| How to Add Someone to Your Mortgage Posted: 13 May 2016 05:00 PM PDT Many people wish to add someone to their mortgage with a major life change, most commonly marriage. If you and your spouse (or partner, parent, child, or friend) are living together and sharing the rest of your expenses, why shouldn't you bear the legal and financial responsibilities of homeownership together? Unfortunately, your lender will probably not make it easy for you to do this. Moreover, it might not be in your best interests. If you do decide to go down this path, make sure you are armed with the right information. EditUnderstanding How It Works - Contact your lender. There's no harm in asking your bank or mortgage company if you can simply add a person to your mortgage. Be prepared for them to say no, however—in fact, this will be their answer in most cases. Instead, they will likely make you refinance your home, in effect taking out an entirely new mortgage.[1]
- However, since refinancing means that you have the opportunity to look for a new lender, they may just let you add the person so they do not risk losing your business.
- Shop around. Since you are getting a new mortgage anyway, don't feel obligated to stay with your lender. Read about how to compare mortgage programs here.
- Fill out a Uniform Residential Loan Application once you have decided on a lender. You will be asked for your full names and Social Security numbers along with the amounts of income you receive and debt you owe. Both of you will also need to submit originals of several documents, including the following:[2]
- Pay stubs
- Bank statements
- Your two most recent tax returns
- Sign your documents and pay closing costs. You will now have added this person to your mortgage. Before you do, however, think about your personal situation in relation to the other options that are out there. [3]
EditEvaluating Your Finances - Know where you stand with your existing mortgage. If you have a conventional mortgage (not with the FHA or any other special program), you will probably need to have at least 20% equity (the difference between market value of the home and the mortgage on it) before you can qualify for a refinance. If you are not at this point, you will likely need to consider another option.[4]
- Have a conversation with the other person. If you are considering adding someone to your mortgage, you probably have some idea of his financial history. A vague idea of his history is not enough here, though. Getting exact numbers where applicable, make sure you know specifics of the following:
- Income
- Debt, including from student loans
- Credit score
- Whether he has declared bankruptcy or faced foreclosure in the past seven years
- Think about how the other person's finances will affect your chances. If you were able to get a mortgage in the first place, it is because your lender believed you had the income to afford the house and a history that made you creditworthy. If you want to add someone to your mortgage, the lender will take both of your incomes, credit scores, etc. into account. While adding a second person's income can help, other factors can work against this.[5]
- For instance, imagine that you have excellent credit (anything above 750). This helped you qualify for favorable terms, including a lower interest rate, on your original mortgage.
- Now, imagine that the other person has poor credit—a score of between 600-649.
- You might think that the bank or mortgage company will average these two scores together, landing you somewhere in the good to fair range. You could probably still get a decent offer with a score like this.
- Unfortunately, this is not what they will do. Instead, they will only consider the lower score.
- Not only are you unlikely to receive an offer with favorable terms in this scenario, but you may also not get a mortgage at all.
- Conversely, of course, adding a person with credit that is better than yours can help.
- Look at interest rates. Have interest rates fallen dramatically since you got your original loan? Conversely, have they increased? This is one more factor to consider when thinking about refinancing.
- Lower interest rates could mean more favorable terms, so many people choose to refinance under these economic conditions.
- Higher interest rates could mean less favorable terms, so think carefully before deciding to refinance in this climate.
- Be prepared to pay some fees again. Remember all of the closing costs and other fees that you had to pay when you first secured a mortgage? You will need to cover these expenses once again if you decide to refinance.[6]
- Closing costs for refinancing can be very expensive—anywhere between three and six percent of the remaining principle on your loan.
- This means that, if you have an outstanding balance of $150,000 left on your mortgage, closing costs alone could be between $4,500 and $9,000.
