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Realtor License
2007-09-17 18:09:22
Should I have a realtor license? Is it expensive? In this edition, I would like to answer these questions, and further illustrate why I have and maintain a realtor license. I remember reading an article stating that 1 in 52 people in the state of California have a realtor’s license. That’s about 2% of the population. Rather unbelievable to some, but to me, seems quite appropriate. Especially in very high housing costs areas, such as California, New York, Florida, Chicago and other areas, the expense of paying a realtor to sell your house is insanely high. A quick bit of math, if you owned a $500,000 house, and hired a realtor for the typical 6% fee, that would be $30,000! Now let’s take that figure home (bear with me, I live in Texas), where I obtained a realtor license for less than $800. But Jeffry, realtors are professionals, and I don’t know anything about selling a house! Who said the typical realtor knows anything about selling a house?! Many don’t
Read more: License , Realtor

80/15/5 Mortgage
2007-09-15 13:21:16
Mortgage brokers sometimes speak of an 80/15/5 mortgage, but what is it exactly? In just a moment, I am going to show you exactly what it is, and how you can use it as a tool to leverage your money buying a home, or investing in real estate. There are many folks out there that do not have the appropriate cash to put down 20% on a home to get a conventional mortgage. This created a situation for potential home buyers, and thus the mortgage industry was created. In recent years, mortgage companies had relaxed their criteria for lending money, and were granting no money down loans to people with bad credit, who had no business owning a home. These were sub-prime loans and carried too much interest expense for the buyer. So recently, there have been many foreclosures and mortgage companies along with banks have been tightening their policies on lending. In short, they want to see some money down before lending. However, with an 80/15/5 mortgage, you can setup a loan at prime rates with on
Read more: Mortgage

Residential Lease Purchase
2007-09-14 16:49:41
Ever heard of a lease-to-purchase-house? Most of us would say we have. But many folks would say that a residential lease purchase agreement is simply a rent-to-own contract. While this is true, it only describes a brief overview of what a lease purchase contract is all about. Although the real estate market remains strong here in Texas, lease purchase agreements are still a highly viable way to buy into properties, as well as sell them. But lease purchases are not limited to Texas only, they can of course be done in other states. Let’s take a look at a typical scenario revolving around the lease purchase contract: (more…)Internal Tags: lease purchase, lease purchase agreement, lease purchase contract, real estate investing residential lease purchaselease purchase, lease purchase agreement, lease purchase contract, real estate investing, residential lease purchase Bookmark, Share or Email this article.
Read more: Purchase

Residential Lease Option
2007-09-13 16:41:22
Ever wanted to sell your home via a lease option? Houses that are sold in this manner are a low risk, high gain scenario. I am going to give you an example of how great this residential sales strategy is, but before I do that, I want to cover just exactly what a residential lease option is. The basic premise of lease options are a “rent-to-own” strategy. A typical buyer would contract with the seller to rent for a certain period of time, in exchange for a set price to buy at the end of the lease period. That doesn’t sound very good for the seller, but in exchange for guaranteeing a certain selling price in the future, the seller collects an option fee. It is kind of like earnest money, except it is earnest money for a future purchase. (more…)Internal Tags: lease option, passive income, re investing, real estate investing residential lease optionlease option, passive income, re investing, real estate investing, residential lease option Bookmark, Share or Emai


Seller Financing Agreement
2007-09-12 17:28:34
Using a seller financing agreement to sell your house can attract an unbelievably larger number of buyers in today’s market, over conventional mortgage buyers. There are so many people out there, especially with a burst in the sub-prime market, that have marginal credit, and little or NO cash. But a word of caution before we begin - make sure you are comfortable with their credit, don’t just take the first person that sends you a contract, scrutinize them as much as possible, and check their income sources, as well as their rental and employment history. With that said, let’s look at some possible scenarios to negotiating a seller financing agreement: (more…)Internal Tags: owner financing, real estate investing, seller financing seller financing agreementowner financing, real estate investing, seller financing, seller financing agreement Bookmark, Share or Email this article.
Read more: Agreement , Financing , Seller

