We first met Jade in October of 2008, when Barack Obama and John McCain were making their final campaign push for presidency. We were surprised by Jade’s insight and pragmatism on social issues, so we asked her to be a regular contributor to the Probe.

Austin Probe: Why do you think health care reform has turned into such a firestorm of debate?

Jade: Cuz people are as dumb as they are selfish. Nobody wants to cough up a single penny to take care of a less-fortunate person who is sick.

AP: That’s the selfish part. Where does the dumb part come in?

Jade: People don’t realize that medical costs are bankrupting our country from the bottom up. It’s going to be the next big economic meltdown. But we have our heads in the sand. People are also dumb because they think [President] Obama is trying to turn this country into a communist state. I mean, seriously? I dropped out of school during the eighth grade, due to an unplanned pregnancy, but I’m smart enough to see how dumb that is!

AP: What do you think the best solution is to our health care problems?

Jade: That’s an easy one. First, we take away the health care that all them congress people have. We pay for it through our taxes, and that’s the biggest crock of s*@# in this whole mess … they don’t want to give health care to all Americans, but they are happy to have all Americans pay for their health care. What the f*#@ is that all about? So we take their health care plans away from them, and then they have to go out and get their own private coverage. Most of those geezers are as old as Jesus, so you know they got some serious health problems. The insurance companies would laugh at them.

AP: So it would be an eye-opener of sorts.

Jade: I ain’t finished yet!

AP: Sorry.

Jade: Don’t be stealing my thunder, pretty boy. Well, s#@* you ruined my story now. But yes, it would be an eye-opener for those old farts. They’d have to get their own coverage, which would be a joke, so they’d have more of an sentiment to fix health care.

AP: You mean an incentive?

Jade: What’d I say?

AP: You said sentiment.

Jade: Whatever. Look, do you see my point or not?

AP: I see your point.

Jade: Don’t sass me, pretty boy. I’m not afraid to cut you.

AP: Switching gears. Do you have your own health insurance?

Jade: Hell nah. The Juggy Club don’t pay for any of that. The only benefits I have are second-hand smoke and the fact that I can listen to music at work. I get sick, I just have to deal with it. I threw out my hip once, doing a spin-and-grind on the brass pole, and I just had to suck it up. That’s another thing that’s wrong with America. We’ve turned into a nation of p#@@*es. Nobody knows how to suck it up anymore. We go to the doctor for everything — a jammed finger, a headache, a case of the sniffles. That’s why health insurance is so damn expensive today. We use it for everything. Suck it up. That should be the new motto for health care reform. Suck it up America. Save your insurance for the serious s#@t. Don’t be such a whining, snot-nosed little baby. Live my life for a day and you’ll have something to cry about … [interview condensed for publishing]

We will check back in with Jade often as the debate continues.

Let’s take a closer look at the Austin mortgage options available to you, and which one might work best for your unique financial situation.

More Information on Austin Mortgage Loans

In recent years, Austin, Texas has become quite the hot spot for buying real estate. The favorable home prices in Austin, combined with all the great things the city has to offer, have fueled the Austin real estate scene for some time.

In fact, during those times when other cities had fallen into housing slumps, the Austin real estate market was going strong. As the housing market grows, so too does the need for consumer-oriented information and advice. That’s where this guide to Austin mortgage loans comes into the picture.

For most home buyers in Austin, the purchase of a new home is only possible by taking out a mortgage loan. That is, unless you’ve just won the lottery. If you’re a recent lottery winner, feel free to skip this guide to Austin home loans. Otherwise, keep reading for some helpful information on choosing your next mortgage loan!

Shopping for a home loan is Austin is a major financial move that requires careful consideration. After all, the mortgage you choose will stay with you for quite some time — until you either (A) sell the home, (B) pay off the entire mortgage loan, or (C) refinance the loan and take on a new one. Education is the key to choosing the Austin mortgage loan that’s right or you. So let’s get right to it.

What Exactly is a Mortgage?

In order to kick this tutorial off properly, we have to start with the basics. Of all the books and articles I’ve read on the subject of home loans, the best mortgage definition I’ve read was in Home Buying for Dummies, by Eric Tyson and Ray Brown.

