Manufactured Homes and FHA-Insured Loans

Homeowners that live in manufactured homes often face confusion and frustration at the worst possible time ---at the 11th hour when they go to buy/sell or refinance their home and the lender pops up with a final condition: an engineer's certification of the manufactured home's foundation. For many this becomes a crisis when the foundation fails to meet the HUD guidelines. To resolve the situation and proceed with the loan, the lender will then require an engineered upgrade, repair or a retrofit on the foundation in order to meet the HUD guidelines. In a state of panic, where does the borrower or lender go for a reliable source to satisfy this condition? Fortunately, there is a vast array of pre-engineered and approved "permanent" foundation systems available in the marketplace so the homeowner or home buyer doesn't have to pay to reinvent the wheel, but the borrower may still have a difficult time discerning which criteria should be used to make a selection. Should they focus on the features and benefits of the individual system or make a decision strictly on the price point? The fact that homeowners are floundering for answers at a time of heightened stress in the loan consummation process accelerates their confusion and leads some borrowers to blame the loan officers or transaction coordinators. "Why didn't anyone know this??" is the frequent outcry. To be fair, the loan officer or processor is likely dealing with their very first FHA and Reverse Mortgage Loan and was not aware that the foundation would be a critical factor in the loan. However, the borrower often views this last minute potentially expensive surprise as a lack of professionalism on the part of the lender and further adds to his/her consternation.

So, for both borrower and lender, it may be important to have a strategy to interpret available repair solutions. Where can a borrower or lender get the best information? A web search for foundation systems may supply you with some of the names prominent in the industry and you can start educating by having product manufacturers feature the benefits of their respective proprietary foundation system. Likely you will hear the manufacturer's self-directed accolades extolling the virtues of their system as the "only true FHA certified system" so the tariff for the system may also include a hefty sales commission. Although many manufacturers proclaim that their patented proprietary foundation retrofitting is FHA or HUD approved, the truth is there are no blanket approvals that automatically provide a stamp of approval on an FHA-insured loan. Even though the components that are used in their system may indeed provide the vertical and lateral loads needed to meet the HUD Permanent Foundation Guide for Manufactured Homes, 1996, without proper installation the system is as worthless as Tinker Toys sitting in the canister. Only a licensed engineer on a case-by-case basis can determine whether the system meets the HUD foundation guidelines and must attest to that fact in a certification letter, wet-stamped and signed. One can imagine a worst case scenario where a borrower pays big dollars for a system installation, only to have the installation fail under the scrutiny of an engineer.

While the safety features alone of a foundation system might normally be a component in a homeowner or home buyer's decision-making, the tick-tock of a loan lock creates a sense of urgency. Plus the unexpected cost of a retrofit at a time of financial need will generally cause most borrowers to think primarily with their pocketbooks. While many manufacturers of foundation systems battle for positioning because they protest that their system has superior load-bearing or seismic resistance, the reality is that the performance of the installer and the turn-around time for the engineer to certify the foundation have become the new standard for structural excellence in the world of FHA manufactured housing financing. By necessity, the merits of the system and its structural efficacy have taken a back seat to the contractor and engineering team that provides the verification that the lender needs to take the loan to underwriting. Since a system is only as good as its installation and certification by an engineer, start by finding a contractor/engineer team that that has a comprehensive knowledge of the FHA and title process, can liaison between borrower and lender to create a seamless transaction, can provide extra structural support for the home as well as the much needed service support for the loan transaction.

Manufactured Homes and FHA-Insured Loans

Manufactured homes and FHA Insured loans specialty contractors are often knowledgeable about both the plethora of proprietary systems available on the market as well as the costs and the building permit process associated with the installation. They understand that different systems have different merits and the ranking for decision-making has a number of determining factors, some of which are:

1. Size of home
2. Type of home manufacturer and the style
3. Type of perimeter enclosure
4. Type of set-up (above ground or subterranean set)
5. Type of soil/ground/drainage conditions
6. Appurtenant structures to the home
7. Roof load, floor load, live load in the home
8. Local building code requirements determined by wind, flood, seismic activity
9. Best system vs. best value

Therefore, choosing your foundation system should come down to the competency of the retrofitter/engineering team that can economically, expeditiously and successfully accomplish a finished product, wading through the lending requisites, local building department requirements, providing any recorded documentation (like the 433A in California) and the ultimate prize---the engineer's certification letter verifying that the foundation meets the HUD guidelines.

Manufactured Homes and FHA-Insured Loans
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On The Level and Pacific Consulting Engineers have joined forces to make up one of the most informed teams in the manufactured housing industry: http://www.onthelevelcontractors.com and can provide both lenders and borrowers with answers and solutions.

Author Bio
ON THE LEVEL General Contractors (B & C 47 521400) is a family-owned company specializing in the maintenance of mobile home, HUD Permanent Foundation Guide, and Foundation Retrofitting

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Civil War Food - What Union and Confederate Soldiers Ate

The modern U.S. army has a wide array of food products available to them in base camps and in the field. There are a large number of MREs (which are actually quite tasty) and other portable foods available to them when on missions and when stationed in hostile terrain. And when posted at an established base camp, the food that is prepared is also quite good. A large part of this is of course the ready availability of large quantities of any sort of food imaginable in today's modern environment. In fact, today's soldiers have the best food ever made available to a fighting force.

But it wasn't always that way.

Take the Civil War. Civil War food kept the soldiers fed and not much else. Lets take a look at the diet that comprised the typical Civil War food ration. There were several issues that affected the food that was supplied to the Civil War soldiers. These include the organization of the Commissary Department - which was tasked with the acquisition and distribution of food to the soldiers in the field, the season which determined if fresh food was available or if it was preserved in some way and the ability of the food to stay good for long term storage and transportation.