Renting Out Your House
2007-09-11 16:43:46
Renting out your house, or houses, can be challenging. But I want to give you some pointers on how to effectively market your house, and some documents you can use to manage the property. I want you to understand that you can manage your own rental property, and that realtors do not provide that much value (most of them, anyway). I believe that most people think that the paperwork portion of renting out your house is something they do not understand enough to do on their on own. So I will help you with that, but first, let’s look at what I have found to be effective methods to marketing a house for rent: Other Articles in this series: Passive Income in Real Estate Property Rehabbing Seller Financing Agreement Residential Lease Option Residential Lease Purchase  (more…)Internal Tags: leasing, real estate investing, renting houses renting out your houseleasing, real estate investing, renting houses, renting out your house Bookmark, Share or Email this article.
Read more: House , Renting

Property Rehabbing
2007-09-10 18:40:45
Continuing our series on RE Passive Income,  I am going to show you my approach to property rehabbing. Rehabbing properties is probably the hardest (manual, if you do it yourself) labor portion of acquiring passive real estate income. However, to me, rehabilitating investment properties is probably the easiest (mental) labor step to passive RE income. In the handful of properties that I have fixed up for investment so far, I have done some of the work myself. I think it is important that an investor do some of the work himself, just to have an appreciation for the process, and the pitfalls to home repair. I have learned much about methods and styles to utilize, and what works with a potential buyer / renter. So let’s get into the guts of property rehabbing: Other Articles in this series:  Passive Income in Real Estate Renting Out Your House Seller Financing Agreement Residential Lease Option Residential Lease Purchase (more…)Internal Tags: fixing up properties, pro


Xpress Loans
2007-09-07 17:20:30
Xpress loans are another popular choice for students looking for ways to pay for college. Like the Astrive Student Loan, the Xpress student loans are another way to help you bridge the gap between all monies you receive from any grants, scholarships, Federal student loans, and even work study programs and the actual cost of your education. They offer competitive rates, customer service, good terms, and an instant answer on your approval for a loan. Like other student loan agencies, all payments are deferred until after your graduation or residency, and you have up to 20 years to pay off your loan. However, 0ne of the great things about Xpress student loans are that they have guides to help parents and students learn how to apply for financial aid and details about their eligibility. They are extremely helpful and ready to help you get ready for college, and are available to a variety of students, as listed below. (more…)Internal Tags: money for college, Paying for College
Read more: Loans , Xpress

Credit Card Debt Payoff Calculator
2007-09-06 18:11:10
This article is dedicated to giving you a Credit Card Debt Payoff Calculator . My intention is to provide you an easy way to determine which credit card to focus your payments on, and simultaneously predicting the number of months left to pay on all your cards. Now, the spreadsheet shown below is an outlandish situation, but I wanted to show you an extreme circumstance, and how to use the spreadsheet. Ok, enough introduction, let’s get into the details of the spreadsheet. Here are the quick and dirty directions to inputting the data: Delete all the rows that you don’t need. Trim it down to just the number of cards you are running balances on. Determine how much money you can devote to all of your credit cards per month, and enter that number in the cell labeled Available to Pay. Update the Balance column to reflect your current balance on each credit card. Update the Interest Rate column per your agreement with each credit card. Enter the minimum payment for each card i
Read more: Credit Card Debt

How to Find Colleges
2007-09-05 18:02:09
Growing up, there were several colleges around the state that I knew of, and I was pretty familiar with the layout of the campuses, but I didn’t really want to go to any of them.  I learned how to find colleges, and found one that suited my needs and degree plan. It’s sad, but many college freshman will readily admit that the only reason they are attending the college they are is simply because when they were applying to different schools, they merely went with the ones they knew, or the ones that were close by. My favorite excuse is that a particular friend was going there, and so they have decided to base their future off of where there friend is going to college. Not smart. Once they start choosing a career, they may find that they will need to transfer schools, and not all of the classes taken will transfer over.  This is a costly mistake. (more…)Internal Tags: college search, finding universities, how to find colleges Paying for Collegecollege search,


Consolidate Federal Student Loans
2007-09-28 09:03:07
Have a need to consolidate federal student loans, “fed” up with the rates?  The truth is, college is an invaluable asset to have, and the cost to obtain a college degree rises every year, typically at a much faster rate than the corresponding year’s inflation rate. Most families today are unable to pay for college without some kind of financial aid, scholarship or student loans. There are several kinds of student loans, one of them being federal student loans, which obviously, are backed by the government. Federal loans are given at a variable rate, meaning that the interest rate rises and falls with the current position of the economy. Many may not realize the benefits of consolidating your federal student loans as soon as they can. Not only will it save you money every month, but it will also save you a lot of money in the long run as well. You are allowed to consolidate your student loans if the total amount exceeds $7,500 and you have borrowed from more than on
Read more: Consolidate , Student , Loans , Student Loans

