Thursday, May 29, 2008
Communities designed with the future in mind -- -- OrlandoSentinel.com
Communities designed with the future in mind -- -- OrlandoSentinel.comCommunities designed with the future in mind
Continuing care retirement communities have all the usual features, plus the amenities seniors may need as they age.
Howard Gleckman | Kiplinger Personal Finance
May 11, 2008
When lawyer Harry Weil retired in January 2000, he and his wife, Nancy, decided to settle in the suburbs of Washington, D.C., to be near her sister. Before selling their Pittsburgh home, they visited Maryland to look at the site of a future retirement community.
Based on the developer's plans, they reserved an apartment at what was to become Riderwood Village. In September of that year, they moved in.
But Riderwood is not a typical retirement community, though it has all of the amenities you would usually find at one, such as a fitness center, a pool and activities. Instead, this high-end campus with nearly 2,000 housing units is a continuing care retirement community, or CCRC. In addition to independent-living units, Riderwood, like most CCRCs, provides its residents with ready access to on-site assisted living and nursing care, should they ever need it.
Harry, now 73, and Nancy, 70, paid a large upfront entry fee, with the promise that the money would be returned after they died. "I liked the idea of making a significant deposit that I would get back and pass on to my children," Harry says.
Riderwood is part of a growing trend in retirement housing. Also known as life-care communities, CCRCs are rising in popularity, especially in wealthier parts of the U.S. According to the Census Bureau, the number of such developments has increased to 4,200 in 2004, up from 2,200 in 1998.
Choosing a CCRC is not simple, however. There are financial, legal and medical issues to consider. "In theory, CCRCs are a great solution," says Nancy Fiedelman, president of the Aynsley Group, a McLean, Va., geriatric-care consulting firm. But, she adds, "People must take the time and energy to really understand what the community is."
At most CCRCs, you pay an entrance fee, which is partially or fully refundable to you or your estate when you move or die. In addition, you'll pay a monthly fee for independent living. Some communities offer a life-care contract, where your basic fees are higher, but you won't be charged more if you move into an assisted-living or nursing unit. Most, however, add big charges for that extra care.
At Riderwood, for example, the entrance deposit for a deluxe corner, two-bedroom unit with a sunroom is $446,000, with a monthly fee of $1,897 (plus another $594 a month for an extra person). Housekeeping services cost $27 an hour. If you need nursing-home care, you'll pay $247 a day.
Nursing and assisted-living fees charged by a CCRC are usually comparable to prices you would pay at a free-standing facility. So what do you get for the entrance fee? Support and the peace of mind that you'll get care as you become more frail. Many developments conduct routine social service or medical assessments as you age. Some have doctors on staff. You can also stay close to a spouse who needs nursing care.
Many CCRCs are operated by churches or other nonprofits, while some are run by for-profit companies. Riderwood, in Silver Spring, Md., was developed by Erickson Retirement Communities, a firm that runs 18 CCRCs in 10 states.
If you like the CCRC concept, you'll need to plan well in advance. Waiting lists of three to five years are not unusual. Once you settle on a location or two, you can find CCRCs by checking with the local Area Agency on Aging.
A nonprofit organization called the Continuing Care Accreditation Commission (www.carf.org) certifies a few hundred communities, but accreditation is voluntary. Many nonprofit CCRCs are members of the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging (aahsa.org).
Continuing care retirement communities have all the usual features, plus the amenities seniors may need as they age.
Howard Gleckman | Kiplinger Personal Finance
May 11, 2008
When lawyer Harry Weil retired in January 2000, he and his wife, Nancy, decided to settle in the suburbs of Washington, D.C., to be near her sister. Before selling their Pittsburgh home, they visited Maryland to look at the site of a future retirement community.
Based on the developer's plans, they reserved an apartment at what was to become Riderwood Village. In September of that year, they moved in.
But Riderwood is not a typical retirement community, though it has all of the amenities you would usually find at one, such as a fitness center, a pool and activities. Instead, this high-end campus with nearly 2,000 housing units is a continuing care retirement community, or CCRC. In addition to independent-living units, Riderwood, like most CCRCs, provides its residents with ready access to on-site assisted living and nursing care, should they ever need it.
Harry, now 73, and Nancy, 70, paid a large upfront entry fee, with the promise that the money would be returned after they died. "I liked the idea of making a significant deposit that I would get back and pass on to my children," Harry says.
Riderwood is part of a growing trend in retirement housing. Also known as life-care communities, CCRCs are rising in popularity, especially in wealthier parts of the U.S. According to the Census Bureau, the number of such developments has increased to 4,200 in 2004, up from 2,200 in 1998.
Choosing a CCRC is not simple, however. There are financial, legal and medical issues to consider. "In theory, CCRCs are a great solution," says Nancy Fiedelman, president of the Aynsley Group, a McLean, Va., geriatric-care consulting firm. But, she adds, "People must take the time and energy to really understand what the community is."
At most CCRCs, you pay an entrance fee, which is partially or fully refundable to you or your estate when you move or die. In addition, you'll pay a monthly fee for independent living. Some communities offer a life-care contract, where your basic fees are higher, but you won't be charged more if you move into an assisted-living or nursing unit. Most, however, add big charges for that extra care.
At Riderwood, for example, the entrance deposit for a deluxe corner, two-bedroom unit with a sunroom is $446,000, with a monthly fee of $1,897 (plus another $594 a month for an extra person). Housekeeping services cost $27 an hour. If you need nursing-home care, you'll pay $247 a day.
Nursing and assisted-living fees charged by a CCRC are usually comparable to prices you would pay at a free-standing facility. So what do you get for the entrance fee? Support and the peace of mind that you'll get care as you become more frail. Many developments conduct routine social service or medical assessments as you age. Some have doctors on staff. You can also stay close to a spouse who needs nursing care.