Civil War Food - What Union and Confederate Soldiers Ate

Prior to the war, the concentration of Commissaries was in the North so when the Civil War began, the North had a great advantage as they already had an existing Commissary Department that was already trained in how to acquire and transport food to soldiers in the field. Their job was to work with the troop numbers and schedules and keep a constant supply of foods going to each area where troops were stationed so that the soldiers could keep on fighting without worrying about where their next meal would be coming from. It took the Confederacy several years to develop a working Commissary so being a soldier of the South was more difficult. It required real dedication to be fighting when you didn't know where your next meal was coming from. Because of this lack of infrastructure, the South had to do a lot of foraging for food between battles until the supply lines were up and operational.

Civil War soldier food was typically very simple fare - often consisting of meat, coffee, sugar and hardtack - a type of dried biscuit. The meat was often salted or dried so it would last a bit longer and fruits and vegetables were rarities on the battlefield. Because the soldiers were often in the field, they needed to carry rations with them. They had a special bag - called a haversack - which was made of canvas with an inner cloth bag that could be washed to get food debris cleaned out once in a while. But even with this design, the bags were often quite contaminated and foul smelling. Cleanliness was typically not high on the Civil War soldiers priority list.

Union soldiers and Confederate soldiers typically had a different mix of rations. A Union soldier might have salt pork, fresh or salted beef, coffee, sugar, salt, vinegar, dried fruit and vegetables. And if it was in season, they might have fresh carrots, onions, turnips and potatoes. A Confederate soldier typically had bacon, corn meal, tea, sugar, molasses and the very occasional fresh vegetable.

The other difference in Civil War food between the Union and Confederate armies was the type of bread product they had available to them. Confederate soldiers had something called "Johnnie Cake" that they made in the field from cornmeal, milk and a few other ingredients. The Union soldiers had hardtack, also referred to as "tooth dullers" or "sheet iron crackers". Hardtack was manufactured in large factories in the North and was a staple food for the Union soldiers. Hardtack got its name because it was often not used until months after it was made and during that time, it hardened rock solid which is how it got its nicknames.

As you can see, food has come a long way due to the advent of technologies that allow for better preservation of a wide variety of foods. Gone are the days of weevil infested hardtack. They have been replaced with modern vacuum seal technologies that allow foods to stay fresh and tasty years after they have been packages. And since they say an army is run by its stomach, it is no surprise that the modern soldier is the best the world has ever seen.

Civil War Food - What Union and Confederate Soldiers Ate
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Are you a fan of the American Civil War?

Do you love reading about its history?

If that describes you, you need to check out The Civil War Omnibus - the most comprehensive digital collection of Civil War works available. The Civil War Omnibus represents 100s of key and hard to find references to the Civil War for any fan of the war.

Learn more about The Civil War Omnibus project by visiting http://www.thecivilwaromnibus.com

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The Check Engine Light - How to Reset and Turn Off the Check Engine Light

It used to be easy to reset and turn off the check engine light. For vehicles manufactured and sold prior to 1996, there are a few cheap and easy fixes. One popular fix is to disconnect the negative terminal on the battery and turn on the headlights for ten to fifteen minutes. Draining the power in the car's capacitor will also reset the computer and turn off the check engine light.

This may be popular but it's not really a good idea. For one thing, it will clear the presets on your car radio, clock and anti-theft devices. It will also clear the performance memory from the car's computer, which it will have to "re-learn" over the next forty or so driving trips. You will suffer both poorer driving performance and lose gas mileage while it does so.

Manufactured

A similar cheap and easy fix is to find and pull the fuse to the ECU (Engine Control Unit). This has the same disadvantages as disconnecting the battery.

The Check Engine Light - How to Reset and Turn Off the Check Engine Light

A better idea - especially for cars sold in the U.S. from 1996 to the present - is to read the owner's manual. In some cases the manual will tell you how to reset the check engine light, usually through a series of prescribed pedal pressing and button pushing and so on.

Most often, however, the manual will give you the sage advice to take your vehicle to an authorized dealer.

You can take your car to the dealer where they will check its computer for trouble codes and reset the check engine light. On some occasions it may be a minor problem such as a loose gas cap, though it certainly could be something more serious. In any case taking your vehicle to the dealer for a check engine light will not be cheap.

Another way to turn off the check engine light is to simply wait it out. If the trouble that caused it to turn on in the first place is not persistent and goes away, the check engine light should go out after several driving trips. If the light stays on, however, the trouble is still with your vehicle and should be checked.

One of the best ideas is to invest in a diagnostic tool or scanner. Such a tool connects easily to your car's computer through an input under the dash near your knee. The scanner retrieves the computer's trouble codes that help diagnose the problem. It will also reset and turn off the check engine light without clearing everything else in your car's computer.

Another nice thing about the better scanners is their ability to indicate your vehicle's state emissions status - whether you are likely to pass or fail the emissions test.

Once you you have turned off the check engine light, it is a good idea to drive your vehicle for a good fifteen minutes or so - and at highway speeds if possible. If the light comes back on, it may mean a real problem that should be checked by an ASE-certified technician.

To learn more about saving time and money with a diagnostic scanner, click on the link below.

The Check Engine Light - How to Reset and Turn Off the Check Engine Light

Click Here [http://obdiidiagnosticscanners.com/] For How To Use A Diagnostic Scanner To Reset And Turn Off The Check Engine Light.

