81-year-old Scotch sells for $54,000

NEW YORK - A bottle of 81-year-old Scotch sold for $54,000 at this New York's first liquor auction since Prohibition.

An anonymous collector bought the pricey potable at Christie's sale of wines and spirits on Saturday.

The 100-lot auction sold a total of $304,800 worth of rare wine and liquor.

The top lot was a collection of 729 bottles of whisky, which went for $102,000.

The $54,000 bottle was distilled at Macallan in Scotland in 1926, bottled in 1986 and rebottled in 2002.

Prohibition lasted from 1920 to 1933, but New York State did not allow auctions of spirits until this year.

The auction prices include Christie's 20 percent commission.

Why Columbia County Foreclosures Are Skyrocketing

Foreclosure listings in Columbia County come from a variety of places. Banks, mortgage companies, HUD, and just about anyone who has a stake in the real estate market. If you are searching for Columbia county foreclosures, you should not have much trouble, as there are numerous homes from which to choose.

Often times a home can be purchased for a minimal investment. Every day homes sell at public auction to satisfy lien holders who are trying to recoup some of the money they have invested in these homes. Foreclosures can be purchased beginning at a few thousand dollars to several hundred thousand. It depends upon the amount owed to the finance company or bank that originated the mortgage.

Banks and mortgage companies, as well as other lenders, do not want to foreclose on a home. That is the worst-case scenario. They really would like the home purchaser to continue paying for the home. However, they have money invested in these properties and need to recognize a return on their money.

Many things can affect foreclosures. When the economy is down and joblessness is up the foreclosure levels rise. Many people find themselves at a lower paying job than they previously had and can no longer afford to keep up house payments. Divorce or a death can influence the foreclosure market.

In the first 3 months of 2007, 2.4 out of a 1000 homeowners were faced with foreclosure. If you are thinking of buying a foreclosed home, several companies have current listings. Some of these companies have programs to walk you through the process of buying a foreclosed property.

If you are considering buying a Columbia County foreclosure, buy when the home is in pre-foreclosure status. If you wait until it becomes real estate owned property, you will pay more for it than you would have had you bought it in pre-foreclosure. The foreclosed property will become real estate owned when a default auction is held. The bank or mortgage company will bid up to the amount owed on the home. If no one else bids higher, it goes back to the bank that loaned the money for the home in the first place so it can be put back on the market.

Foreclosures are one of the ways you can purchase a home that is delinquent due to the previous owner not paying the payments. A deficiency judgment must be signed by the lender if the home sells for less than what is owed. This is another way of saving money if you are in the market to buy a home. Some of the foreclosed properties have been neglected somewhat by the previous owners however; it should not take a lot to put them back in their pre-foreclosed shape. Still, overall, foreclosures are one of the best routes to go if you are looking to buy a home.

Exotic Aphrodisiacs - Hard to Find Treats for Exotic Sex!

Let’s get down to history on this: Aphrodisiacs-the term being derived from the name of the Greek goddess of sensuality, Aphrodite-are agents used to increase sexual desire. They may be found in drugs, food, and herbs. And though no medical research has really strongly proven its validity, people continuously patronize the idea that aphrodisiacs help ’bring about love’ and ’encourage sex’ (I do!).

Perhaps we can credit this to its high level of availability and that aphrodisiacs too are affordable. If you have an outstanding budget, you may opt to buy the processed ones like the ones found in drugs. But if you want to add more sensuality into the whole affair, live dangerously and opt for the more exotic ones! Remember, the rarer-to-find aphrodisiacs are the ones that are said to produce the best sex!

Atta Laevigata
This one may put you off, but you should never discredit Atta Laevigata. This can be found mostly in Colombia and Paraguay. It is one of the dozens of species of leafcutter ants in the genus Atta. Ants, since ancient times, have seriously been considered as an aphrodisiac.

Spanish Fly
The Spanish fly, which is actually a beetle, has been used as an aphrodisiac for many centuries already. This is done by crushing the beetle and turning it into powder before being ingested. The Spanish fly is considered an aphrodisiac because it is believed to help trigger the flow of blood to the genitals, making you very much stimulated.
However, contrary to old beliefs, recent reports say that it actually causes irritation and swelling. And, in severe doses, it may even lead to nausea, vomiting, and death. So I don’t think that’s a very nice aphrodisiac. I’m sharing this, however, just to keep you updated. In everything, always be careful.

