Investors Who Missed The Recent Real Estate Boom Should Look Here

If you are a real estate investor and missed the housing boom, you may get another chance. Overheated in the eastern and western markets are cooling off, but there are new opportunities out there. Some of the cities that sat out the boom of the last few years are now showing stronger appreciation gains. Cities such as Dallas, Houston and Atlanta are showing signs of a strengthening real estate market.

Real Estate in hot markets like the San Francisco Bay area market is showing signs of s a slowdown. Prices are rising slowly, however inventory is up. Another sign of slowdown in this hot market is the time it takes to sell a property. Last year some were getting nervous because there were only three multiple offers on a property instead of nine. In one year we have seen quite a change. Now homes that would have sold in one or two weekends are sitting on the market longer. It is not uncommon to see homes sitting on the market thirty to sixty days. This is more like a normal market.

Meanwhile in Texas the demand for housing is increasing. With the new boom in the oil market aiding the job market, workers are coming to Texas from the US and abroad. This is putting upward pressure on the housing market. There are no signs of this slowing down anytime soon. While home prices in Dallas and Texas may not appreciate at the high rates of 20% + seen in some areas in the last few years, the appreciation rates should still be healthy. Real Estate Investors have been aware of this and are investing in these markets that have previously been very slow.

The Atlanta market is benefiting from a healthy job market. Unlike the Texas markets, the Atlanta market is also seeing a rise in inventory. This rise in inventory should restrain the appreciation in Atlanta.

A number of cities in the southwest which have seen high appreciation rates are seeing a strong increase in inventory. Cities such a Phoenix and Las Vegas are also showing a strong job market. Inventories of homes in these cities will need to be watched. If inventories continue to rise sharply, prices will tend to stay flat or fall slightly.

Meanwhile the California market is looking vastly different from a year ago. In Sacramento and San Diego the market is cooling rapidly. In California it now takes an average of six months to sell a home. I was not that long ago that in some California markets, homes were selling in one weekend.

In California the average home now costs over $500000. This is out of reach for many families. The pressure is now on housing prices to come down in some areas. Higher interest rates, slower sales, home prices beyond the reach of the average family all point to falling prices in some areas.

Another scenario is that home prices will remain flat until wages catch up.

As the market changes, more and more homeowners are getting caught in foreclosure. As prices appreciated quickly, homeowners who could not meet their mortgage obligations benefitted from an increase in equity. That will not be the case in the coming years. There are a number of sites dedicated to homeowners wanting to sell their homes without a Realtor, investors looking for deals, and agents looking for new business. RealtyTrac is one such site. Here you can find home bargains, sell a home without an agent, and discover your homes value.

Andrew Goldman is president of Metal Rabbit media services, the operator of http://www.Exchangetradedfundinvesting.com and http://carealestateinvest.com He has written a number of articles on finance and investment over the last ten years.

Maine Mortgage What to Expect When Buying a Home in Maine

Maybe you?re buying your first home in Maine, or perhaps you?re relocating to Maine from another state. Either way, it?s important that you educate yourself on Maine home loans before shopping for a home and mortgage. This article explains what you?ll need to know before buying a home in Maine:

The median price of a home in Maine is $98,700. Recently, homes in Maine have been appreciating at rates comparable to the national average. However, in some parts of Maine, appreciation rates are at an all time high. As a result, income levels in many parts of Maine are too low to purchase a median-priced home with a conventional loan. In fact, homeowners in many Maine cities pay more than the recommended 30% of their incomes toward housing.

The state of Maine does not regulate home radon levels. This means that home buyers must test for radon levels in the home they are purchasing and decide for themselves how much radon is acceptable in their home. Additionally, Maine has certain state environmental laws that are used to upkeep Maine?s shoreline.

Maine law prohibits prepayment penalties and reduced rate options on adjustable-rate mortgages and fixed-period adjustable-rate mortgages. Fixed-period adjustable rate mortgages are only allowed in the state of Maine if the start rate is below the indexed rate at loan closing.

Maine?s Truth-In-Lending law is an anti-predatory lending law that prohibits high-rate high-fee mortgages from charging defaults in excess of 5% of the default amount and limits the fees that may be charged during multiple refinancing, deferrals, and extensions of these mortgages. The Bureau of Financial Institutions and Office of Consumer Credit Regulation preside over lenders that issue high-rate high-fee mortgages.