EditConsidering Other Options - Think about adding this person to the deed of the house. If you want your spouse, parent, or child to have a stake in the house (when it comes to inheriting, for instance) but don't want to go through the hassle of refinancing, consider adding this person to the deed of the house. He won't be legally liable for the mortgage the same way you are, but he will be one of the owners of the house (once the bank is paid off).[7][8]
- Consider making a private agreement. There are many reasons, both practical and emotional, why you would want to add someone to your mortgage. But sometimes it's not necessary. You may find it easier just to have the person who is moving in pay you each month, as a tenant would a landlord, or set up a joint bank account to which each person contributes and is only used for mortgage payments.
- This unofficial set-up works best if you are a married couple. If you were to die, your lender would be legally obligated to let your spouse take over the mortgage.[9]
- Talk to a lawyer. It is important to plan for contingencies with someone on your mortgage, but it is even more important without. Nobody wants to think about it, but death, divorce, and other unforeseen events happen. Consider a legally-binding document that answers the following questions:[10]
- How will costs be divided? You both contribute to the mortgage, but you probably do not make the same amount of money. How much should each person contribute? How will this change if one of you loses your job or goes bankrupt?
- What will happen to the house if you break up? Will you sell it, or will one of you stay there? If the former, how will proceeds from the sale be divided? If the latter, who will be responsible for costs?
- What will happen if one of you dies? If you are unmarried and/or do not have your spouse or partner's name on the mortgage or deed, the house may not automatically go to him. If this is what you want, talk to a lawyer to make sure the necessary documents are in place.
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| How to Tell if a Betta Fish Is Sick Posted: 13 May 2016 09:00 AM PDT Bettas exhibit many signs of sickness, from lethargy to white spots. Any time you suspect a betta is sick, you should take it away from other fish, so that he doesn't pass his sickness on.[1] Additionally, you may not be able to find medications for bettas in a pet store or even a fish store. If you can't, you can find them online.[2] EditLooking for Signs of an Unhealthy Betta Fish - Watch out for faded coloring. When a betta gets sick, his coloring may look faded out. He may even lose his color altogether.[3]
- Keep an eye on your betta's fins. In a healthy betta, its fins will be whole. An unhealthy betta may develop holes or rips in its fins.[4]
- Another unhealthy sign is if your betta's fins appear clamped down to the body; that is, they aren't fanned out properly.[5]
- Look for lethargy. If your betta is sick, his activity level will go down. He won't be his normal, active self. His movements will slow down some.[6]
- Another sign of sickness is your fish hiding out at the bottom of the tank more often than normal.[7]
- Watch your betta's eating habits. With some sicknesses, your fish may stop eating altogether. If your betta appears uninterested in food, he could be sick.[8]
- Check for spots. Look for small, white spots, especially around the head and mouth. This symptom can be a sign of a certain type of parasite, called Ich.[9]
- Look for breathing problems. It may sound funny to check a fish for breathing problems. However, if your betta is constantly at the top of the tank trying to get more air, that is likely a sign of a problem.[10]
- Watch for your betta to rub or scratch. If your betta is trying to rub against the side of the tank, that could be a sign of a problem. Similarly, if your betta is trying to scratch on plants or objects in the tank, he might also be sick.[11]
- Look for other physical symptoms. Bulging eyes can be a sign of sickness. Watch for your betta's eyes protruding from its head.[12]
- Raised scales can also be a symptom of sickness.[13]
- Watch his gills. If he's unable to close his gills, they may be swollen, another sign of sickness.[14]
EditDealing with Constipation - Look for signs of swelling. If your betta fish suddenly swells, he may be constipated. You need to treat this problem soon.[15]
- Stop regular food for several days. The first way to help constipation is to stop his regular diet for a few days. That will give him time to digest and move food through his system.[16]
- Feed him live food. After a couple of days, start feeding him again. However, you should stick to live food for a little while.[17]
- For live food, you can feed brine fish or blood worms. The general rule on how much food to provide is give enough food so that your betta can eat for two minutes. Do so twice a day.[18]
- Don't feed him as much. Constipation is generally a sign you are feeding your betta too much. Therefore, once he starts eating normally again, you need to feed him less than you were.[19]
EditDiagnosing Fin/Tail Rot and Fungal Infections - Look for shredded tails and fins.[20] This disease can affect just the tail or just the fins. However, it gives them a shredded appearance.[21]
- Also, look for darker coloring near the end of the tail.[22]
- Watch for white patches with fungal infection. This disease is most often noticed by the white patches that appear on your fish. He may also have clumpy fins or be less active than normal. While a fungal infection is different from fin rot, they are treated in much the same way.[23]
- Change the water. The first step is to change out the water. Of course, you need to remove your fish to another container while doing so. This disease often develops from dirty water, so you need to provide a clean environment for your fish.[24] You should clean the tank before putting water back in.[25]
- The best way to clean the tank is to use bleach at a 1 to 20 ratio with water. Let the mixture sit in the tank for about an hour. You can leave the fake plants and scoop in this mixture but not the rocks or gravel, as they can absorb the bleach[26]
- Make sure you rinse it several times after cleaning it.