Many CCRCs are operated by churches or other nonprofits, while some are run by for-profit companies. Riderwood, in Silver Spring, Md., was developed by Erickson Retirement Communities, a firm that runs 18 CCRCs in 10 states.
If you like the CCRC concept, you'll need to plan well in advance. Waiting lists of three to five years are not unusual. Once you settle on a location or two, you can find CCRCs by checking with the local Area Agency on Aging.
A nonprofit organization called the Continuing Care Accreditation Commission (www.carf.org) certifies a few hundred communities, but accreditation is voluntary. Many nonprofit CCRCs are members of the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging (aahsa.org).
FOOD STAMPS WOES
Money woes mean rush at midnight to feed kids
Don Babwin | The Associated Press
May 19, 2008
A few days a ago I read a report were school kids were hording food to have food to eat at home at nite. They were taking food from there free school lunch programs. It is upsetting to me to see how people are willing to adopt kids in China now but are unwilling to help kids here in the United States.
Below is a story of a mom and her kids that need help ! What makes it sad is that they are here in the United States.
How do you think the kids feel going to sleep hungery each nite .
CHICAGO - Danielle Brown stands outside a South Side market at midnight, braving the spring chill for her first chance to buy groceries since her food stamps ran out nearly two weeks ago.
For days, Brown has been turning cans of "whatever we got in the cabinet" into breakfast, lunch and dinner for her children, ages 1 and 3, who finished off the last of the milk and cereal long ago.
"Ain't got no food left; the kids are probably hungry," said Brown, 23, who relies heavily on her $312 monthly allotment of food stamps -- a ration adjusted just once a year, in October.
This is what the skyrocketing cost of food looks like at street level: Poor people rushing into a store in the dead of night, filling shopping carts with cereal, eggs and milk so their kids can wake up on the first day of the month to a decent meal.
Here's what it looks like another way: The number of Americans relying on food stamps has climbed 6.1 percent, from 26.1 million in February 2007 to 27.7 million in February this year. Every state except for Arkansas and Colorado saw the food-stamp rolls increase, led by Nevada and Florida -- both also hit hard by the housing crisis.
The sputtering economy, persistent unemployment and the mortgage crisis have all contributed to the increase. The U.S. Agriculture Department expects the overall number of participants to reach 28 million next year.
It all paints a picture that experts say is becoming more grim every month.
"People with incomes below the poverty threshold are in dire straits because not only are food prices increasing, but the food stamps they are receiving have not increased," said Dr. John Cook, an associate professor at Boston University's medical school who has studied the effects of the food-stamp program on children.
On the South Side of Chicago, what it means is that people like Danielle Brown wait for the stroke of midnight, when one month gives way to another and brings a new allotment of food stamps.
Dennis Kladis began opening his One Stop Food & Liquors once a month at midnight nine months ago to give desperate families a chance to buy food as soon as possible.
"I'm telling you, by the end of the month they're just dying to get back to the first," said Kladis, who has watched other area stores follow his lead. "Obviously, they are struggling to get through the month."
ON THE RUN ALLAN
Don Babwin | The Associated Press
May 19, 2008
A few days a ago I read a report were school kids were hording food to have food to eat at home at nite. They were taking food from there free school lunch programs. It is upsetting to me to see how people are willing to adopt kids in China now but are unwilling to help kids here in the United States.
Below is a story of a mom and her kids that need help ! What makes it sad is that they are here in the United States.
How do you think the kids feel going to sleep hungery each nite .
CHICAGO - Danielle Brown stands outside a South Side market at midnight, braving the spring chill for her first chance to buy groceries since her food stamps ran out nearly two weeks ago.
For days, Brown has been turning cans of "whatever we got in the cabinet" into breakfast, lunch and dinner for her children, ages 1 and 3, who finished off the last of the milk and cereal long ago.
"Ain't got no food left; the kids are probably hungry," said Brown, 23, who relies heavily on her $312 monthly allotment of food stamps -- a ration adjusted just once a year, in October.
This is what the skyrocketing cost of food looks like at street level: Poor people rushing into a store in the dead of night, filling shopping carts with cereal, eggs and milk so their kids can wake up on the first day of the month to a decent meal.
Here's what it looks like another way: The number of Americans relying on food stamps has climbed 6.1 percent, from 26.1 million in February 2007 to 27.7 million in February this year. Every state except for Arkansas and Colorado saw the food-stamp rolls increase, led by Nevada and Florida -- both also hit hard by the housing crisis.
The sputtering economy, persistent unemployment and the mortgage crisis have all contributed to the increase. The U.S. Agriculture Department expects the overall number of participants to reach 28 million next year.
It all paints a picture that experts say is becoming more grim every month.
"People with incomes below the poverty threshold are in dire straits because not only are food prices increasing, but the food stamps they are receiving have not increased," said Dr. John Cook, an associate professor at Boston University's medical school who has studied the effects of the food-stamp program on children.
On the South Side of Chicago, what it means is that people like Danielle Brown wait for the stroke of midnight, when one month gives way to another and brings a new allotment of food stamps.
Dennis Kladis began opening his One Stop Food & Liquors once a month at midnight nine months ago to give desperate families a chance to buy food as soon as possible.
"I'm telling you, by the end of the month they're just dying to get back to the first," said Kladis, who has watched other area stores follow his lead. "Obviously, they are struggling to get through the month."
ON THE RUN ALLAN
MOVING TO A PLACE YOU CANT TAKE YOUR PET
Need to find your pet a new home? Business finds matches -- -- OrlandoSentinel.comAmy C. Rippel | Special to the Sentinel
May 29, 2008
When Ernie Walker realized he had to give up his dog Java, it was a difficult decision. Life changes, including a divorce, forced him to find a new home for the year-old chocolate Labrador retriever.
