Be sure to investigate the housing market in your area
Posted By: WA on 2005-10-09
In Reply to: Not MT related, need house buying info..sm - leah
In my area as well as most of the U.S., the housing prices are SKY HIGH! Some say there is sure to be an 'adjustment' (downward) of housing prices in the near future. If the prices have skyrocketed in your area also, you might want to take a wait and see attitude for a year or two and see what happens? Just a thought.
I don't know your circumstances, and there may be reasons you need to buy a house right now, but a waiting period would also give you a chance to straighten up or clean up whatever is wrong with the credit.
I feel sad for my two sons, (one of whom is a store manager, but single income), as I don't see any possibility of either of them being able to buy a house at the outrageous prices nowdays.
My husband and I got lucky (MANY years ago) and bought our first house from an elderly fellow who carried the contract himself and gave us a STEAL of a price! He assumed we would default like all the other renters had and he would repossess the house. Ha Ha, not so with us!
Hey, maybe you could try advertising for a house with owner financing. Might be easier to qualify. Good luck!
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Various analysts are predicting the housing market will collapse soon. sm
Cannot be sustained at the level it is presently at.
the market will pay what the market will bear...sm
just the fact that jobs are posted for this pay means people are taking it. You have to remember - we are in a global marketplace now. We are competing against people from India, Thailand, Cambodia for these jobs. If the Mexicans could figure it out, we would be competing against them too. It's like washing dishes. Washing dishes isn't easy. Why does washing dishes only pay $5.50 an hour? Because they can find people to wash dishes for $5.50 an hour. Not only that, but MT work was getting cost prohibitive for a lot of people. That's why some other really, really smart people said, "let's find a way to make computers do this! Then we can sell the programs so docs can buy programs instead of paying MT's." Then some other really really smart people said, "let's not even have docs dictate. Let's have them point and click!" And so MT's are also competing against VR and EMR.
You may say ..."If a company offers me 7 to 9 cpl, I let them know that it is an insult to expect an experienced, highly skilled Transcriptionist to be offered such low pay and I refuse to work for them." But if your current job goes bye-bye, and you're scrambling out in the market and that's all that's out there....well, you get the picture. If you want the job, you take the job for that pay. Otherwise, yes, it's get a job at WallyWorld. Your choice.
housing available
check out www.neworleans.craigslist.org. There are hundreds of offers there!
Low income housing?
My sister is getting divorced and wants to move into this place that bills itself as "low income". They told her they would take 30% of her income. BTW, she is also an MT. She says she makes about $1350 a month, but has a van payment and various bills. I am asking on here because the place won't answer any of her questions right now. She needs to be moved by the 15th of March. I am wondering if anyone knows how they can take over $400 of her income and still call themselves "low income" that doesn't seem fair. I knew a lady that lived their with one child and paid less than $10 a month. I mean what about her other bills? She has 4 little children (twins 4, and 6- and an 8-year-old). I hate to see her move in there and overpay. My mom and I don't know what to tell her. She's been through quite an ordeal already. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks! Aunt Maria
Section 8 housing. It's a federal program through HUD.
Google it "Section 8" housing to verify.
PA - Pittsburgh area is one locale, Philadelphia area also.
TriState area - PA, NJ, DE.
trailer parks and low level housing is where criminals generally go.
not too many criminals have good jobs to afford a nice house. i know of child molester filled neighborhood because there are no restrictions, no HOA and the houses are low income homes. no this doesn't only happen in trailer parks but crime statistically happens more often in worse neighborhoods and more ex-criminals statistically live in lower level neighborhoods.
If you call qualifying for food stamps & section 8 housing
As for working at home, it may be more comfortable, but not when your butt is planted in the same chair at your desk for 12-16 hours a day, 7 days a week, and the rest of the world goes on without you. Not a perk, in my book.
Now you know the local job market and my
home situation better than I do. For your information, I make more working parttime at home doing MT than I would working fulltime for any of the local advertising agencies. Plus, I don't have to travel or put my kids in daycare.  Thank you so much for your concern about my employment situation, though. And please, get off your 
In the market for a new computer -
I will not buy MS Vista - I hear it's a nightmare. TIA
When you market your services with a
business name and a business license, it shows the doctors or hospitals that you are representing yourself as a professional business and are not just a homemaker or housewife trying to make a few extra bucks. They will treat you with more respect and take you more seriously, and in turn will be willing to pay you a fair rate as a respectable businesswoman. Think about any business in your community or town. They all first procure a business name and a business license before they open their doors. You may be working from home, but you can will present yourself in this fashion. I would also suggest obtaining a P.O. Box to use as your business address instead of using your home address. Believe me, this works. I have been running a successful small MT business from home for over 20 years now, and I support my entire family on my earnings.
job market update
If your skills are excellent and your experience and references speak well of you, then I believe the job market is pretty good.
