Saturday, October 30, 2010
Friday, October 29, 2010
Worldwide Exotic Getaways
Worldwide Exotic Getaways
As our days become more and more cluttered with day to day activities, setting aside quality personal time is more important than ever. Oftentimes a complete change of environment is the best way to recharge and relax. With that in mind, we've chosen a few of our favorite places to "get away from it all" and enjoy some R&R. No matter where you are, we have a destination that is reachable within a manageable travel schedule.
There is no place better suited for premier relaxation than a deserted island - or rather a well-appointed island resort! St. Barts offers pristine beaches and a tropical landscape, and as a French territory is also known for gourmet dining in fashionable bistros and couture shopping. Amid this convergence of island scenery and European style are several boutique hotels, including the fabulous Isle de France. Rooms, suites, bungalows and villas offer breathtaking views of Flamands Bay and one of the island's most beautiful beaches, and a Molten-Brown spa or a position among lush tropical gardens.
The Hawaiian Islands have long represented the ultimate escape. Enjoy all of the familiar and desired amenities of the Aloha State while also immersing in Hawaii's history at the fabulous Kahala Resort & Hotel. After opening in 1964- on a deserted stretch of beach, the resort quickly became a favorite hideaway for Hollywood stars and the jet set. A steady stream of celebrities, sports idols and heads of state has populated the resort through the decades - you never know who you'll see poolside at the Kahala, but you are always guaranteed privacy, world-class service, and an undeniable voyage into paradise.
Off the northwest coast of Africa, the Canary Islands are full of natural attractions that draw millions of tourists annually. Tenerife is the largest and most populous of this seven island Spanish archipelago, and features a varied geography from a rugged volcanic, desert-like interior to a tropical landscape by the sea. In prime position on this picturesque coastline is the Gran Hotel Bahia del Duque Resort. Rising above the beautiful El Duque beach, the resort was constructed to mirror an old Spanish village, providing a stunning look and authentic aesthetic. While recalling the look and feel of the 19th century, this award winning resort's amenities are thoroughly modern with a world-class spa and several fine dining options.
Half a world away, the Esperanza Resort feels like an island though it is situated on a peninsula at the secluded edge of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Here, the sand, surf and clear sky with 350 days of sunshine a year combine to create a breathtaking scene. Natural beauty harmonizes with the resort's commitment to responsible luxury - unwind in accommodations and common areas constructed with green design practices and marvel at lush landscaping meticulously placed to preserve water.
The deep blue of the Mediterranean Sea provides a dramatic backdrop for the island of Crete and another amazing resort. Understated yet undeniably elegant, Blue Palace Resort & Spa embraces the essence of Crete and its unspoiled beaches, rich history and culinary delights. After a journey through nearby ancient Minoan ruins, return to a private bungalow with infinity pool that seemingly spills in the azure sea and overlooks the historic structures of Spinalonga.
If you crave being on the water, but prefer a different experience offered by these island resorts, consider a cruise on a very small ship. In contrast to massive liners, these small ships are more akin to staying on a friend's yacht, albeit one with ultra luxe services and amenities. Known for water sports, impeccable culinary delights and an impressive wine list, SeaDream Yacht Club hosts only 48 cabins and visits exclusive harbors and ports that can't be reached by larger cruise ships. SeaDream sails the Mediterranean from May to October and moves on to warm Caribbean waters from November to April.
And if you're looking for a calming experience in the seas of the South Pacific, French Polynesia and Tahiti, the small luxury cruise ship Paul Gauguin sails the picturesque South Seas year-round. All accommodations are oceanfront and a majority feature balconies that give you an up-close look at the surrounding natural beauty.
Each day we connect at a pace most of us never thought possible, and maximize every minute of the day. When it comes to relaxation, it is just as important to focus our efforts on "disconnecting" and "recharging". We recommend going tropical, going remote, and going on an amazing and well-deserved exotic getaway.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
$2000 first-time homebuyer grants available!
The NYSAR Housing Opportunities Foundation is now offering $2,000 grants to first-time homebuyers for closing cost and/or down payment assistance.
The New York State Association of REALTORS Housing Opportunities Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization founded in 2003. The Foundation’s mission is to assist individuals in becoming homeowners by identifying outside partnership opportunities with organizations that facilitate homeownership and also to provide direct support in the home buying process to low-to-moderate income families. It is with this in mind that we found it necessary to provide a program for you and your clients to assist in purchasing a home.
