Achieving the American Dream Essay Example for Free

Achieving the American Dream Essay One would think that purchasing your first home would be a very fascinating experience; after all it is one of the most major purchases of your entire life. In America, home ownership ties in with the American Dream and the spirit of working hard to one day earn through hard work a home with a white picket fence. My husband and I felt that it was time for us to reward ourselves for all the hard work we have been putting in over the years by purchasing our first home, which was well overdue. I quickly learned the process of purchasing your first home can be very frustrating and stressful. However, if you survive the home buying process the reward is priceless once you move into your â€Å"American Dream.† Before we started shopping for our home we both agreed it was important for us to have a mortgage loan preapproval. Although I assumed that obtaining a preapproval would be the most challenging part of purchasing a home, it happened to be the easiest part of the entire process. I was able to be preapproved by my bank over the phone in a matter of minutes pending certain guidelines. Acquiring the preapproval was so easy I was sure the remainder of the process would be effortless. I was startled to learn that I would be faced with many obstacles to overcome in order to complete the process of buying our first home. Next, it was time for us to shop for a new home. I was excited and anxious to shop for our first home. Unfortunately, I was unaware that the housing market in Houston, TX was flourishing and it was very competitive. On my quest for the perfect house, I looked at several beautiful homes. I found one in particular that I liked, and it was a foreclosure. I decided to place an offer on the home. However, only a few days later I was informed that I was outbid by another buyer. Since this was the first home I placed an offer on I did not foresee the outbidding being a major issue. We decided that we would continue our search for our â€Å"American Dream.† The next home I fell in love with was a model home; however, I soon learned that it was a short sale. A short sale can take up to six months to be approved, and I did not have time for that ,because, my existing lease had already expired on my rental home. I begin to work with a realtor who was also an investor. She had a lovely home for sale in a beautiful neighborhood. I extended an offer to her on the home, and she said that she would need to talk it over with her husband. She later contacted me to advise me that she had agreed to accept a cash offer on the home. I continued to look for the perfect home and was not having much success. I soon discovered that the realtor had a new house on the market in the same beautiful neighborhood. I contacted her right away and made an offer on the house. Once she accepted my offer we signed and faxed the contract to the bank right away. The realtor and I both agreed on a closing date which was 45 days from the date we signed the contract. At this point, it was time to make sure that we met all of underwriting guidelines. It was not only important for us to meet all of the bank stipulations but the actual house had to meet bank standards in order for the bank to approve the loan. Shortly, after faxing the contract over to the bank I was contacted by my loan processor, her name was Emily. She told me everything that I needed and I emailed Emily the requirements within 24 hours. The only thing that was pending to my knowledge was the appraisal on the house which I had completed within one week. After, I faxed over the appraisal I did not hear from Emily until three days before my 1st closing date. Emily was contacting me to make me aware that the underwriting department was requesting that a 2nd appraisal on the home be completed before we could close on the home. I was very disappointed that three weeks had passed and I heard nothing from her and now three days before closing she was contacting me to relay this information to me. However, I was not about to give up. I got the appraisal and sent it to the bank, only to have Emily contact me a few days later to tell me that the underwriter was now requiring a termite inspection. We were already well past our 1st closing date and quickly approaching our 2nd closing date, I contacted a termite inspector and had the termite inspection performed right away. Emily then informed me that she was sending all of our information over to the title company so they can arrange a closing date. She gave me the title company’s contact information and told me to contact the title company for my closing date. I contacted the title company and was very surprised to discover I could not close on the house until the seller returned from the Bahamas because she needed to sign a release form. The seller returned from the Bahamas two weeks later and I finally got a real closing date which was October 18, 2012. Finally, I said to my husband we have an actual closing date. I was beyond excited. My husband and I went to the title company on October 18, 2012 to finalize our purchase on our home. I can’t explain the feeling we felt as we signed the mortgage papers on our new home. After signing what felt like a million papers we got the keys to our new home. When we got in our car we had to take a moment to give thanks to God, for not only allowing us to purchase our first home but for letting our first home be our dream home. Why was the process so difficult and complicated to purchase my first home? I can imagine it was due to the housing crisis in America. I believe that banks require so much now because they are trying to prevent homebuyers from losing their homes to foreclosure. They are making every effort to make sure that homebuyers are not overpaying for homes and making every attempt to ensure that homebuyers can afford the homes. Although, I was very frustrated I want prospective homebuyers to know that it was worth all of the trouble. I think homeownership is the American dream and encourage everyone to work towards achieving the American dream by not giving up or becoming frustrated. I think it is very important for prospective homebuyers to focus on the final prize-homeownership. Reflections Paragraph The step I found to be the easiest was major revisions. It was easy because I was able to tie in my conclusion with my introductory paragraph. I am hoping that will grab the readers’ attention and keep them more interested in my essay. The step I found the hardest was proofreading. While I was proofreading I noticed that many sentences did not sound correct. I did my best to try and correct the sentences that did not sound correct. I learned that writing by revising your essay allows you the opportunity to make your essay even better. I still have many errors for improvement; however, I am confident that with practice I will become a great writer.