Xpress Loan Servicing
2007-09-25 13:03:30
Xpress Loan Servicing is a company that provides loans to pay for college.  Formerly known as Education Loan Servicing Corporation, Xpress Loan Servicing claims to raise the bar not only when it comes to helping students pay for college, but also sets a new higher standard in loan servicing. They are committed to providing you with excellent customer service as well as effective financial solutions for all of your education loan needs.  One seperation factor is their commitment to ensuring that students retain their good credit ratings through timely loan payments (I’ll explain more in a moment). Xpress Loan Servicing is a company worth considering if you are looking for college money, and here is a list of some of their features: Borrower Options Xpress Loan Servicing works to make everything as easy for you, the student, as possible. You can find forms online to cut down on application hassle, as well as eligibility information to receive a loan. Not only that, you c
Read more: Xpress

Texas Electricity Rates
2007-09-24 19:29:33
As some of you may know, I live in Texas , and the Texas electricity industry has been deregulated. Thus, Texas electricity rates have become a “shop able” commodity. But why does TXU still get the lion’s share of the electricity market? Because people do not know that they have a choice. I want to address this, and tell you which company I am currently with, why it is so great to go with a different electrical provider, and how much money you can save. I am even going to provide you with a link to be able to shop today’s rate for many different electrical providers. Will Another Energy Company Have Blackouts? A lot of people have this concern, and therefore do not want to switch. But in Texas, the generation of the electricity is still regulated. Thus, regardless of the provider, the electricity comes from the same power plant, along the same electrical lines, and if there is a failure, you would call the same 800 number to have the lines repaired. So, the onl
Read more: Rates

Credit Card Secured by Roth IRA?
2007-09-21 17:49:48
Have you every asked, Can you get a credit card secured by Roth IRA? How about this one: Can I withdraw funds from my IRA to pay off credit card debt? Well in this post, I am going to quickly cover these requests, and the open it up for any comments or questions you may have. Credit Card Secured Roth IRA The short answer to this question is no, the government does not allow you, or any family, etc. to borrow against IRA, or to benefit in any way from your IRA or Roth IRA account, other than the intended use of the account (ie when your retire, using it for retirement). This includes any type of borrowing, whether it be through a credit card, bank, or anything else. Now you can, of course, withdraw money from your IRA accounts at a (typically) 10% tax penalty to pay any debt you wish. In this scenario I would say you should take careful consideration, and use my credit card debt payoff calculator for assistance in calculating a time line for debt freedom, then weigh that option


Free Amortization Calculator
2007-09-20 18:24:30
That’s right, you may download our free amortization calculator at the bottom of this page. The calculator is based on a typical 30 year fully amortized mortgage, and will show you right down to the penny how much money will be allocated to principle and interest each and every time you make a payment. Here is a preview of the xls spreadsheet: Free Amortization Calculator Input Area Original Loan Amount $80,000.00 Interest Rate 6.500% Automatic Calculation Area Month (You may replace with Date) Total Payment (PI Only) Total to Principle Total to Interest New Balance 1 $505.65 $72.71 $432.94 $79,927.68 2 $505.65 $73.11 $432.55 $79,854.97 3 $505.65 $73.50 $432.15 $79,781.86 4 $505.65 $73.90 $431.75 $79,708.36 5 $505.65 $74.30 $431.35 $79,634.46 6 $505.65 $74.70 $430.95 $79,560.15 7 $505.65 $75.11 $430.55 $79,485.45 8 $505.65 $75.52 $430.14 $79,410.34 9 $505.65 $75.92 $429.73 $79,334.83 10 $505.65 $76.34 $429.32 $79,258.90 (m