Jessica Elliott recommends that you visit Mortgage Lenders Plus.com for more information about Maine Mortgage Rates and Loans.

The Changing Real Estate Market

A housing downturn may be imminent, say economists and real estate investors alike ? presenting problems for many people, but opportunities for others.

You?ve probably heard about the coming slowdown in the housing market for a very long time. Real estate is cyclical, and in the United States it has been in an upswing for at least five or six years, which is how long housing prices have exceeded the rate of inflation, says Susan Wachter, professor of real estate finance at The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. That means it?s only a matter of time before we experience a downturn.

It?s hard to believe a downturn is really here. On March 1, the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight (OFHEO) announced that average U.S. home prices climbed 12.95 percent in 2005, despite rising mortgage rates in the second half of the year. That?s about double the historical average of 6.4 percent, according to Bankrate Inc.

But while the housing market is still appreciating, it?s appreciating more slowly. The Commerce Department announced on March 23 that new home sales tumbled 10.5 percent in February to an annualized rate of 1.08 million units, the biggest one-month drop in nine years.

That means properties are sitting on the market for much longer than they used to. You might expect that in California, where Bruce Norris of the Norris Group, a California-based real estate investment firm, says ?we?ve gone from a three-month supply to almost a seven-month supply.? But examples are pouring in from all parts of the country. In Miami, at the Jade Residences at Brickell Bay, 117 of the building?s 352 units are reportedly on the market. And in Manhattan, at Donald Trump?s 120 Riverside Boulevard condos, more than 20 percent of the building?s 250 units are up for resale, according to The New York Times.

And increasing supply almost always leads to falling prices, says Norris. For the first time since the third quarter of 2003, one of the regions in the much-followed OFHEO index showed a four-quarter price decline: Prices in Burlington, North Carolina, fell about 1 percent between the fourth quarter of 2004 and the fourth quarter of 2005.

That may not seem like much, but economists see it as a foreboding sign ? and it?s not just due to rising interest rates. ?Housing valuations have become somewhat stretched in some areas over the past year,? says Josh Feinman, an economist with Deutsche Asset Management in New York. ?Some cooling is likely.?

The slowdown will affect anyone who?s buying and selling property, of course. But real estate speculators ? individuals who buy property with the intention of re-selling quickly, or flipping it, for a profit ? are likely to suffer the most. That?s because they could be paying mortgages and maintenance costs on properties they can?t sell and can?t rent out for enough money to cover their costs. According to Redbrick Partners, a New-York real estate investing firm specializing in single-family homes, half of the rent an investor can potentially collect does not flow to the bottom line, because it gets eaten up by vacancies, taxes, maintenance, etc. And as supply has increased over the past decade, demand has decreased. Today, Redbrick Partners says rental yields on single-family homes have declined from 7 percent in 1976 to under 5 percent today. And Norris says that in areas of California, a $500,000 house would rent for just $1,400 per month.

There is some good news, however. First, the housing market often fluctuates in different geographical locations. Miami, Florida, is an often-cited example: The number of condos worth $500,000 or more for sale in Miami is reportedly twice what it is in Los Angeles, where the population is four times as large. ?If you ask me if the housing marketing is going to experience a downturn, I have to ask you ?Where??? says Norris.

In general, the markets that have had the greatest appreciation over the past five years are most vulnerable to a downturn, say real estate experts. ?When affordability is at an all-time low, as it is in California, where housing prices have appreciated 300% over past eight years, you lose velocity, or the ability to sell a house at a brisk pace,? says Norris. ?And prices start to come down.?

As for specific areas that are likely to experience downturns, on December 16, CNNMoney.com reported that Las Vegas property values will fall by 7.9 percent in 2006 and another 5 percent in 2007; San Diego property values will fall by 3.4 percent in 2006 and another 5.7 percent in 2007; and Santa Ana/Irvine property values will fall 3.1 percent in 2006 and another 6.1 percent in 2007.

Second, wherever the housing market does cool, it isn?t likely to do so overnight, so sellers needn?t get desperate. Some individuals, of course, will have to sell ? those who need to move because of a new job, or a divorce, for example. But others can take some time, as a softening or declining market often takes years.