Comparing Romeo and Juliet and Maxine Hong - Kingstons China Men :: comparison compare contrast essays

In Maxine Hong - Kingston's China Men a teacher meets students who perceive Romeo and Juliet very differently than is commonly accepted. These students see it as a horror story rather than a tragic love story. What they witness in their real lives (war, death, murder, etc.) affects how they view everything they encounter. Although these students may have a "colored" view, everything that they see in Romeo and Juliet is actually there. They have not imagined anything. They have gone beyond the commonly accepted reading of the play, and have found what lies underneath the surface of all the romance and poetry. However, because they have not examined the romance and poetry in addition to seeing what lies beyond the commonly accepted reading, the story is disturbing to them. The students read Romeo and Juliet and do not see the love story that society would have them see. Instead they examine what lies beyond this. They see a story of secrecy, sex, murder, suicide, and disease. All of these things are found within the play, but are masked by poetry and romance. For example, these students see Romeo and Juliet as a story of "whispering, tiptoeing, making love, and (children) driven mad in the dark." To the "normal" reader this is romantic. It is viewed as a story about the most amazing kind of love imaginable - true love ending in tragedy. What happens around them certainly must affect how the students understand everything. In these students' real lives they are surrounded by war, torture, and death. Horror is a part of their every day lives, and so it becomes a part of them. It manifests itself in their thoughts and ideas. It has even affected their reading of Romeo and Juliet despite their teacher's efforts to show them the other side of the story. Another reason that this play is so disturbing to the students is that the characters in the play are approximately the same age as the students. Because of this, anything that the characters do has a greater meaning to the students. The characters are their peers. Because of the student's everyday experiences they miss the poetry in the play. They have ignored the motive, the tremendous force that drives the characters Romeo and Juliet to do the things found within the play. This force is love. It is the main reason for all actions in the play. Comparing Romeo and Juliet and Maxine Hong - Kingston's China Men :: comparison compare contrast essays In Maxine Hong - Kingston's China Men a teacher meets students who perceive Romeo and Juliet very differently than is commonly accepted. These students see it as a horror story rather than a tragic love story. What they witness in their real lives (war, death, murder, etc.) affects how they view everything they encounter. Although these students may have a "colored" view, everything that they see in Romeo and Juliet is actually there. They have not imagined anything. They have gone beyond the commonly accepted reading of the play, and have found what lies underneath the surface of all the romance and poetry. However, because they have not examined the romance and poetry in addition to seeing what lies beyond the commonly accepted reading, the story is disturbing to them. The students read Romeo and Juliet and do not see the love story that society would have them see. Instead they examine what lies beyond this. They see a story of secrecy, sex, murder, suicide, and disease. All of these things are found within the play, but are masked by poetry and romance. For example, these students see Romeo and Juliet as a story of "whispering, tiptoeing, making love, and (children) driven mad in the dark." To the "normal" reader this is romantic. It is viewed as a story about the most amazing kind of love imaginable - true love ending in tragedy. What happens around them certainly must affect how the students understand everything. In these students' real lives they are surrounded by war, torture, and death. Horror is a part of their every day lives, and so it becomes a part of them. It manifests itself in their thoughts and ideas. It has even affected their reading of Romeo and Juliet despite their teacher's efforts to show them the other side of the story. Another reason that this play is so disturbing to the students is that the characters in the play are approximately the same age as the students. Because of this, anything that the characters do has a greater meaning to the students. The characters are their peers. Because of the student's everyday experiences they miss the poetry in the play. They have ignored the motive, the tremendous force that drives the characters Romeo and Juliet to do the things found within the play. This force is love. It is the main reason for all actions in the play.