What is an RSS Feed?
2007-09-19 16:48:33
You’ll notice that after every article on my page, as well as on the sidebar of this site, there is a link and icons inviting you to sign up for an RSS feed to this site. If you’re a newbie to the whole thing, and aren’t quite sure what an RSS feed is, or how great a tool it can be for you, then you are really missing out. RSS (Really Simple Syndication) is just that, a really simple way to start receiving feeds from your favorite websites for all of your favorite content. Simply put, it’s like signing up for our mailing list, but even better. When one of your favorite websites’ post a new article to their site, you will receive an automatic, real time update of the article, saving you the time of going to each one of your favorite sites to see if anything is new. There are several different ways you can receive these feeds, and you get to choose whatever works best for you.  These are defined in more detail below. First of all, all RSS feeds are c
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Business Plan for Property Management
2007-09-18 17:26:22
Part of my plan for generating Passive Income in Real Estate includes property management. But what kind of a business plan for property management works? Well, I am going to give you the approach that could be utilized, as well as inform you of how I am going to proceed. I would love to get some feedback on this one guys, as really delving into the marketing of property management is relatively new for me. I am only managing 3 houses currently. The houses that I am managing currently are owned by friends of mine, which I guess is as good a reason as any to get going in a business. Here are the steps that I am taking / considering: Continuing to Work Established Contacts A couple of friends from Church moved away, and recognized my abilities in real estate through the investments that I have currently made in the area. And with the added bonus of having a realtor license, they felt comfortable enough to use me as their property manager. Already, one has referred me to a friend of h
Read more: Management , Business , Business Plan

What is Probate?
2007-10-03 09:02:35
What is probate, and what does it mean to investors? Many real estate investors use the probate process to find, acquire at a discount, and sell / lease properties for a significant gain. With a little bit of money and time, you could even make this a full time career. Most investors, when they look at probate, think that it is too difficult to complete, with a low success rate. My question is, how many offers have you submitted to typical owners that have been rejected? Personally, I have submitted many, many offers, and have only acquired a handful of houses at the proper price for significant gains. But let’s get into the meat of the probate process… Probate Defined When a property owner dies, the property owned must go through the probate process, or the process of distributing the assets according to a will, or at the discretion of a probate court in the event that there is no will. Now, here in Texas, if a married person dies intestate (without a will), then their sp


Real Estate Investment Cash Flow
2007-10-01 08:50:04
Building up real estate investment cash flow is one of the cornerstones of the business model I am working to achieve my financial goals. The basic premise of what I am trying to do is income replacement, or building up enough side income to detach myself from my J-O-B (just over broke) and focus entirely on my own business. Now, as some of you know, I live in Texas, and right now, the smaller towns such as Belton/Temple/Killeen/Fort Hood where I live and operate are still fairly strong seller’s markets. Some of the larger cities like Houston and Dallas are experiencing downturns in the market due to the sub-prime mortgage loan industry going belly up. But, as far as the buyer’s side of the equation here in Belton/Temple, it is hard to find houses at prices that will make money. However, the nice thing is, if you can find a good deal on the buy side, you can quickly turn it around and make money. I own a house that was purchased a couple of years ago at discount, that I pu
Read more: Estate , Real Estate , Real Estate Investment

Free Debt Problems Advice
2007-10-11 17:20:06
Need free debt  problems advice? Keep reading as I will divulge to you the problems people have with regard to debt, and advice about solving the debt issue, all completely free of charge. The problem with debt boils down to 2 main issues - the first is that as children, we grow up in families that are debt ridden, spend way too much, and have no discipline with their personal finances. They expect to have it all, and have it all right now. Therefore, they spend money they do not have, in order to “keep up with the Jones’s” and fall further and further behind on their payments. This is a miserable life, as they cannot afford to lose their job at any time, or they could lose everything - house, car, and any other possessions that were purchased with debt. The second issue, is that credit cards and other debt vehicles are so easy to acquire, and loan companies are very generous in their upper limits of credit use (eg large maximum balances). So why do people keep fall


Financing Real Estate Investments
2007-10-08 19:52:42
Many emerging and veteran real estate investors are looking for ways of financing real estate investments with little or no money down. The traditional cash down payment of 20% just doesn’t work for most buyers anymore, and sometimes (especially with banks shutting down the sub-prime loan market) a more creative method must be deduced to facilitate the transfer of real property. Further, even if real estate investors have the necessary cash, it is more beneficial for them to finance most of the balance than to fork over the cash, because it will allow them to buy into other properties with the left over monies. But let’s visit a few of the financing strategies used in some of today’s real estate investments: Seller Carry Back This method incorporates a mortgage, typically 80% of the home’s value, and the seller takes back a second lien for anywhere from 5-20% of the balance, thus enabling the real estate investor to escape the death grip of PMI (private mortgag
Read more: Financing , Estate , Investments