But Walker didn't want the pup going just anywhere. It needed to be a special home.
That's where Lovin' Pet Home Finders came in.
Within a few days, the pet-adoption agency in Winter Park had Java placed in a Kissimmee home. The company, started by Garvin Mark, specializes in pairing pets with adoptive owners. Its Web site says it helps "throughout the entire USA."
"I know the Humane Society is free, but I just like the idea of knowing my pet is all set," said Walker, who lives in the Baldwin Park neighborhood of Orlando.
It all started about three years ago, when Mark was in a similar situation with his own dog, Murphy. Mark, 40, had just married and was traveling more for his management-consulting job.
"I knew in my heart of hearts that I couldn't take him to a shelter," he said. "You just have to hope and pray that your pet goes to a good family."
He was lucky enough to find the right family for Murphy, but that experience was an eye-opener for Mark, who lives in Lake Mary. He started his pet-placement business two years ago.
Mark said pet owners use his placement service when they can no longer find the time in their lives for their pets, whether because of a job change, a baby or other circumstances.
He said many pet owners don't want to send their pets to shelters such as Orange County Animal Services' because there's uncertainty about whether the pet will be adopted.
Vanessa Bouffard, spokeswoman for Orange County Animal Services, said the average stay for a dog at the county shelter is 14 days and for a cat, about seven days. But some adoptable animals may stay for months, she said.
"When all else fails, some adoptable animals are humanely euthanized. This is the sad reality of pet overpopulation and lack of spaying and neutering by pet owners," she said.
She added that the county has a long list of pet-rescue agencies it works with daily. These agencies are registered with the county and are required to have inspections, among other things. She said consumers should be cautious when using private pet-placement agencies and understand the responsibilities of pet ownership.
"It's just like with any other business -- it's good to do your homework," she said. "People don't have to be leery. Just know what you're getting into."
Mark said Lovin' Pet Home Finders is not a pet rescue but rather a way for pet owners to get matched with caring new owners. The company is not registered with Orange County Animal Services because it deals only with pets that are already in loving homes, Mark said.
"Rescues usually deal with saving the lives of homeless and abandoned pets," he said. "We are different and did not want to be another rescue. There are [thousands] of rescues. We wanted to create our own niche."
For placement through Lovin' Pet Home Finders, people who have dogs or cats they want to be adopted must fill out an application about the animal's traits, health and habits. Prospective owners also fill out applications and answer questions about where the pet will live and their habits.
Mark said he searches his resources to find a match, including his waiting list for potential adoptive owners. He also advertises in online classifieds, among other places. The owner and prospective owner then meet. The company, which Mark said places most pets within seven days, charges both owner and prospective adopter a fee: $90 for both the owner and adopter of a dog, and $90 for the owner of a cat and $50 for the adopter.
Kyle Hawk of Windermere said he was skeptical at first when he found the company after an Internet search. But he needed to find a new home for his cat, Belle. The 3-year-old feline was not getting along with the dog in Hawk's home.
Belle's new owner traveled from Fort Myers to pick her up.
"I didn't want her to be caged and maybe mishandled," Hawk said of Belle. "It was just the perfect fit."
May 29, 2008
When Ernie Walker realized he had to give up his dog Java, it was a difficult decision. Life changes, including a divorce, forced him to find a new home for the year-old chocolate Labrador retriever.
But Walker didn't want the pup going just anywhere. It needed to be a special home.
That's where Lovin' Pet Home Finders came in.
Within a few days, the pet-adoption agency in Winter Park had Java placed in a Kissimmee home. The company, started by Garvin Mark, specializes in pairing pets with adoptive owners. Its Web site says it helps "throughout the entire USA."
"I know the Humane Society is free, but I just like the idea of knowing my pet is all set," said Walker, who lives in the Baldwin Park neighborhood of Orlando.
It all started about three years ago, when Mark was in a similar situation with his own dog, Murphy. Mark, 40, had just married and was traveling more for his management-consulting job.
"I knew in my heart of hearts that I couldn't take him to a shelter," he said. "You just have to hope and pray that your pet goes to a good family."
He was lucky enough to find the right family for Murphy, but that experience was an eye-opener for Mark, who lives in Lake Mary. He started his pet-placement business two years ago.
Mark said pet owners use his placement service when they can no longer find the time in their lives for their pets, whether because of a job change, a baby or other circumstances.
He said many pet owners don't want to send their pets to shelters such as Orange County Animal Services' because there's uncertainty about whether the pet will be adopted.
Vanessa Bouffard, spokeswoman for Orange County Animal Services, said the average stay for a dog at the county shelter is 14 days and for a cat, about seven days. But some adoptable animals may stay for months, she said.
"When all else fails, some adoptable animals are humanely euthanized. This is the sad reality of pet overpopulation and lack of spaying and neutering by pet owners," she said.
She added that the county has a long list of pet-rescue agencies it works with daily. These agencies are registered with the county and are required to have inspections, among other things. She said consumers should be cautious when using private pet-placement agencies and understand the responsibilities of pet ownership.
"It's just like with any other business -- it's good to do your homework," she said. "People don't have to be leery. Just know what you're getting into."
Mark said Lovin' Pet Home Finders is not a pet rescue but rather a way for pet owners to get matched with caring new owners. The company is not registered with Orange County Animal Services because it deals only with pets that are already in loving homes, Mark said.
"Rescues usually deal with saving the lives of homeless and abandoned pets," he said. "We are different and did not want to be another rescue. There are [thousands] of rescues. We wanted to create our own niche."
For placement through Lovin' Pet Home Finders, people who have dogs or cats they want to be adopted must fill out an application about the animal's traits, health and habits. Prospective owners also fill out applications and answer questions about where the pet will live and their habits.