The purpose of the first-time homebuyer grant program is to afford those individuals and families who fall under the low-to-moderate income level, the ability to purchase a home by assisting them with their closing and/or down payment costs.
Get all of the latest news at www.nysar.com
New York State Association of REALTORS,
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Monday, October 25, 2010
Real Estate Outlook: Freeze Over In Many States
Part of the freeze is over for 23 states. Bank of America has announced that foreclosures are resuming in over two dozen states. The bank says in its review, it has not found a single occasion where a foreclosure proceeded in error.
“We voluntarily paused our process in the 23 judicial states, not because there was evidence of problems — there was not — but because we wanted to ensure our customers they are being treated fairly,” said Dan Frahm, a bank spokesman.
Guy Cecala of Inside Mortgage Finance, an industry publication, reports that “this draws a line in the sand that the banks expect this problem will be over in relatively short order and it will be back to business as usual. If Bank of America can do it, certainly the smaller ones will follow suit.”
White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said in a statement that an interagency task force on financial fraud has launched an investigation into the foreclosure process. He also says the Federal Housing Administration, a federal agency that guarantees mortgages, is investigating, too.
Gibbs says the administration supports an effort by attorneys general in 50 states to investigate the matter. Several administration officials, however, have said over the past week that they don’t back a nationwide halt to foreclosures.
Many of the foreclosures we see on the market today are symptoms of the formerly disfunctional mortgage market. After buying billions of dollars worth of mortgage securities during the financial bailout, the Federal Reserve of New York is now pressing Bank of America to buy back a portion of the mortgages it originated. Can they be successful and what impact will this have on Bank of America and Wall Street? We’ll keep you posted on the latest.
The housing market continues to recover, however, despite these temporary halts and setbacks. Nationwide housing starts moved upward 0.3 percent. This is a minor gain, but a move in the right direction.
Bob Jones, National Association Home Builders (NAHB) chairman, reports that “builders are cautiously responding to the small improvement they are seeing in interest among potential home buyers. However, as consumer demand for new homes rises, a major limiting factor for a housing recovery continues to be builders’ inability to access credit for new construction.”
by Carla Hill
Realty Times
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Interior makeover tips No 5
The kitchen is the heart of the home – and possible the best place in your home to relax and unwind. A well-designed kitchen can inspire you to become an enthusiastic chef. Good kitchen design ideas are therefore always in demand. If you are searching for kitchen design ideas, you can find them in your local kitchen design store even fashion and interior decorating magazines.
These kitchen design ideas can often give you great ideas on how to make the best use out of limited space. The main trick is to use integrated kitchen appliances when ever possible. Integrated appliances use much less space, and are available in all sizes. Select the right size for your home – if you have a small 2 bedroom apartment, go for a small dishwasher and a combined washer dryer.
The key to good kitchen design is neatness and compactness. A neat kitchen can make you want to cook, and a compact kitchen can keep everything close to hand, you don’t need to walk too far from one area to another. Keep this in mind as you search for design ideas to fit your kitchen needs.
A bedroom to relax in
Whatever your bedroom design ideas – whether your bedroom needs to save space, needs to be practical for the family or is the bedroom design chosen on style, there are bedroom design ideas to help everyone make the right choice for their new bedroom.
For clean, fresh and stylish bedroom design ideas look for a bedroom suite that offers a versatile choice of colour finishes, a wide range of fittings and features together with various layout and storage options that to match your own life style.
On the other hand you may be looking for the French elegant style bedroom design, this works well in larger spaces, more likely to be present in larger period country homes.
One of the keys to good bedroom design is creating a warm relaxing space, with a separate dressing room with ample storage space, and a shower ensuite.
A bathroom that is a fashion statment
A good tip when looking for bathroom design ideas is to try to avoid the latest fads and fashions. Sometimes, what looks good and stylish today will appear tired and out of touch tomorrow. In the seventies avocado green was the fashion, in the eighties, peach and pink. Now we have gone full circle in time and white is the only choice.
Bathrooms are also becoming a new technology room. Steam showers are becoming popular, LCD TV mirrors, if you need to keep up to date with the news while shaving. Automatic toilet flushing systems are very simple to use. And not forgetting the splash proof TV at the foot of the bath, just to keep up to date with the latest TV soaps while relaxing.
Bathroom furniture is every bit as important as the fittings, a contemporary basin looks great but can soon cluttered with toothpaste and brushes, so fit toothbrush holders to the wall, and use wall mounted cabinets to keep the area free from clutter.