- For the rocks, bake them at 450 degrees Fahrenheit for an hour. Let them cool before adding them back in.[27]
- Use a medication. You will give your betta tetracycline or ampicillin, which you add to the water. How much you add depends on the size of the tank, but you will find directions on the package.[28]
- You will also need to use a fungus eliminator. That will keep the growth out of the water.[29]
- If your betta just has a fungal infection, he won't need tetracycline or ampicillin, but he will need fungus eliminator.[30]
- Repeat the process. Change the water at least every 3 days. Every time you change the water, add the medication back in. Only stop when the betta fins seem to be growing back in, which can take up to a month.[31]
- For fungal infections, look for the white patches and other symptoms to disappear. When they do, treat the tank with Bettazing or Bettamax to help eliminate the fungus.[32]
EditDealing with Velvet - Shine a flashlight on your fish. One way to see velvet is to use a light directly on your fish. The light will help you see the shimmer of gold or rust that this disease can produce on the scales. Your fish will exhibit other symptoms, such as lethargy, loss of appetite, and rubbing or scratching himself against walls or items in the aquarium. He may also have clamped fins.[33]
- This parasite can be prevented by adding aquarium salt and water conditioner to your tank on a regular basis.[34] You need to add 1 teaspoon of aquarium salt for 2 1/2 gallons of water. You also need a drop of water conditioner per gallon, though always read the instructions that come with your water conditioner.[35]
- Use Bettazing. This medication is the most effective against velvet because it has two agents in it that work against the disease. Add 12 drops per gallon of water.[36]
- You can also use a medication called "Maracide".[37]
- Continue treating until the fish doesn't exhibit symptoms anymore.
- Treat the whole tank. You should still isolate the affected fish, but you should treat the original tank as well. This disease is very contagious.[38]
- To isolate affect fish, you need to move them to a separate tank with clean water. You need to provide treatment to both tanks.
