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Getting a mortgage towards owning your first home is different from renting an apartment or getting a car loan. Educate yourself before jumping into home ownership on the basis of lower home prices and dropping interest rates. Below are some tips on how first-time home buyers can get approved for a mortgage loan.

1. Determine your credit score

Do you know that it only takes a few minutes to determine your credit score? Unfortunately, many first-time home buyers never put in the effort to review their credit history hoping that their credit scores are high enough to qualify. And many don’t even care about identity theft. Keep in mind that low credit scores and fraud can stop mortgage approvals.

Several missed payments, frequent late payments, and derogatory credit information can also keep your mortgage application from getting approved. So, to increase your chances of getting approved make sure to pay your bills on time, lower your debts, and keep yourself updated with a regular credit report.

2. Make sure you have enough cash

Walking into an Essex mortgage broker with zero cash is the perfect way to get rejected. Home mortgage requirements often change so make sure you have enough cash on hand if you are applying for a home mortgage loan in the near future.

On average, you’ll usually need a minimum down payment of 5%. But don’t settle. Instead, aim for a higher down payment of at least 20% to knock down the mortgage balance that you have to pay for in the future.

Remember that the down payment is only part of the costs. There are still other expenses like title searches, home inspections, appraisals, application fees, etc.

3. Don’t quit your job

I have a couple of friends who, unfortunately, missed out on a great deal because they quit working a week before closing on their home mortgage loan. Stay at your job during the entire home buying process. Any changes to your employment status or income stream can negatively affect your mortgage application.

Keep in mind that lenders base their decision on the information you provided in your application. Any changes to this information (especially the ones that can affect your capacity to pay) will force them to reevaluate.

4. Pay down your debt

You don’t need to be debt-free in order to qualify for a home loan. However, the lower debts, the more chances you have of getting approved. Lenders often use a debt-to-income ratio to determine how much money you can get from them before approving your mortgage loan.

A higher debt-to-income ratio may lead to rejection at worst, or lower mortgage offers, at best. As a rule, stay away from major purchases until after your mortgage is approved. These purchases may include credit card purchases, financing a new car, or being a co-debtor.

Conclusion

Getting a mortgage loan takes a lot of effort and careful planning. If you don’t get approved, don’t lose hope. Use it as an inspiration to improve your credit rating and cash flow. You can always reapply once you feel you’ve done it right.

Deciding to become a teacher is the kind of decision that can alter the course of your life. Teaching is where human knowledge is transferred to the next generation in a way that is relevant to their experience and inspires them to excel, both as professionals and as citizens. Teaching is one of the most honourable professions and those who hear the call of the classroom are a breed apart. Below are 4 of the many reasons you should consider becoming a teacher.

Teaching: Why You Should Answer the Call

Teachers have always occupied a special place in society and in the minds of the young people they influence. For many of us, memories of our youth revolve around family, friends and particular teachers that had an impact on our outlook. Below are 4 good reasons why you should become a teacher.

1. The Chance to Make a Difference – Teaching affords people the chance to make a real, quantifiable difference in the lives of young people. There is copious research that supports the notion that teachers are more important to a student’s academic success than any other factor. The satisfaction you will feel as you watch your young charges grow into happy, productive members of society will be incalculable. In a very real way you will help shape the future.
2. A Career with Security and Portability – The demand for qualified teachers is expected to increase substantially in the coming decade. In addition, teaching is a career that provides almost unlimited portability as good teachers are needed in every corner of the nation as well as overseas, where the numbers of young people has exploded in the past decade.
3. A Chance to Immerse Yourself in Subjects You Love – How many people are able to spend their lives immersed in the study of topics that fascinate them, while getting well paid to do so? Not many. Most people wind up in jobs that have little to do with their actual interests. While teachers are able to spend their time engaged with subjects they are naturally drawn to.
4. Time Off – Teaching provides one of the most agreeable work schedules of any major profession. While teachers often put in long hours before and after class they also benefit from having all the major national holidays off as well as extended breaks in the fall, winter, spring and of course the summer, when they are free to pursue other interests like traveling.
5. Outstanding Benefits – Because of the growing shortage of qualified teachers many UK teachers are being offered corporate-style perks on top of their already generous benefit and pension packages. Gym memberships and cash bonuses are just two of the incentives schools are using to lure teachers to their campuses today.