But!!!!
You have to look carefully at the prospective jobs.
Please, I beg of you, for the good of ALL OF US, please please please do not take a job for less than 8.5 cpl! Please!
It's a very tough market right now...sm.
I have 8 years experience and have been testing left and right for the last 3 months. I have passed several tests only to hear about the company being put on a hiring freeze and I am added to their waiting list. I have also tested and done very well and not heard anything back. I finally made the decision that I am going to go to nursing school but right now is not a good time either (my husband has been out of work since April of 2008). He finished his degree and STILL cannot find a job.
Keep faith..it will come through. Maybe instead of having to drive into town, you could send your resume to all the local doctors, dentists, veterinarians, eye doctors, anyone who maybe has been thinking they are too busy to do their own notes. I have heard that this has worked for many people. It is always worth the effort. If you are a good general Transcriptionist too, don't just stop at medical. Send you resume to insurance businesses, lawyers, whatever might be there.
Good Luck and God Bless.
Money Market accounts
MM accounts do have checks, but you are limited to the number of checks that you can write per month - no more than 3 checks to a third party. Rates are usually tiered based on your balance - the more you have deposited, the more interest you will earn.
Start here:
http://www.bankrate.com/brm/rate/mmmf_home.asp
Are you worried about possible MT job market glut then? I am...
nm
My family went to a flea market that is mostly run and
attended by Hispanics. There were several vendors selling leather goods, such as wallets, belts, shoes, etc. DH needed a new wallet so he picked one he liked and opened it up only to find a tag that said "MADE IN INDIA." (He didn't buy it.) We didn't look at any of the other leather goods, but found it very ironic that the Hispanics are now importing their "handmade" goods from India.
yeah, in today's job market, the
middle class is supposed to be happy we even have a job. Forget any idea of getting any appreciation for hardwork, reliability, knowledge, or any of that good stuff, just be "happy" to be working... in my next life, maybe!
So what? 8 cpl is what the market will bear. If you don't want 8, don't take a job that pays
x
Instead, if I had $345, I'd put it in a money-market acct. - sm
and watch it grow, rather than putting it towards a bunch of fake 'certification' letters after my name, and seeing that money fly away and earn me nothing.
Sixe of MTSO Market
Does anyone know the size of the MTSO market (how many service providers, how many software co's etc. or a good source for this info?
Going back on the market -- any advice?
Hi y'all,
Three weeks ago I began a new job doing acute care at a local hospital (part of CHS). On Friday they told us that our work would be outsourced beginning in April.... Previously I worked at another local hospital for 9 years transcribing Rad and ER notes, echos, etc. I left there because I need expensive orthognathic surgery and their insurance plan has a blanket exclusion against it. Plus I wanted to brush up on my "big four" skills.
Now I am looking for work. Boy have things changed! I really prefer to work for a hospital or start up my own company again but would work for a service as a last resort. After reading the informative posts here, I have begun compiling a list of "good" and "bad" services so I can avoid certain ones.
Does anyone here have any advice for me? Not general advice about job hunting, but more specific advice about the services -- what to watch out for, etc. I have never done editing/VRT, but apparently that pays less anyway so I don't think I will be doing that.
Thanks.
oh our lovely government does give illegals medicaid, foodstamps, and housing so in term we give tha
i have been through some rough times lately and had to apply for some help. there are signs, big signs, all over our offices saying "YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE LEGAL TO GET HELP". so we and our government do give them our benefits whether they are legal here or not. now that is messed up. i am helping to support them so they can take away my jobs and i can't even support my kids and yes i get benefits, wow $75 a month in food stamps which lasts not even a week in a household of 6. don't get me wrong, i am thankful for any help at the moment, but i get penalized for trying to work my tail off and still can't survive.
there was recently an article in our local newspaper where one of our local school districts tried to charge $1000 a year for each illegal student enrolled. it was bulked and the illegals got a lawyer to sue for discrimination. the school district merely stated that they had to HIRE extra teachers that could speak the foreign language just to teach these children and were trying to offset some of the expenses. ridicilous!! so again our taxpayers money is paying to educate illegals as well.
Really? Hmmmm...you wouldn't know the stock market if it bit you.
Run a stock analysis on MQ under any search engine. Yahoo stock analysts are the ones I use personally. There are advisories and analyses of MQ and Philips in the data base EVERY DAY. There have been "hold" advisories, "sell" advisories, and "buy" advisories any given day. Sorry to disappoint your disillusioned mind. Obviously NASDAQ and regular trade is better, but they are STILL in the ball game, sorry to disappoint you. And you SHOULD be happy at that if you care about the 1000s of MQ employees who have stocks, etc. But, gee, sounds like you're just a disgruntled werker!