EditTreating Ich - Look for white spots all over the body. Ich is a parasite that produces spots on the body. Also look for clumped fins and lethargy. He may also stop eating.[39]
- Like velvet, this parasite is preventable if you treat the water right.[40] Add 1 teaspoon of aquarium salt for a 2 1/2 gallons of water. For water conditioner, use a drop per gallon of water, though always read the directions first.[41]
- Try raising the temperature for ich. If you have a large community tank, you can try raising the temperature to 85 degrees Fahrenheit, which will kill off the parasite. However, don't do it if your tank is smaller, as you may mistakenly raise the water too much and kill off your fish.[42]
- Change and clean the bowl. With ich, you should change the water. Also, take time to clean out the water, as noted under the section about fin and tail rot and fungal infections.[43] In a smaller tank, you can remove the fish first, clean it, and then heat the water to 85 degrees Fahrenheit before putting the fish back in.[44]
- Treat the water. Be sure to put in aquarium salt and water conditioner before returning your fish to the tank. That will keep the tank from reintroducing the parasite to your fish.[45]
- Add Aquarisol. Use one drop of this medication per gallon of water. You can continue to add it everyday until the fish gets better. The medication kills off the parasites.[46]
- If you don't have "Aquareisol", Bettazing can be used in a pinch.[47]
EditTreating Popeye - Look for bulging eyes. The main symptom of this disease is the fish's eyes protruding from its head. However, sometimes this problem is a symptom of another disease rather than disease itself.[48]
- For instance, it can be a symptom of tuberculosis.[49] If it is tuberculosis, the fish will likely not make it.[50]
- Change and clean the tank. For popeye, you should provide a clean tank, as noted in earlier sections. In addition, change out the water.[51]
- Introduce ampicillin. Ampicillin will treat the problem if it's not a symptom of something worse. You need to add this medication every time you change the water and clean the tank, which should happen every 3 days. Continue this regimen for a week after you stop seeing signs of the problem.[52]
- Your betta can get other diseases that are not treatable. For instance, dropsy is a fatal disease contracted by bettas. With this disease, your betta's stomach will be bloated, and when you view the betta from the top, you will notice the scales aren't flush with the body. Instead, they will be raised. You cannot treat dropsy; however, you should isolate your fish from other fish if he shows signs of the disease.[53]
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| How to Get Rid of Bad Luck Posted: 13 May 2016 01:00 AM PDT Smashed a mirror? Walked under a ladder or had a black cat cross your path? Not to worry! If you're a superstitious person or if you just don't want to take the risk, this page is for you. Here are some ways to get rid of bad luck, as well as some guidance on how to avoid it in the first place. EditGetting Rid of Bad Luck - Use salt. Salt is considered good luck by many cultures in the world. In order to get rid of many forms of bad luck you can take a pinch of salt and throw it over your LEFT shoulder (throwing salt over your right shoulder will bring you more bad luck).
- Alternatively, you can cleanse your body of bad luck by bathing in salt water. Simply add two tablespoons of salt to a bath of hot water.
- Another method is to sprinkle sea salt in the corner of each room and underneath each windowsill. This will protect your home from bad luck.
- Don't throw away pieces of broken mirror. If you break a mirror you should never just throw the pieces away. This will effectively seal your fate and give you 7 long years of bad luck.
- You can either take all of the pieces of the mirror and grind them down to dust and scatter it in the wind or take a single piece of the mirror (big enough to reflect but not big or sharp enough to be dangerous to yourself or anything else) and wait until the next full moon.
- Depending on how close you are to the full moon you'll still get bad luck for a small while but if you use the mirror to reflect the full moon and gaze into it, it nullifies the bad luck. You can then bury the piece of mirror or keep it.
- Burn incense. Burning incense is an effective way to get rid of bad luck and negative energy.
- Choose pungent scents like sandalwood or jasmine, and if you are burning more than one stick, make sure to use an odd number rather than an even number.
- If you are experiencing bad luck in your personal life, burn the incense at home. Carry the incense from one room to the next, letting the scented smoke fill all four corners of your home.
- If you are experiencing bad luck at work, burn the incense in your office.
- Carry protective charms. Small, protective charms are a great way of warding off bad luck as you go about your daily life. They can be worn on a chain or bracelet or carried around in a pocket. Some of the most common ones include.
- Keys: Key charms have been used to bring good luck since ancient times. Wearing three keys together is said to unlock the three doors of of wealth, health and love.
- Shamrock and clover: Wearing fresh shamrock or clover, or wearing a charm in the shape of the rare four-leafed clover is a popular method of bringing good luck in Celtic mythology. Each of the four leaves represent a lucky characteristic; wealth, fame, love and health.
- Horseshoe: Horse shoes are said to be lucky, as they ward off the "evil eye". Hang one in your home for protection or wear a Horseshoe symbol on a chain - just make sure the ends are pointed upwards, otherwise the good luck can "escape".