Of all the reasons to consider becoming a teacher perhaps the most exciting is the ability to take your profession overseas with you. This kind of adventure can stay with you for a lifetime and it’s easier done than you think. Agencies like http://crbdirect.org.uk/ can help you get the Basic DBS Check or Basic Disclosure you’ll need to set yourself on this exciting and extremely rewarding career path.

It is a well-known fact that ageing is a natural process, and everyone has to go through it. Everyone believes you should look your age irrespective of how old you are. While this is true, when to start fighting the signs of ageing is an entirely personal choice. Many people prefer fighting signs of skin ageing from their twenties, while some prefer waiting till they reach their late thirties or forties.

While it is widely believed that lines on the face are a reflection of a good life, editing the fine lines, wrinkles, crow’s feet (lines at the corners of the eyes), and laugh and frown lines are possible with a few skin rejuvenation techniques. Overexposure to the sun, pollution, and stress tend to take a toll on the skin, reminds James from online pharmacy Quick Doctor. There is an array of options available to rehydrate, re-patch, and rejuvenate the skin to look younger, healthier, and happier.

Let us look at some ways that you can rejuvenate your skin to look better.

Common procedures:

There are plenty of dermatological and cosmetic procedures that help the regeneration and rejuvenation of the skin. These processes are used to erase fine lines, wrinkles, uneven textures, pigmentation, and imperfections from the surface.

•   Chemical peels: an acid solution of salicylic or glycol acid is applied to the skin to remove the top layer (epidermis) and dissolve dead skin cells. This treatment helps discolouration, age spots, superficial scarring, and precancerous skin growth.
•   Botox: an injection of botulinum toxin is administered to the skin and areas of the face to smooth wrinkles, fine lines, and laugh lines on the brow, neck, and face.
•   Tissue fillers: injections of hyaluronic acid, platelet-rich plasma, and fat are used to reshape the face, fill fine lines, restore plumpness to the nose and cheeks, and neck area.
•   Microdermabrasion: this is an inexpensive treatment where the doctor sands the areas on the face and neck with aluminium hydroxide crystals to create healthier and smoother looking, younger skin.
•   Laser therapy: laser treatment removes imperfections, scars, improve skin texture and tone, birthmarks, and spider veins from the face and body. This procedure also eliminates areas with acne pits, adds Zapp Laser Studios.

Home remedies:

Home remedies are the preferred option for countless people across the globe since the ingredients used in natural remedies are readily available and cost much lesser than procedures.

Homemade remedies for facial skin rejuvenation are:

•   Honey lemon: the juice of half a lemon mixed with a half a tablespoon of honey applied to the face helps overall skin complexion to reduce age spots and other signs of ageing and protect the skin from free radical damage.
•   Cucumber yogurt mask: mix two tablespoons of grated cucumber (with its water) and half a cup of full-fat yogurt to make a facial mask. Apply this on your face and wash off after 20 minutes to nourish and hydrate the skin. This mask eases sunburn and helps clear acne-prone skin naturally. Cucumber also promotes younger looking, glowing skin.

Homemade remedies for skin rejuvenation:

•   Papaya and honey rub: mix half a ripely mashed papaya with four tablespoons of honey and one tablespoon of lemon juice and apply to your arms and legs. Wash off after 15 minutes to get blemish-free skin without dark spots, pigmentation, and acne. Vitamins A, C, and E present in papaya help rejuvenate the skin and keep it soft and exfoliated.
•   Turmeric and yogurt rub: mix 400 grams of yogurt with 2 – 3 teaspoons of organic turmeric and two teaspoons of gram flour and apply this paste to your body. Once dried, wash off with tap water and get healthy, younger looking skin that helps remove excess tanning while hydrating the skin from within.