Finally, it?s also important to remember that one man?s troubles are another man?s opportunity. Some of the best real estate investors buy when everyone else is selling. The theory: As prices decline, it becomes easier for investors to buy properties that create cash flow. They can take their time and negotiate lower prices; they don?t have to waive contingencies, such as appraisals and home inspections; and the income they can realize from renting the property is greater than what they?re paying for it.

In fact, for some investors, like Jonas Lee of Redbrick Partners, buying in a downturn is a way of business. Lee says in a January 22 CNNMoney.com article that his company has succeeded since 1993 by employing this strategy. The typical single-family home the company buys ? usually in the downtown residential areas of rust-belt cities such as Baltimore and Philadelphia ? costs just $80,000. He hopes a downturn in the housing market will give him even more opportunities to buy low.

Experienced real estate investors offer two pieces of advice, which vary depending on your plans for the property.

If you?re buying to sell, Norris agrees that buying low is a good idea, but you have to understand the real estate market first. ?You have to be able to determine when a down market is about to switch and go up again, and buy then? he says. ?A lot of time people will see the market softening and buy too early. For example, someone in California might see a house go from $700,000 to $625,000, think it?s great deal, and buy it. But three year?s later the place will be worth $500,000.?

If you?re buying to rent, Redbrick Partners suggests looking at urban single-family housing. According to the firm?s research, nationwide single-family housing returns have averaged 12 percent since 1976, and volatility has been low, with not a single year returning less than 6 percent. The key to success for small residential landlords trying to calculate the yield for a property costing $250,000 or less, according to Redbrick Partners co-founder Tom Skinner in an October 2, 2005, Chicago Tribune article, is ?rent divided by two divided by price.? Typically, that gives landlords their yearly rental profit on a property to within 1 percent. It doesn?t account for any estimate of future appreciation or depreciation, but it is a pretty accurate measure for someone trying to determine if he or she will be make any money by buying a house and renting it out.

Sandy Shuad, Producer, Real Estate TV.com www.realestateinvestmenttv.com

Developed and launched in 2006, for real estate agents, brokers and investors, old and new, www.realestateinvestmenttv.com has exploded into a diverse website covering the latest news and information in the world of real estate investing, Check out the Real Estate Monthly Update Program, the latest Trends and Data or listen and learn from a free PodCast. Choose from over 50 different ?Channels? of specific content to watch, or upload your own ?Street Report? and become a REITV.com correspondent. By utilizing impactfull, original, and valuable content, via articles, advice, news, information, videos, Podcasts and professional reference, Real Estate Investment TV is being touted as ?the? place to go on the web for Real Estate Investment news and information. Check out the latest Trends and Data, choose from over 50 different ?Channels? of specific content, or upload your own Street? Reports and become a REITV correspondent.

Direct Mail A Thing of the Past?

For many Realtors, direct mail is a staple of their to-do lists. Holiday cards, promotional giveaways, just sold cards, new listing brochures, farming neighborhoods, and many more things get mailed every day by Realtors expanding their businesses. However, the National Association of Realtors recently released a study showing that 77 percent of buyers begin their home search online. Most Realtors would take this to mean that their website is now their most important tool to generate leads. So, what place, if any, does direct mailing still have with today's Realtors?

Price is Certainly a Factor

Compared to website maintenance, web ads, and email, direct mailing can be very expensive. In order to keep your name at the top of buyers' and sellers' minds, you need to mail frequently, as many as two or three times a month. Postage prices continually rise, and even the price of a postcard stamp seems oppressive when compared to sending off a quick email.

The cost of producing quality direct mail is steep not only in terms of dollars, but also in terms of time. Think of the hours you spend proofreading, designing, ordering, stamping, and addressing. Is it worth it? There are so many Realtors fighting over the same turf that many Realtors are increasing their farm areas and adding new territory. That budget just keeps going up.

How Is Direct Mailing Working For You?

A simple analysis of your return on investment will show if your direct mailings are still working for you. Do many of your leads mention that they received your postcards? Do former clients remark on your holiday cards and continue to send you leads? Do you feel that you have ample time to explore all marketing opportunities available and that you're not bogged down with mailing activities?

If you answered yes to these questions, there's no sense in changing a plan that works. However, always remember to do your research. If 19 of your last 20 leads found you through your website, maybe direct mail can be phased out of your marketing plan.