Sparrows
Sparrows may not be quite rare these days but believe it or not, they were believed to be exotic and erotic birds by the ancient Greeks. They used to mash up the bird’s brain and consume it (yeah, ugh!). The results were said to be superb, exceptional even. But I can’t guarantee if your honey will like the idea. You may tell her it’s just soy. Yum!

Catuaba
Here’s another exotic aphrodisiac. The Catuaba is taken from the bark of a tree, which can only be found in the Amazon jungle (wow! talk about exotic). Of the people who have dared to try it, a whopping 50% testifies to its efficacy! They claim that their libido fired up and were so much more stimulated compared to the effects of other aphrodisiacs.

Marapuama
This next one won’t make you happier. The Marapuama is very popular among the natives of the Amazon region for centuries. Taken from the leaves of a jungle plant, the Marapuama can increase a man’s desire for sexual activity.

Guarana
In Brazil, you will find an aphrodisiac that is equated to cola-based soda products. The Guarana soda is loaded with stimulants such as caffeine. It’s actually the seeds that, when powdered, have the ultimate effect on one’s desire for sexual activity.

Unha de Gato
The Unha de Gato or cat’s claw is a popular treatment in Brazil for circulation disorders and an anti-inflammatory for the prostate, genitals, and ovaries. Its effect extends to the rush of blood to the genital area, thus improving the chances of ’wild sex’.

Cocoa
Cocoa, which is abundant in the Philippines, is the source of chocolates. And since chocolates are an aphrodisiac (actually, it’s serotinin that heightens your senses), that makes the source an aphrodisiac too. It may be used most effectively in its powder form.

Noz de Cola
The Noz de Cola is more popularly known in America as the Cola Fruit, which is the basic ingredient in making cola products. It is known to be a stimulant that increases blood flow. (And this is probably why some people claim that softdrinks are aphrodisiacs!)

Alligator and Piranha Meat
Exotic soups made from alligator and piranha meat may not sound so delectable to us. But in the Amazon region and in Brazil, these soups are the best aphrodisiacs. In fact, in Brazil, the piranha is revered as a symbol of sexuality and power. (Yes, I really did say piranha for sexuality?)

My list may be a bit eclectic but I did say I was going to present ’exotic aphrodisiacs’ right? And don’t fret if I indicated that some of these aphrodisiacs are from other countries. Thanks to the Internet, you can probably order these items - in bulk even - online. So don’t let ’land of origin’ be a concern. After all, do you want truly great, earth-shattering sex with her tonight or not?

Your Prosperity and Your Trials

Life happens to us all, and at some point in time we all experience a little displeasure now and then.

It doesn’t matter how long we’ve been a Christian, how much we do right, or how much we love the Lord. 1 Peter 4:12 says, "Do not be amazed and bewildered at the fiery ordeal which is taking place to test your quality as though something (unusual and alien) were befalling you (Amplified Bible Version)."

Just because we are Christians does not mean we should be exempt from trials. Remember, the One we follow has scars, and if we are gonna be his Disciples, we are gonna end up with scars too!

Just know that living an abundant and prosperous life is a choice we make regardless of the trials we must endure. Even though we cannot control what God chooses to test us, we can control how we react.

How we react to trials greatly affects our prosperity. For example, if you get all bent out of shape over something that tests your patience, you will lose your peace. Losing yourpeace then, results in losing your prosperity. Think about it,if you don’t have any peace, you don’t have much!

Tests, trials, and undesirable circumstances are all part of life. But, they are also temporary! Therefore, we should not allow them to continue in our lives… Particularly, as a child of God.

John 10:10 tells us that Jesus died that we may have life, and have life more abundantly. Trials and tests are only meant for a season, or for a short amount of time to make us better than what we were before.

If you’re like me you see many people who let their problems continue to run their lives. They live from paycheck to paycheck with bills that don’t get paid by their due dates. They may have a car in need of certain repairs or maintenance, but the zero in their savings account prevents them from getting the things done that they need. They may have problems in relationships, and they may even have health issues.

Prosperity feels so far away for these people… But they love the Lord! Why then, do they continue to struggle?

I believe it’s a combination of things, but I want to emphasize only one important point for now: The devil wants us to settle for the crumbs that fall from the table!