Mark said he searches his resources to find a match, including his waiting list for potential adoptive owners. He also advertises in online classifieds, among other places. The owner and prospective owner then meet. The company, which Mark said places most pets within seven days, charges both owner and prospective adopter a fee: $90 for both the owner and adopter of a dog, and $90 for the owner of a cat and $50 for the adopter.
Kyle Hawk of Windermere said he was skeptical at first when he found the company after an Internet search. But he needed to find a new home for his cat, Belle. The 3-year-old feline was not getting along with the dog in Hawk's home.
Belle's new owner traveled from Fort Myers to pick her up.
"I didn't want her to be caged and maybe mishandled," Hawk said of Belle. "It was just the perfect fit."
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
www.RentVine.com in IRAN www.RentVine.ia ??!!
Could websites like www.RentVine.com and www.SuperHomeRentals.com start a website in Iran or Cuba for rental home listings one day ?
WWW.RentVine.ia or how about .SuperHomeRentals.ca
I have always felt that if I ever did an overseas home rental website it would be in Brazil , as it has a growing middle class and is one of the ten largest economies in the world, the country has a diversified middle-income economy with wide variations in development levels and mature manufacturing, mining and agriculture sectors. Technology and services also play an important role and are growing rapidly. Brazil is a net exporter, having gone through free trade and privatization reforms in the 1990s.
HOWEVER LATELY HOME RENTALS IN CUBA MAYBE A REAL THING SOON
In Cuba, it is legal to rent private homes and apartments, otherwise known as bed and breakfasts, instead of rentl homes or vacation homes .These allow you to interact on a daily basis with Cuban people and to learn more about the Cuban culture as well. Also, if you rent a private home, you will lower your travel expenses.
At www.HavanaRentals.com they offer you a rental directory which includes: detailed descriptions and photos of each private home, prices and local area information. The best part about there service is that you can easily make your reservation online by clicking on there reservation page.
In there rental directory you will find the following types of rental homes available:
Private bedrooms with private bathroom sharing the rest of the house with the Cuban family.
Private bedrooms with independent entrance with no need to share with the Cuban family.
Complete private apartments and homes at your disposal with private entrance.
Luxurious rooms in large homes with swimming pool in residential areas of Havana.
At Havana Rentals if you make a reservation of lenghth longer than one month,
then you will get a special 20% off discount.
Havana Rentals offers booking service for lodging in Havana, Cuba.
Every homeowner listed here at Havana Rentals has the license for renting.
Since november 8th, 2004, the US dollar is no longer accepted in Cuba as before. Instead, the Cuban Convertible peso is the only accepted currency to purchase goods and services in every place where the US dollar was formerly accepted.
How can a tourist or any Cuban acquire/purchase these Cuban Convertible pesos in Cuba?
If you have US dollars, you can purchase Cuban Convertible pesos at the exchange rate 1:0,9 . Hence a 10% fine is imposed to the amount in US dollars that you want to exchange. This means that $10 US dollars equals to $9 Cuban Convertible pesos (CUC).
If you have any other currency such as Canadian Dollars, Euros, Pound Sterling, you can continue exchanging that currency into Cuban Convertible pesos at the current US dollar exchange rate in any Bank and hence be able to acquire goods and services with these Cuban Convertible pesos. The exchange rate that will be applied will be the current Bank exchange rate between the US dollar and the currency you provide. This way, instead of US dollars, you will receive Cuban Convertible pesos.
The above mentioned currency exchanges, can be carried out in any Bank within the Cuban territory, any CADECA exchange desk and also in the various International Airports in Cuba.
CADECA is the name of the government official exchange offices where you can exchange the different currencies. They are widely available in Cuba. CADECA here means "Casa De Cambio" in Spanish.
The prices in Cuba for goods and services, formerly payed in US dollars, will remain the same but must be paid with Cuban Convertible pesos. As said, this started on november 8th, 2004. The prices of the private homes will also remain the same and only Cuban Convertible pesos will be accepted as well. For this reason, the prices shown in our web site corresponding to US dollars, actually mean Cuban Convertible pesos.
On the other hand, the Cuban pesos, which are different from the Cuban Convertible pesos, will continue circulating and will be valid to purchase the goods and services that are provided (mostly for Cubans) and that are priced in Cuban pesos. The current exchange rate between the Cuban Convertible peso and the Cuban peso remains 1:24. With 1 Cuban Convertible Peso you can get 24 Cuban Pesos in any CADECA exchange desk.
We strongly discourage exchanging any currency with Cubans in the street in order to avoid being cheated. You will not be the first one who, being told by a malicious Cuban that the "Cuban pesos" are required to rent a car in Cuba, find your self exchanging $300 US dollars into 300 Cuban pesos (Cuban pesos are different from the Cuban Convertible pesos) . When this Cuban vanishes, and you unsuccesfully try to rent your car with these 300 Cuban pesos, you will realise that your initial $300 US had become less than $12 CUC because the exchange rate between CUC and the Cuban peso is 1:24.
To summarize: US dollars are no longer valid for payment in Cuba since Nov 8, 2004.
If you are planning a trip to Cuba, don´t bring US dollars as they will no longer be accepted to directly purchase goods and services here. Be aware that if you do so and bring US dollars, a fine of 10% will be imposed when exchanging these into Cuban Convertible pesos at any Bank or CADECA desk.
Instead, we strongly encourage you to bring other currencies such as Canadian Dollars, Euros or Pound Sterling. Once here you will be able to exchange these other currencies into Cuban Convertible pesos at the current exchange rate of the US dollar in the Airport upon arrival or later in any Bank or CADECA desk in the Island. This way you will avoid the 10% fine that is imposed to those having US dollars. This is important to know as you will not even be able to pay the Taxi from the Airport without Cuban Convertible pesos.