In their book, Tyson and Brown state that “a mortgage is nothing more than a loan that you obtain to close the gap between the cash you have for a down payment and the purchase price of the home…”

You have a certain amount of money. The home costs a certain (larger) amount of money. The home mortgage loan covers the distance between the two.

It’s important to start thinking in these “distance” terms, because a lot can happen to the economy during the life of your home mortgage loan. How much these factors affect your mortgage depends on the type of mortgage loan you choose. Aha! Now it all starts to come together.

Primary Parts of a Home Loan

1. Size of the loan (the principal amount)
2. Interest rate on the loan
3. Term (or length) of the loan

Let’s take a closer look at these mortgage loan ingredients:

• The Size of the Mortgage Loan - The size of your loan will primarily depend on your budget, your credit, and how much of a down payment you can afford. This is also referred to as the “principal” part of your mortgage loan, which is the main loan amount not including interest.
• The Interest Rate - This is the amount of interest charged on a monthly mortgage payment. It is a percentage of the principal loan amount. To find the current interest rates, you can start by visiting Bankrate.com or Interest.com. Keep in mind that the rate you are offered will depend on your credit history, your credit score, and other factors specific to you as an individual consumer.
• The Term / Length of the Loan - When talking about Austin home loans, the word “term” can mean two things. For one, the “terms” of your mortgage can refer to the specific conditions of the loan. The “term” of the mortgage can also mean the length of the loan. The term of a mortgage refers to the number of years the mortgage is established for. Mortgage terms are generally 15, 20, 30 and 40 years. The vast majority of Austin mortgage loans are of the 30-year, fixed-rate variety.

The Primary Types of Loans

There are actually many different types of mortgage loans. But most of them can be placed into two major categories — adjustable-rate or fixed-rate. When choosing a mortgage loan, it’s critical that you understand the differences between these types of loans, as well as the various pros and cons associated with them.

Fixed-Rate Mortgage Loan: Pros & Cons

As you might have guessed, a fixed-rate mortgage loan keeps the same interest rate over the entire life (or “term”) of the loan. And, because the interest rate is a component of the monthly mortgage payment, those payments will never change either. You can see the value in such a loan.

With a fixed-rate mortgage, certainty is the primary benefit. You can be certain that the interest rate on your loan will remain the same, regardless of what roller coasters the economy endures. The downside is that you’ll pay a premium for this predictability, in the form of a higher interest rate.

When an Austin mortgage lender grants a fixed-rate mortgage to a borrower for a long period of time (such as the 30-year norm), that lender takes on a certain amount of risk. If, for example, the prime interest rate rises sharply during the life of the loan, you will not have to pay the difference — but the mortgage lender (or whomever they sold the loan to) will have to absorb it. This is why Austin mortgage lenders typically charge a higher interest rate on fixed-rate loans than they do for adjustable-rate loans (next topic).

Adjustable-Rate Mortgage (ARM) Loan: Pros & Cons

Now that we have discussed the fixed-rate mortgage, you can probably guess what the adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) loan is all about. With an adjustable mortgage, the interest rate is periodically adjusted based on national indexes and interest rate trends. Generally speaking, these adjustments will mean a larger mortgage payment (as the result of a higher interest rate).

ARM loans typically start off with a fixed interest rate for an initial period of time, usually for the first 3, 5 or 7 years. The introductory rate during this period will often be lower than the rate on a traditional fixed-rate mortgage, which is obviously something that appeals to many home buyers. After the initial period, however, the mortgage loan will go through the first in a series of adjustments (hence the name).

The downside, of course, is that you can never predict how the interest rate will adjust, or how much larger your mortgage payment will be as a result of the adjustment. So in a sense, you can of the initial period (with the relatively lower rate) as a reward for the uncertainty of the adjustable period (during which the rate might increase).

What’s Best For You?

So which type of Austin home loan is the best one for your financial situation? Should you choose a fixed-rate mortgage or an ARM? Only you, as the home buyer, can answer this question with any certainty. But there are certain rules-of-thumb you can steer by:

For example, if you plan to live in the home (and maintain the mortgage loan) for many years, than a fixed-rate mortgage is probably the best choice for the long haul. If you plan to stay in the home for many years, a fixed-rate mortgage loan might be best for you. On the other hand, if you’ll only be in the home for a few years before selling the home (or refinancing the mortgage loan), then an ARM loan might be a good way to save money during those years.