As born-again children of the Most High God, we are adopted into His family and become joint-heirs with Christ… What is His, is ours (Rom 8:17, Gal 3:29)!

Our attitude should be, "I am a child of the King, I deserve the best, and I decide right now to commit myself to a better quality life." Insist that you will not live like a dog settling for the crumbs that fall from the Master’s table. Pull up your chair, take your rightful place, and feast with the King!

After all, you are a child of the Most High God, set apart and made holy by the blood of the Lamb, and "greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world" (1 John 4:4)!

No longer accept what the enemy wants for you! Jesus said in Luke 10:19, "You have been given power and authority over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means harm you!"

Fantastic Aphrodisiacs for Women!

If you want a night of pure unadulterated pleasure, why not start with an array of aphrodisiacs that will surely turn your woman on?

As you know, women are more guided by emotions, and they want sex to be more than just a pleasurable act. For her, it should be a union of both mind and body. So how can you help her reveal her inner ’sex beast’? Something that will really get her MIND to focus on nothing but the pleasures you’re giving her BODY?

To help you tonight, I list down for you some of the most popular and truly effective women aphrodisiacs! You can easily find them in department stores and health shops, of if they’re nowhere in your community, you can just surf online and fill in your shopping cart!

Litchi
Think of this: you peel the red outer skin of this succulent fruit, and you’ll find white flesh that’s very tender - and wet - to the touch. You lick it and it’s sweet and bursting with flavor! Getting horny?

Well, litchi is not only good for you (and your imagination) but it’s perfect for women too. This is because it can remove all types of stress and body aches she may be experiencing after a full day’s work and/or after doing all those household chores. It also helps her preserve her youthful glow and increases her stamina. so she’s got that energy for what you have in mind tonight!

Fenugreek
Fenugreek may not be your woman’s favorite vegetable, but it will be if she knows that it can actually add some ’spice’ and ’color’ in her life. So why don’t you encourage her to make you meals with fenugreek? It is not only healthy for her but for you too.

Our next-door neighbor, a no-nonsense Chinese, told me once that fenugreeks are actually excellent for the kidneys. And for the Chinese - get this - sexual energy is actually derived right from those two tiny organs! Don’t believe it? Well, at the very least, fenugreek seeds release a sweet- smelling scent that makes an excellent backdrop for a night of sensual foreplay so what have you got to lose?

Muira Puama
This Brazilian shrub is no alien to the topic of sexual power. It’s great for men because it prevents you from experiencing premature ejaculation (eureka!). But I’ve tried it once and it’s superb for women too! When I first tried it, I felt quite ’alive inside’ and after some research I found out why: Muira Puama has the power to stimulate nerves! No wonder I felt a bit tingly that night! And when you use this as an aphrodisiac for her, trust me, she’ll be thinking that there’s something quite energetic about your touch tonight. She’ll be buzzing with delight even before she reaches an orgasm!

Goto Kola
One of my gal pals can’t stop raving about goto kola. She even went so far as to say that it can "cure every kind of illness you have". So I did my own research, and lo and behold, it doesn’t just give you robust health, but it can also perk you up sexually! So see if you can purchase some goto kola today and if it works for you, try planting it in your own backyard for a steady supply all year-round!

Sea Food
Sea foods have always had that sexual tinge about them. Maybe it’s because they’re rare. Maybe it’s because many of them resemble genitalia. But there is some basis to them being associated with sex. For example, tomalley, which is basically found in the liver of lobsters, can ’excite the senses’.

Damiana
The damiana is a unique kind of plant that enhances sexual drive. For men, they are reputed to even help cure sexual dysfunctions, such as premature ejaculation and erectile dysfunction. As for women, damianas help improve blood circulation in sexual organs, thus, giving us one of the most enthralling nerve sensations. It can also help regulate women’s monthly cycles so you guys can time hot sex better during the month (not that I’m not for spontaneity!).

There you have it; a list of aphrodisiacs you can use on your partner tonight. Just a small word of caution: just be sure that your woman is not allergic to any of these aphrodisiacs. If it sounds fancy and you’ve never tried it before, give her doctor or ob-gyne a call first. Otherwise, your sexual fantasies might go poof!

Consumers ’Open To Financial Risk’

Many of the Britons who are renting property could be putting themselves under financial pressure, a study has revealed.

