cbagc2002

With lending tightened, what percentage of a down payment is needed to still qualify for a loan?

I'm a first time home buyer, but my income is too high for any grants, etc. in my area and I am self-employed. I have about 10% saved up for a down payment. I also have 5% set aside for closing costs and a 6 month emergency fund. I'm just not sure my down payment is enough given the current market and all I hear on TV about how tough lenders are these days.

My fiance would like to get married on New Year's Day (1/1/2011) because it is a "fresh start" and a "new life". We thought we would do a late lunch wedding (1-5PM) since people would be hung over from the night before, and hoped it would also cut down our bar bill. For the record, the wedding will be about 50 people, mostly immediate family and close friends.

I have had people tell me getting flowers after Christmas could be difficult since many florists use all their flowers for Christmas. I'm also curious as to whether caterers, reception sites, etc. would charge more for working on a holiday.

If anyone has gotten married on New Year's Day, can you tell me what issues you had, if any?

Thanks!

My boyfriend and I have been together for four years. I'm 27 and he is 40. I am self-employed and he is in a managerial position in his company. He has 4 children from a previous marriage while I do not have any of my own, though I have assumed a step-mom role. We both would like to have a child together and I have been the one to say that I want to wait. We will be buying a house soon, and I am wondering if once we do, if it would be a good time to have a child. My main concern has been the financial side and while having a home would make me feel much more stable, I'm not sure if that is enough or if I am just scared of the unknown and delaying subconsciously.

And for those who ask, I do not want to get married first. I don't believe that marriage should be a requirement before having children and while I love him and fully intend to spend the rest of my life with him, he currently possesses a large amount of debt and I do not want to absorb his debt (or credit rating) until he has repaired those debts, which will easily take several years to do.

If I don't eat every two or three hours, I get a really empty feeling in my stomach and, if I don't eat anything when I get that feeling, I eventually get nauseous, though I have never thrown up from it. I also sometimes get light-headed, especially after working out or any kind of strenuous activity. Once I eat, I begin feeling better.

I've always been this way, though it seems to be happening more lately. I've steadily gained weight over the years because often I grab the first quick thing to eat, which is usually a sandwich, cereal, or candy.

I've tried looking up these combined symptoms but haven't found anything that sounds right. I have very poor insurance (individual) and I don't want to have to pay hundreds, or thousands, for various tests, especially if it is something I can easily fix.

Does anyone know what I may have?

Thank you in advance for all your help.

My 10 year old son has recently had an IEP assessment and IQ test by his school and while he has a very low IQ and learning disabilities, he does not qualify for their special programs. He is far behind his peers and has already been held back once. He needs one on one assistance which his teacher's can't give, and despite pleading with the district, there is nothing available to him. No one at the school seems to know how to help. I am trying to find people who currently homeschool in my area to see if they could teach him. I know in Texas (where I live), a home schooler can teach up to three kids before needing certification. How do I find those who are already home schooling to see if they could home school my son, as I cannot do it but I think it may be his only hope?

Thank you in advance for your help.

My boyfriend and I have been discussing marriage. While I have excellent credit, he has really dragged his through the mud and he has a lot of debt. Is there a way that if we were married that we could keep our credit separate from one another?

I thought it was really awesome. Great story. Great acting (especially Dane Cook - who managed to hold his own next to Costner and Moore). I would definitely recommend it to others.

Does anyone else wish it had ended differently? I think it woudl have been sweet if the dream he had towards the end would have actually happened.

I want to ask my boyfriend to marry me - and I know he'll say yes as we've talked about marriage for a while now - but I'm not sure how to do it. Do I get him an engagement ring, or do I buy one for me? It doesn't seem right to ask him to marry me and then give him MY engagement ring, but I've never heard of a guy having the engagement ring (instead of the girl).

And I know I'm rambling slightly - but do you think he would be hurt if I asked him rather than the traditional way of the boy asking the girl? (Can you tell I'm a little nervous!?!)

the next bond girl?

My list includes:

Kate Beckinsale

Scarlett Johannson

Selma Hayek

Jennifer Aniston

Jessica Biel

Eva Mendes

Who would be on your list?

What do you think about this?

http://www.tmz.com/2007/07/30/lane-garrison-relive...

the preview for Mr. Woodcock yet?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f31B1QAWHyA

I can't wait to see it! What about you?

that Marvin Zindler passed away over the weekend?

He was the reporter that shut down the chicken ranch - which spawned the movie The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas

It looks HYSTERICAL!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f31B1QAWHyA

Whoopi Goldberg and Sherri Shepherd

http://omg.yahoo.com/whoopi-sherri-shepherd-to-joi...

I was really surprised by how much I liked it. Some parts were cookie-cutter, but I thought they definitely added some stuff and there were a LOT of good actors in it.

that when me and my man finally got a night without the kids, we went to the movies and saw Shrek 3?

Come on people - I know I'm not the only one who LOVED them back in the day. lol

I mean, come on people

Where can I go online to find my closest fire station, police station, my MUD district (for water), etc.? I need to set up my new services and to get renter's insurance, but I don't know where to find this information. Any help would be appreciated!

I've heard that having too much available credit can hurt my credit score. I pay off nearly my entire balance each month, and have about $15,000 in available credit. The most I've used is probably 15% of that.