Melida

The Lifestyle of the Condo

Condo sales are off, but is a condo still a good way to define a lifestyle? Learn what the four types of buyers in the just-passed real estate boom have to teach you.

In the real estate boom of the last five years all buyers were active. There were, and still are, four potential types of buyers. Speculators, Investors, End Users, and the Second to Fifth Home Market.

Speculators, planning to flip the properties for a quick profit, buy pre-construction, flipping the property to another buyer before closing, or close, then quickly sell. Investors, willing to hold the property for a longer period, consider real estate a tangible asset, possibly less risky than other investments, or as a complement to a diversified portfolio. End users, seeking a primary home, are first timers, move-up or down buyers and are in the work force or retired. Second to Fifth Home Buyers, choosing a second to fifth home in a portfolio of homes, are leisure-seekers, or wealthy, still-working owners, with business or family interests in multiple areas, and are using all their properties during some portion of the year.

What can all four types of buyers teach you about getting what you want and wanting what you get?

Buy something you have a need for, buy unique, and analyze the lifestyle you have or want.

As with any real estate, the location is often the lifestyle. A condo is a bustling urban/modern hub, a live/work combo, a beachside resort, a suburban sanctuary, an elegant, branded hotel and spa destination, a traditional home in the sky, a coach home, a two, three or more level townhouse, a historic row house, an eclectic studio, and sometimes, a soaring multi-story loft. A condo delivers boating, a New Urban Village, the city, the suburbs, the desert, the beach or golf.

Consider the neighborhood, the size, the type, the amenities, the lifestyle, the features and finishes, the designer and builder, and how it is built. Heres how to do it:

The Neighborhood

Is the community urban chic, young family, active adult, age restricted, mixed age and demographics, pet friendly, child or teen friendly? Is the location city, rural, hometown, new urban/traditional development, country club, within walking distance, short commute, long commute, no commute, on a transportation hub with rail, bus, tram, trolley, and car service? Does it offer boating, sailing, canoe/kayaking, swimming, fishing, diving, snorkeling, jogging, equestrian, nature trails, golf, tennis/outdoor, spa, country club? Is it near restaurants, shopping, cultural activities, banks, dry cleaners, grocery stores, schools and medical facilities?

The Size

Is it a small inner city urban loft or an 8, 0000 square foot mansion in the sky?

The Type - Living a Lofty Life?

Of modern and minimalist design, lofts feature open layouts, large windows, and distinctive finishes, and soaring floor to ceiling windows, 10 to 14 foot (or higher) ceilings and open living areas.

Live Work Spaces v. Homes in the Sky

Do you want a 24/7 life, where the community is equally important to both work and life? Or do you need a super-sized home in the sky?

The Amenities

Do you value pools, marinas, gyms, saunas, clubs, social rooms, meeting rooms, office space, stores, shops within the building, restaurants, clubs, snack, juice bars, lounges, reading rooms/libraries, hair salons, barbershops, tailors, banks, party rooms, high tech media centers, mailrooms?

The Lifestyle

Do you want walking trails, fitness rooms, clubs, jogging trails, swimming pools, spas, nutritionists, chefs and meal programs, fitness centers with group and personal trainers, Green and Sustainable Buildings and Communities?

The Features and Finishes Exterior/Interior

Modern, Classical, Mediterranean, or an exposed concrete and steel loft? Choose quality in the interior and exterior building finishes, the exterior cladding concrete, glass, stainless, wood, stucco; the exterior and interior doors, windows and hardware.

Who Designed It?

Did a professional with star power choose the kitchen and bath appointments, lobby and common room furnishings, and front entrance statements? This can mean more than cachet; it can mean that the target market was correctly interpreted.

How is it Built?

Dont forget that your ultimate comfort may depend upon air temperature, air quality, mechanical systems, noise and vibration, interior and exterior distractions.

This article is not about profit-making, but finding your perfect lifestyle. If in the market, consider spending some time up front, making lists of the things most important to you. Armed with such a checklist, you may be able to spot value, quality and the lifestyle of your dreams.

