Entries from December 2009
Ben King/Startracks
The former star of “Jon & Kate Plus Eight” who has spent so much time recently in the tabloids after his very public split with his wife of 10 years earlier this year, spent his Christmas with his eight kids in Pennsylvania. Apparently someone did not wish for Gosselin to have any holiday cheer, and vandalized his New York city apartment while he was away celebrating. His television, Nintendo Wii, coffee maker, CD player, pots, pans and other dishes were stolen and most of his other possessions were strewn about and slashed with a butcher knife. “[He] called me this afternoon . . . when he entered his apartment in Manhattan and was horrified, disheartened and saddened to observe the devastation of his furniture, clothing and personal belongings, which were apparently slashed with a butcher knife by a very troubled and sick perpetrator,” Gosselin’s lawyer, Mark Jay Heller, said in a statement Saturday. “Jon immediately contacted me and facilitated the able assistance of the New York City Police Department who immediately dispatched an experienced detective to Jon’s apartment,” (People). Jon was traumatized and horrified that someone would go to such great lengths to ruin the rest of his holidays after just having had a wonderful time with his kids for Christmas.
Categories: just for fun
Photo courtesy of AP’s Joshua Trujillo
Boeing shares jumped $4 last Thursday when the Chicago based company announced the test flight date which comes after two years of delays. The Dreamliner, Boeing’s newest 787 took flight at 10:28am on December 15th, 2009 from Paine Field near Everett, Washington. It stayed aloft for more than 3 hours landing south of Seattle. The 787 jetliner is new phase of passenger planes with lightweight carbon based composite parts, fuel efficiency and lower emissions and community noise. The plane suffered 5 delays spread out over a two-year period which cost the company billions of dollars. Despite the lower demand for air travel and weak economy, Boeing already has orders for 850 Dreamliners with the first to be delivered to Japan’s All Nippon Airwayslate sometime next year.
The long-awaited success of this flight will boost communities near the plants as jobs are secured and created. Upsurge in jobs from companies like Boeing create opportunities for the community and raises the economy as people can now afford to buy more. This also creates a real estate boom in both property for sale and rent as they cater to new workers in the area. After an eight week strike by Seattle-area Boeing production workers, the company decided to use North Charleston, South Carolina as a second site for their 787 assembly line. While this is great news for the South Carolina economy, as each Boeing job creates enough spending for up to three other jobs, these are jobs that won’t be created near their Everett, Washington plant. Here’s to hoping the second Dreamliner that is slated to fly before the end of the year makes it up and Boeing is able to get successfully through all the testing required by the FAA on time.
Here is more information on the Boeing Dreamliner.
Categories: food for thought
A building or structure can be famous for many reasons. It could be the first of its kind or the location of an annual event. Then again, the building or structure could be known for less desirable reasons. Maybe an infamous scandal happened there? Or perhaps the place is a great spot to kill yourself. Now… these are NOT suggestions. Unless you’re terminally ill, killing yourself is never the best option; in fact it makes you a complete jackass, if not worse. Heck, even putting your own lights out when you are terminally ill is considered a big no-no by some. So enjoy this list as you would a car wreck. Hey, we all look (and after sitting through traffic for an hour we deserve a free show). So enjoy! …Just don’t get any ideas. (more…)
Categories: just for fun
Finding a decent renter in today’s market can be a challenge especially this time of year. This top five list should give you some ideas on how to keep from letting your property stand vacant too long.
- Post signs! Avoid using signs that say “vacant” or “rentals available” and instead utilize signage stating “Available Soon.” People driving by is the number one method potential tenants use to find a rental property. If your road is not heavily trafficked, use directional signage and attach ribbons or balloons to attract attention. Be sure to add your contact information, number of bedrooms and price on your sign.
- First impressions are everything, so make sure the outside of your property is presentable. Landscaping should look nice and seasonal. Use holiday decorations during the holiday months. Curb appeal is very important.