Austin Mortgage Brokers vs. Primary Lenders

I’d like to wrap up our discussion of Austin home loans by explaining the difference between a mortgage broker and a primary lender. When shopping for a home loan, you’ll need to understand the difference between these two types of mortgage professionals (as it applies to you, the home buyer).

Here is the major difference between:

• The primary lender represents a single lending institution (such as a bank or mortgage company). Hence the word “primary.” Therefore, the primary lender can only offer your mortgage products from the lending institution they work for.
• A mortgage broker, on the other hand, can represent more than one lending institution. In this way, a mortgage broker can offer loan products and programs from several different lenders. So by working with a broker, you’ll typically have more options to choose from

Continue Your Education

This tutorial is certainly not meant to be a comprehensive guide to Austin, Texas mortgage loans and lenders. It’s a complex topic that deserves some continued research on your part. After all, that home loan will stay with you for some time — until you pay it off, sell the home, or refinance the mortgage loan. So you should take what you’ve learned from this tutorial and build upon that knowledge with further research. Be a smart consumer, look out for your financial interests, and take charge of your mortgage education.

With that said, we hope this article helps you choose the Austin home mortgage loan that’s right for you!

Related items: Local Home Builders

It compiles a list of lists, for starters. In other words, it shows you all of the occasions when Austin has appeared on various “Best Cities” and “Best Places to Live” lists. It also lets Austin residents chime in to say what they like about the city.

Here’s one of my favorite reasons to live in Austin, given by the author of this list. It’s regarding the huge bat colony that lives under the Congress Avenue bridge downtown (or whatever the bridge is called these days). The author says: “Yes, they are a novelty and a tourist attraction. But they’re also the best form of insect control. I grew up in Virginia, where I often became ‘mosquito fodder’ on summer evenings. I do not have that problem here. So I say thank you, Tadarida brasiliensis (i.e., Mexican free-tail  bats).”

I couldn’t agree more on this one!

Here are some of the reasons I like living in the Austin area:

• The climate is conducive to outdoor activity, all year round. I like to mountain bike and do other outdoor activities, and this is a great place for it.
• I like the fact that my housing is affordable, and the fact that our local real estate market is stable. I see these horror stories on the news about property values that tank, and I’m thankful I live in Austin.
• There’s a lot to do here. I know that’s a cliche, but it’s also true in this case. Whenever I have family visiting from the East Coast or elsewhere, we always start with a list of fun things we want to do. We never get through the entire list.
• Two words — Alamo Drafthouse. Catching a flick at the Alamo is one of my favorite things to do in Austin, and it doesn’t hurt that they have such a huge selection of great beers.

Get started here >> Foreclosed homes in Travis County

These properties can be a great opportunity for home buyers, because they are generally priced below current market values. In other words, they are priced to sell quickly. Whether the home is being sold before the foreclosure (through a short sale), or after the fact (through an auction), it will typically be priced below market.

The first step to buying Austin foreclosure homes is to find them. These houses usually sell fast, for the pricing reasons I’ve mentioned above. So if you want the chase to purchase a foreclosed property, you need to stay on top of the market and move quickly. That’s why I recommend an online tracking service such as RealtyTrac.

How Many Foreclosures in the Austin Area?

Obviously, the number of Austin foreclosures changes all the time. So the best way to get current data and listing information is by signing up for an online tracking service. Use the link above (or below) to take a free trial of a foreclosure listing service, and you’ll see what I mean. You’ll have instant access to property data for foreclosed homes throughout Travis County. This is by far the best way to stay on top of the market, because you can do it from the comfort of your home / office computer. It sure beats driving down to the county courthouse to dig up data!