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How to Make an Ultrasonic Cleaner - A Simple, Quick & Dirty DIY

Building your own ultrasonic cleaner at home can be a fun do-it-yourself project. While a factory manufactured ultrasonic cleaner will give you a trouble free cleaning experience, the one that you build yourself will give you oodles of satisfaction. To get this off the ground a little knowledge of physics, audio setup, and hardware would come in handy and also help you design the cleaner with a little more ease, not knowing is definitely not a downer at all. You can pick up along the way and what you don't know or understand you can learn on the job!

The materials required for building the parts of the cleaner include an oscilloscope, two ultrasonic transducers, a good sound card, a linear amplifier, a soldering iron, a solder, old RCA audio cables and a container made of stainless steel. The container should be made of just a single layer of steel. So, even a cookie tray will suffice.

If you don't have a linear amplifier and a capable sound card, you can toy with the idea of buying an ultrasonic generator separately. However, this would defeat the main purpose of building a low cost cleaner yourself. Besides, most of the ultrasonic generators currently sold in the market have enough output power to drive only one transducer.

How to Make an Ultrasonic Cleaner - A Simple, Quick & Dirty DIY

You can buy the ultrasonic transducers online. You need to ensure that the transducers are designed only for cleaning purposes. The 55 watt transducers are good enough. Getting an oscilloscope is not mandatory. It only helps measure the frequency of the sound waves generated when the sound card is put to use. This frequency should be powerful enough to drive the transducers.

It would be a good idea to determine the maximum sampling rate or the frequency response of the sound card after checking its specifications with the manufacturer. This will give you the maximum output frequency of your sound card and will help you decide if it's suitable enough to drive the transducers.

The RMS of the power and the frequency of the linear amplifier must be greater than that required to drive the transducers. Ultrasonic amplifiers are nothing but regular audio amplifiers. The stainless steel container is the best choice as it resistant to corrosion and also resonates sound waves. A temperature-controlled soldering iron is very useful, but optional.

Process of building the ultrasonic cleaner is tres simple:
* The transducers are best placed diagonally in the cleaning tank to ensure even cavitation. The gap between the transducers and the tank must be minimal.
* The ends of the RCA cable should be cut and each end should be soldered to a different pad. One wire per pad is the requirement.
* The other (free) end of the cable must be plugged into the amplifier output. Choosing the right or left channel is of no consequence.
* The sound card is to be plugged into the input of the amplifier. This completes the setup process.
* You can then fill the container with cleaning solution and switch on the amplifier.

And you have a functional unit that should give you, if not top notch cleaning, at least the satisfaction of having built a piece of complex hardware on your own! Of course this DIY neglects the more rigorous testing and quality assurance checks that you would get from get from an off the shelf factory assembled ultrasonic cleaner. But that's not the point is it?

How to Make an Ultrasonic Cleaner - A Simple, Quick & Dirty DIY
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Dr. Bob Sandor is a Director at Tovatech, a leading North American supplier of ultrasonic cleaners. When not busy running his company, he explores his fascination with the many aspects of various scientific & industrial devices. For more details on the above you can reach him through the ultrasonic cleaner section of his website.

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The One Minute Cure - Is There Any Truth Behind Hydrogen Peroxide Therapy and the One Minute Cure?

The practice of Ingested Oxygen Therapy to cure disease as described in the "One Minute Cure", may after all be a well grounded theory. Although levels of oxygen in our atmosphere have remained pretty constant over millennia, our modern way of life could mean less oxygen is entering our bodies. The World Health Organisation has stated that up to 2 million deaths a year are probably due to air pollution.

It is known that Sulphur dioxide can cause broncho-constriction and nitrogen dioxide damages the lining of airways contributing to the reduction of oxygen intake. Further, carbon monoxide lowers the ability of blood to carry oxygen. Is it any wonder our health suffers as a consequence. And, it doesn't stop there. Pollution may not be the only reason why we lack oxygen intake! Drinking chlorinated water and eating processed foods can also mean a reduction in oxygen intake. Foods packaged by nature are a far cry from the dead and lifeless foods served up by the food industry. Vitamins and minerals are not the only things we deprive ourselves of, when we resort to manufactured goods!

Unsaturated fatty acids are essential for the cellular utilization of oxygen. However, their limited shelf-life has given the food industry plenty of reason to favour synthetic fats and other less healthy processes like hydrogenation. The increasing tendency for unrestrained antibiotic use not only kills bad bacteria but also the beneficial oxygen producing bacteria. An interesting fact to note is that cancer cells thrive in low oxygen environments. In fact, scientists have shown that the treatment of certain cancers and tumors can be greatly enhanced if they increase the concentration of oxygen in and around where the cancer is located!

The One Minute Cure - Is There Any Truth Behind Hydrogen Peroxide Therapy and the One Minute Cure?

Several of the most common ailments facing westerners today are directly related to oxygen starvation. Asthma, emphysema and lung disease are all on the rise! Given the above, it doesn't take too much imagination to understand why ingested oxygen therapy using food grade Hydrogen Peroxide (which does occur naturally in the body) might actually work as claimed in the one minute cure. Perhaps we really are being misled by the medical establishment?

The One Minute Cure - Is There Any Truth Behind Hydrogen Peroxide Therapy and the One Minute Cure?
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Visit Anti Aging Empire to understand more about Oxygen Therapy and a comprehensive review of the One Minute Cure.

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What Does Fish Oil Do: One Of Most Amazing Health Supplements You Can Take Daily

What does fish oil do is an increasingly common question as more and more people learn about the health benefits of omega 3 fatty acids, of which fish oil is one of the best sources.