- Rabbit foot: A rabbit's foot is believed to bring good luck and protection in many cultures. However, not any foot will do - it must be the left hind foot. In addition, the foot must be stroked or rubbed in order to activate the good luck.[1]
- Burn sage. Sage has been burned by people of various cultures for years as a way of clearing out negative energy. The practice of burning sage is known as smudging.
- Buy a stick of sage or some dried sage and light it up. It should smolder rather than burn. Carry the sage around your home, waving the smoke away from you into every corner of the house.
- Open the doors and windows to let the negative energy exit. If you like, you can burn some sweetgrass afterwards to invite positive energy into your home.[2]
- Use crystals and stones. Various crystals and stones are believed to have mythical properties, ranging from protection, to warding off negative energy to bringing good luck. Keep these crystals or stones in your home, place of work, or carry them on your person.
- Black tourmaline will protect you from negative energies, such as the ill-wishes of others. Rose quartz will encourage positive energy to replace the negative.
- Labradorite will protect you from psychic vampires or leeches, who will attempt to suck your energy and positive emotions from you.
- Amethyst will protect you from harm while travelling, and protect soldiers from harm.
- Other stones that can be used for protection from negative energies or evil spirits include: ruby, quartz, peridot, obsidian, jasper, moonstone, black onyx, emerald, turquoise, blue topaz, sugilite, citrine, carnelian and bloodstone.[3]
- Do a good deed. One of the best ways to change your luck is to earn yourself some positive karma by doing good deeds. This is a way of repaying for any bad things you've done in this life or a previous one.
- Improve your karma by making a donation to charity, or by helping people in need, such as the homeless, elderly people or orphaned children.
- It is important that you do these good deeds out of a sincere desire to help others. If you are only performing good deeds to win good karma and make your own life easier, the action is voided.[4]
- Engaging in charity work will also help to put your own situation in perspective - you may think you have suffered from bad luck, but once you see the suffering of others you may realize that your situation is not so bad.
- Cleanse your chakras with fresh flowers. Fresh flowers can be used to cleanse your seven chakras - getting rid of negative energy and inviting new fortune.
- You will need at least seven different types of flowers, in as many colors as possible (any color but white). Remove any stems and leaves, you just need to flowers themselves.
- Place the flowers in a basin of water and put it outside to soak in the sun for an hour. This allows the water to soak up the positive energy of the flowers.
- Bring the basin to the bathroom and use a washcloth to bathe in the flower-energized water. As you bathe, concentrate on a patch of light emanating from the center of your forehead. Allow this light to spread all over your body.
- When you have finished bathing, carefully collect the flowers, place them in a paper bag and dispose of them. Imagine your bad luck being thrown away with the flowers.[4]
- Pray. Praying to God, or whatever spiritual being you believe in can help you to regain good luck. Remember to pray regularly, and ask for forgiveness for past wrongdoings and negative thoughts.[5]
- Take some time during your prayer sessions to reflect on who you are as a person and whether you could take any steps to better yourself.
- Thank God for all of the good things in your life - this simple action could change your perspective on your perceived "bad luck" and make you realize that you are, in fact, blessed.
- Declutter your home. Living in an untidy home can block positive energies from flowing through the house and create negative feelings and bad luck. This simple action can give you renewed energy and empower you to change your luck from bad to good.
- Start by decluttering your home - remove any unwanted or disused items and throw them away. Then give your house a thorough cleaning - clearing cobwebs and removing dust.
- Try rearranging your furniture, to improve the flow of energy and repaint your walls to bring new life to your living space.
- Try listening to music and burning incense while you work and leave all of the doors and windows open to let the sunshine in - this will encourage positive energy to flow into your renewed living space.[4]
- Use the power of light. Introducing bright light into your home is an effective way of getting rid of bad luck and diffusing negative energies.
- Try turning on all of the lights in your house and lighting candles, so there are no dark spots for bad energies to hide in.
- One practice which uses the power of light to protect you from bad luck and attract good luck in its place is to light three candles - two of them must be white, one for protection and one for cleansing, and the other one must be orange, to bring about a change in luck.