You will be able to re-exchange back the remaining of your Cuban Convertible pesos to either Canadian Dollars, Euros, Pound Sterling, etc, anytime or just before your departure in the Airport. In that case, the exchange rate that will be applied to your Cuban Convertible pesos will be the same rate between the US dollar and the Canadian Dollars, the Euro, or the Pound Sterling in each case, just as if you were providing US dollars. This means that if you provide, let´s say 100 Cuban Convertible pesos and you request Euros because you are going back to Spain, you will receive 130 EUR because the exchange rate between the US dollar and Euro is 1:1.30 .
Note there will be no 10% refund when you re-exchange back your Cuban Convertible pesos into US dollars so you will receieve the same amount of US dollars as Cuban Convertible pesos you provide. Hence you will not get back the 10% that was imposed to your US dollars, if it was the case that you brought US dollars to Cuba.
The payments issued to the homeowners for the renting services in their private homes, must be paid in Cuban Convertible pesos after November 8, 2004 as well.
They have prepared a page with photos of the most common notes of Cuban Convertible pesos so you can start getting familiar with them.
Disclaimer: The above text is for informational purposes only. Havana Rentals is not responsible for any lose or damage derivated from the information provided here.
AS FOR IRAN
Iran's Housing Boom Creates Millionaires - AOL News
TEHRAN (May 27) - Negar Ehteshami just paid the equivalent of $6 million in rials in cash for a luxurious apartment. But it is not in New York or London. It is in the capital of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
"I am a millionaire because of this 300-square-metre apartment," said Ehteshami, a 56-year-old interior designer from a rich Iranian family who has always lived in an affluent northern Tehran neighborhood.
Luxury housing rises up from a wealthy neighborhood in Tehran, Iran.
"But nothing else in my life resembles the life of a millionaire," she said, moving her Hermes handbag out of the way as she closed the window of her apartment.
"Here I feel (as though) I am inside a helicopter. I can see the whole city."
Hers is a tale with echoes in much of the West: a house price surge fuelled partly by easy lending. In Iran, however, people are still being priced out of the market.
Mansour Bagheri, a businessman living in Germany since 1980, hopes to make a fortune from this business model.
"I get loans in Europe, where I live, and buy apartments in Tehran. I am all set to become super rich," he said.
A real estate boom in the world's fourth-largest oil producer has been powered by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's economic policies since he was elected in 2005, economic analysts say.
Real estate prices surged by more than 100 percent in 2007, after rising by about 65 percent in 2006 and more than 50 percent in 2005. Some economists see huge scope for the market to keep rising as, with interest rates below inflation, Iranians seek a store of value in property.
"The high prices might be a bubble," said economist Reza Abdizadeh. "It might be fake and not logical. But it is a fact. Historically, housing prices have never dropped in Iran. The government might be able to stop prices from rising but will not succeed in lowering them."
Shortly after Ahmadinejad was elected, his government came up with a plan for "quick-impact loans," handing out substantial sums to individuals and companies with plans to create jobs in Iran where the official unemployment rate is above 10 percent.
This stimulus is also a textbook trigger for inflation and alarmed many, including the head of Iran's Central Bank, Tahmasb Mazaheri.
"It has created problems since in effect ... the main issue is massive floating capital," said economist Saeed Leylaz.
The government has said those who have used the money to invest in property and not for creating jobs will be banned from obtaining loans for five years.
Criticized by politicians and economists for his populist economic policies, Ahmadinejad cut bank interest rates despite strong liquidity growth last year. They are now well below inflation, currently above 20 percent a year.
Super Jump
"When there is no other opportunity to invest, and interest rates of banks are around 16 percent, naturally money flows to real estate," said Ali Afshari, a real estate agent.
The government has tried unsuccessfully to rein in prices.
With one million prospective owners coming on to the market each year and Iran capable of building only 600,000 new homes a year, conservative politician Mohammad Khoshchehreh said there was a shortage of 1.6 million homes.
Hamid Taghavi, a government employee with two children, sold his 60-square-metre apartment in Tehran to pay for his son's wedding in 2007. It has since become difficult for him even to rent a smaller apartment.
"I wanted to buy a smaller apartment with the rest of the money, but it seems at the age of 55 I will be homeless in less than two years," he said.
Stoking the fire, some real estate brokers and analysts forecast a "super jump" in prices in the coming months amid mounting international pressure on Iran to suspend its nuclear work.
The United Nations has imposed three sets of sanctions on Iran over its disputed nuclear programme. In addition, Washington has blacklisted three of Iran's main state banks and, under U.S. pressure, European banks have also pulled out.
"Low interest rates, strong housing demand ... and the threat of additional U.N. sanctions on Iran will fuel prices," said Mehrdad Divani, a broker, expecting yet more Iranian capital to go into bricks and mortar.
Foreign capital has played a large role in the market's success, because of money repatriated by Iranians living abroad, which analysts believe has increased since Iran was first hit by U.N. sanctions in 2006.
"Fear that assets may be frozen over the nuclear row and the economic recession in the West have accelerated money flows to Iran," said economist Bagher Safarian.
An engineer involved in mass construction of houses in southern Tehran also saw prices rising even more in 2008 as construction booms in much of the country, including in towns near Tehran, where many poorer workers live.
"People have money and they do not trust Iran's banking system because of political and economic instability," said Mansour Khalilian. "Also because the dollar and gold are losing value, people prefer to invest in real estate."
Among those hit by rising prices are Mahmoud Rahimi, a 35-year-old government employee, and his wife Simin. He said it was now impossible for them to buy a small apartment in Tehran where prices range from $2,000 to $20,000.
"If we do not eat, drink and basically do not spend a penny for 40 years, then maybe we can afford to buy a 20-square-metre house" said Rahimi. "If, of course, prices do not increase."