However, there are also some concerns from people with high cholesterol, evident in such questions as: does fish oil contain cholesterol?

The answer is yes, it may contain a small amount of cholesterol, but people asking this are asking the wrong question.

What Does Fish Oil Do: One Of Most Amazing Health Supplements You Can Take Daily

The myth that pervades Western society is that it's the cholesterol in the foods we eat that is responsible for high cholesterol. This is blatantly false.

The fact of the matter is approximately 90% of the cholesterol in our body is manufactured by our liver. And only a small amount is the result of our diet.

If you don't believe me, then go read up on how the cholesterol lowering statin prescription drugs work. They all work by a similar fashion: shutting off an enzyme that helps the liver produce cholesterol. In other words, it helps by making the body produce less cholesterol -- it doesn't neutralize cholesterol we get from dietary sources.

What Does Fish Oil Do

The fact of the matter is that there is ample evidence that fish oil supplements help enhance cardiovascular health and that using fish oil supplements may help improve "good cholesterol" -- HDL cholesterol.

The message here is that cholesterol is a bogeyman. People would be a lot better off if they stopped focusing so much on cholesterol, and more on good cardiovascular health. Indeed, cholesterol is a substance vital for our body's overall health.

Just don't expect to hear that from many mainstream medical experts, who are all parroting how evil and bad cholesterol is while they take lavish payoffs in various forms to promote these drugs, such as free vacations and paid for dinners.

Therefore, the question: does fish oil contain cholesterol isn't even an important one in our opinion. People with high cholesterol need to be focusing on other deadly factors, such as whether their triglycerides are high and having a blood test done to check for inflammation (the blood test to have done should check for C-Reative Protein).

These are truly important markers for heart disease. High cholesterol is just one.

And, in this regard, fish oil can be a life saver. Studies have shown that the answer to the question: what does fish oil do is that it does numerous things.

As examples, fish oil usage may: lower high blood pressure, reduce the risk of heart attacks, may reduce sudden death by improving cardiovascular health, alleviate arthritis aches and pains, and may boost the health of the brain, which is comprised of significant percentages of DHA and EPA omega 3 fatty acids found in fish oil.

Nowadays more and more medical experts are starting to believe that the root cause of most major diseases is inflammation. Unfortunately, much of the fried and processed foods we eat in today's modern world contributes to inflammation.

The good news is that fish oil is a powerful anti-inflammatory and, therefore, taking a quality fish oil supplement on a daily basis can provide a good way to reduce or counteract inflammation in the body.

Fish oils are one of the few supplements that are often recommended to young and old alike. Many alternative health experts now advise pregnant women to take purified (molecularly distilled) fish oil because of the cognitive benefits to the baby.

A baby's brain uses a large amount of omega 3 fatty acids in the form of DHA and EPA and with these crucial substances sorely lacking in today's diet, some of these alternative medicine practitioners are saying the best way to ensure a healthy start to a baby's life is for the mother to use a quality fish oil supplements.

For elderly folks, the heart and brain benefits of fish oil are enough to justify its daily use.

Now that we know the answer to the question: what does fish oil do, you should also be aware that fish oil is an anti-coagulant. This means it thins the blood. This may be beneficial for some people (like those who are at risk of heart disease, because thinning blood helps it flow more readily through arterties).

However, if you are already on other blood thinners, then using too fish oil may thin the blood too much. So, you will either have to use a reduced dosage of fish oil, or stop using one of the anti-coagulants.

But if the anti-coagulant you are using now is a prescription drug, make sure you don't stop taking it without speaking with your doctor first.

In summary, fish oil supplement usage is arguably one of the best things you can do to improve your health, now and into the future.

What Does Fish Oil Do: One Of Most Amazing Health Supplements You Can Take Daily
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Dan Ho is editor of http://www.omega-3-fish-oil-guide.com Visit us now to learn how to choose a quality fish oil supplement and avoid subpar ones.

http://www.omega-3-fish-oil-guide.com is a free online resource that covers a wide range of topics concerning fish oil and fish oil supplements.

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Gold Plated Or Real? Critical Information You Need To Know When Buying Jewelry!

I recently had an inquiry though our website contact form as to the meaning of this marking on a piece of jewelry: "CRP 10K". Does that mean that the item is gold plated, or is it 10 karat gold? The answer is at the end of this article....

First, a little background. The karat marking of gold jewelry is sort of like the English system of weights and measures as compared to the Metric system. (Except that in England, they spell it "carat". In the USA, we use "carat" for gemstones.) Karat weights are based on the idea that pure gold is 24 karat. But pure gold is too soft to use for most kinds of jewelry, and of course it is also highly valuable. So gold is almost always mixed, or alloyed, with other less valuable, but stronger metals to give it more strength. Otherwise, a pure gold ring would easily get gouged, deeply scratched, or bent.

To indicate the ratio of gold to alloys, the karat system was developed. Since 24 karat, abbreviated 24K, is 99.9% pure gold (realistically, it cannot be 100%), one karat is 1/24 pure gold. But a one karat gold ring would only be about 4.2% gold! So, you will find that gold used in jewelry is typically alloyed from about 10K, which is 10/24 gold, or 41.7% gold, up to 22K gold, which would be 91.7% gold. Sometimes an item may be stamped "14KP", where the letter "P" stands for "plumb gold", just another way of saying that the item is not composed of anything that is not 14K gold.

Gold Plated Or Real? Critical Information You Need To Know When Buying Jewelry!