- Travel to another country. Traveling to another country is said to get rid of bad luck, as the bad luck gets left behind and will disperse in your absence. The further you can get away from your home country, the better.
- Crossing an ocean or flying to somewhere in a different time zone works best.[4]
- Travelling could also help you to realize that the bad luck is not on you, but on your house or job situation.
- Taking some time away may help you to understand the changes that need to made on your return, in order to get rid of bad luck.
EditAvoiding Bad Luck - Avoid actions or circumstances that bring bad luck. Many superstitions regarding things that bring bad luck are well known, but it is a good idea to recap on the main ones. This way you can try to strategically alter your behavior to avoid bad luck. Even if the bad luck is unavoidable, you will be able to recognize the signs and take immediate steps to reverse the it. Some common indications of bad luck include:
 - Breaking a mirror - this is said to bring seven years of bad luck.
- Seeing a crow - if a crow crosses your path, it is said to be bad luck. However, if two cross your path, the bad luck is reversed.
- Walking under a ladders - this is believed to be bad luck as a ladder leaning against the wall forms a triangle - symbol of the Holy Trinity. By walking through the triangle you are violating sacred ground.
- Putting shoes on any table - In England, putting shoes on the table was said to be a sign of respect for a dead miner. Therefore, by putting shoes on the table you are tempting fate.
- "Jinxing" yourself - this means saying out loud something bad that you think will happen to you. This is a form of tempting fate.
- Wearing opals is believed to be bad luck - unless you were born in the month of October
- Stepping on a crack in the pavement/sidewalk. As the old saying goes: "step on a crack and fate will break your mother's back!"
- Having a black cat cross your path is said to be bad luck. This superstitions comes from black cats' association with witches and magic.
- Opening an umbrella indoors is considered to be bad luck - a superstition that comes from the Ancient Egyptians (who used umbrellas for shade). In those times, opening an umbrella indoors was believed to be an insult to the God of Sun.
- Familiarize yourself with some of the more vague superstitions. Some superstitions are less well-known. It is a good idea to read up such superstitions and be aware of the risks associated with certain actions, otherwise you may inadvertently bring bad luck upon yourself. Examples of some of the less well known causes of bad luck are:
- Picking a penny up if it is tails up.
- Getting dressed with your left arm/left leg first.
- Seeing an owl during the day
- Knitting a pair of socks for your boyfriend - he'll walk away from you.
- Killing ladybugs or spiders (especially money spiders).
- It is bad luck to close a pocket knife unless you were the one who opened it.
- "Sleeping with feet towards a door will lose you your soul forevermore"
- If an owl hoots three times in your garden.
- Sleeping on or under a dinner table.
- Starting a venture on a Friday.
- Killing a bee within your home.
- Turning a loaf of bread upside down once it has been sliced will bring you terrible luck.
- Saying the word "Pig" at sea.
- If you ever drop a knife, picking it up yourself will bring you bad luck in money and love. You should ask someone else to pick it up for you.
- To start a new venture, meet someone new, or start a relationship on Friday 13th.
- Stabbing needles though your yarn balls brings bad luck to anyone who wears something made from that yarn.
- Be careful of superstitions that foretell death and sickness. Most superstitions only foretell bad luck, however some superstitions also foretell death and sickness. You should definitely familiarize yourself with these:
- If a robin flies into a room through a window, death will shortly follow.
- You must hold your breath while going past a cemetery or you will breathe in the spirit of someone who has recently died.
- If you open your front door and are greeted by a magpie staring at you, this is a sure sign of death
- If you dream of death it's a sign of a birth, if you dream of birth, it's a sign of death.
- If the left eye twitches there will soon be a death in the family.
- A white moth inside the house or trying to enter the house means death.
- Dreaming of white is believed to foreshadow death.
EditRecognizing Signs of Good Luck - Recognize when your luck begins to change. Once you have taken some positive actions to get rid of your bad luck, it is important that you stay alert to signs that your luck is changing. Examples of such signs include:
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