As of this publishing date (May 10, 2009), there were more than 3,000 foreclosure filings around the greater Austin area. This number includes pre-foreclosure homes, bank-owned properties, and properties currently in an auction status. With that many buying opportunities, you’re bound to find a house that meets your needs — and you can probably save a lot of money in the process. But you won’t know about these homes until you sign up for a tracking service. So get started below…

Start a free trial today >> Austin foreclosed listings through RealtyTrac

You can learn more about the subject by visiting the foreclosure blog at the Home Buying Institute. Here is the page that pertains to Travis County, Texas.

Austin has a great climate for landscape design and landscaping projects. We have short and mild winters, with only the occasional ice storm. Snow is a rarity. Because of this, you can grow a wide variety of flowers, shrubs and trees in your yard. Even if you lack the “green thumb” needed to create such a landscape, you need not worry — there are dozens of Austin landscape designers and landscaping companies who can assist you.

Find Local Landscaping Services. Get Up to 4 Quotes Now. It’s Quick, Free, and Easy!

When shopping for an Austin landscaping company, there are certain things you should keep in mind. The first is that landscape companies offer a wide variety of services. Some specialize in maintenance, mowing and cleanup. Others offer design and installation. And there are some landscape designers in Austin who provide only the design work, which means you must hire another contractor to do the actual installation. In other words, one size does not fit all.

So the first thing you need to do is figure out exactly what you need. Do you want somebody to create a design for your yard (plants, layout, etc.) so you can do the work yourself? Or do you need the actual labor and materials built into the project? Is there a particular landscape style you’re going for? What’s your budget? You need to answer these questions first, in order to find the Austin landscaping designer who is right for you.

Find an Austin Landscape Company Below

If you’re ready to move forward, and you want to start gathering quotes from landscape designers in Austin, use the link below to get started. It’s a great way to find local contractors who have been pre-screened for you. If you find a landscaping pro through the Service Magic website below, you can be certain he is properly licensed and insured!

Find Local Landscaping Services. Get Up to 4 Quotes Now. It’s Quick, Free, and Easy!

Click the link provided above, and then enter your zip code. After that, you will be asked a few quick questions about the type of landscape design project you have in mind, and then you’ll receive quotes and other information from Austin landscapers. It’s quick and easy, and the website is free to use. You can’t beat that. I hope this helps you find the right professional for your job. Good luck.

City of Austin Jobs — Government jobs and health care. These are two sectors that are almost always hiring, even when other industries are grinding to a halt. Even if you have no prior government experience, you might find that you are qualified for a city job. And most of them offer solid health benefits!

Travis County Jobs — In addition to city positions, you can usually find quite a few openings with Travis County (of which Austin is a part). I took a peek at what they had available when writing this article, and I was surprised by the number of positions that were open. And once again, you’ve got reliable health care and other benefits with a job in this sector.

University of Texas — UT is one of the major employers for the Austin area, and they almost always have positions open. If you would like to see what jobs are currently available at the university, start with this search tool. The Human Resources section of their website offers more information for prospective employees and job hunters.

Work in Texas — This website is operated by the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC). Their database contains a list of state jobs that are available, and you can narrow down the search results by city, keyword and more. In other words, it’s an easy way to find state jobs that are currently open in the Austin area.

Austin Statesman — The Austin American Statesman used to publish their own job listings on their website. But now it looks as if they’re just offering Yahoo’s Hot Jobs through the site. Whatever the case, it’s still a good place to go when searching for jobs in the Austin, Texas area. The Statesman website has other employment resources as well, so be sure to check those out.

Nonprofit Jobs — Many people wrongfully believe that “nonprofit” employment means unpaid employment. But this is not the case. There are many nonprofits in the Austin area (being the state capital and all), and many of them pay just as well as their private sector counterparts. This section of the Austin Community College website can help you find jobs with local nonprofit organizations.

www.AustinJobs.com — The name of this website gives you a good idea of what to expect. You can do passive and active job hunting through this website. That is, you can post a resume and also search through a list of jobs in the Austin, TX area. The listings leave something to be desired, though. At the time this article was published, there were very few jobs listed on the site. For example, where Monster.com has dozens of IT-related positions in Austin, this website had only one. Translation: It doesn’t get used by local employers very much. But it doesn’t hurt to see what’s in there.