In the United States, an item must have be at least 10K in order to be called "gold" jewelry, and the typical markings are 10K, 14K, 18K and 22K. Items manufactured in other countries are often marked in "fineness", which is simply 100 times the percentage of gold content without the percent mark. So, 14K gold is 14/24 = 58.3% gold, but the fineness is 583, or often marked as 585. 24K, by the way, has a fineness of 999. Countries other than the US have different standards for what can be called "gold": in France and Italy, the item must be at least 18K, but in Germany, it is only 8K! Fineness is also applied to other jewelry metals such as platinum and silver.

So, now what about items that are not "solid gold"? That terminology is a little confusing--"solid gold" could mean "non-alloyed gold", that is, a fineness of 999. Or, it could mean "made out of gold and not hollow or plated". For the purposes of our discussion here, we will use the latter meaning, although in the US, a seller cannot use the term "solid gold" unless the item is solid 24K gold!

Gold is often applied to a cheaper (and stronger) metal, such as brass or copper, to make a much less expensive piece of jewelry. For some large items, this makes a lot of sense--for instance, a gold locket is very expensive if it is "solid gold", so that is why you often see gold plated lockets. Gold plating is not a good thing, however, when it is used on a jewelry item that gets a lot of wear, such as a ring. Depending on the thickness, plating can wear off in a matter of weeks on such an item, quickly exposing the base metal. and creating tarnish and corrosion.

Gold can be applied to an item using an electrical current, termed "gold electroplate", and it is marked "GEP" (since the applied layer is pure gold, it could be said to be "24K gold plated"). Gold electroplating must be, by US law, at least 7 mils thick (a "mil" is one-millionth of an inch). If it is less than that, the item is said to be "gold flashed" or "gold washed". Gold may also be applied in a thicker layer than electroplating by means of mechanically bonding the gold to the base metal; the item is then said to be "gold filled", marked as "GF". The US legal requirement for GF is at least 10K gold which makes up at least 1/20, or 5%, of the weight of the item. This would mean the item would be marked as "10KGF", but if the gold was higher quality, you would see "18KGF", for example. A similar process is gold plate, marked "GP", or rolled gold plate, marked "RGP". This process would specify the percentage of gold, as well as the quality, in the stamping, such as "1/40 14K RGP", which would indicate that 1/40 of the weight of the piece is composed of 14K gold.

Finally, I should note that it is common to gold plate (either electrically or mechanically) jewelry items made of sterling silver. This result is termed "vermeil", pronounced "vehr-may", and requires that the plating be at least 120 mils of 24k gold. But, not all gold-plated silver is vermeil. It is, of course, possible to electroplate silver and simply mark it as "GEP", which would only require a 7 mil layer of gold! So, read those magazine advertisements carefully when they speak of "24K gold-plated sterling silver!"

So, back to the example. Within "CRP 10K", only the "10K" fits any legal marking, so we can assume that, if the item is legally marked, that it is made of "solid" 10K gold. The "CRP" does not fit any of the standard markings, so it is probably an abbreviation of the jewelry manufacturer.

Gold Plated Or Real? Critical Information You Need To Know When Buying Jewelry!
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William Long is the president and founder of The Viridian Gold Jewelry Store your source for high quality gold jewelry and jewelry information Viridian Gold also carries platinum and sterling silver jewelry, and has a broad selection of Religious and Family jewelry items.

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Where Are Honda Cars Made?

You've seen them in magazine ads, on television commercials and on the road. Honda is one of the world's best known and respected automotive brands. The company behind the cars is Honda Motor Company, Ltd., a multinational corporation based in Minami-Aoyama Nichome, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Honda designs, develops, manufactures and sells popular vehicles such as the Accord, the Civic, the CRV and many others. Honda cars are driven in many different parts of the world.

Not Everything is Done in Japan

Many people incorrectly assume that Japanese cars are manufactured in Japan. The truth is, the world is a much different place today than it was in the late '40's when Honda first started. Globalization has made it possible for multinational corporations to distribute their production facilities around the world for maximum efficiency. For example, even though the companies' world headquarters are in Japan, American Honda Motor Co. is based in Torrance, California. Honda has also created joint ventures around the world to facilitate operations in places such as China and India.

Where Are Honda Cars Made?

In terms of where the cars are actually made, the answer is - it depends. Honda has several assembly plants distributed around the world, each producing anywhere from only one to five different styles of automobiles. Depending on where in the world you live, and what type of vehicle you are wondering about, the actual geographical origin will vary. Below is a list of their manufacturing and assembly plants with details about what type of vehicles are made there. It is safe to assume that if you live closer to China than the U.S., the assembly plant closest to (or in) China that manufactures any given model is the one where that car came from.

Honda Manufacturing and Production Facilities

Japan

As of 2009, there were only two main manufacturing plants located in Japan.

The Honda Hamamatsu Factory in Hamamatsu, Japan manufactures cars, motorcycles and engines from the car manufacturers complete lineup.

There is another Japanese production facility located in Suzuka, Mie, Japan. Currently, this facility only produces one model - the Honda Fit.

China

The Dongfeng Honda Automobile Company, based in Wuhan, China opened in 2003. This assembly plant currently manufactures only the Honda CRV, but has plans to produce Honda Civics in the near future.

Indonesia

Honda Indonesia is the name of the factory located in Karawang, Indonesia. Currently, this manufacturing facility only produces the Honda Fit.

Thailand

In Thailand, Honda manufactures the Honda Fit in their factory located in Ayutthaya, Thailand.

Turkey

Honda has a factory in Turkey where it has manufactured cars of different styles since 1992.

New Zealand

Honda New Zealand manufactured cars from 1965 through 1998. The models that were produced in this facility include the Honda City, the Civic and the Accord.