Lifestyle changes:

Your skin is a result of the lifestyle you lead and the way you take care of it. Eat energy boosting salads and juices that hydrate the skin all day long. Fruits like watermelon, melon, and water-bearing fruits help keep the skin well-hydrated all-day long. Eat foods that are lesser in oil and fat to keep your skin looking younger and healthier.

Avoid being out in the sun between 10 am, and 4 pm since overexposure to the sun can also cause skin pigmentation, dryness, waxy layers, and wrinkles. Excessive sun can also cause skin cancer.

Smokers should reduce and eventually quit smoking since smoke causes the skin to dry out and causes premature greying of the skin and hair making them look older than they are.

Regularly exfoliating, moisturising, and toning the skin can help reverse the signs of ageing and promote healthier, rejuvenated skin within a few months.

Living alone is scary enough without watching horror movies. Every small sound, shadow, or tick can make you jumpy. If you’re living alone or only with roommates, you might not feel so safe at night. The fun experience of branching out and living by yourself may turn out to be a colossal nightmare. Many neighborhoods get deserted at night since people head home to sleep and spend time with family. At such times, there is a marked increase in the rates of violence, crime, thefts, and robbery incidents.

You must take appropriate steps to ensure your safety at night. Continually being afraid of things that go bump in the night and being jumpy is not the solution. You must be aware of the risks attached to your home, its vulnerable entry and exit points, and how to take precautions to oversee your safety.

Let us look at some ways you can secure your home.

Safety Check:

Stand outside your door and try to break in. The minute you change your perspective, you would be able to identify vulnerable areas to the entry and exit points of your home. Change your door to a stable wood door with a safety door outside to take precautions against intruders. Do the same for your backdoor and basement entry. Opt for a consultation with a reputed locksmith to secure all the doors and windows of your home. Upgrade your deadbolts and locks to ensure they become impenetrable.

Install CCTV cameras:

CCTV cameras are an excellent way to deter intruders. Almost all CCTV cameras are linked with live footage feeds to a mainframe with the security service. Thieves, criminals, and robbers do not want to be recorded on camera. Cameras and CCTV footage do not prevent a crime from occurring but help in identifying the people responsible and also act as evidence in courts of law.

Get to know your neighbors:

We all know its annoying when your landlord or neighbors keep track of your movements, but sometimes, it is necessary. Your neighbors will be the first people you will turn to in the event you need to leave your house or call for help. Getting to know them better will help ensure your safety in the long term. If your neighbors turn out to be exceptional people, you could also leave a copy of your keys with them for safety and security. This helps prevent you from leaving a spare set of keys outside your main door. Most times, thieves know the best hiding spots for keys.

Security System:

Always invest in a good security system that can be controlled remotely through wifi. Security feeds and live monitoring of your house can also be done with the help of a handheld or smartphone. Research available security systems, their effectiveness, and reviews according to your budget, and install a security system as soon as possible.

Keep lights on outside the house:

Even if you are going to bed, keep the outside lights on. Lights help capture better CCTV footage and features of intruders and also act as deterrents. Keep your curtains or blinds drawn and lights on to keep thieves and criminals away from your front door. You can also opt to install motion sensor lights that run on solar power. These lights come on automatically as soon as there is any movement. Lights and sounds work as prime factors in keeping people away from your home. With the added CCTV and security systems, any thief or criminal will reconsider coming to your house.