McKerns Development creates, writes and places press specifically promoting your goals for your business, writing feature stories generating high readership and interest in magazines and the press and promoting mutually identified goals.

McKerns Development utilizes Media contacts and relationships with editors and writers in major publications, local and national, and to-the-industry specific publications. Press Releases, PR and feature stories are both written and placed, and publication is secured.

McKerns Development offers Strategic Business Development with services delivered in packages, so that the business owner can see deliverables, cost and benefits of each. Services are contract, teaming or freelance.

http://www.freewebs.com/mckernsdevelopment

After more than six years in higher education and discovering dozens of incidents of plagiarism among my students at various schools, I have realized that the purposes for plagiarism can be categorized four different ways.

1)Laziness. The student waited until the last minute to do the assignment and panics, knowing he wont have time to do it right. So, he pulls an essay or paper from the Internetand either just adds his name to it or uses parts of it and other online essaysand turns it in as his own work.

2)Too high of expectations. Last year I had a student who came from a long line of writers. Her father was a writer, mother was a writer and grandfather was a writer. She felt her own work never lived up to the household of writers. When asked to do an essay for my class, she struggled through her own words and feelings of inadequacies and began to interject these words with whole paragraphs or pages she had taken from respected, expert sources, of course without attributing a word of it to them.

3)Doesnt care or thinks the teacher wont know. A partial team of lacrosse players actually said they didnt think Id catch them after they turned in papers downloaded from the Internet. They didnt care that the work wasnt theirs. They didnt care that they could get thrown out of school for violating the honor code. They just figured the papers were easy to download, the papers were well written, and that I couldnt possibly be familiar with ALL of the papers on the Net so I probably wouldnt catch them.

4)Just doesnt understand what plagiarism is. This happens often with international students. Sure, if you have a school honor code and a plagiarism notation on your syllabus, they probably can quote it to you word-for-word. But, in some cultures, regurgitating words of esteemed experts is considered honorable to the esteemed expertand is a sign of a well-educated student. These students may not understand that they must document who said the words originally, otherwise it is akin to cheating. As a professor, you want these types of plagiarizers if you are to have any. Once they understand why they must document their sources, they will do so readily. The other three types of plagiarizers arent as easy to teach or change.

Jill L. Ferguson is a writer, editor, public speaker and professor of creative writing, literature and communication. Her book Sometimes Art Can't Save You, published in October 2005 by In Your Face Ink (http://www.inyourfaceink.com), is about teenage angst and survival in a dysfunctional and violent household.

So, by now you have found your soulmate. The yin to your yang. The person who completes you. The person you want to spend the rest of your life with. Congratulations!

Now for the hard part. What do you do next? Everyone has good advice for you; where to shop for your gown, the best caterer, what photographer you must have, etc. The realization of planning your wedding, the biggest, most meaningful event you will ever host, is starting to hit.

Your head is spinning. Budget, DJ's, caterer's, oh my!

Do not distress, help is on it's way. There are not really a million details to tend to- just 999,000. Ok , maybe not that many. I have condensed your to-do list into the 8 most important steps in your planning. These are the big umbrellas over the more minute details.

The process is quite simple really, as long as you are organized and follow a plan.

This is the first step to planning the wedding of your dreams. Purchase a professionally made wedding planner. This organizer will be your planning companion. It must contain relevant, useful information and tools. Such as; budget planner, guest list planner, calendar, wedding countdown checklist, vendor interview questions, wedding day itinerary, etc.

The binder you choose should be lightweight and durable so that you can carry it with you while meeting with your vendors or shopping for your gown. Use this planner to document all aspects of your planning. From vendor appointments to transportation. Keep copies of your vendor contracts in your planner and have it with you on your wedding day in case of any vendor misunderstandings.

The second step is also quite easy. Sit down with your fianc and talk about your 'dream wedding'. Is it in your church? Is it a small gathering of important friends and family? Big band and lot's of dancing? A five tiered cake with fondant and sugar flowers? Is it Elegant? Or Casual? Is it on the beach in Hawaii? Whatever your vision, write it down. You will want to convey this to your wedding vendors during the interview process.

