly there needs to be support and stability offered by both people while at the same time offering variety in relationship experience. Often relationships grow boring over time because we fall into very predictable relationship patterns. If your occasional Netflix night turns into a Netflix weekend, then you know things need to be spiced up.

2) The need to spread the seed. This is a very real thing for men. After all, it’s a built in mechanism to ensure the continuation of our species. I’m not going to go into detail here. If you want more info please refer to my blogs on Utopialifeonline.com

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Source by Steve T Wood

Managing Human Resources and Performance in Ascari Cars

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Managing Human Resources

Managing the human resource help the organization to manage the man power in the organization by giving effective training to the employees. MHR assists the business to increase the efficiency of the employees by motivating with the help of various means. Ascari Cars is the British automobile organization that is headquartered in Banbury, Oxfordshire, England, and United Kingdom. Ascari Cars is the multinational organization that manufacture car for the customers. The study identifies the Guest’s model of HRM that is applied in the organization and compares the differences between Storey’s definition, personnel and IR practices.

Performance Management

Performance management helps the management to identify the performance of the particular employee in the organization. It is the way to measure the actual performance of the employee in the organization. Ascari adopts various methods to measure the performance of the individual employee in the organization like 360 degree feedback, performance appraisal etc. In order to improve the performance of the employee in the organization management adopts different techniques like monetary and non-monetary benefits etc. Performance management is the liability of the hr manager in the organization and helps the business to increase the performance of employee in the business. Performance management is the liability of the business to that facilitates the organization to review the overall performance of the departments. In order to improve the performance of the employee in the organization gives the appraisal to the employees thus they are able to retain them with the business and may get the expected return. Reward management is another policy of the business that helps the manager to keep the employees motivated and energetic towards the work. In order to collect the feedback of the performance of the employee management adopt the 360 feedback policy in the organization by which management can easily get the review of individual performance in the organization.

The Approaches Used To Managing Employee Welfare in Ascari Cars

Organization used various approaches in order to keep the employees healthy and safe. It is the best to protect the employees from the unwanted danger and try to build the trust of the employees in the organization. As per the guidelines of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence management should adopt those kind health policies that inform the top management about the health of the employees in the organization. It is the duty of the management to conduct the routine checkup of the employees in the organization and report it to the top management. The guidelines of the NICE that organization should identifies the problems of the employees in the organization and also keep them updated with the regular health checkup. Health program in the organization must be conducted thus all the employees may get the information about their health. This program assists the hr manager to reduce the mental burden from the employees and provide them flexibility to work. It may reduce the unwanted accidents from the organization and protect the employees from the mental tensions.

Implications of Health & Safety Legislation on HR Practices

Health programs in Ascari may provide safety provision to the employees and give regular health suggestions to the employees. The implication of the health and safety legislation in the organization may assist the business to win the trust of the employees. With the help of this kind of programs management may reveal information about the various diseases in the organization. The program helps the business to maintain the health and safety features at manufacturing place. For example management provide the safety features at the work place like fire extinguisher, emergency exit etc. It is a liability of the manager in the organization that maintains the health practices at the work place. For instance in prediction department various number of engineers work and heavy blog of steel come over their so management put the CCTV cameras over their if any engineer com in the range of danger security guards announce that keep yourself aside from the danger zone. This kind safety implication is implemented in the Ascari Cars.

The Impact of another Topical Issue on Human Resources Practices

The impact of technology affects the organization in positive and negative way both it may give the growth to the business it may make the business dependent. The technological support provides high growth to the Ascari Cars on the other hand in the absence of technology the production unit is not able to design the cars. Another impact of the topical issue is e-recruitment due to only hiring management is not able to hire the candidates in the organization and always focuses on the applied candidates in the organization. It is the biggest issue of the online hiring in the organization. Flexible working makes the employees lazy thus they are not able to perform as per the requirement of the task and it may affect the development of the business. In order to improve the performance of the employees management has to identify the qualification of the employee but due to e-learning all the employees are able to perform well. So it can be said that technology provides way to hire the employees in the organization but quality employee are not available on the e-recruitment.

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Source by Richard Docc

Important Things To Know About Hazardous Material Transportation

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A truck driver that hauls hazardous materials has to follow a completely different set of rules compared to general freight. The Department of Transportation (DOT) has several hazardous materials regulations in place that must be followed to ensure the safety of everyone in and around the transporting vehicle. This is a brief description of the things that you should know about hazardous materials transportation.

The preparing for the transportation of Hazmat is the shipper’s responsibility. They package, label and prepare the materials for transportation with the appropriate shipping papers. Once the materials are loaded onto your truck, there are a few things that must be done before the truck starts moving.

As a truck driver hauling these dangerous materials, it is your job to follow all DOT regulations. Before you start transporting, you first need to find out if any permits will be required and also if you need to take any special routes. Remember, transporting dangerous, highly combustible materials falls into different regulations. Some routes prohibit the transportation of hazardous materials.

You will also need to identify the classification of the load on the shipping papers so you can display the proper placards on your truck and trailer. The last thing that needs to be done before you start transporting is that all dual tires must be inspected.