Don’t keep a set routine:

Change up your routine as often as you can. Most criminals like to follow you till they can get an approximate idea of your routine. Avoid keeping a fixed place to run or jog or a specific time to exercise. Opt for newer times, flexibility in spaces, and mix up your routine. Mix up your daily pattern of leaving and returning to your home. Keeping a fixed time slot to move can turn out to be harmful. Avoid announcing on social media sites and check-ins to your house and hotel stating that you are going for a holiday.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help:

Most people do not like to call for help from friends and neighbors. If you are hesitant about involving friends, ensure, you have the non-emergency number of your local police station on speed dial. Report any suspicious activity, vehicles, and people you see around your neighborhood. If you are not in danger, someone else might be. Staying vigilant is always an excellent way to keep yourself and others safe. Also don’t leave your clothes outside on a rotary washing line overnight especially if they’re expensive.

Nowadays, it becomes very easy to get caught up in the world of technology and spend more time staring at a screen than we do at the sky. Between juggling busy lives and trying to keep up with the latest trends, the majority of us spend a shocking 90% of our time locked away indoors. Spending time in dull environments has a direct correlation on our mental and physical health, and unfortunately, a lot of unhappiness stems from little access to sunlight and fresh air.

It’s time to make a change.

We are here to provide you with reasons on why you should be spending more time outdoors, along with tips on how to do so. It is time to unplug your devices, take a step outside, and see yourself become a stronger individual, both physically and mentally.

First off, it’s worth knowing why you should spend more time outdoors. Well, the list is endless, but a few advantages include:

Lowered Stress Levels: It is amazing how much clearer your head will be after taking a short walk outside. Studies have shown that if you walk through a green area, then you reduce levels of stress hormones, which decreases thoughts and feelings of stress and anxiety. As well as this, it reduces blood pressure and fatigue; making it an excellent source of exercise!

Increase Attention Span: If you find yourself having trouble concentrating or remembering information, it’s time to get outside. Interacting with nature has been proved to improve your memory and attention span…

Boost Your Immune System: We all know that without trees, we would have a very hard time breathing. We are far more likely to come down with a rotten virus when stuck in stuffy environments for hours on end. Spending as much time as possible outside (providing the weather is nice) helps to boost your immune system and fight off any nasty lurgies that will bring you down.

So, it is clear to see why you should be spending time outdoors, but how can you do this without getting bored? While taking a nice short walk is healthy, there are plenty of other ways to ensure you are outside and making the most of your time.

Camping: Camping trips are an excellent way to spend time with great company and make memories that’ll last a lifetime. Being able to sleep under the stars and wake up at sunrise is an experience like no other; it also acts as an extraordinary detox. Camping trips allow you to learn new skills and push your limits like never before. If you are fully equipped for a camping trip, then it’ll be the adventure of a lifetime. Why not try prepping your own food from scratch with the help from a practical pocket knife? Taking a knife on your camping trip will also help to open any tough packaging and act as self defense in a worst case scenario. It is worth researching into the best EDC knives from this year in order to establish what will serve the best purpose for you. Don’t forget to pack a trusty knife sharpener so that your culinary skills are not cut short! Check out some more great camping gear here.

Exercising: The great thing about exercising outdoors is the fact that it is completely free. Going for a run or kicking a ball around does not entail any gym membership fees and allows you to work out literally whenever you like. Not only will you get to spend time outdoors, but you will also be getting a great workout at the same time.

Ditch The Public Transport: Unless completely necessary, why not try cycling or walking rather than hopping on the bus? You’ll see far prettier sights when you ditch public transport, not to mention the extra boost of energy and positivity you’ll feel for being outside. I’ve recently started cycling to my new serviced office in Liverpool Street, and I must say I’m feeling more energised and getting more work done which is fantastic, as well as feeling fitter at the same time.

As you can see, the reasons as to why you should spend more time outdoors are endless. With plenty of fun ways to do so, there is absolutely no excuse! Improve your physical and mental health in an instant and take a step into nature as soon as you can.