- Talk your property up to all your acquaintances and neighboring tenants. Recommendations are the second highest method to renting out your unit.
- Post a small ad in the newspaper citing the address and price. Small ads are actually just as visible as large ones and may actually attract more potential tenants.
- Location, curb appeal, number of bedrooms, neighbors and price (in that order usually) are the first things renters look for in a property, but if your property passes those tests the interior will be important as well. Furnish only what is necessary and check your competition.
While these are some of the most important tips for attracting potential tenants, keep in mind there are other important factors as well. Make sure that you are available from 9-9 or list hours you are available for a phone conversation. This initial conversation can make or break your rental agreement. Be sure to offer price and talk about the interior and other features. Be aware that placing too many limitations on potential tenants (i.e. no pets, waterbeds, children or minimum income) may take your property out of the running.
Categories: property management
According to Forbes the most affordable cities to live in are ranked by stable employment rates, low-cost of living, short commute times, low property taxes and stable housing markets. Most of these markets didn’t go through the same boom in housing sales the rest of the country did a few years ago, meaning they did not have as many subprime loans or foreclosures. These markets instead have remained stable making home prices and job markets a little better than most of the rest of the country. Several of these markets weren’t as appealing to buyers during the boom which insulated them from the boom and crash as well. Buyers and sellers weren’t attracted to these markets then which makes them more attractive now.
Here is a list of the top five most affordable metros in the United States:
- Omaha, Nebraska
The most affordable city is Omaha, Nebraska which is also the number one ranking city surviving the recession. Several Great Plains cities made the list including Wichita, Kansas (Number 6) and Tulsa, Oklahoma (Number 19) as opposed to the coastal metro areas that were hit hard during the housing crisis. The Great Plains didn’t overbuild and weren’t as affected by the overeager developers rushing new housing projects.
2. Little Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock has a median home price of roughly $163,000 making it a great market to buy into with low unemployment rates and a good three-year job forecast.
3. Jackson, Mississippi
The Jackson metro area has great commute times and low real estate taxes. Foreclosures are also low and homes are affordable.
4. Des Moines, Iowa
Home-price affordability is above average in Des Moines and the unemployment rate is very low (6%). The three-year home price forecast is also good and the metro area boasts few foreclosures.
5. Augusta, Georgia
Another southern city to make the top 5, Augusta boasts very low real estate taxes and the second-lowest average commute time to work. Job forecast outlook is also good with low foreclosure rates as well. Nearby resort towns are devastated by home price speculators that ran up home prices, but largely stayed away from other southeastern cities like Augusta, Columbia (Number 12) and Greenville (Number 20).
For a complete list of affordable cities see forbes.com.
Categories: Real Estate Trends
December 2, 2009 · 1 Comment
Huffington Post
For the first time in over a decade the average size of home in the United States has shrunk while the average home size in Australia grew 10 percent making them the largest in the world for the 2008/2009 financial year. This is believed to be largely due to the recession in the United States. People can’t afford to build bigger and better and larger home prices are plummeting causing builders to slow building. The average home size in America right now has gone down to 201.5 square meters or 2,169 square feet from 212 square meters or 2,282 square feet while Australian homes are averaging a record 214.6 square meters (2,310 sq ft).
Houses are getting bigger in Australia and so are the families. Kids are staying home longer and population is rising causing the average number of people living in a home to increase from 2.51 to 2.56 according to the Australian Board of Statistic. This is the first rise of this nature in over 100 years. This is due in part to the cost of housing and moving and also a housing shortage. Population is growing faster than builders can accomodate and Australians are deciding to make the best of their current resources. Larger homes for more people are more efficient than multiple smaller homes for fewer individuals.
Homes in other parts of the world are far smaller with Denmark boasting the largest homes in Europe at 137 square meters. The next closest is Greece with the average home size sitting at 126 square meters and then the Netherlands at 115.5 square meters. The smallest home size in Europe is the United Kingdom where houses are only 76 square meters on average.
Categories: food for thought · just for fun