Iran's Housing Boom Creates Millionaires - AOL News
ON THE RUN ALLAN
WWW.RentVine.ia or how about .SuperHomeRentals.ca
I have always felt that if I ever did an overseas home rental website it would be in Brazil , as it has a growing middle class and is one of the ten largest economies in the world, the country has a diversified middle-income economy with wide variations in development levels and mature manufacturing, mining and agriculture sectors. Technology and services also play an important role and are growing rapidly. Brazil is a net exporter, having gone through free trade and privatization reforms in the 1990s.
HOWEVER LATELY HOME RENTALS IN CUBA MAYBE A REAL THING SOON
In Cuba, it is legal to rent private homes and apartments, otherwise known as bed and breakfasts, instead of rentl homes or vacation homes .These allow you to interact on a daily basis with Cuban people and to learn more about the Cuban culture as well. Also, if you rent a private home, you will lower your travel expenses.
At www.HavanaRentals.com they offer you a rental directory which includes: detailed descriptions and photos of each private home, prices and local area information. The best part about there service is that you can easily make your reservation online by clicking on there reservation page.
In there rental directory you will find the following types of rental homes available:
Private bedrooms with private bathroom sharing the rest of the house with the Cuban family.
Private bedrooms with independent entrance with no need to share with the Cuban family.
Complete private apartments and homes at your disposal with private entrance.
Luxurious rooms in large homes with swimming pool in residential areas of Havana.
At Havana Rentals if you make a reservation of lenghth longer than one month,
then you will get a special 20% off discount.
Havana Rentals offers booking service for lodging in Havana, Cuba.
Every homeowner listed here at Havana Rentals has the license for renting.
Since november 8th, 2004, the US dollar is no longer accepted in Cuba as before. Instead, the Cuban Convertible peso is the only accepted currency to purchase goods and services in every place where the US dollar was formerly accepted.
How can a tourist or any Cuban acquire/purchase these Cuban Convertible pesos in Cuba?
If you have US dollars, you can purchase Cuban Convertible pesos at the exchange rate 1:0,9 . Hence a 10% fine is imposed to the amount in US dollars that you want to exchange. This means that $10 US dollars equals to $9 Cuban Convertible pesos (CUC).
If you have any other currency such as Canadian Dollars, Euros, Pound Sterling, you can continue exchanging that currency into Cuban Convertible pesos at the current US dollar exchange rate in any Bank and hence be able to acquire goods and services with these Cuban Convertible pesos. The exchange rate that will be applied will be the current Bank exchange rate between the US dollar and the currency you provide. This way, instead of US dollars, you will receive Cuban Convertible pesos.
The above mentioned currency exchanges, can be carried out in any Bank within the Cuban territory, any CADECA exchange desk and also in the various International Airports in Cuba.
CADECA is the name of the government official exchange offices where you can exchange the different currencies. They are widely available in Cuba. CADECA here means "Casa De Cambio" in Spanish.
The prices in Cuba for goods and services, formerly payed in US dollars, will remain the same but must be paid with Cuban Convertible pesos. As said, this started on november 8th, 2004. The prices of the private homes will also remain the same and only Cuban Convertible pesos will be accepted as well. For this reason, the prices shown in our web site corresponding to US dollars, actually mean Cuban Convertible pesos.
On the other hand, the Cuban pesos, which are different from the Cuban Convertible pesos, will continue circulating and will be valid to purchase the goods and services that are provided (mostly for Cubans) and that are priced in Cuban pesos. The current exchange rate between the Cuban Convertible peso and the Cuban peso remains 1:24. With 1 Cuban Convertible Peso you can get 24 Cuban Pesos in any CADECA exchange desk.
We strongly discourage exchanging any currency with Cubans in the street in order to avoid being cheated. You will not be the first one who, being told by a malicious Cuban that the "Cuban pesos" are required to rent a car in Cuba, find your self exchanging $300 US dollars into 300 Cuban pesos (Cuban pesos are different from the Cuban Convertible pesos) . When this Cuban vanishes, and you unsuccesfully try to rent your car with these 300 Cuban pesos, you will realise that your initial $300 US had become less than $12 CUC because the exchange rate between CUC and the Cuban peso is 1:24.
To summarize: US dollars are no longer valid for payment in Cuba since Nov 8, 2004.
If you are planning a trip to Cuba, don´t bring US dollars as they will no longer be accepted to directly purchase goods and services here. Be aware that if you do so and bring US dollars, a fine of 10% will be imposed when exchanging these into Cuban Convertible pesos at any Bank or CADECA desk.
Instead, we strongly encourage you to bring other currencies such as Canadian Dollars, Euros or Pound Sterling. Once here you will be able to exchange these other currencies into Cuban Convertible pesos at the current exchange rate of the US dollar in the Airport upon arrival or later in any Bank or CADECA desk in the Island. This way you will avoid the 10% fine that is imposed to those having US dollars. This is important to know as you will not even be able to pay the Taxi from the Airport without Cuban Convertible pesos.
You will be able to re-exchange back the remaining of your Cuban Convertible pesos to either Canadian Dollars, Euros, Pound Sterling, etc, anytime or just before your departure in the Airport. In that case, the exchange rate that will be applied to your Cuban Convertible pesos will be the same rate between the US dollar and the Canadian Dollars, the Euro, or the Pound Sterling in each case, just as if you were providing US dollars. This means that if you provide, let´s say 100 Cuban Convertible pesos and you request Euros because you are going back to Spain, you will receive 130 EUR because the exchange rate between the US dollar and Euro is 1:1.30 .
Note there will be no 10% refund when you re-exchange back your Cuban Convertible pesos into US dollars so you will receieve the same amount of US dollars as Cuban Convertible pesos you provide. Hence you will not get back the 10% that was imposed to your US dollars, if it was the case that you brought US dollars to Cuba.