According to new research by AA Legal Services, half of those renting a home do not have a written tenancy agreement from their landlord before moving into a property, despite this being a legal requirement. With a significant number of consumers are being priced out of the home-owning market, the company reported that a quarter of these people "being forced to rent". However, with more tenants revealed to be concerned about the size of their bedrooms rather than how they would be able to reclaim their deposit, it was suggested that many Britons could be leaving themselves open to unnecessary financial pressure upon signing a rent agreement.

Commenting on the figures, James Molloy, head of AA Legal Services, said: "These findings demonstrate how poorly people protect themselves when moving into a rented home. It is vital that you agree your tenancy agreement and check everything, including inventory and utility meter readings, before you accept the keys to your rented home. Yet thousands of people are just not doing so and are putting themselves and their home at risk."

The study also revealed that more than half (55 per cent) of consumers do not take electricity, gas or water meter readings before moving into a property. As a result, the financial services firm claimed that this could lead to them facing "unexpected bills", which in turn may see them develop problems meeting other demands on their spending such as credit cards, overdrafts and tenant loans. In addition, a "shocking" 59 per cent of renters are unaware as to their notice period, a move AA suggested could leave people in "the lurch with unbudgeted months of rent to pay". Findings from the financial services firm also indicated that 55 per cent of respondents do not take the time to make sure that their rental payments are clearly set out and agreed upon, which may see them paying more money than they should each month.

Meanwhile, the financial services firm reported that just over one in five (22 per cent) claim that they have taken steps to ensure their finances will be able to cope with the demands that moving into a rented house or flat can bring. As a result, Mr Molloy advised those consumers who are concerned about a property they wish to rent to seek out advice from a solicitor or some other "reputable organisation".

Should people renting a home find that they are coming under surging financial pressure, for whatever reason, the taking out a personal loan could help them relieve such stress by merging numerous demands on spending into a single low-rate loan. Speaking earlier this month, Moneyfacts analyst Lisa Taylor reported that borrowers need to take the time to make sure that they are getting a competitive rate of interest on a personal loan, as a number of lenders have increased their rates over the last nine months. She stated that choosing the "wrong" loan could see consumers paying double the amount of interest then is necessary.

How to Burn the Fat and Eat More Before Christmas

There are so many different types of diets these days that I can understand why it can be so stressful on choosing the right one. Sometimes it just seems better off to not even go on a diet at all because all of these new fads have so many types of restrictions on them. Such as you can eat carbs with one, you can eat fat with the other.

Also, there are so many different types of diet pills out there today too. There are many risk factors involved with taking diet pills and most of them tend to never really work either. So which one of these types of diets work?

Well, without losing hope with trying to lose weight, it is definitely possible for anyone. You really need to ask yourself a few of these questions before you decide to go on a diet:

1. How often do you eat?
2. Are your snacks considered meals?
3. Do you exercise?
4. Do you drink enough water?

By asking yourself these questions you should know exactly where you need to improve your daily habits. As of right now, we currently have many obese people in America alone. Im sure you already know this, but the main cause for this sickness is because people are overeating and not eating in moderation. Moderation is the key factor to any weight loss plan.

See, it is completely possible to have a metabolism like a 5 year old. You just need to train your body in a manner that will keep that furnace burning in your body. A good way to do this is by eating about 4-6 meals a day. To do this you usually would spread each meal out by 2-3 hours and make sure that you are adding in those small snacks for the day. Make sure that they are light snacks like yogurt, deli meat and other healthy choices that you can choose from.

Eating healthy is a plus, but Im not saying that you have to eat a salad everyday for lunch and dinner either. Whenever you get those cravings for a candy or a slice of pizza, dont fool yourself and not have it. The more you put off your cravings the more you will end up binging later on down the road. Just have one slice and one candy! You can make up by doing an extra lap walking around the neighborhood.

Brits ’Planning Ahead’ For Spending During Christmas

With about a quarter of Britons moving house doing so over the Christmas season, consumers are being advised to be conscious of the impact that this can have on their finances, it has been suggested.

In the Movingimproving Index released by Alliance & Leicester, just under one in four (22 per cent) homemovers get the keys for a new property in the 12 weeks leading up to December 25th. Meanwhile, some eight per cent of people state that they are prepared to move during the last month of the year, despite the financial services firm claiming that this is often a time of year when consumers are planning parties and buying presents. And despite the financial stress that both moving and the festive season can bring, the majority of people seem to be able to manage various aspects of their money across areas such as savings, purchasing Christmas presents or paying back personal loans.