Have you been caught driving while intoxicated (DWI) in the Austin, Texas area? If so, shame on you! You have put yourself in harm’s way through your actions, but even worse you have put others at risk. An Austin DWI lawyer can help you understand and pursue your legal options, but they cannot change the bad behavior that led to your DWI arrest. You must do that yourself.

With that bit of tough love out of the way, let’s talk about what an Austin DWI attorney or law firm can do for you. Basically, these legal professionals exploit loopholes within Texas state law, in an attempt to get you off scott-free. In other words, they work hard to help you avoid responsibility for your own actions.

This is why many people see Austin DWI lawyers as the “lowest of the low,” in terms of ethics. It’s easy to understand this level of disgust. After all, a DWI driver is a menace to society. Many of them cause accidents that claim innocent lives. So when an Austin DWI attorney swoops in to help such a person avoid the consequences, you can understand why people get angry.

Here’s our stance on this subject. People who drive while intoxicated in Austin should lose their license and serve jail time. Plain and simple. If a person repeats the offense, they should lose their license permanently and do at least five years in jail. It is unfortunate that an DWI lawyer in Austin can actually help people avoid this fate, but it’s also a reality.

In a perfect world, DWI attorneys would not exist and those who drive while intoxicated would face the consequences of their actions. But we do not live in a perfect world. We live in a world where Austin DWI lawyers know how to exploit loopholes on behalf of their clients, so that they never have to accept responsibility for their actions.

Find Local Roofing Services. Get Up to 4 Quotes Now. It’s Quick, Free, and Easy!

Did you know that many roofing contractors are not even licensed to work in Austin, or in Texas at large? It’s true. And if a roofer isn’t licensed to work in the state, you can bet he does not have the appropriate insurance either. This means several things:

• You probably won’t be satisfied with the job.
• You are liable for any injuries the roofer sustains on your property.
• You may even be scammed by paying for a roofing job that doesn’t get done.

But all of this risk can be avoided, or at least minimized, if you choose an Austin roofing company that has been pre-screened by a professional services organization like Service Magic. I’ve provided a link above that you can use to find pre-screened Austin roofers and get quotes from them at the same time. It saves you time, but it also helps to ensure the quality of the roofing service.

Other Ways to Find Austin Roofing Companies

You could also find an Austin, Texas roofer through the National Roofing Contractor Association (NRCA). Their website allows you to search for contractors by zip code. In order to be a member of the NRCA, an individual must go through a certain amount of training and education. This gives you an added degree of third-party validation, which will help you find a reliable and competent Austin roofing company.

We also recommend doing a bit of “detective work” before you choose an Austin roofer to work on your home. Let’s say you’ve narrowed it down to three different companies, and you’ve obtained quotes from each company. This is a good time to do a bit of background research on each of the roofing companies, and the Internet makes this process fairly simple:

• Do a Better Business Bureau search for the company’s name to check their rating.
• Do a Google search for the company’s name to see what people have posted online about them.
• Research the  contractor’s name, not just the company. He may have operated under a different name in the past.
• Check the roofer’s website for a list of testimonials / referrals. If you don’t find any, ask for them.

I hope this information helps you find a roofing contractor in the Austin, Texas area. In closing, I’d like to offer some helpful links. Here’s a link to the roofer section of Service Magic (highly recommended):

Find Local Roofing Services. Get Up to 4 Quotes Now. It’s Quick, Free, and Easy!

And here’s a partial list of companies and contractors in Austin. We are not endorsing any of these professionals. We are just listing them here for your convenience. All of these roofers claim to be fully licensed and insured, but you’ll still have to do your own research like we talked about above.

• www.roofcrafters.com
• www.austin360roofing.com
• www.aceroofingtexas.com
• www.capcoroofing.com
• www.perryroofing.org
• www.austinroofinginc.com

Remember, not all roofing companies are created equal. Some Austin roofers are great at what they do, and they have the training and licensing to back this up. Other contractors are a disaster waiting to happen. The more research you do up front, the more likely you are to find a top-notch roof company in Austin, Texas. Good luck.

