Upon getting information about an upcoming school science fair and the need to consider a topic of interest, many students will typically have no idea where to get started. While the science fair is typically a common occurrence in any school at any grade level, there are different types of topics that should be taken a look at depending on the age of the student. After first taking a look at the many different categories of science projects, you will be able to locate a suitable choice of topic to take to the next level.There is a wide variety of categories that fall under the types of science projects that can be chosen for a school science fair. These include biology, chemistry, physics, microbiology, biochemistry, medicine, environmental, mathematics, engineering, and earth science. While you may not have yet learned very much in any of these categories, don’t be afraid to see what each one entails. Taking a good look at your interests will allow you to focus on the right direction to take.Many resources are also available for those who are unsure as to the topic they are wanting to use to create their science projects. If you take a look at the topics that fall under the biology category, you will likely notice that there are topics that deal with plants, animals, and humans. For those who are in 2nd grade or 3rd grade, an interesting topic may be to determine if ants are picky over what type of food they eat. While this topic might not be of interest to an 8th grader, it is certainly something in the biology category that an elementary school student would enjoy.Along with the biology category, a high school student may want to take a look at diffusion and osmosis in animal cells as this would be a more appropriate topic for the grade level. A student in 6th grade would be more advanced than an elementary school student, but not as advanced as a high school student. At this middle school grade level, a topic of how pH levels effect the lifespan of a tadpole may be of interest.Whichever resource is used to locate a topic for science projects, it is always a good idea to consider the grade level of the student prior to making a selection. It is always assumed to be best to have a project at an appropriate level in order to keep the attention of the student and provide a fun and enjoyable learning experience.
Author Archives: admin
Stages of a Real Estate Market
The stages of a real estate market are most often recognized only after the fact. Even when all the historical data confirms that a downturn is in progress, most speculators won’t stop gambling. Real estate speculators call themselves investors because they believe they are taking calculated and controllable risks when purchasing homes.In the mid to late 1990′s real estate investing was virgin territory because it was easy to use formulas of 60% to 70% of Fair Market Value minus repair costs to determine an offering price for a seller. The “chant” was “Get as many properties under contract because they can only go higher!” In the earlier years, buying properties cheaply enough allowed them to be rented and they supported themselves while the investor simply collected checks. In only three years, a groundswell of speculation led to frenzied buying. Families looking for a home to live in got caught up in the buying panic because of the scarcity of homes for sale. The market quickly and efficiently climbed with the help of lending institutions who were offering low interest rates, 100% financing, with no proof of the buyer’s income. Almost no other speculative opportunity in history caught on as fast because of real estate investors needing little or no money down and ease of loan qualification for “retail buyers”.Even when many of the potential borrowers had credit issues and minimal down payments, the lenders created more lenient loan requirements. The number of single family homes that were owned by investors rose from 2.5% in 1995 to almost 29% by the end of 2006. Effectively, these investors took away at least 26.5% of available single family homes with the intent of selling them at higher prices to retail home buyers.Here is a summary of the stages of a real estate cycle:Stage #1 – This is where supply closely equals demand and home prices fluctuate between +/- 3% per year and prices are basically stable over a five year period.Stage #2 – Here demand out-strips supply, or a “sellers’ market” develops because of fewer homes on the market. This can be created by investor speculation.Stage #3 – Here demand far out-strips supply with resulting large annual price increases. Homes now offer new speculators more attractive yields than stocks and money market instruments. More so called “investors” begin buying multiple properties with expectations of selling for huge profits because of the low down payments required for mortgages or using creative financing. The market begins to feed on itself as homeowners begin to rush to take profits.Stage #4 – As home prices become unfordable, interest rates increase making financing costs too expensive for homeowners to purchase, and investors have inventory that can’t be sold. Seemingly everyone tries to sell and the market readjusts to former market conditions by pulling back as much as 30% to 60% of peak values as the market begins to stabilize for 3 – 8 years.Summary – Based on the current market conditions and continuing available data, the real estate market is well into Stage #4. There is no way to determine how long this swing will last but historically they have lasted for 6 to 15 years. This stage offers huge opportunities for real estate investors and homeowners alike that want to purchase homes either for living in for 5 years+ for homeowners, or for “flipping” for investors. Both homeowners and investors looking to buy a property need to be very selective about how much they pay for a property, the amount of costs to rehab it, how they will be financing it, how long they intend to stay in it, the carrying costs, other properties currently listed on the MLS®, and neighborhood conditions. Unfortunately, retail buyers who wait to get the lowest possible price often wind up paying higher mortgage rates which offsets the cost savings by waiting, especially when you include their cost to rent, and the interest tax-deduction that they lose by not owning. Investors will have to buy low and sell low, while the retail buyer has become “king of the mountain” in picking the best possible home for the lowest price.