Brett Miller is the founder of HoopJumper.com and has created the best lead generating real estate websites in the industry and helped hundreds of real estate professionals make the most of their Internet presence. Call 888-Hoop-Jumper for a complimentary web analysis today or visit http://www.HoopJumper.com to see how HoopJumper can help you grow your business.

Biophilic Design Shy Relation of Green Building

Green building is more than just a trend. An often overlooked part of Green building is what is called Biophilic design. The goal of this sub-genre is to bring the outdoors into interior living spaces, either residential or commercial. The introduction and interaction with natural elements for aesthetic and health purposes is beginning to receive wider acceptance as indoor air pollution becomes a growing concern for urban dwellers and suburban ones who live in air-tight energy efficient homes.

Biophilic design injects real or simulated natural components into living and working spaces to promote emotional and physical wellness. Morning sun exposure, water features, natural vistas through window-walls, sky-ceilings, and greenhouse rooms where plants dominate and restore air quality while providing an indoor forest refuge are some common applications of this recent design extension. Biophilic design is based more in a emotional or Zen-like perspective than save-natural-resources Green building. Understanding that nature and natural settings allow humans to relax and is part of our DNA, professors at major universities study ecology and it's effect on our home environments as well as dispositions.

Here are some tips to get a start on Biophilic design in your home.

-Find a room that faces good morning sun and install floor-to-ceiling windows to receive a daily dose of high-powered natural light. Studies show that hospital patients who receive morning sunshine need almost a quarter less pain medication that those with north facing windows.

-Install a sky ceiling in a family or living room. These new ceiling systems mimic full-spectrum light emitted from mid-day skies.

-Place a waterfall or pond with fountain in side a favorite room. Flowing or spraying water adds a relaxing sound to your environment and helps screen out exterior noise pollution.

-Build a green house room with many indoor and outdoor plants, more the better. Put a comfortable chair to use for reading or relaxing in your home garden.

-Use window-walls to allow outdoor vistas in. I have seen homes that installed large glass areas in a well-used room. The increase in natural light and the ability to see from the ground to the sky is welcomed especially in the dark days of winter.

Mark Nash is the author of Fundamentals of Marketing for the Real Estate Professional, Starting & Succeeding in Real Estate, Reaching Out: The Financial Power of Niche Marketing, and 1001 Tips for Buying and Selling a Home. Mark is a contributing writer for: Realtor (R) Magazine Online, Broker Agent News, Real Estate Executive Magazine, Principal Broker, and Realty Times. He contributes residential real estate analysis to Business Week, CBS The Early Show, CNN, HGTVpro.com, The New York Times, and USA Today. View his books at http://www.1001RealEstateTips.com

Cheers to Housing Correction

Slowly the housing market is becoming a buyer's venue. Prices have been sliding downward. Finally it appears people are getting tapped out. Cancellation rates on contracts and price concessions have become an increasing pattern. Housing depreciation has hit for several straight months. Many will say this is a bad thing since the less people buy the less will be built and the less economic activity and all the rest. Well, good. It appears much of this market boom was built on a shaky foundation ready to come tumbling down. It was basically built on credit, credit, credit. The average American salary is roughly $40,000. Even with the wife working the cost of a house is a severe strain along with all the usual things to go along with it. Thus, all sorts of financial schemes have been thought of- along with low interest rates- to make an unaffordable house, well, affordable. Be it adjustable rate mortgages or virtually no money down risks, the housing market became a gamble.

As usual, many people keep betting their houses will just keep going up in value. In places like New York, California and South Florida, the price increases have been utterly outrageous. Some of the air is starting to come out of the fat balloon. The average price for a house is now about $225,000.

Predictably we see the old pig-out. People get a sense something is booming and then grossly overreact. Thus, we have around 4 million units of housing just sitting around due to over building. Buyers will just keep on waiting for things to come down a bit more.

States like Indiana and Ohio have seen their foreclosure rates go up since the auto industry did its workers in thanks to the joys of free trade. If you have no job or no decent paying job, well, no house to purchase. That is the heart of the problem, of course.

If there is no real money then the house of cards has to come crashing down the way it did during the internet boom. Shaky deals, weird lending policies, etc. can go on for awhile but like the old Wendy's commercial of Where's the beef? the money must be there. No beef equals a housing disruption. Really just common sense.