The third step. Determine a realistic budget for your wedding. Gather together the people who will be responsible for paying for your wedding. Describe your 'dream wedding' to them. Discuss the amount available and who will be paying for what. Remember, every bride has a budget. It will take a creative bride to have the wedding of her dreams on a realistic budget.

Number four. Complete your guest list. You may want to create an A list and a B list depending on your budget.

Step five. Interview and hire wedding vendors. By this point you will have received many recommendations from recently married friends. I suggest you interview these vendors first. Interview a minimum of three vendors per category. You want to find the perfect fit for your event. Discuss your budget and communicate your wedding vision. Do not hire a vendor on price alone. Hire a vendor whom you feel has your best interests at heart. Do not discount your vendors referral list. Call at least three.

Number six. At this point, you may want to consider hiring a professional wedding consultant. A wedding consultant will be able to determine which vendors will be best for your event and for your budget. Your consultant will save you time and money by doing all the legwork for you, bringing your wedding vision to life, and keeping you on budget.

Seven. Plan your honeymoon. Keep in mind the season and your vacation interests. Use a certified travel agent. Feel free to browse the web for honeymoon ideas and locals, but it is best to leave the details to a professional agent. Would you trust a plumber to do your heart surgery?

And finally, step number eight . Relax. Know that your dream wedding is being handled by industry professionals who have done this many, many times.

I wish you a lifetime of happiness together!

Cheers!

Jo Anna Zaffree is a professional wedding consultant in Colorado. Her company, A SOLID IMAGE, has just published her first book. Your Personal Wedding Planner is a complete organizer, filled with over 275 Money Saving Tips, usually known only to wedding industry insiders. Valuable tips on everything from attire to transportation. It is a must have companion for busy and budget minded brides. Http://www.asolidimage.com

In the journey of homeownership, there will undoubtedly come a time when a professional plumber must be called in to address repairs that are simply out of the average homeowners comfort zone. However, just as often there will occur those simple plumbing repairs that do not necessarily require the attention of a professional. For those of us who wish to tackle these repairs, it is essential to have certain fundamental plumber tools on hand in order to successfully complete the project.

There are several basic plumber tools that should be included as staples in the average household.

One plumber tool that is absolutely necessary in the common tool kit is called the plumbers pliers. This particular plier also often referred to as channel lock pliers or water pump pliers is used to steadily hold a pipe in place while making a repair. Its serrated teeth make it an invaluable tool.

The pipe wrench is used to tighten pipes. The unique design of this plumber tool lends itself to tackling the most common of plumbing projects with ease of handling.

Another plumber tool of the utmost importance is a basin wrench which allows the at-home plumber to manipulate nuts and bolts underneath a sink. Because of the awkward positioning of this job, the basin wrench can be extraordinarily useful.

Additionally, an open-end wrench allows you to maneuver under a leak; you can tighten the bolts you need to tighten without losing your grasp. There are open-end wrenches of varying sizes; be sure to have several choices in your collection.

Be sure to also include pipe cleaning tools, tape, nuts and bolts of all sizes, and even a pipe cutter. If you are unsure about what to include as part of your essential plumber tools, visit your local home improvement store where youll likely find knowledgeable employees who will be happy to help.

Additionally, the Internet can be a valuable resource in gathering information about fundamental plumber tools. Do some research in advance to be sure to arm yourself with the most appropriate plumber tools for your tool kit.

Once complete your kit of plumber tools will prepare you for any at-home plumbing emergency. With proper preparation you can either perform a temporary fix until a plumber can arrive or simply repair it yourself. The rewards will be significant savings and the priceless feeling of self-satisfaction.

For easy to understand, in depth information about plumbing visit our ezGuide 2 Plumbing.

On Saturday 2 Days before The Hurricane Katrina Disaster the City of New Orleans should have been under an Evacuation order. The Evacuation order finally came on Sunday. The Vast majority of people of new Orleans were still able to gas up there cars and drive 50 or more miles inland and then rent a Hotel room for the night. But what about those without cars or the means to pay for a Hotel Room.