A Dream House After All
Are you respecting putting your house up for deal, but not reliable where to advantage? terrified it will take too long to promote, or that you wont get the penalty you want? Think about staging your home, or in other language, location the prospect for pressing buyer benefit in your assets.
To be sincerely efficient, you ought to look at both the external and the inside of your home. Here are 3 tips to get you advantageed with the inside of your home:
1. De-muddle. This is one of the most important gear you can do. It might be easier to think of de-muddleing like this youre poignant besides, so why not advantage packing now?
As we take the journey through the final part of this article, you can look back at the first part if you need any clarifications on what we have already learned.
group up everything you dont ought and storeroom the boxes out of spectacle in the garage (or respect temporarily renting a small storeroom sideboard).
2. classify your closets - put like insignia together, pants together, skirts together, shirts together etc. Why? Because it will make the closets look better. (truly.) An prepared closet appears better, and you want your closets to look as roomy as likely.
3. Make your home look like a example. You want to de-personalize as greatly as likely so impending buyers can envision themselves and their own belongings occupying the legroom in your house. That means minimizing putting away everything you dont ought or use. earn off kitchen counters as greatly as likely mass all those appliances you dont use, and put miscellaneous small muddle in a few attractive baskets or boxes
And the main tip of all? think manually as a impending buyer looking at your assets for the very first time. What impressions are you receiving? Would YOU buy your house? What would you like to see altered before you put an present on your house?
And dont anxiety about costs numerous thousand dollars to get your house eager to promote youll get it all back when your house promotes. polite staging helps you promote your house in a shorter time and at the penalty you want.
Having this information handy will help you a great deal the next time you find yourself in need of it.
Tips For Staging Your Home
If you are planning to sell your house you must look at your property as if you had never seen it before. If you can’t do that, your home will probably remain your home because you will limit the number of buyers who may be able to visualize the home as their own.
Curb Appeal
Look at other properties for sale in your area then look at yours as you remember to think like a Buyer. Is there anything you could do to make your property stand out? A few dollars spent in landscaping or simply taking the time to manicure and add some color with flowers may be all that is needed.
Home Staging
Remove personal items, family pictures, knick-knacks, and clutter. Take everything stuck on or sitting on the refrigerator off. Clear off the counters, especially in the kitchen, but do not forget the bathroom counters.
If you have a microwave sitting on the kitchen counter or taking up space somewhere else and you have a vent hood over your stove now is the time to spend a few hundred dollars by installing a vent type microwave over the stove. Several square feet of usable space could get you much more then you have spent.
Pack up those toys and just leave a few favorites that can be stored neatly when your house is being shown. The same is true for any pet toys, plus do not forget to put their food dishes out-of-sight during showings. If you have pets and you think there may be times that you will not be available when your house is shown, you really need to consider a cage just for those scheduled showings (Remember some people are afraid of dogs; allergic to cats or dogs; and you do not want to limit potential buyers).
Go through every room, closet, cabinet, and the garage and pack up every item you do not absolutely need. After packing all the items mentioned, find somewhere away from your home to store them. If that is not possible put them where they are completely out of the way and hopefully out of sight.
Now start cleaning or hire a cleaning service.
Make Minor Repairs
Walk through the inside of your house slowly opening doors and drawers as you go. With paper and pencil in hand make a list of anything that needs repair.
Repair those holes, even tiny, and dings on walls. Check under sinks and around all water sources for leaks. Repair, replace and/or clean flooring. If you have wallpaper check seams (there are products to reglue them). It is always a good idea to repaint as many rooms as possible but if you are unable to repaint just make sure all rooms are a nuteral color. You may love those dark colors but again you are limiting potential buyers. Even people who know it’s only paint, know to change it they have to paint.
Lighting
Open drapes, curtains and blinds. The more natural light the better. Replace any burned out light bulbs and in rooms without tons of natural light, leave on the light fixtures if possible.
Smells
We become used to smells in our home. Ask someone who will be honest with you to come take a sniff of your house. Sounds silly but it could make your house win over another.
Don’t Over Stage
There are ways to make a home look lived-in without making mistakes as mentioned above. If you need help there are people that specialize in Staging. Also many Realtors are great Stagers and they know what people are look for when they view a home.
Helpful Tips
You can use Olive Oil to clean those stainless steel appliances.
If you run out of spackle while filling those nail holes you can use white tooth paste.
Article Source:http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sandy_Keller
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