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Showing posts from March, 2012

Getting away to Koh Phangan

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Something that I have noticed over the past ten years is how much tourism has increased in Southeast Asia, and how it's referred to as the new Caribbean. The area has always been beautiful and natural, but there were no hotels, places to stay or activities for tourists. That has since changed as the region continues to develop new hotels, villas and transportation methods. One Island that I looked closely at was the Koh Phangan island, which has done tremendous development to accommodate tourism, while still maintaining beautiful beaches and a natural pristine environment. If you are searching for Ko Phangan houses and rental villas , there are many available and on the market. Because the area is so young to tourism, the prices ares still quite low.

Top 10 Tips for First-Time Home Buyers

Buying a house can be intimidating. But it doesn't have to be! We’ve compiled the Top 10 Tips for first time home buyers. They are presented in chronological order. If you have any questions, please contact us and we’ll certainly get back to you. 1. Should I Even Buy? There is nothing wrong with renting and in many cases it’s the smart move. A critical factor to consider is how long you expect to live in the house. Some experts believe that you’ll need to stay for at least 36 months. Of course, that will depend on the price you pay for the home, it’s current value and rate of appreciation. It is good to note that in today’s “easy” credit environment, lenders are increasingly willing to loan large sums of money to purchase a house with a very small down payment. So, just because you don’t have a lot of money available for a down payment, it doesn’t mean you can’t buy a house. While creditors are still out looking for new customers, the days of loaning money to anyone with a hear

The Art Of Hanging Art from a Professional

By Dana J. Smithers This article originally appeared here:  http://www.presstaging.com/resources/articles/the_art_of_hanging_art.php Have you ever walked into someone's home and had to really control yourself not to walk over to a piece of art and rehang it. I have, and anyone in the business of decorating, redesigning or staging spends hours doing behind the scenes work that our clients will never know we have done. Since I teach courses in Redesign and Home Staging I always tell my students that even though the client's don't know what we do, I can sleep soundly at night because I know I hung the art professionally. Art is really part of the 'icing on the cake' along with accessories (that's a whole other topic) and is one of the key steps in creating a professional look in your home. There is an abundance of different styles and price ranges of art available to all of us. The important thing in choosing your art is to ensure that is coordinates wit

Traveling the Swiss Alps

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Image via Wikipedia Whether you are an avid skiier looking for the a new thrill or a summertime hiker looking for natural beauty, the Swiss Alps are on of the top destinations to visit. Here are a few top destinations within the Swiss Alps region so you can start planning your next visit. Hang Gliding There are very few locations that are suitable for hang gliding and the Swiss Alps are one of them. It doesn't matter if you are a pro or have no experience. It's an activity suitable for anyone, assuming you don't have an intense fear of heights! Visit Dufourspitze   The highest peak in the Swiss Alps is also one of the iconic images of the country. Visible from many locations and countries, this is certainly a sight worth seeing. Guided Tours Sometimes its best to let someone else do all the work for you. There are many guided tours available that make stops at all the big attractions around Switzerland, and there are many that are specific for skiing or hiking. I

Box Springs Mountain

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Image via Wikipedia Box Springs Mountain is the highest peak in the Box Springs Mountains range, and is one of the defining and scenic images of the area. The mountain is known for its great hiking trails and animal inhabitants of lizards, snakes, coyotes, bobcats, mountain lions, bears, deer and burros. The mountain has some other defining features. The mountain got its name when travelers would stop to water their horses in a natural spring, which was surrounded by a box to maintain its water. Today the mountain is known for a letter C, known as the "Big C", that is embedded in the side of the mountain and is visible from quite a distance. This was built in the 1950s by UC Riverside students. However, that is not the only letter on the mountain. The letter M was embedded on the side of the mountain facing the Moreno Valley. In 2009, the letter M was lit up as a celebration of the 25th anniversary. If you are looking to live in the area to take advantage of this great

Orlando Florida Real Estate

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Image via Wikipedia Now that it is spring break season, one of the things that is on my mind is Florida and all the great times I had there as a kid. One of my favorite places to visit was the Orlando area, and not just because of Disney World (Although that was a top reason). Although the Florida real estate market has seen some tough times over the years, the area is booming and there are a good selection of  Orlando homes for sale  to meet the increased demands. Here are a few reasons why: Despite rising gas prices, students from all over the world flock to Florida and Orlando during the spring break season giving the state an annual economic boost, and this year is no different. Among other factors, that is thanks to airlines lowering their airline costs this season and making it easier for price sensitive students to travel the distance. After a rough economic stretch, housing prices stabilized at the beginning of last year, and have since gradually increased at a healthy rate

Tucson Arizona - The Real Southwest

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  Mission San Xavier del Bac Located in Southern Arizona, Tucson is one of the oldest continually inhabited areas in North America.  Hohokam Indians lived and, surprisingly, farmed the area for over 4,000 years before Spanish missionaries and soldiers arrived in the late 1600s. The “newcomers” arrived from Spain in the 1700s and founded the Mission San Xavier del Bac and Presido San Agustin del Tucson.  These two structures have become the most historically significant in the area.  The Tucson Presidio was surrounded by an adobe wall and became know as “The Old Pueblo” and still is the nickname for the City of Tucson today. Although once part of Mexico, Tucson became part of the United States in 1854.  Today, Tucson, the second largest city in Arizona is a vibrant city that has become not only a resort destination, but the home for almost a million people.  Tucson is the County seat of Pima County which includes The towns of Marana , Oro Valley , Green Valley , Sahuarita and

A House Is A Tool To Live The Life You Want

You don't buy a vacuum cleaner because you want a vacuum cleaner. You buy a vacuum cleaner because you want clean carpets. The difference is subtle but important. It's the same with money. You don't want a million dollars because you want a million dollars. You want a million dollars, because with a million dollar you could... [insert whatever it is you would do or feel with a million dollars]. It's the same with houses. A house is simply a tool to live the life you want. Sometimes what you really want isn't in the price range you are looking for, or in the town you are looking in, or it's bigger or smaller than the houses you are looking at. Or it's a condo when you've been looking at single family homes, or the other way round. The house you buy will influence your life for years to come. It's worth asking yourself "what sort of lifestyle do I want?" before blindly seeing houses just hoping something jumps out at you. Do you want to

Languedoc Southern France

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Image via Wikipedia I have a friend that recently returned from a tour of Europe, and one of her favorite places she visited was the Langedoc region of Southern France. I had heard of the region before, and if I ever have the opportunity to travel Europe it is a top place on my list to see. The area is best known for two things, wine and coast. The region's topography is incredibly unique and the area produces a third of France's wine. The coastline along the Mediterranean Sea is gorgeous and in many areas is completely undeveloped. The area has high international demand, and is considered one of the most luxurious locations to live in all of the world. If you are adventurous and are looking for an estate agent in the Languedoc Southern France region, then you certainly will want to locate the right agent who can speak your language. Luckily, Google is quite good at translating languages on websites so you can at least find where the contact information is on the website.