Renting Out My Condominium To Lower Monthly Fixed Expenses

Since I bought my condominium at the height of Home Sales, I have a pretty big home loan that I am making painful monthly payments on.

In June 2012, I refinanced to a lower mortgage rate at 4.375%, which helped quite alot on monthly payments. Except, the refinancing costs were rolled back into my loan, which pretty much brought the loan amount nearly back up to the original loan amount. A few thousands short of being back at the original loan amount.

I was not able to get the lowest interest rate or get no cost refinancing loans because my property is severely underwater.

So, I made the decision to rent out my condo and move back into a home that my parents own at the low cost of paying the house utilities only.  My parents are planning to sell this house in a couple of years and have stopped renting the house out to a tenant. I am insanely lucky and grateful to have them as parents and for allowing me to move into this house until they sell the place.

That was back in July 2012, when I began the moving in process. I was not able to get a renter until now (November, 2012). The utilities here at the house are double the utilities over where my Condo is.  So, for the last few months, I was suffering in terms of having little or no money left over after my paycheck since I was still maintaining the Condo.

Finally, I found a family who will pay me $1,400 per month for the condo with $1,400 security deposit!! They have moved in this week.

The total monthly cost of the Condo is still going to be in the RED, unfortunately, at about $500.00. My mortgage payment, HOA dues, homeowner's insurance, and property taxes equal to $1,900. The rental income is $1,400. That is $500.00 still in the red.

About three days into their move, the tenants reported that my garbage disposal unit has stopped working and that there is no hot water in one of the bathrooms. I ordered a new garbage disposal from amazon and shipped it directly to the tenants already.

I'll know what the cost of repairing these issues is come Wednesday night. Here is to hoping that the hot water issue is not a major issue, involving any damage to the drywall!!

Amazon drops California associates to avoid sales tax: a Passive Income Source eliminated

When faced with online sales tax in California, Amazon plans to drop the Amazon Associates Program for the State of California. 

This doesn't mean too much for me since I do not make any money from them anyway despite my participation in their affiliate program.

However, this is bad news for the thousands of people who do get passive income stream from amazon.com product affiliations and purchases. This is precisely why it is wise to have diversity in everything you do, including the diversity in the types of income streams.

Here is the link from where I had obtained the information;
http://money.cnn.com/2011/06/29/technology/california_amazon_associates/

Earn Money While You Get Healthy!!!

Healthy Lifestyle Rewards Program - Blue Shield Vs. Kaiser Permanente


There are a couple of incentive programs occurring currently with Kaiser Permanente (HMO) and Blue Shield of California (HMO and PPO) medical insurance companies.

Blue Shield

Has an online, interactive program that has "tools" to help one get fit, lower stress, and/or quit that pesky smoking habit (me..yes, guilty still.)

Basically, the program requires you to sign on to their website (www.blueshieldca.com/hlr) and fill out a "Wellness Assessment". By filling out the assessment, you get $50!!! Sign onto the program and keep checking in and using their resources/tools on the website every week to update your profile with the fitness progress that you're making, you can earn up to $200 in one year. It's still a great incentive for a few minutes of your time and what disadvantages could there be?? You're working towards a healthier you, and we all know that keeping track of your efforts can definitely keep you on the right and LONG-lasting path to a healthier you.

I wish I had Blueshield medical insurance, darn.

Kaiser Permanente

They're cheaper. In terms of their rewards (potential rewards, in this case) and in terms of their service costs and quality of service. I've always been a Kaiser member ever since I got medical insurance because they're cheaper but lately, I've been wondering if I should move to Blue Shield PPO due to me getting older as well as the growing medical problems I seem to be blessed with lately.

Their "incentive" program is that they give you CHANCES to win rewards if you fill out an online "Total Health Assessment". Go to their website and sign up for a kaiser online account with your medical account number (www.my.kp.org/ca/calpers). Click on "Be rewarded for living well". Fill out the form and open the health guide designed to whatever you filled out in the assessment, which will enter you into the drawings.

There are five seperate drawings, so you have five seperate chances to winning multiple rewards.