College Kids and Credit Cards
2007-10-05 18:22:28
College kids and credit cards are a dangerous mix, especially these days. Children in today’s society are more irresponsible than ever before. I wouldn’t even trust most adults in their early twenties to take $20 down to the store to get milk and bread. Kids just do not have any sense of responsibility or care in the world, and it is mostly due to bad parenting. Families today have both parents working, and typically a solid income that will allow for some extra spending money, and debt in the five digit range - yes I said five digits, as in over $10,000 in debt. What happened to our morals, where is our sense of financial management? These are core issues here at Personal Finance Resources. But let’s discuss some key points that will help your child to be aware of their spending, and have a notion of what the value of a dollar really is. Teach Them How Debt is Like a Prison Debt really does enslave the borrower. The Bible says in Proverbs 22:7 “The rich ruleth
Read more: College , Cards

Smaller Texas Real Estate Markets Doing Well
2007-10-17 17:09:25
I am in a small Texas real estate market, the cities of Belton and Temple. While some of the larger markets like Dallas, Houston, Austin and San Antonio are feeling the pain of the sub-prime mortgage market collapsing, here in Belton/Temple, it is still a seller’s market. Just last week, I wrote a lease on a small 3 bedroom, 2 bath doublewide mobile home on my terms. As I am a real estate investor though, I am being faced with difficult buy opportunities. There is only one house listed on HUD’s Bid Select website for Belton, TX. Unbelievable! Large Real Estate Market Situation So if you are looking to get into real estate investing, and you are in a larger market, now is the time to start buying. But I don’t recommend trying to flip properties, as these larger markets are just too much in favor of the buyer right now. Look for opportunities to buy and hold. Rent out the properties for a while and sell them later when the market gets better for the seller. Small Real E
Read more: Markets , Real Estate

Skip a Payment: Holiday, Gift, Marketing Breakdown
2007-10-15 13:35:00
Many credit lenders (credit card companies, credit unions, banks and so on) offer “Skip-A-Payment ” options for borrowers.  Every lender has its own terms and conditions (how many payments per year you can skip, what type of credit is included or excluded in the program, and the amount of fee charged for the privilege), but you typically can skip one payment per year for $10-$50.  Sounds like a great deal?  Well “Skip-a-Payment” can be good or bad – it depends. Why They’re Bad The way these services are sometimes marketed towards the financially foolish is disturbing.  The credit lender may send a happy sounding letter, or post on their website something like: “Dear valued customer, It’s summertime, and X-Bank wants to say thank-you for your business by offering you a vacation from your bills!  That’s right, you can choose to skip this month’s payment on your current account listed above.   Upon receipt of your extension agreement we will waive your paymen
Read more: Marketing , Holiday

Renting Properties in a Buyer’s Market
2007-10-22 10:20:05
by guest author Nicholas I have recently moved to a mid-size Arizona market. This market is rapidly starting to feel the down-turn in the housing market that Jeffry mentioned in his latest post on Smaller Texas Real Estate Market s Doing Well. The houses that are for sale are staying on the market longer and longer. I am planning on being in this area for 6-9 months before moving out of Arizona, so I will discuss two options that are available to me. Renting This is the easy choice. No money down, no homeowners insurance, and very few worries (other than making the monthly rent payment). Those are the benefits. You already know the downfall, throwing that cash away every month without gaining any equity. You also have to abide by any rules that the owner of the house decides to impose. Buying So I mention to most people that I am considering buying even though I am only going to be here for 6 months, and they are appalled. Why would you do that, especially in a slowing market for such a
Read more: Properties , Buyer