Belgium

The production facility in Belgium makes only motorcycles.

England

In the UK, Honda has manufactured the Civic and the CRV in Swindon, England since 1992.

Brazil

Honda Amazonas Motorcycle is a Brazilian production facility that only manufactures motorcycles. The plant is located in Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil and has made motorcycles since 1976.

Honda Brazil Automobile, a facility located in Indaiatuba, Sao Paolo, Brazil manufactures the Civic and the Fit.

United States

The Marysville Auto Plant in Marysville, Ohio makes Accords, Acuras and motorcycles.

The East Liberty Auto Plant, in East Liberty Ohio, manufactures the Civic, the CRV and the Honda Element.

Honda Manufacturing of Alabama is located in Lincoln, Alabama. The plant, which opened in 2001, manufactures vehicles such as the Honda Odyssey, the Honda Pilot and the Honda J Engine.

Where Are Honda Cars Made?
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Formula Honda Toronto offers both new and used cars Toronto and in the GTA - with a huge variety of cars, trucks, SUV's and vans.

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Auto VIN Decoder - What Do Those Letters & Numbers Mean?

An Auto VIN Decoder breaks down the unique alphanumeric sequence known as a Vehicle Identification Number, which is a car's fingerprint. Each and every automobile on the road has its own 17-character VIN, and it is this identification number that is used to generate a Vehicle History Report, also known as a VIN check.

The VIN check taps into millions of DMV records and reveals all of the available history for a particular vehicle, including any hidden problems, odometer readings, ownership transfers and more. It is an absolute must for used car buyers, as it tells you everything you need to know about the vehicle.

The Auto VIN Decoder can help you understand what these letters and numbers mean, which is the first step towards ensuring that a vehicle you are considering is right for you.

Auto VIN Decoder - What Do Those Letters & Numbers Mean?

Let's break down the Vehicle Identification Number, starting with the first character. (Please note the letter "I" as in indigo, the letter "O" as in orange, and the letter "Q" as in queen are NOT found in any VIN Numbers.)

(We will use the following VIN as an example: 2FTRX18W1XCA01212)

The first character represents the country of manufacture, and can be a letter or a number, each signifying a different country. The most common ones are as follows:

(1 = USA, 2 = Canada, 3 = Mexico, J = Japan, K = Korea, W = Germany, Y = Finland, Sweden)

So using the Auto VIN Decoder in the above example, this particular car was made in Canada.

The second/third characters represent the manufacturer, also known as the make. The most common are:

(A = Alfa Romeo, B = Dodge, C = Chrysler, D = Daihatsu, E = Eagle, F= Ford/Eagle, G = All General Motors vehicles (Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Oldsmobile, Pontiac, Saturn)
H = Honda/Acura, J= Jeep, L = Lincoln, M = Mitsubishi, N = Nissan/Infiniti, P = Plymouth, S = Subaru, T = Toyota/Lexus, V = Volkswagen)

So using the Auto VIN Decoder in the above example, this car is a Ford or an Eagle..since Eagle is no longer made, it is most likely a Ford.

Other popular makes use a 3-character initial sequence:

(TRU/WAU = Audi, 4US/WBA/WBS = BMW, 2HM/KMH = Hyundai, SAJ = Jaguar, SAL = Land Rover, 1YV/JM1 = Mazda, WDB = Mercedes-Benz, VF3 = Peugeot, WP0 = Porsche, YK1/YS3 = Saab, YV1=Volvo)

The fourth character is the type of restraint system.

In the above example, "R" represents hydraulic breaks using the VIN Decoder.

The fifth, sixth & seventh characters are the vehicle line, series and body style. This will obviously be different across makes and models.

In the above example, characters 5, 6 & 7 are X18: X18 is a Ford F150 Pickup 4WD Super Cab

The eighth character is the engine type.

With the Auto VIN Decoder, W represents a 4.6 liter V-8 engine.

The tenth character represents the year of the car. Pay close attention to this one:

B = 1981 F = 1985 K = 1989 P = 1993 V = 1997 1 = 2001

C = 1982 G = 1986 L = 1990 R = 1994 W = 1998 2 = 2002

D = 1983 H = 1987 M = 1991 S = 1995 X = 1999 3 = 2003

E = 1984 J = 1988 N = 1992 T = 1996 Y = 2000 4 = 2004

For the most recent used model year, 5 = 2005

In the above example, the "X" indicates that this car was made in 1999.

The eleventh character indicates the assembly plant.

In the above example, the C indicates Ontario, Canada

Characters 12-17 represent the vehicle's unique fingerprint. It is these six digits which make every single vehicle in the world different.

So using the Auto VIN Decoder one last time, the Vehicle Identification Number: 2FTRX18W1XCA01212 represents a 1999 Ford F150 Pickup 4WD Super Cab manufactured in Ontario, Canada with hydraulic brakes and a 4.6-liter V-8 engine.

So there you have it, the Auto VIN Decoder. If you are in the market for a used vehicle, use this decoder to make sure that it is indeed the exact model that the seller is claiming it is. Once you have verified the Vehicle Identification Number is accurate, you can proceed with your VIN check and learn everything you need to know about that particular car.

Auto VIN Decoder - What Do Those Letters & Numbers Mean?
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David Bloom has been researching the automotive industry for years, and is a contributing editor for several web sites, including Car Detective Vehicle History Reports and Auto Advice Car Buying Tips. Both sites include information for new and used car buyers.