Use a Diary System

Explain the purpose of using a diary systemThe purpose of using diary system is:†¢to be organized †¢remember about meetings and important task to do †¢keeping within the time frame †¢cooperation with colleague †¢ control deadline and setting newDescribe different types of diary systems (for example paper, electronic etc) My diary system:Electronic – outlook diary system where all meeting, task can be set up, amend and send by mail to everybody, easy to control by set up reminder, showing automatically if people with who we want meet are available in specific time.Sticky notes – quick and easy to record important information for example: task to do for today, kept on the desk visible.Wall board – share for days, notes with information are sticky for adequate day and throw away as soon as been completed. Always available for all relevant people if I’m not in the office.Describe the purpose of obtaining relevant information about requ ested diary entries and changes. The purpose of obtaining relevant information about diary entries and changes is so that all relevant people are aware of what the meeting/appointment is, and where it is. So they are able to ensure that they are available and in the correct place at the correct time. You also have to make sure that any requested changes do not have a knock on effect.Describe the types of information needed for diary entriesThe type of information required would be dates and times for the entry also any information relating to the entry, for example, if it is for a meeting  the place, what it is about and request of confirmation people attending. If it was a deadline for a task it is useful to have notes about what needs to have been done so this can be checked off.Explain how to prioritise requestsIt is best to priorities requests in chronological order so that the most recent are done first and then if there are any immediate changes the relevant people can be no tified in time. Explain the purpose of prioritising requestsExplain the purpose of trying to balance the needs of all those involved The purpose of trying to balance is necessary to complied all task in time frame suitable for all involved.Explain the purpose of communicating changes to those affected It would be a futile waste of others time and resources if they proceeded with a project that was now defunct because you had not advised them this was no longer an operating practice.It is good practice and beneficial to all if you are all singing from the same song sheet and all know the correct procedures and why such procedures are in place.Explain the purpose of keeping a diary system up to date†¢keep me up date and with all important appointment †¢help me control the time frame †¢can be helpful to set up deadline for a task †¢work out which task need to be completed before other can be startedDescribe the different types of problems that may occur when new req uests are made and solutions to these problems. Late delivery of product – the most important things is for who it is?†¢For factory – try to get delivery ASAP and keep an eye of everything what is coming to do not miss delivery what we waiting for. Inform reception about this in case that delivery will come first there then inform everybody what waiting asap to avoid possible delays  in production what also can affect despatch and transport work.†¢For reload – regular or just single transport then we have to find out how big is delay and that transport can wait or other need to be organize.Explain the purpose of following security and confidentiality procedures when using a diary system To avoid provide information to nobody that shouldn’t receive what can have bad effects. To help with it I need:†¢ Not allow computer screens to be seen by unauthorized people†¢ Ensure people can't see confidential documents that aren't meant for them †¢ Log off your computer if it is unattended†¢ Use computer passNow you need to give me some examples of when you have done the following, please try and use print screens of your work to show that you have done these:Show me how you have made diary entries accurately and clearly and explain how you obtained the information to make diary entries (for example was this from a job sheet, or did you receive a phone call advising of the change etc)†¢By entering all received information – phone calls, emails, †¢By receiving appointment alerts †¢printing and sticky to the boardInformation for all:Information just for me:How do you keep the diary up to date and store it securely? (for example if you are using an electronic system this could be by having to use passwords etc for security and data protection reasons) †¢recording all information straight away in calendar instead of recording on paper what is easy to lost †¢ print or write received info rmation†¢removing or delete as soon as been completed