Getting restful sleep is one of the most important things in today’s world. With stressful jobs, financial worries, travel stress, noise pollution, social media notifications on your handheld device, and general anxiety, it becomes very difficult to get a good night’s rest. There are lots of people who suffer from the problem of ‘not getting sleep’. Having trouble falling asleep, staying asleep (even if you have fallen asleep), and not getting restful sleep can be caused due to the medical condition commonly known as Insomnia.

Sleep disorders can be of several types – insomnia, restless leg syndrome, narcolepsy (daytime drowsiness and dysfunctional sleep regulation), sleep apnea, working in shifts, mental illness disturbance, and sleep disorder due to addictions. Sleep disorder and insomnia can be short-term (acute) for a few weeks due to temporary work stress, traumatic events, and family pressures or long-term / ongoing (chronic) that lasts months and maybe years.

Insomnia is a sleep disorder that is usually a symptom of another condition, disease or habits like smoking, doing drugs, drinking excessive alcohol, work stress, or too much caffeine in the bloodstream. An overdose of energy drinks during the day that might help in staying awake to finish work or focus extra can also cause insomnia. This, however, is a form of acute insomnia and can be easily cured by avoiding energy drinks containing caffeine the next day.

We can help you deal with insomnia through lifestyle changes and with the correct medication. Let us take each one by one.

Medication:

The preferred medication for treating Insomnia is Zopiclone. It is a type of hypnotic sleeping pill that helps treat bad cases of acute insomnia. It helps you sleep quickly while ensuring you don’t wake up in the middle of the night.

• Zopiclone acts on the messages that are sent to the brain which in turn helps you sleep faster. The length of sleep increases while the time taken to fall asleep lessens considerably, thereby ensuring you get a good night’s rest.
• Zopiclone is available in tablets and can be taken orally with a few sips of water. It is also possible in liquid form for people who can’t swallow pills, but this can only be ordered by the doctor. Zopiclone is available through prescriptions for people suffering from acute insomnia and can be used as a safe treatment, you can also buy zopiclone from many online pharmacies.
• Zopiclone doesn’t immediately put you to sleep. It takes approximately an hour to kick in and is usually prescribed for up to 3-4 weeks. Continued usage after this time limit could cause dependency and the body might stop responding to the treatment.
• Zopiclone is available in 2 strengths – 3.5mg and 7.5mg. If you have any side effects like a metallic taste in your mouth, daytime sleepiness, and a dry mouth, please contact your doctor immediately. Also, avoid Zopiclone if you are pregnant or are currently lactating.

Lifestyle changes:

• Get Up: One of the things people forget to do is wake up if they’re not getting sleep. Forcing yourself to sleep does not work in cases of acute insomnia. Doing something that might bring sleep is a better idea – reading a book, watching a boring TV show, and so on.
• Don’t eat: Do not eat during the night as you might condition yourself to eat after supper and before breakfast daily. This will further break your cycle of sleep and interrupt your schedules causing prolonged insomnia.
• Don’t sleep in: Always wake up when the alarm goes off the next morning. If you try to sleep in the early hours of the morning, you will again upset the circadian rhythm of your sleep causing insomnia the next night too.
• Dim the lights: Dim the lights to make the bedroom drowsy. Dimming the lights helps create an ambient of sleep and might make you drowsy and knock you off in time. You could also make the room very dark to get peaceful sleep. Avoid lights from mobile phones, chargers, bedside alarms, and from laptops.
• Join a gym: Join a gym to regulate your physical fitness. Getting tired at the end of the day and physically exhausting your body will help in getting fitful sleep resulting from fatigue. Exercising helps in falling asleep faster and staying asleep for longer times. This will help cure your insomnia naturally and will keep you healthy too.
• Avoid smoking and alcohol: Avoid smoking, alcohol, energy drinks, and narcotics before you sleep. These will hamper restful sleep and worsen the problem even further. They will also disrupt your sleep cycle causing a change in your metabolism and overall health.