The payments issued to the homeowners for the renting services in their private homes, must be paid in Cuban Convertible pesos after November 8, 2004 as well.
They have prepared a page with photos of the most common notes of Cuban Convertible pesos so you can start getting familiar with them.
Disclaimer: The above text is for informational purposes only. Havana Rentals is not responsible for any lose or damage derivated from the information provided here.
AS FOR IRAN
Iran's Housing Boom Creates Millionaires - AOL News
TEHRAN (May 27) - Negar Ehteshami just paid the equivalent of $6 million in rials in cash for a luxurious apartment. But it is not in New York or London. It is in the capital of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
"I am a millionaire because of this 300-square-metre apartment," said Ehteshami, a 56-year-old interior designer from a rich Iranian family who has always lived in an affluent northern Tehran neighborhood.
Luxury housing rises up from a wealthy neighborhood in Tehran, Iran.
"But nothing else in my life resembles the life of a millionaire," she said, moving her Hermes handbag out of the way as she closed the window of her apartment.
"Here I feel (as though) I am inside a helicopter. I can see the whole city."
Hers is a tale with echoes in much of the West: a house price surge fuelled partly by easy lending. In Iran, however, people are still being priced out of the market.
Mansour Bagheri, a businessman living in Germany since 1980, hopes to make a fortune from this business model.
"I get loans in Europe, where I live, and buy apartments in Tehran. I am all set to become super rich," he said.
A real estate boom in the world's fourth-largest oil producer has been powered by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's economic policies since he was elected in 2005, economic analysts say.
Real estate prices surged by more than 100 percent in 2007, after rising by about 65 percent in 2006 and more than 50 percent in 2005. Some economists see huge scope for the market to keep rising as, with interest rates below inflation, Iranians seek a store of value in property.
"The high prices might be a bubble," said economist Reza Abdizadeh. "It might be fake and not logical. But it is a fact. Historically, housing prices have never dropped in Iran. The government might be able to stop prices from rising but will not succeed in lowering them."
Shortly after Ahmadinejad was elected, his government came up with a plan for "quick-impact loans," handing out substantial sums to individuals and companies with plans to create jobs in Iran where the official unemployment rate is above 10 percent.
This stimulus is also a textbook trigger for inflation and alarmed many, including the head of Iran's Central Bank, Tahmasb Mazaheri.
"It has created problems since in effect ... the main issue is massive floating capital," said economist Saeed Leylaz.
The government has said those who have used the money to invest in property and not for creating jobs will be banned from obtaining loans for five years.
Criticized by politicians and economists for his populist economic policies, Ahmadinejad cut bank interest rates despite strong liquidity growth last year. They are now well below inflation, currently above 20 percent a year.
Super Jump
"When there is no other opportunity to invest, and interest rates of banks are around 16 percent, naturally money flows to real estate," said Ali Afshari, a real estate agent.
The government has tried unsuccessfully to rein in prices.
With one million prospective owners coming on to the market each year and Iran capable of building only 600,000 new homes a year, conservative politician Mohammad Khoshchehreh said there was a shortage of 1.6 million homes.
Hamid Taghavi, a government employee with two children, sold his 60-square-metre apartment in Tehran to pay for his son's wedding in 2007. It has since become difficult for him even to rent a smaller apartment.
"I wanted to buy a smaller apartment with the rest of the money, but it seems at the age of 55 I will be homeless in less than two years," he said.
Stoking the fire, some real estate brokers and analysts forecast a "super jump" in prices in the coming months amid mounting international pressure on Iran to suspend its nuclear work.
The United Nations has imposed three sets of sanctions on Iran over its disputed nuclear programme. In addition, Washington has blacklisted three of Iran's main state banks and, under U.S. pressure, European banks have also pulled out.
"Low interest rates, strong housing demand ... and the threat of additional U.N. sanctions on Iran will fuel prices," said Mehrdad Divani, a broker, expecting yet more Iranian capital to go into bricks and mortar.
Foreign capital has played a large role in the market's success, because of money repatriated by Iranians living abroad, which analysts believe has increased since Iran was first hit by U.N. sanctions in 2006.
"Fear that assets may be frozen over the nuclear row and the economic recession in the West have accelerated money flows to Iran," said economist Bagher Safarian.
An engineer involved in mass construction of houses in southern Tehran also saw prices rising even more in 2008 as construction booms in much of the country, including in towns near Tehran, where many poorer workers live.
"People have money and they do not trust Iran's banking system because of political and economic instability," said Mansour Khalilian. "Also because the dollar and gold are losing value, people prefer to invest in real estate."
Among those hit by rising prices are Mahmoud Rahimi, a 35-year-old government employee, and his wife Simin. He said it was now impossible for them to buy a small apartment in Tehran where prices range from $2,000 to $20,000.
"If we do not eat, drink and basically do not spend a penny for 40 years, then maybe we can afford to buy a 20-square-metre house" said Rahimi. "If, of course, prices do not increase."
Iran's Housing Boom Creates Millionaires - AOL News
ON THE RUN ALLAN
Orlando Has A New Rental Site www.OrlandoRentalAds.com
Orlando Has A New Rental Site ROBBIE OF WWW.FIRSTCOASTRENTALADS.COM HAS A NEW SITE FOR HOME RENTALS IN ORLANDO ,FL SO IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR RENTALS OR NEED TO LIST SOME IN ORLANDO CHECK HIM OUT ! HIS NEW SITE IS WWW.ORLANDORENTALADS.COM -- ROBBIE IS ALSO WORKING ON SOME NEW SITES SO MAYBE HE WILL HAVE ONE SOON FOR THOSE IN TAMPA OR PANAMA CITY
ON THE RUN ALLAN
ON THE RUN ALLAN
www.RENTOMATIC.com LOWERS PRICES and IT'S MORE THEN WORTH IT !