According to some estimate 100,000 People were still in new Orleans when Hurricane Katrina followed by the flood that devastated the city. The majority of these people fall into 2 categories. Either they were so poor they couldn't afford to leave or they were in Hospitals, Nursing Homes and were to sick to leave.

Why weren't these people given a chance to evacuate prior to the Hurricane Katrina Disaster. According to the Houston Chronicle talking about New Orleans 'City officials had 550 municipal buses and hundreds of additional school buses at their disposal' Being consecrative and assuming 800 municipal and school buses were in good working order 30,000 People could have been evacuated in 1 trip. It would have taken 3 trips to evacuate 90,000.

Had the vast majority of the people been evacuated prior to the Hurricane then the police of New Orleans could have concentrated on stopping the Looters and street thugs instead of saving lives, and providing security in the Super dome. ring and lessened the need for outside support. It would have been cheaper not only in terms of Dollar cost but in terms of Human Human Cost to have evacuated the poor from New Orleans before the that fact.

Mayor C. Ray Nagin of New Orleans was extremely upset because of what he perceived was slow or no response from the State and Federal Governments. Mayor C. Ray Nagin Isn't it better (in light of the fact that it had been well know that a Category 4 or higher hurricane would cause wide spread Flooding) to be Pro-Active rather then reactive? Mayor C. Ray Nagin what part did your inaction play in this? Mayor C. Ray Nagin how many lives could have been saved with a properly executed evacuation plan? Mayor C. Ray Nagin how do you sleep at night?

About the Author
Mike Makler Offers Financial Services (Mortgages,Life Insurance, Annuity) in Florissant Missouri which is in North St. Louis County Missouri Just Across the Bridge from St. Charles Missouri

Call Mike at 314 398-5547

Visit Mike's Web Page:
http://ewguru.com/finance

For Missouri Specific Insurance and Loan Questions:
http://ewguru.com/Mo-Finance

Get Mike's Newsletter Here
http://ewguru.com/fin-news

Copyright 2005-2006 Mike Makler

One sport I wish I had played as a kid, is lacrosse. My 8-year-old son Jonathan is learning, and I have to tell you, it's a blast. Lots of running, plenty of action and very cool equipment (more on that in a minute).

At Jonathan's age, they don't play "real games" so much as learn the fundamentals and practice with each other. Occasionally, however, the coach arranges a scrimmage with kids from another town and we parents get to attend and cheer wildly like the idiots that we are.

Last weekend we played against kids from Bolton, Massachusetts, a town about 30 minutes away. It was a beautiful, clear, Saturday morning and you could feel the excitement and anticipation as we stood on the sidelines, getting the kids' equipment on and waiting for the previous game to end.

Lacrosse requires a lot of equipment elbow pads, shoulder pads, cleats, gloves, a mouth guard, etc. and it's quite the process getting the kids suited up. The last, and most important piece of equipment, of course, is the helmet (Notice: here comes the punch line). When I reached into Jonathan's bag, however, we realized that his helmet was nowhere to be found.

Uh oh. We were too far away for me to run home, and helmet-free lacrosse is about as much fun as anesthesia-free surgery. We walked over to the coach to see if he had any suggestions.

Jonathan's lacrosse coach, a man with 12 of his own children (not a typo) and the coach of several teams, has seen and heard it all. "Tough break kid," he said, as he began to walk away, "looks like you'll be cheering from the sidelines today."

And then, before the disappointment could even sink in, he whirled back around and said, "Wait a minute, Jonathan. I forgot that you're our goalie. Wait here."

Two minutes later, the coach was back, carrying a helmet that he had borrowed from the other team. Handing it over to Jonathan he said, "Good thing you play goalie; the only essential position on the team."

And that, my essential (and patient) reader, is the point. When you're essential, all the doors swing open.

Many of the E-Newsletter-related questions I receive from readers, seminar participants, clients and the guy who fixed my lawn mower last week (never mind) begin with the phrase, "How do we get people to ."