Most economists agree there is more shaking out to do. Good. If you don't have the money then you really have no business owning homes. Painful but true. If you have to get a deal where you put no money down or very little for a house that is too expensive for your budget and then you hope you can get the money back due to housing appreciation, well, good luck. Some get lucky on that one. But for the average person that is a stressful gamble. Better to pay what you can afford on traditional mortgages.

Of course, some people are gamblers by nature. But do not be shocked when your gamble turns to dust. That is nice if you are one of the big boys like Donald Trump or Steve Wynn or lesser known individuals with the financial means.

In the end it is very simple: Do you have the money or not?

Robert Carberry is a writer from New York

TwoYear Olds: The Original Freedom Fighters

We call him the Buddha Napoleon. Anyone who's ever lived with a two year old knows exactly what I'm talking about. He's this amazing blend of cosmic beauty, love, and peace while simultaneously making it crystal clear that he's the grand dictator of the known universe. His little size never deters him from anything he sets his mind to. I'd forgotten so much since raising my first two children. The ten and twelve year age difference allows for that. Lucky for the Buddha Napoleon, I've had practice and am therefore a lot more knowledgeable and patient this time around.

I believe this is probably the most important year for his social development. During the first year of a baby's life, we're supposed to set a solid foundation of love and trust. That first year puts in place a basic belief that the world is a wonderful place full of love and light, or it's not. The second year, we teach them to believe in themselves. Get up and walk, learn to speak, learn to manipulate toys, learn that ever important can-do attitude. After the second birthday, it's all about personal power and boundaries. How do we get what we want from others? How do we stay out of trouble? Why do all of these stupid rules exist anyway? Do I have a right to tell you No since you say it to me all of the time? What are the consequences if I give in all of the time? And if I don't give in, then what? Am I in charge of my life or are you? I think it's a miniature version of the same dynamics we go through with our teenagers. They're just revisiting these same questions from a taller and more hormonal perspective. Handle the two year old stage well, and I think you'll find the teenage years aren't nearly so difficult.

Remember back to when you were thirteen... did your folks answer your questions with, Because I said so or did they actually give you real reasons for their decisions? Which had a bigger impact on your ability to honor and respect their view point? It's no different with two year olds. Find the vocabulary that they understand and explain to them why they can't scream at the top of their lungs just to hear the echo throughout the grocery store. It hurts my ears. It hurts everyone in the stores ears, and that's not okay. Explain why they can't kick and pound on you while you are buckling them into the car seat. That hurts me, and I don't like it. Quite often they'll quit. You'll still have days when they'll do it anyway, but they'll completely understand why they're getting busted. They'll know that it's because they made a choice not because you're just being mean for the heck of it. Over and over, you have to keep telling them why. They also need to see you enforce the rules on others too. Role model for them that everyone in the house is being held by the same standards of behavior. Conduct yourself accordingly. Eventually, they'll come to agree with the rules if they understand the reasoning behind them. Because I said so isn't a reason that any self-respecting two year old will ever embrace.

Self-respect is a very important aspect that I think too many parents downplay in raising their children. How is someone supposed to come away with any kind of self-respect if they've been raised to never ever disagree or question authority? My favorite is when I hear people say, Don't say no to me, I'm your mother! The fact that people are capable of breeding doesn't make them right! If you want your child to respect you and to speak to you with respect, then earn it. Children are very observant. Do you practice what you preach? Do you scream and yell at them and then bust them for doing the same thing back to you? They mimic your behaviors because you represent what it is to be a grown up in society. Do you spank first and ask questions second? Then they will too. Do you want a child who grows up to be a follower or a leader? If you punish them every time they try to take the lead, then they will either avoid leadership, or they will punish anyone who gets in their way.

Give your child the right to say No. Tell your two year old it's okay to say No, I don't want Uncle Johnny to pick me up and tickle me right now. Then, make Uncle Johnny respect your toddler's personal space. Later, when the child is in someone else's space, you can remind them of how it feels as you explain why they need to back off.

The key to this is to teach your child about presentation and about listening skills. It's okay to disagree with me, but you can't scream and yell and kick. It's okay to tell me no, but you also have to listen to my side of the argument too. You then have to role model what it is you want from them. You have to listen to their reasons and then they have to listen to yours. Teach them negotiation skills. Teach them how to say no so that it's not offensive. Sure it's a lot easier to just deny them the right to disagree, but it'll come back on you when they're teenagers. Almost everyone disagreed with me when I gave my older two kids permission to question authority and to openly argue their point. I just made sure they were polite and respectful while doing so. Their teachers and babysitters weren't always thrilled, but communications were always open and honest and understandings were always reached. My older two have a solid belief in setting personal boundaries and not allowing others to take advantage. And so does the Buddha Napoleon.