The rewards are as follows:

* $500 spafinder.com certificate
* $500 (REI, Sportsmart, or Big 5) sports store certificate (This is the only thing i want to win, since I really really want a mountain bike)
* An 80GB color screen iPod

I definitely prefer the Blue Shield's rewards program, because it fits the definition of an incentive program more than Kaiser's, which is just a lottery-type drawing. You're pretty much garanteed to earn $50 by completing the assessment. In addition, Blue Shield's program encourages long-term behavior by giving you continued incentives to keep track of your health progress through out the year and rewarding you monetarily throughout the program's length.

Odd Money Opportunity 2 Update

Last weekend, I counter-proposed this to my dad. The answer was vague. In fact, I'm still confused now as to what the answer was. I believe it might have been a maybe...a possibility. I think it's along the lines of "I'll believe it when I see it". Ah, well, it's still worth the try!

I've been sick lately and been in a haze the last couple of days. I don't like taking cold medicine so I've just been loading up on water and vitamin C. Here's saying goodbye to nearly two years of illness-free living!

Another Odd Money Opportunity..Sort Of

At the end of last year, my dad proposed that he will pay for liposuction as well as stomach stapling surgery if I will seriously choose to have them to shed excess weight this year. At first, I felt insulted since I feel that all he sees of me is a fat woman who is "running out of time"...his words. Although, I do see that this is one of his ways of showing me that he loves me and wants me to be healthy.

I'm big but I'm not grotesquely obese! I don't qualify for a stomach stapling surgery anyway. But I am thinking of couter-proposing on his offer. I would propose that if I can lose the excess weight this year via regular exercise and healthful eating habits, he can just give me the money he would have spent on my liposuctions, and allow me to save that money! I am not sure how he'll respond to it. Probably a "no...or a maybe". It won't hurt to ask. What he doesn't know is that I've already lost four pounds since the time of his proposal, and I am confident that I will lose more.

Gosh, I am so spoiled. *Note* The First Odd Money Opportunity was as post in November, 2005. Somehow, that post is not showing up as its own html page and I don't know how to link to it.

*EDIT*

Thanks to Jane Dough at Bostongal's Openwallet , here's the link to the other Odd Money Opportunity .

Side Income

I was beginning to get nervous with my side income money from my second freelance job since during the month of October, I havn't received any projects at all. So, no extra income for October. But as of today, I got two projects for the month of November, so I hope to bring in an extra amount of side income this month. I am expecting about an extra $ 1,500 to my regular income this month. This will help out alot with my savings goal. Not bad for a total of two days' work....one and a half day if I'm not lazy.

I wish I can get two projects per month regularly but the company I work freelance for is a small company and their monthly project load varies wildly. Of course, I can work part-time for the last biggish company I was at to get more money with regular monthly project loads, but their projects would be mainly out of state projects and my same day flying deals are over (at least for now). With the smaller company, I get the local projects and I get to breathe easier since I don't have anybody driving a strict dealine over me.

I'm happy, nonetheless, that my November asset amount would at least be abit higher than the October's balance.

An Odd Money Opportunity

Yesterday, I received an odd money opportunity. I found out, also, that even though I really want money to help with the downpayment fund, there are certain limits to where I'll go.

An acquaintance of mine, a former house mate, phoned me and asked me if I will be open to an illegal marriage to a friend of hers. He will get to stay in the country and I will get ~$20,000 in exchange. I will have to be married for three years. I believe she's asking all her single friends.

I'd like to think that I'm worth more than $20,000, but it took me a whole five minutes to say "No". Alot of reasons; self-respect, buying a small apartment in two years (which i don't want it to be in his name as well), the crime being a FELONY, and loads more.

$20,000 would have still helped out and I scared myself for taking that much time to say no....to have actually considered it an option because of the money.

Online Surveys for Cash

Do online surveys for cash really work as they claim and are they worth the effort you put into it? I guess, I'll find out soon!

Jonathan over at www.mymoneyblog.com has posted about PineCone Research, a consumer opinion research group that sends you online surveys and sometimes, products for you to sample and review. As payment for taking their online surveys and trying out their product samples, they mail you a $5 check for each survey completed. According to the FAQ on their website, www.pineconeresearch.com, Each survey takes about 15 to 20 minutes.

If you want to give this a try as well, you should sign up during this week since this week happens to be an open recruitment week. I just signed up and I'm going to give this a try at www.pineconeresearch.com

I'll be posting on how easy it is or how much money or how little money I end up making with this per month. And, also, if it's worth my time.