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Causes Of Software Project Failure

Most software projects fail completely or partial failures because a small number of projects meet all their requirements. These requirements can be the cost, schedule, quality, or requirements objectives. According to many studies, failure rate of software projects is between 50% - 80%. This essay is a compilation of failure causes of software development projects; this essay summarises several areas that play a vital role in software project failure.

So, what really is the reason for software project failure? The sad fact is that software projects fail because we do not recognize that good engineering principles should be applied to software projects just as they are to building office buildings. We try to defend ourselves by saying that software construction is "different".

One of the most serious complaints against software failure is the inability
to estimate with acceptable accuracy the cost, resources, and schedule necessary
for a software project. Conventional assessment methods have always produced
positive results which contribute to the too well-known cost infested and
schedule slippage.

Causes Of Software Project Failure

Over the last 20 years many cost and schedule estimation techniques have been
used with mixed sensation due to restrictions of the assessment models. A major
part of the estimations failure can be due to a lack of understanding of the
software development process and the effect of that method used in the project
plan, schedule and cost estimates.

Failure Case Studies
Below are few of the case studies considered which will be analysed to fetch
the main reasons of failure of the software system.

Northumbria University developed accounting software to manage its day to day
business. The project could not come up with the desired results and failed to
meet the deadlines. Te investigations showed that the basic project management
procedures were not followed. This case study is referenced in this essay at
different points where necessary. [1]

Thai subsidiary (SMTL) of a Hong Kong-based multinational company (SMHK)
engaged in the manufacturing of electronic equipment. They implemented an
integrated software package; which was a failure at the several factors. These
factors were mostly management related. Such as a poor fit between the business
process assumptions inscribed in the software and the business processes in SMTL,
poor leadership at different levels, cultural differences, organizational
environment, and poor human resource management.

St John's Hospital is a District General Hospital provides medical and
nursing services, which includes both general surgery and medicine.All these
services are supported by diagnostic imaging, laboratory, ambulance, pharmacy
and therapy services, which are all on site. As the major hospital in a tourist
area, it deals with many visitors in the holiday season, generating a large
amount of non-booked admissions work.

Software Management & Leadership
It has been shown repeatedly, that effective leadership is essential for successful IT implementation (Klenke, 1994). A leader must also have cultural sensitivity, communication skills, creativity, ability to delegate, and the ability to develop and retain human resources (Luthans, 1994). The software manager at (SMHK) was a western, where as the lower managers were Eastern. So there was a cultural clash going on always. Jack (Manager) always try to introduce creative thoughts. And most of the time the lower management could not do them. Hence there was a clash going on all the time.

Employees also felt that management hardly ever "listened" to their concerns
or attempted to address them. Consequently, many employees were eager to leave
the company, and did so as soon as they found alternate opportunities in other
companies.

Project Planning & Scheduling
Project planning means creating work breakdown, and then allocate responsibilities to the developers over time. Project planning consists of construction of various tasks, timelines and essential pathways including Gantt charts and PERT charts and different written plans for various situations.

It is quite usual in software development process to work backward from the
project end date which results in complete software project failure. It is
impossible that a project can be completed efficiently from the planning stage
to the implementation stage.

Allocation of roles and responsibilities has to be clearly defined, and it
becomes crucial while hiring the stall from outside. University's higher
management failed to apply the basic project management rules which laid to the
project failure.

Proper scheduling is also required before the start of the project. It
includes the time scheduling, teams scheduling. Project managers don't know what
they have to plan and schedule. They just only tell the programmer what to do
and the programmers can come up with a proper solution.

The development was moved to a new office and the office was not fully
equipped with the proper infrastructure. As time is also a big factor in success
or failure of a project. So it delayed the development process and contributed
towards the project failure. Infrastructure was not fully scheduled and
management team didn't know where and how the project development will be
started.

The top secret of a winning software development project is to control the
quality up and lower the risk. Contingency plan is also the part of planning. In
case things went wrong then this plan can be followed to lower the affect of the
failure of project. Same was the case with university's accounting software. The
management team had no such a contingency plan nor did they evaluate the risk
involved in the development of the new system. So it caused more trouble without
the backup system or backup plan.

The management just try to follow the methodologies like SDLC or RAD, but don't know which methodology to use and at which time should apply the right technique.

Cost Estimation
Cost estimation is mainly involved the cost of effort to produce the software project. But it's not limited to the effort only. It also includes the hardware and software cost, training the employees and customer, travelling to the customer, networking and communication costs. Cost estimation should be done as a part of the software process model.

Cost estimation needs to be done well before the start of the project
development. Failure of the budgeting for the cost of the project results in
complete disaster. As stated above the infrastructure cost, development tools
cost and hardware cost also needs to be estimated first.

Same thing happened to university's accounting system development. They
purchased the new system well with out any serious estimation of the cost and
the income sources.

Below are the reasons why wrong cost estimation is done.

Inappropriate estimation methodology
Another reason would be the use of an inappropriate cost estimation methodology. Not a single methodology is better than other. Every methodology has its own strong and weak points which should be considered. Dr. Barry Boehm's book Software Engineering Economics lists seven estimation methodologies. One or more of these methodologies can be used to estimate the cost of a project

"Good suggestion is that more than one software cost estimation methodology
should be used for accurate estimation".

Cost estimation tools
There are many drawbacks in manual cost estimation. This technique is almost obsolete now. These days successful cost estimation includes the use of appropriate commercial software cost estimating tool.

Good software estimating tools do not always guarantee reliable software
estimates. Wrong input of the software size will result in wrong estimate.
Estimation software also needs to be customised for the specific need of
organization. These customisations require the data from the past projects as
input for the tool to estimate.