Retirement Savings vs Paying Down Your Debt
2007-10-31 09:11:54
 I love to interact with my readers/subscribers. So don’t hesitate to send in a question and ask me to post about it. Personal Finance Resources is all about helping you with your home finance situations. In this post, we are going to address a few questions posed by one of you, on the topic of Retirement Savings vs Paying Down Your Debt. Here is the email communication: “I happened to stumble upon your extremely valuable info while researching methods to pay off my credit cards. Don’t know if you’ll have time to answer my question, but here goes: I’m 28, have $20,000 cc debt (@ ~15%), and approx $50,000 in a Traditional IRA and Roth IRA accounts. Do I take the penalty and pay off the CC? I no longer have any need for CC now that I’m out of school, so I’m not worried about this situation reoccurring. Problem is, that compound interest down the road is just so tasty! I figure the future money to be gained is greater than the cc debt with inte


The Decision to Retire Young
2007-10-29 17:26:17
It comes as a tragedy, I know. But I am finally going to go for my dream. I want to have time and money for the ministry of the gospel of Christ, and working a full time Just-Over-Broke will not allow me to do so. I have some steady income with rental properties, property management, a technical service contract, and a few websites, and am ready to step it up to the next level. I figure that I will have a short fall of somewhere around $500-1000 per month. I have some cash reserved, and can survive for at least a few months while trying to up my income. I have always strove to own and operate my own business, or businesses. Multiple streams of income in different markets is a very attractive proposition. Lose one, you still have the others. I can remember as a young teen, I think I was maybe 15 or 16 years old, being introduced to the concept of your own business and the chance at financial freedom. It is time I try my hand. So on November 9th, 2007 I will end my job, and head out on m


Why are Gas Prices so High?
2007-11-05 20:03:27
No doubt about it, gas prices are high these days. But what is the problem, why are gas prices so high? Well it started with Hurricane Katrina. Most of the petroleum refineries in the U.S. are in the gulf coast region. When the hurricane hit, it wiped out many of those refineries, thus drastically shifting the supply of gasoline. With a shortened supply and no dramatic effect in demand for gasoline, prices soared. The U.S. refineries still haven’t recovered, but here is the most amazing part - U.S. citizens did not lower their demand for gas. Question: But gasoline is a must have, how can I lower my demand / consumption of it? Answer: By buying a more fuel efficient car and reducing unnecessary travel. But the problem is, most Americans do not know how to downgrade. We think that we should always increase, and never decrease. Over the last 2-3 years, there has been no significant change in the sale of large automobiles such as full sized trucks and SUVs. Commercialism and the med
Read more: Prices , Gas Prices

Financing a Car for College
2007-11-02 18:01:51
Teenagers are great, all they think about (especially if they are boys) is 4 spinning wheels. They all have high aspirations for the expensive car, with the souped up engine, NOS (nitrous oxide) booster, and titanium alloy rims. They want it to go 100+ mph and have a hot, shiny finish. But they are ignorant, and do not count the cost of a vehicle. Many teens today have parents that will buy them most any car they want, along with keeping the gas tank full and paying for insurance. This is one of the worst things you can do to your child. They need to learn responsibility, and respect for the things that they own. I am reminded of one of the teens that is a member of our Church. He was looking at an F-150 full size truck. The price wasn’t too bad, about $2,000, but it was full size truck, eg a gas guzzler. He decided to put a couple hundred bucks down on it and to finance the rest with the bank. Not a bad idea for one his age, use the loan on the vehicle to build a little credit
Read more: Financing , College

Keep On Keepin’ On Toward Your Financial Goals
2007-11-09 19:44:12
Just a quick update and moral support on a Friday night. Focus on tracking all expenses, resist your urge to go to the vending machine to get a soda/snack, and concentrate on saving money. If you can, avoid going out to eat and taking long trips; conserve that gas money and lost dollars on high priced meals. Take advantage of coupons that you see coming in the mail for the grocery store, and also for some of your favorite fast food places. You don’t have to pay full price for anything! I just bought a laptop online that is a brand new Lenovo (Lenovo bought IBM’s laptop business recently) for $644.99. Expensive you think? Not for a Pentium Core Duo 2.0 GHz, 1 GB DDR RAM, 120 GB hard disk, 15.4″ glossy screen, webcam, fingerprint reader, built-in blue tooth, and wireless LAN. I bought it on eBay completely new with a full one year warranty (I verified it with Lenovo), and it showed up in the mail 3 days later. I own a Dell Inspiron 6400 currently, but now that I ha
Read more: Keepin , Toward , Financial , Goals

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