The are many types of sedatives used by sedation dentists in the Austin area, and they can be administered in a variety of ways. Some dentists use inhalation masks to deliver nitrous oxide (a.k.a. “laughing gas”), while others use intravenous delivery methods. Regardless of the delivery method, the goal is always the same — to put the patient in a more relaxed state for the duration of the dental visit.

Here is a partial lists of Austin sedation dentistry clinics and the dentists who run them. This list is alphabetical by the dentist’s first name.

12 Sedation Dentists in the Austin Area

Many of the dentists on this list offer other service / techniques, in addition to sedation treatments. Check out their websites listed below for more information, or to schedule an appointment.

• AnnMarie Olson — www.SedationDentistAustin.com
• Dennis Goehring — www.GoehringDental.com
• Glen Wainwright — www.austindentalcare.com
• Helen Ragsdale — www.AustinLaserDentist.com
• Houtan Alayan — www.GreatOaksDentistry.com
• Mandy Holley — www.MandyHolleyDDS.com
• Joseph Schmidt — www.CosmeticDentistryAustin.net
• Justin D’Abadie — www.AdvancedDentalCareofAustin.com
• Matthew Horne — www.TheAustinDentist.com
• Maury Hafernik — www.AustinDental.com
• Steven Booth — www.SilverScreenDental.com
• Tejas Patel — www.LakewaySmiles.com

Please note: We are not endorsing any of the sedation dentists on this list, nor are we validating their credentials in any way. This list has been compiled for your convenience only. The one thing all of these dentists have in common is that (A) they offer some form of sedation dentistry and (B) they are located in the greater Austin area. We strongly recommend that you conduct further research before choosing a sleep dentist for your next dental procedure.

Why People Use Sleep Dentists

So, what’s the big attraction with this unique form of dentistry? Why do people go out of their way to find sleep dentists in Austin, Texas? In a word … fear. These techniques were developed specifically for people who have a strong fear of dental procedures. It’s a win-win situation, because it gives dentists a way to differentiate themselves and attract new patients, and it gives those patients a less stressful alternative to dental care.

I hope this information helps you find the Austin sedation dentist who is right for you. Good luck.

The Austin Probe staff has been knocking on doors all across Austin lately, in an effort to measure the political opinions of Austin’s voters. When visiting the Shady Lane trailer park in South Austin, we interviewed a woman named Jade, an exotic dancer with one of Austin’s oldest strip clubs.

According to Jade, Senator McCain’s fixation with Joe the plumber shows how out of touch he is with the people who are truly suffering in this country.

If you tuned in to the presidential debate between John McCain and Barack Obama on Wednesday night, you’ll know why Joe the Plumber has become the latest Internet and media sensation in this country. Senator McCain referred to Joe the plumber repeatedly, in an attempt to show how Senator Obama was going to hurt “the average Joe” with his tax plan.

As Obama quickly pointed out, his tax plan would only raise taxes on Joe the Plumber if he made more than $250,000 per year. According to the Illinois senator, his plan would keep taxes at their current level for 95% of the population.

But for Joe the plumber of Holland, Ohio, the media swarm was already headed his way. Camera crews arrived at his home within hours, and he gave an impromptu press conference on Thursday morning. Since then, he has become an Internet news sensation as well — at least this week.

McCain, who is evidently still obsessed with the plumber from Ohio, told Fox News that he plans to visit Joe in the near future: “I’m probably going to call him this morning,” McCain said. “I thought he would probably be up late … But I think we’re going to be spending some time together.”

When we told Jade the stripper about McCain’s recent comments, she shook her head angrily, lit another cigarette, and then unleashed a stream of profanities we cannot repeat here.

“Who gives a flying [expletive] about Joe the friggin’ plumber?” said Jade. “That fool is making something like 200 grand per year, and America is supposed to be worried about him? You know how much I make a year? Twenty-seven thousand, if I’m lucky. I can’t even do the pole dancing no more, cause of a hip injury. So my salary gone shrink some more this year. I’m the kind of American who needs help … what’s McCain gone do for me? Nothing. He’s too damn worried about his boyfriend Joe the plumber.”

As it turn out, however, we might have to come up with a different name for John McCain’s newest pet. According to recent news, Joe might not even be a plumber at all. At least, not as far as the state of Ohio is concerned.