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Sharpen Your General Knowledge

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Shamim Ansary:
What Flower Can Predict the Weather?

The small scarlet, white, or purple flowers of the plant called the scarlet pimpernel can give you a better weather prediction than the radio or TV weatherman.

If you are in the woods in the morning and you see the flowers on this herb close up, you will know that rain or cloudy weather is coming.

If, however, the petals are opened up, the day will be sunny and fair. Because of its unusual powers, the scarlet pimpernel has been nicknamed “the poor man’s weatherglass.”

Shamim Ansary:
Where Did the Expression “In a Nutshell” Originate and What Does the Idiom Mean?

“In a nutshell” indicates a drastically reduced summary.

Long before modern electronics, a few scholars made attempts at condensing massive literary works so they could be more easily stored.

It became an obsession to some to see just how small they could write.

For example, a copy of the Qur’an was reduced on a parchment measuring four inches by half an inch.

These copies were so small it was said they could be stored in a nutshell.

Shamim Ansary:
What Is the Difference Between a Mortgage and a Deed of Trust?

In some states, a deed of trust, also called a trust deed, is used in place of a mortgage. A deed of trust accomplishes the same goal as the mortgage, but it is structured differently. The deed of trust is a three-party document. The borrower is called the trustor and the lender is called the beneficiary. The deed of trust is not made directly to the beneficiary, but is instead given to a third party called a trustee. The trustee acts in only two situations.

1. If the deed of trust is satisfied and the loan paid off, the trustee issues a reconveyance to the trustor, releasing the lien.

2. If the terms of the agreement are not met (default), the trustee acts for the beneficiary to sell the property.

A reconveyance is a legal term for returning something, such as the deed for your home to you.

The term mortgage will be used for both mortgages and deeds of trust.

Deed of Trust States

Alaska Arizona California Mississippi
Missouri
Nevada
North Carolina Virginia Washington, DC

Mortgage States

Alabama Arkansas Connecticut Delaware Florida Hawaii Indiana Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
New Hampshire
New Jersey New Mexico New York North Dakota Ohio
Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina Vermont Wisconsin States That Use Both Deeds of Trust and Mortgages
Colorado Idaho Illinois Iowa Maryland Montana Nebraska
Oklahoma
Oregon Tennessee Texas Utah
Washington West Virginia Wyoming

Shamim Ansary:
What Does the Phrase Buyer’s Market In Real Estate Mean?

When the real estate industry is said to be in a buyer’s market, generally home prices are lower, homes stay on the market longer, the amount of money for mortgages is down, and fewer new homes are being built. A buyer’s market is also referred to as an economic correction period because it follows a period of time when home prices rise much faster than salaries and the real estate market is said to be overheated.

In a buyer’s market, those wanting to purchase a home are not rushed into putting money down to hold the first home they see. Because homes are on the market longer, the buyer has time to really compare what is available and find that perfect home. In a buyer’s market the seller must place an appropriate price on the home or the home will remain on the market for a long period of time. For buyers, there is more negotiation available on home prices and the potential of getting a real financial deal from an anxious seller.

Besides price negotiations, a buyer in this market can put more contingencies on his or her offer to purchase, such as financing, which provides that the seller pay some of the fees. Financing in a buyer’s market can be difficult because during that time there is less money available for mortgages. For a potential buyer the problems in obtaining a mortgage can be lessened by having a clean or improving credit report and a larger down payment.

Because the real estate market is cyclical, following a buyer’s market will be a seller’s market. The fun comes in trying to determine how long each will last.

Shamim Ansary:
When Were Stop Signs Invented and What Was the First City In the World to Use Stop Signs?

Stop signs first showed up in Detroit, Michigan, in 1915.

They were black on white and smaller than modern signs.

Until then traffic-control devices were generally manual, using semaphores, or flags, policemen in traffic towers, and hand-turned stop-and-go signs.

In the 1920s, black-on-yellow signs were introduced, while white on-red signs appeared in 1954.

Mounting height has also evolved.

Early stop signs were about three feet off the ground.

Modern stop signs are more than six feet high, making them easier to see.

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