The end of the phrase takes many forms, but here are some popular examples:

" forward our E-Newsletter?"
" open our E-Newsletter?"
" read our E-Newsletter?"
" subscribe to our E-Newsletter?"
" reply to our E-Newsletter?"

What these questions have in common is an interest on the part of the asker to "get people to do something." It's a worthy objective, however in my experience and I don't think you need 12 children to appreciate this you can't consistently get anyone to do anything that they don't really want to do.

Instead, a much more productive approach related to your E-Newsletter is to figure out how to make it essential. So essential that without it, like the lone goalie on the team, the game just ain't happening.

Four suggestions on becoming essential:

1. Narrow your subject matter. Writing a newsletter about marketing or law or gardening is nice, but there's lots and lots of other people writing about the same thing. Narrow it down, however, to E-Newsletters or small business law in Massachusetts or chemical-free lawn care in San Diego and suddenly, you're the only goalie in town.
2. Narrow your audience. I know, your clients and prospects are a diverse group and you want one newsletter that will be of interest to all of them. Me too, but it's not going to happen. The broader a range of people you try to satisfy, the less interesting, less relevant, less authentic and yes, less essential, you become (can anybody say "Presidential Candidate?").

   Choose the audience that's most important to you and make it as narrow as you can stomach. In the world of E-Newsletter success (i.e. new client leads), being essential to a few people is much more valuable than being pretty good to many.

3. Narrow your time frame. If you want to be essential in my life, you need to show up on a fairly regular basis (i.e. monthly). Four times a year isn't going to cut it not only won't I remember you, at some point, I'll just go find myself another goalie.
4. Share your point of view. Professionals (at least the well paid ones) are hired for their expert opinion and insight. Any of your competitors can perform the mechanical aspects of your profession (e.g. write a will, check job candidate references, design a logo).

   To be essential, you need to wrap your "skill set" within a unique point of view one that demonstrates an understanding of the issues (e.g. "Do you even need a new logo in the first place?") and has your readers living in fear that if they give up your newsletter they'll be missing something important.

Bottom Line: What was most intriguing to me about Jonathan's lacrosse experience that day, was that his coach was uninterested in Jon's skills as a player, how hard he tries, or even how nice a kid he is three things which parents think make all the difference. All that mattered was the fact that Jon's position was irreplaceable.

So, how about your E-Newsletter are you the only goalie in town?

Michael J. Katz is Founder and Chief Penguin of Blue Penguin Development, Inc., (http://www.BluePenguinDevelopment.com) a Boston consulting firm that helps clients increase sales by showing them how to nurture their existing relationships, and that specializes in the development of electronic newsletters. He is author of the book, E-Newsletters That Work.

With the recent very wet weather that the UK is having and no end in sight, many people are turning to thinking about the insurance cover they have for their homes. Hundreds already have claimed on their insurance policies after the unusual downpours have left them with four feet of water in their living rooms. Taking out flood insurance could end up saving you thousands of pounds when it comes to putting your home back together after the floods.

Even if you arent considered to be in at risk area then still consider taking some level of flood insurance out to protect your home and belongings, it is amazing the damage that just a few inches of flood water can do to your home never mind a few feet and nothing is predictable. While the majority of buildings insurance will comprise of some level of flood insurance it is imperative to know exactly what your policy states when it comes down to flooding, especially if you live in a low lying area.

All policies have exclusions within them and when considering insuring yourself against disasters such as flooding, then it is important that you know the contents of your particular policy and definitely the terms and conditions of flooding.

The cheapest way to get a comprehensive policy is by looking online, there is a huge amount of information about policies out there and its in your best interest to find out as much as you. All policies differ slightly from insurer to insurer so make sure that give the internet a wide spread search. You can save time by going to a site that allows you to compare several different companies, here you can find the cheapest cover, but do remember that not all policies are of the same quality and a particularly cheap one could mean that you are only covered for the very basics. When it comes to flood insurance make sure you are covered because if not then it could end up costing you thousands of pounds to restore your home and belongings.

Jason Hulott is Business Development Director of Protection Insurance, an internet based insurance business dedicated to getting consumers the best rates and the best products. Visit our Home Insurance Directory.