Race And Ethnicity - 1131 Words

I would like to focus my response to the reading in Gabbidon Greene, Chapter 1, generally around the idea of social construction. Furthermore, I would like to specially provide responses to discussion questions number one and two as posed in the conclusion of chapter one. Discussion question number one asks to â€Å"Explain the origin of race and its implications for race and crime.† Discussion question number two asks â€Å"Do you believe there are distinct races?† I will also provide perspective on issues surrounding the term â€Å"minorities†. Today, social scientists refer to race as a â€Å"social construct† and there is no shortage of definitions that refer to race as a social construct. (Gabbidon Greene, 2013, p.2) â€Å"Race and ethnicity are social constructions because their meanings are derived by focusing on arbitrary characteristics that a given society deems socially important†¦ and are social products based on cultural values not scientific facts. (Gallagher, 1997, p.2). It is my firm belief that race is something man made in definition and as such so is the results related to racial issues. In order to be able to explain the origin of race and its implications for race and crime, one must first understand that â€Å"race† as a term is something that has been created and defined by man. As stated in the opening dialogue of the class text, the idea of race originated 5,000 years ago in India †¦ and was developed into a taxonomy of race by Johna Frederich Blumenbach in his 1795 work, â€Å"OnShow MoreRelatedRace, Ethnicity And Ethnicity917 Words   |  4 Pageswould like to discuss the issue of race and ethnicity in sports. We will also explore the bigger questions. How much does race and ethnicity matter in the sports world? Are certain races dominant in certain sports? Is there a difference in how we treat players based on race and ethnicity? Does it matter? I would like to answer some of these questions and gain a better understanding of how much of a part they play. Introduction Race and ethnicity in sports is a very delicate subjectRead MoreDimensions On Race And Ethnicity848 Words   |  4 PagesSection Review 2: Dimensions on Race and Ethnicity A.) Summary and Reaction This section review covers the factors related to racial and ethnic identity. The text stated that racial identity is self-determined and incorporates the values from one’s cultural group (Schwarzbaum Thomas, 2008). The text also explained that ethnic identity can vary from family to family and can lead to value-based conflicts within a family (Schwarzbaum Thomas, 2008). I thought this section also did a great job inRead MoreSociology : Race And Ethnicity962 Words   |  4 PagesRace and ethnicity are commonly used as synonyms for each other as we encounter many diverse individuals throughout the world. Sociologist on the other hand, find very distinct understandings to how these terms, while different, hold correlation to one another. Max Weber, a founding figure of sociology, was one of the first to define race and ethnicity. He stood with the idea of essentialism which presumes that and individual s identity depends on fundamental and innate characteristics that areRead MoreA Brief Note On The Race And Ethnicity850 Words   |  4 PagesRace and ethnicity have always been a difficult topic to talk about, but not because I am embarrassed, but because to this date I’m still confused. Most of the time I find myself confused and asking questions such as, who am I? Where do I belong? When I get asked about my race I always say Hispanic or Latina; I don’t even know what I am. In high school my Spanish teacher once told me that Hispanic and Latina is not the same thing. 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The term race refers to the concept of dividing people into populations or groups on the basis of various sets of physical characteristics (which usually result from genetic ancestry). Race presumes shared biological or genetic traits, whether actual or asserted and the category to which others assign individuals on the basis of physical characteristics. Races areRead MoreRace, Religion, Social Class, And Ethnicity1274 Words   |  6 Pagesguided by how you identify. Identification in one’s gender, race, religion, social class, and ethnicity are all driving forces behind your future self. Identity is a crucial part of who you are, and in recent studies and experimentation researchers have been trying to identify new, untested factors that influence behavior in people. Although, in the past there hasn’t been a strong focus on the positive and negative effects of race and ethnicity, the conversation is now shifti ng to align itself with theRead MoreRace, Ethnicity, Art and Film Essay826 Words   |  4 Pagesanalyze race relations, ethnicity and how art and film relates to these social issues in their cultural context. Art and film have played vital roles in advocating for a society free of ethnicity and racism. Using vivid descriptions and evidence of both text and a movie this paper seeks to relate accordingly the concerned issues and factors affecting these social vices. It will demonstrate race and ethnic tendencies in diverse cultural contexts. As a demographic phenomenon, ethnicity is belongingRead More Race and Ethnicity According to Anthropologists Essay1797 Words   |  8 PagesRace and Ethnicity According to Anthropologists Examining the ideas and beliefs within ones own cultural context is central to the study of Anthropology. Issues of Race and Ethnicity dominate the academic discourses of various disciplines including the field of Anthropology. Race and Ethnicity are controversial terms that are defined and used by people in many different ways. This essay shall explore the ways in which Anthropologists make a distinction between race and ethnicity and how theseRead MoreEducational Institution Effects on Race and Ethnicity621 Words   |  2 PagesINSTITUTION EFFECTS ON RACE ETHNICITY Race and ethnicity are usually used interchangeably, however they are not same. Ethnicity is described by the group on the basis of family history, national foundation, and forefathers. Ethnicity cannot transform, although elements of a particular ethnic group’s community can transform. Race is a term that attempts to categorize human beings into distinct groups by their Phenotypes according to skin color, eye color, etc. All over the history, race has been usually