While transporting this load, a truck driver must follow DOT regulations and be in DOT compliance at all times. Hauling different classifications require different protocols. Carrying Class A or B explosives probably require the strictest protocols. As an example, a driver must possess a written route plan.

When a truck driver is hauling a load of this nature, the driver is required to stop every 100 miles or 2 hours, whichever comes first, to check all dual tires. If a driver discovers an overheated tire, that tire must be removed and placed a safe distance from the truck and trailer. When a driver is not in the cab of the truck, the shipping papers must be in plain sight either located in the door pouch or on the driver’s seat.

When adding fuel to their truck, someone must be at the nozzle in control at all times. If a truck driver see’s a vehicle fire or any other type of fire ahead, they should avoid driving by the fire, unless they can do so without stopping and at a safe distance. Also, a driver cannot park any closer than 300 feet of a fire.

Any truck driver that transports hazardous materials must be on guard and follow all DOT hazardous materials regulations at all times. This includes stopping at railroad crossings and parking the regulated distance from buildings. Truck drivers need to stay aware of what is around their hazardous materials load, including not only buildings and vehicles, but also people.

There cannot be anyone smoking within 25 feet of any truck hauling hazardous materials. DOT compliance and regulations are very important to ensure that everyone is safe while transporting hazardous materials. For a full review of hazardous materials regulations, you can view the DOT Handbook for truckers.

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Source by John Joseph Flood

The Best Types of Vehicles to Use For Hauling Carpet

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When installing new carpet you can always have it delivered. Most carpet vendors or manufacturers expect you to want to carpet delivered, so they already have some type of service in place for this. This service is usually expensive and will create additional expenses that you might not have budgeted for. If you are doing the job yourself you probably want to cut back on costs, and try to haul it yourself.

Most self installers like to haul the carpet themselves or find it essential to have the ability to haul the carpet themselves. This is especially important if you are doing some sort of side job for friends and family. If you own the correct vehicle and tools, or are able to borrow them for free you will be in a much better place financially. But be careful, CARPET IS HEAVY, and loading and unloading large rolls of carpet is hard work. You might want to get a friend to help you move the carpet around.

Now on to the vehicle of choice…In my opinion, the ideal truck to haul carpet from job site to job site is a 16 foot box truck with a “granny’s attic”. Having a diesel engine box truck is even better as it will cut down on your fuel costs. The “granny’s attic” above the cab is great for storage. It will allow plenty of room for carpet, pad, tools and supplies along with protection from the elements.

For one time jobs you can use a pick-up truck, or trailer, but these are not the most ideal vehicles due to them not having protection from the elements. Although some truck have bed caps that can be added and removed from the vehicle easily. These can be great when hauling carpet in the rain when all you have is a pickup truck.

I’ve also seen dump trucks used, but they aren’t designed for this type of job. It doesn’t look easy to remove the carpet from the bed of the dump truck either (but then again I wouldn’t really know, I haven’t had to go this route, and hopefully will never have to). I assume these vehicles are only used as a last resort.

Another vehicle you can use to haul carpet is a van, one of those big work vans. I see these types of vehicles hauling carpet almost on a weekly basis, so they must be convenient. The only thing I see a problem with is that the carpet sometimes sticks out the back, making it essential to tie the carpet down or use bungee cords to keep the carpet from flying out the back door.

These are the best ways I have seen to haul carpet, so don’t let me see you flying down the highway with a huge roll of carpet tied to the roof of your Honda Prelude!

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Source by Ruby Groves

Understanding the California Red Tag Law and How It Affects Auto Loans

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Last year the government officials in California passed the “red tag law” which has had a significant affect on the used cars market that consumers can benefit from. For those who are familiar with the logistics of this new law I’ll explain it simply. In its basic understanding the California red tag law requires dealers to place a red sticker on any vehicle that has been salvaged, in a junk yard, or sustained any flood damage.

These vehicles also have to be registered into a federal database that is also open to the public. With this type of law in affect it helps make people who are looking to buy a pre-owned vehicle much more comfortable about acquiring a reliable automobile. There are also people who can get bad credit car loans with the California red tag law as they will be more confident that the vehicle will last throughout the duration of the loan.

Applying for Used Car Loans in California

Most people can still qualify for auto financing in California even with a poor credit score, but very few dealers would be up for the task as they had too much to lose. Before this law if a used car dealer allowed someone to buy and finance a vehicle that had flood damage, and it broke down after a month they would be out of an investment as most lemon laws don’t require you to continue making payments.

Now that dealers can provide more reliable vehicles it will be easier to qualify for bad credit used car loans, since more credit lenders will be more relaxed. It also helps that another part of this new California law allows dealerships to charge the same fees for leases and actual sold vehicles applications. Originally car lots would only charge $45 for leases and add another $10 if you were going to make a full purchase; however, bother prices have shot up to $80 which has made many dealers happy.

The only true downside of auto financing in California under the red tag law is that it has yet to be applied nationwide. It is rumored the United States government will be discussing this, but in order for it to actually go into affect they will need to get the dealerships on board as well. If they are able to accomplish this, we could see a lot more people feeling comfortable about buying used cars and applying for bad credit auto loans.

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Source by De’Meko J Scott