There are number of reasons these tools can return the wrong estimate.

Choosing the right estimation tool
Choice of a right estimation tool is necessary for the right estimation. The tool is not capable of handling the input and thus it can come up with the wrong estimate and hence cause the software project to fail.

Ease of customisation
As mentioned above the selected tool must be customisable according to the organisation needs, so that the organization can customise it according to the needs and past project data.

Easy to use and learn
The cost estimation tool should be easy to use and learn. It must include help and examples, simple and straight forward user interface. It must require less training to learn the system and inputs should be well defined.

Accurate Estimation
The estimation tool must have the capability to analyse all the parameters and come up with the accurate estimation for the cost.

Risk Management
Risk management is an important factor towards software project failure if it's not managed timely and effectively. As nothing can be predicted that what will happen in future so we have to take the necessary steps in the present to take any uncertain situation in the future. Risk management means dealing with a concern before it becomes a crisis.

Risk Identification

According to the Universal risk Project there are two types of conditions which can be a symbol of as risk.

IF-THEN Statements "IF technology is not available, THEN we will not meet the requirement" "IF we cannot hire sufficient qualified software engineers, THEN we cannot meet the planned development schedule

Given the "condition", there is a likelihood that the "consequence" will occur "Given that this specific test fails (the CONDITION), the CONSEQUENCE is that the planned schedule will slip"


Project managers have to identify the areas where the risk can be and how it
can affect the development of the project. Risk can be of technical nature or
non technical. Project managers needs to be aware of both the risks. Most of the
projects managers are not good in either of the side. A good manager with
programming skills can be good in identifying the technical risk but not in non
technical risk.

Risk Analysis
After the risk is identified there is a need to make the categories of that risk. Risk analysis is the process of examining the project results and deliverables after the risk analysis and applying the technique to lower the risk. After risk analysis is complete, the proper risk analysis plan needs to be made to cope with any uncertain situation. First identified risks are categorized and make the hierarchy of those risks. At this point the risk is classified as the positive or negative risks.

Risk Prioritization
After the risk is analyzed, the next step is to priorities the risk. At first focus on the most sever risk first; and les sever later. These risk factors can worked from time to time so that the final project out come is free of risk. So most of the time project management team fails to identify the sever risk and work on the less sever risk. This often results in the form of a crisis.

Risk Avoidance
Dealing with the risk is an art. Some times the management takes the projects with out identifying the proper risk involved in the project. So an experienced manager will take the project after proper risk analysis and avoid any risk involved in the project.

Risk control
Managing the risk to achieve the desired results and deliverables is done through controlling the risk at its best. This is a pure intuitive process and depends on the experience of the project management team, or risk already managed in past projects which were done by the same organization.

Conclusion
This essay has presented three basic factors which can cause the software development project to fail. Planning & Scheduling, cost estimation and risk management. All of these factors are to be considered at the management level and then transferred to the lower management.

Planning & Scheduling comes at first, good planning and scheduling makes the
strong foundation for the software project. Project planning consists of
construction of various tasks, timelines and essential pathways including Gantt
charts and PERT charts and different written plans for various situations. If
these factors are not taken into part then the software may encounter problems
during the development and the final product will be a failure.

Cost estimation depends on the budget of the project, customer type and the
size and effort to be put in the project. Cost estimations are done many times
during the life cycle of a project. It affects the project in many ways, wrong
estimation complete failure, affect the good-will of the organisation if the
costs are not covered, stake holders are affected and waste of resources.

Managing the risk is a practical approach for decreasing the ambiguity and
possible loss related with a software development project. Potential measures
can be considered as opportunity-focused (positive risk) if their consequences
are favourable, or as threat-focused (negative risk) if their consequences are
unfavourable.

Causes Of Software Project Failure
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[1]. infoNet is an Advisory Service funded by JISC retrieved on November 26 2006 from http://www.jiscinfonet.ac.uk/ Jones, Capers, Patterns of Software Systems Failure and Success, International Thompson Computer Press, Boston, Mass., 1996. Boehm, B.W., “Software Risk Management: Principles and Practices”, IEEE Software, January 1991 http://sunset.usc.edu/classes/cs510_2003/notes/risk.pdf “Software Risk Management: Back to Basics – The Top 10 (or so) Software Risks”, Software Technology Conference, 2003

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Get Fashion Design Software and Design Clothes Like a Pro

Fashion designing is not all fun and glamor, but a little bit of technology can make it so much easier. A good fashion design software (computer aided) can help every type of designer -- even amateurs -- execute professional-looking designs. Thinking of using one? Here's a starter kit.

What exactly can a fashion design software can do for you?

Although a computer program will not necessarily make you the next Chloe Dao or the next Santino Rice, it can help you expand your fashion creativity and help you design faster, so you can get more work done.

Get Fashion Design Software and Design Clothes Like a Pro

The best fashion design software allows you to play around with a range of colors, fabrics, and cuts, without necessarily having to buy the entire material. This allows you to save a lot of time and money, and allow you the freedom to experiment with different combinations without spending too much.

What should you look for in fashion design software?

Good clothing design software allows you to create 2d or 3d renders of your design for editing or experimenting. It also allows you to print, upload, and share the designs via email. Some software allow you to replicate real 3-D fabrics on the screen so that you can visualize them as close to reality as possible--and see your design in different colors and cuts. This type of software usually has a database of different fabrics, textures, and prints. Most of them also have update options that let you add new fabrics and patterns to your database.

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Buying tips

Picky Guide has a complete guide to fashion design software. Picky Guide is one of the fastest growing online magazines giving free consumer advice and product information.

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