Does anyone know any basics on money market accounts?
nm
If you're an overseas vendor here's how to market....sm
Go by medical offices and talk to them in your native tongue. They just LOVE hearing it. When visiting in places like Florida be sure to ask about the last snow storm they had last winter - that's very impressive! In the northern states talk about the warm sunny 70 degrees in February in their state and ask if they're ready for that this year.
Be sure to take brochures showing the fabulous quality of work you do. Be sure you include impressive sentences such as: "Dr. Jones said he would eat ketchup with the patient to review his lab work." After all they don't find it cute to type it like it was dictated.... "Dr. Jones said he would catch up with the patient to review his lab work."
Lastly don't forget to give them laminated card including all 25 digits they will have to use to call your native country. Be sure they're aware that all of your employees in your native country have new names.... Ben, Mary, Thomas and Amy are of course popular choices. Potential clients like getting a warm fuzzy feeling by talking to "Mary" who has a very heavy accent to the point that they can't understand her talking. But hey - she has an American name (woo-hoo!) so all is forgiven!
This is not a new market. Is being done with all offshore companies I have ever worked for. nm
:+
you should be setting your rates according to what the market will bear...
not what you feel like getting. If you like the account, you're familiar with it and able to make good money off of it, you might want to stay at the rate you are at. As a service owner, I used to plan to hire at 7 but bring everyone eventually up to 10 cpl by 0.5 increases every six months. I also used to be able to raise the rates from the hospital, clinic or physician office every 2 years. Nowadays if I bid on a new account, I am regularly outbid at 11 cpl, with 24 TAT. I have discussed it with my IC MT's. If they want a raise, I can try to negotiate a raise from the hospital...but it jeopardizes our account. Every time you raise your rates, it's a signal for them to start shopping around. So I would say, based on what the market will bear, don't expect to be getting raises. Ever. 
Never heard of RMT. In my experience, CMT is worthless in the job market.
x
It's called competition in a buyer's market (sm)
or vendor's (hospital's) market, not low-balling.
There is a church in Gonzales that is a small church but housing evacuees.
Helping a small church could be the best way to help someone.
Their web page says they need everything from personal items to clothing and bedding to food and water, don't forget first aid supplies. They said you could send money but there's nothing there to buy anyway.
The address is:
Gonzales Church of Christ
1225 South Purpura
Gonzales, LA 70737
Bigger churches have more people, it's the small churches that need outside help and don't qualify for Red Cross or anyone else to help but people like us.
Here are two free market listings. You can google search for
freelance writing or editing market/job listings, too.
Writers Write market database
http://www.writerswrite.com/paying/
Writers Weekly market listing
http://www.writersweekly.com/markets_and_jobs/003118_11302005.html
Yeah, but are these other companies trying to put stores in every market in the country?
I think that is what makes Wal-Mart so "evil" and scares me so badly. Soon we won't have ANYONE left to buy our goods from because they force all the other competitors out of business (particularly the small business owners) and then we are FORCED to buy everything from overseas countries/Wal-Mart.
No I don't think so. Everytime I see postings about the MT market failing it gets pegged as "n
that's what I think OP is referring to, postings about the dismal future of MT.
You are in a global market now Darlene. If she doesn't do it, someone overseas will.
x
You're asking for part of their market! It'll be a competition
You go ahead though. Keep us all informed.
In the market for a new ergonomic keyboard. I would love some suggestions!!! What are you using??
Right now I'm looking at the Comfort Keyboard ($289) and Ergoflex ($179) that are on e-bay. If you haven't seen them, they basically look like a regular keyboard, just in two halves. I've also been looking at the Microsoft Curve Comfort and the Logitech Wave. I HATE the big, bulky ergonomic split keyboards like the Microsoft Elite. I cannot use them at all. I also tried the Kinesis Classic and after a month, couldn't get used to it either.
Right now I'm using the A-tech AntiRSI keyboard. It's okay, nothing great.
I would appreciate ANY suggestions. Price really is a factor even though the ones I listed are outrageous. I'd rather not spend a ton, but will if I have to.
THANKS!!
Does anyone have any good ideas for back and hip pain from sitting all day? Anything on the market?
Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!
Is DSL not available in your area?
It's worth it to have it. It's tax deductible as a business/work expense. It's only about $35 a month here total, compared to $20 a month for dial-up. It's so much faster, more reliable and easier to use than dial-up. It also doesn't tie up your phone line like dial-up does, so no need for a second phone line and no getting bounced off the Internet when someone calls while you're trying to work. I'd still have it even if I couldn't write it off on my taxes.
I'm in the D/FW area and we have taken in several ...
and Dallas is making sure the children are in school, there are special job fairs to make sure the adults get jobs, even though our economy was terrible to start with, companies are making jobs for them, and every one that is interviewed says they are never going home and making their home here in Dallas/Fort Worth. I know they need places to say, what happened to them is terrible, but this area really did not need the strain of all the added people. Several of the people have been offered new housing back in their state or such, but they say they do not want to move again. I just think everyone needs to be looking at the big picture as to what is going to happen in the long run, as New Orleans is going to need some of their residents to come back and help rebuild. I have a son that has been looking for a job for over a year in the field he went to school for and has had no luck and now he has to compete against 1000s more people. I just don't get it.