Copyright 2004, Tomorrow's Edge, Skye Thomas

I believe this is probably the most important year for his social development. During the first year of a baby's life, we're supposed to set a solid foundation of love and trust. That first year puts in place a basic belief that the world is a wonderful place full of love and light, or it's not. The second year, we teach them to believe in themselves. Get up and walk, learn to speak, learn to manipulate toys, learn that ever important can-do attitude. After the second birthday, it's all about personal power and boundaries. How do we get what we want from others? How do we stay out of trouble? Why do all of these stupid rules exist anyway? Do I have a right to tell you No since you say it to me all of the time? What are the consequences if I give in all of the time? And if I don't give in, then what? Am I in charge of my life or are you? I think it's a miniature version of the same dynamics we go through with our teenagers. They're just revisiting these same questions from a taller and more hormonal perspective. Handle the two year old stage well, and I think you'll find the teenage years aren't nearly so difficult.

Remember back to when you were thirteen... did your folks answer your questions with, Because I said so or did they actually give you real reasons for their decisions? Which had a bigger impact on your ability to honor and respect their view point? It's no different with two year olds. Find the vocabulary that they understand and explain to them why they can't scream at the top of their lungs just to hear the echo throughout the grocery store. It hurts my ears. It hurts everyone in the stores ears, and that's not okay. Explain why they can't kick and pound on you while you are buckling them into the car seat. That hurts me, and I don't like it. Quite often they'll quit. You'll still have days when they'll do it anyway, but they'll completely understand why they're getting busted. They'll know that it's because they made a choice not because you're just being mean for the heck of it. Over and over, you have to keep telling them why. They also need to see you enforce the rules on others too. Role model for them that everyone in the house is being held by the same standards of behavior. Conduct yourself accordingly. Eventually, they'll come to agree with the rules if they understand the reasoning behind them. Because I said so isn't a reason that any self-respecting two year old will ever embrace.

Self-respect is a very important aspect that I think too many parents downplay in raising their children. How is someone supposed to come away with any kind of self-respect if they've been raised to never ever disagree or question authority? My favorite is when I hear people say, Don't say no to me, I'm your mother! The fact that people are capable of breeding doesn't make them right! If you want your child to respect you and to speak to you with respect, then earn it. Children are very observant. Do you practice what you preach? Do you scream and yell at them and then bust them for doing the same thing back to you? They mimic your behaviors because you represent what it is to be a grown up in society. Do you spank first and ask questions second? Then they will too. Do you want a child who grows up to be a follower or a leader? If you punish them every time they try to take the lead, then they will either avoid leadership, or they will punish anyone who gets in their way.

Give your child the right to say No. Tell your two year old it's okay to say No, I don't want Uncle Johnny to pick me up and tickle me right now. Then, make Uncle Johnny respect your toddler's personal space. Later, when the child is in someone else's space, you can remind them of how it feels as you explain why they need to back off.

The key to this is to teach your child about presentation and about listening skills. It's okay to disagree with me, but you can't scream and yell and kick. It's okay to tell me no, but you also have to listen to my side of the argument too. You then have to role model what it is you want from them. You have to listen to their reasons and then they have to listen to yours. Teach them negotiation skills. Teach them how to say no so that it's not offensive. Sure it's a lot easier to just deny them the right to disagree, but it'll come back on you when they're teenagers. Almost everyone disagreed with me when I gave my older two kids permission to question authority and to openly argue their point. I just made sure they were polite and respectful while doing so. Their teachers and babysitters weren't always thrilled, but communications were always open and honest and understandings were always reached. My older two have a solid belief in setting personal boundaries and not allowing others to take advantage. And so does the Buddha Napoleon.

Copyright 2004, Tomorrow's Edge, Skye Thomas

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Skye Thomas began writing books and articles with an everyday practical approach to life in 1999 after twenty years of studying spirituality, metaphysics, astrology, personal growth, motivation, and parenting. After years of high heels and business clothes, she is currently enjoying working from home in her pajamas. Go to www.TomorrowsEdge.net to read more of her articles and to get a free preview of one of her books.