Getting Inexpensive Life Insurance for Seniors
Earlier it used to be difficult for seniors to find a life insurance policy that offers substantial coverage with low rates of premiums. Health risks multiply as we get older and insurance companies viewed this as a serious threat. Even elderly people who were healthy had a hard time finding inexpensive life insurance polices. This denied a lot of people the chance to buy themselves a comprehensive insurance package.Over time this attitude changed and the markets have realized the earning potential with this particular age group. Several companies now offer value for money life polices to the elderly who can maintain a decent bill of health. The insurance industry today is also more streamlined which makes polices for seniors more affordable.Benefits of buying life insurance: -
Affordable: They are highly affordable and term life policies are popular among seniors because they offer great coverage benefits at low rates of premiums.
Death Benefits: In term life insurance, if the policyholder dies when the policy is still in operation, his or her family stands to receive a substantial sum of money in the form of death benefits. With whole term insurance, there are even cash value benefits, which accumulates over time and the policyholder remains insured for life. The money from the policy can also be used to conduct the funeral, which has become a very costly affair these days. The remainder of the proceeds from the insurance can be used to provide financial stability to your family, where the money can be used to pay for mortgage, loans, tuition fee and other expenses.
Estate Planning: One of the main reasons why so many seniors go in for inexpensive policies is that it allows them to plan and hand over their estates to their beneficiaries effectively and smoothly. This type of insurance ensures that your estate will not be depleted by taxes upon death.
How to find inexpensive life insurance for seniors?There are several insurance companies that now specialize in selling inexpensive life insurance policies for seniors. You can start of by looking for multiple quotes on life policies that are being sold in your neighborhood. There are many sites on the Internet that deal with these life products.For instance, open any insurance rate comparison site and you will have to fill out some details related to the ideal life policy you are looking for. This includes information on face amount, type of policy, health class, gender, DOB and zip code details. Once you have filled out the online form, the site would generate multiple quotes on life insurance policies that are active in your locality. While looking for inexpensive life insurance policies for seniors, look for those products that offer low set of premiums accompanied by substantial coverage benefits.Most sites nowadays display quotes in a tabular form, which makes it easier for visitors to compare pros and cons of each life policy listed. Create a shortlist of policies, which you feel are right for you. Now you can visit the individual insurance sites of these life products and generate quotes again, which will be even more accurate this time round.Study the terms and conditions of all these inexpensive life insurance policies and also ensure that you have analyzed your own profile well. As one gets older, the number of health problems usually increases and we also need to consider these factors while going in for a comprehensive life insurance policy.It can also be a good idea to take the help of an independent agent, who specializes in selling inexpensive life insurance for seniors. They have a thorough understanding of the insurance industry and will be able to recommend suitable alternatives that offer better value for money. They are also better placed to recommend insurance companies after going through health reports. This is especially true if you are suffering from a known medical condition or just recovering from a recent illness. For instance if you have diabetes, the agent might be able to recommend a specific insurer that offers cheaper life policies than the rest.All insurance companies have their own underwriting guidelines to which they adhere too. As a result there is always an opportunity for seniors, even those with serious medical conditions to become eligible for inexpensive life insurance if they are prepared to look far enough.