If you have one in your area, may I
They are a corporation who apparently does give a rat's a** about its employees. They don't give their top people big bonuses, etc. and instead pay their employees a living wage...a REAL living wage and have one of the best reputations for treating their employees like real human beings from all I've read about them.
See if this is in your area
http://www.wildblue.com/
bay area MT
Since you mentioned you were also from CA, I was wondering if you have seen much about relocalization and eating local? I have read a lot about this and try to only purchase goods that are produced within 100 miles of my home in the South Bay or if not available within that radius, only from our state. I have also started my own vegetable garden growing different types of squash, lettuce, spinach as well as others in addition to fruit. Everything I am growing is either from seed that is not genetically modified and is organic or I purchased from the nursery from organic growers. My housemate is suprised at how much variety we have with our container gardening. She was just saying this morning that she never realized how easy it was to grow things yourself.
Another thing to support your local farmer is to sign up for a CSA. They had an article not too long ago about how organic goods really wanted by consumers, but even though these goods are organic, they are being brought from different parts of the world, which kind of kills the organic goodness considering you are expending oil to deliver it.
As for offshoring of our work, I have found since I moved to CA getting close to a year ago that there seem to be a lot of companies who do not offshore and will not consider it a consideration. I think there is hope:)
bay area MT . . . sm
You see, I am right!!! They also had an article not too long ago about what the true savings from offshoring work has come out to. Instead of getting the 50% to 60% or more most places advertise to cut costs, the only real savings has been around 20%. They had an article about that in our local paper as well as I think I saw it on Yahoo News if anyone wants to search for it.
What area are you in because....
I had to fight to get $1.35 per minute IC directly from a hospital and was told that was the average. I recently did some math and figured I was being paid between 8-9 cents per line. I get 10 for a PT IC position. Trying to figure if I should ask for more again, especially since I get several different doctors now that they use hospitalists.
Is this in the KC area?
I'm from a town just north of KCMO and plan on moving back in a few months and was just wondering if you worked for one of the hospitals there? I currently work for a national, but am hoping to get a local job when I move back.
None in my area.
Many are mad at this organization because of their stand on things. I am not happy with them at all.
if it's available in your area
This may be getting off topic here but there are some states which have monetary assistance (moolah to you and me) for small small businesses (SSBs). It is the same as first-time homebuyer money, which is aimed to get people into homes who otherwise wouldn't have the downpayment money. But you take classes, come up with a business plan, and I don't know what all else. I was in the homebuyers program for 1-1/2 years, taking classes, working on perfecting credit, etc, and eventually got 10K. In some of my monthly classes there were small small business people participating for state money for starting a business. You will, of course, have to check in your area. Just a thought!
In our area .. Cingular has that
Check cingular.com
Are their any IC in the Tampa, FL area?
Just wondering if there were any other IC in the Tampa/Brandon area, and do you think line rates are cheap around here?? 
not sure of the prices in your area
..but gas here is $2.73 (cheap stuff)
Home prices have gone through the roof here. We sold our home last year for 250, and we bought it 2 yrs prior for 170. In our area, homes sell before they even make it to the MLS listings.
I am an IC and have no problem finding work. I have actually turned away 2 offices last week.
Oh, health insurance, may not want to hear this one--we pay 200. per week for a family of four.
I live in the Tampa area.
Best of luck,
Sunny!
I can REALLY relate to you in one area...
My DH is a high school principal, however, we purposely and specifically moved to a different town so that our children would not have to go to school where their Dad works. Our oldest (a senior this year) did her freshman year at the same high school, and then we moved. Some kids were very rude, saying mean things about her dad within ear shot so that she would hear, and kids telling her that some senior was "looking for her" because he was mad at her dad. As far as lying... I think you might try teaching her a lesson about lying. Tell her you're going to get her a car and then when the day comes to go get it, you can say "oops, I was lying, we're not getting a car." In other words, show her what being lied to make a person feel like. She can know that you're doing it in order to teach her a lesson, and that she just might never know when you're lying or telling the truth. She will soon realize what she is doing to you and what it's like to live with a liar. My DD is very honest and we havn't had any troubles with her, but I've got 2 more coming up so who knows what's in store for me there. There but for the Grace of God go I, so I will not boast about the one well-behaved teenager that I have raised. Sometimes in spite of everything we do, and the best upbringing, some kids just make poor choices. Hang in there. I now know why God invented menopause. Can you imagine what these people having babies at 45 have in store for them in their 60s? They're NUTS!
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