If you never used them this is a great time to ,I love there service and use them and for them to lower there price , WOW!! as they have always given me great service ! SO CHECK THEM OUT TODAY !
Rentomatic Upgrade to the Advanced plan today and receive your discounted full service price! Rentomatic makes owning and managing properties easier.
With Rentomatic, you can easily:
* Advertise your properties on several top real estate sites automatically
* Manage income, expenses, cash flow & reports
* Track maintenance requests, lease and tenant information
* Automate rent payment processing and invoicing!
..and much much more!
Get the Rentomatic Advanced plan at the special rate of $25/mo today (16% monthly savings).
Click here to upgrade with a discount: https://www.rentomatic.com/upgrade
Offer ends soon, Monday June 3, 2008.
Have questions? Call them at (800) 561-0693 ext. 708
Allison Atsiknoudas
Chief Executive
Investment Instruments Corp
aa@rentomatic.com
Become a happy landlord with Rentomatic!
Three ways Rentomatic will make you smile:
Gain control and visibility of your properties anytime, anywhere. Advertise, manage finances, real-time data tools, and more.
Connect with your tenants: communicate, track maintenance,
and receive payments – we invoice for you.
Automate rents: the only service to process both checks and Advanced Plan $25/month
Unlimited Leases and Phone SupportAdvertise vacancies Track leases & tenants Unlimited online tenant accounts Maintenance tracking Full income & expense tracking Financial & tax reports Alerts & reminders Direct customer support line
online payments. We take care of billing, collection, deposit, and
accounting updates.
ON THE RUN ALLAN
Rentomatic Upgrade to the Advanced plan today and receive your discounted full service price! Rentomatic makes owning and managing properties easier.
With Rentomatic, you can easily:
* Advertise your properties on several top real estate sites automatically
* Manage income, expenses, cash flow & reports
* Track maintenance requests, lease and tenant information
* Automate rent payment processing and invoicing!
..and much much more!
Get the Rentomatic Advanced plan at the special rate of $25/mo today (16% monthly savings).
Click here to upgrade with a discount: https://www.rentomatic.com/upgrade
Offer ends soon, Monday June 3, 2008.
Have questions? Call them at (800) 561-0693 ext. 708
Allison Atsiknoudas
Chief Executive
Investment Instruments Corp
aa@rentomatic.com
Become a happy landlord with Rentomatic!
Three ways Rentomatic will make you smile:
Gain control and visibility of your properties anytime, anywhere. Advertise, manage finances, real-time data tools, and more.
Connect with your tenants: communicate, track maintenance,
and receive payments – we invoice for you.
Automate rents: the only service to process both checks and Advanced Plan $25/month
Unlimited Leases and Phone SupportAdvertise vacancies Track leases & tenants Unlimited online tenant accounts Maintenance tracking Full income & expense tracking Financial & tax reports Alerts & reminders Direct customer support line
online payments. We take care of billing, collection, deposit, and
accounting updates.
ON THE RUN ALLAN
eSnailer proves there's no free lunch | Webware : Cool Web apps for everyone
eSnailer proves there's no free lunch | Webware : Cool Web apps for everyoneDespite the ubiquity of e-mail in all of our lives, most of us probably know someone who still doesn't use it. (Hi, Grandma!) And when was the last time any of us wrote and sent a letter via snail mail? A new service called eSnailer promises to bridge that gap by sending your virtual messages to actual mailboxes for free, but the whole process may cost you much more time and aggravation than the price of a first-class stamp.
If eSnailer seems too good to be true, you're right. It is supported by advertising, and in order to have your letter delivered, you'll have to sign up for one of its "free offers." According to eSnailer, "This is at no cost or hassle to you and takes truly no time," but when you go through the actual process of sending a letter, you'll discover that the advertising offers are provided by MyInsiderDeals, a site rated "very spammy" by McAfee SiteAdvisor. After signing up at MyInsiderDeals, the SiteAdvisor team received 240 e-mails per week.
You must select one advertising offer to send your letter via eSnailer.
(Credit: CNET Networks)The other big warning sign for eSnailer is the lack of a privacy policy. On any site that asks for personal information like e-mail address, home address, phone number, or age, you should always read the privacy policy first. If there is none, your information can be sold to nearly anyone who wants it.
If eSnailer seems too good to be true, you're right. It is supported by advertising, and in order to have your letter delivered, you'll have to sign up for one of its "free offers." According to eSnailer, "This is at no cost or hassle to you and takes truly no time," but when you go through the actual process of sending a letter, you'll discover that the advertising offers are provided by MyInsiderDeals, a site rated "very spammy" by McAfee SiteAdvisor. After signing up at MyInsiderDeals, the SiteAdvisor team received 240 e-mails per week.
You must select one advertising offer to send your letter via eSnailer.
(Credit: CNET Networks)The other big warning sign for eSnailer is the lack of a privacy policy. On any site that asks for personal information like e-mail address, home address, phone number, or age, you should always read the privacy policy first. If there is none, your information can be sold to nearly anyone who wants it.
New Century Travel bus- Daily bus between New York Washington DC and Philadelphia online tickets
New Century Travel bus- Daily bus between New York Washington DC and Philadelphia online tickets IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A LOW COST WAY TO TRAVEL THIS MAY BE IT -RATES ARE LIKE $20 .00 WITH GAS PRICE'S SO HIGH I HOPE THIS HELPS OUT PEOPLE LOOKING TO GO SEE THERE FAMILY THIS SUMMER THEIR WEBSITE IS WWW.2000COACH.COM
ON THE RUN ALLAN
ON THE RUN ALLAN
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