According to the firm, over half (53 per cent) of those settling into a new home before December 25th claim that the expense of relocating did not impact upon their festive spending. Meanwhile, ten per cent of respondents claim that they have saved money earlier in the year to finance their festive expenditure as they prepare to move home in December. However, just under a fifth (19 per cent) state they had not budgeted enough money for the Christmas season, with this proportion rising to 29 per cent for those from Wales and the south-west of England. Meanwhile, two per cent state that they have taken out a loan or used a credit card to help finance their spending over the Christmas period.

The study also indicated that 15 per cent of Scottish residents state that they had prepared in advance to make sure that they spent less money over Christmas after their move - and in doing so such people could well find themselves being able to make sure repayments on home loans and other types of borrowing with greater ease. However, this figure drops to four per cent for movers from Wales and the south-west.

Stephen Leonard, director of mortgages for Alliance & Leicester, commented: "With so many people moving into their new homes during the run-up to Christmas it can feel like a rush to get the family settled and the new furniture ordered before December 25th. But it is very encouraging to see many people are planning ahead to budget for their moving costs and saving in advance to ensure it doesn’t have a big impact on their Christmas. Clearly planning ahead, budgeting and saving are the key to a less stressful move."

With December 25th rapidly approaching those consumers who are concerned that their finances will not be able to cope with moving home, paying for Christmas or even both could find that applying now for a low-rate personal loan is advised. Such borrowing could be particularly recommended after research released by Halifax showed that only a third of Britons will draw up a budget for their spending during the festive season.

Meanwhile, less than three-quarters of these people will actually keep to the expenditure plan, which could well see many struggle to meet utility bills, credit card and mortgage repayments in the new year.

Made in the USA - Perspectives of a Mom, Teacher and Entrepreneur

There seems to be three specific categories of people directly affected by this 2007 ’Outrage of the Lead Locators.’

There are the moms controling most of the family’s discretionary buying power who, when faced with screaming children and end-caps galore this holiday season,will surely succumb to the wails which imply there is no caring of the country of origin (just buy it!!!).

Then there are the teachers. You know them. The ones who continually use their own money to buy trinkets and treasures for our little ones as forms of reward in their classrooms. These are the same people who should be making more than that wide receiver or first baseman yet who continue to give their all day-in-and-day-out because of their passion for teaching.

Then there are the entrepreneurs, the dreamers, the ’I live in the best country for starting my own business, and I am darn proud of it’ people. Surely this China lead thing has got all of these out-sourcing inventors shaking in their bootstrapping boots as they laid their pretty pennies down for many a Made in China products. Let’s explore the psyches of America’s finest, shall we?

Meet me, mom of three and shopper of the family’s upcoming holiday fun. Did I say fun? What I meant to say was upcoming holiday follow-the-list-or-else mission. Seriously, does anyone recall the true meaning of this season or has it simply become want, want, want and need, need, need? And now that this Made in China alert has crept into the picture, my holiday shopping sprees are far from easily sprung.

I have caught myself checking the labels and tags of things in Target’s Dollar Area (knowing full well and good that I would see the "C" word and if not that the "T" word). Now, don’t get me wrong friends and fellow shoppers, I have always been the first to say, "Well, if our country can’t get it right to provide cost effective items to compete with China, then so be it. I need to keep my family’s economy front and center."

Thing of it is, I now have more of a conscience about it all. I have read more than ever before (goodness knows how, since I barely get a shower in during the course of a week much less read anything other than the back of the baby formula or the kids’ cereal box to clip the Box Top for Education off prior to pitching in the garbage!) about China, its ways of production and the pollution that overwhelms this area of our world. How can I possibly send more money into that bank account of global misuse?

Meet me, teacher of hundreds and hundreds of children. In fact, I counted just the other day that in more than 27 years of teaching I have impacted the lives of more than 600 children, and that is not counting the tutoring I did under the table (sssshhh! Don’t tell Uncle Sam. He never agreed to pay me what I am worth so I really had to do it to survive, the tutoring I mean!).

I so love what I do for this United States of America and feel outraged now that this whole China thing has surfaced. I mean, come on, most of that Oriental Trading Catalog I shop from is Made in China, and that is how I have been able to afford the Treasure Box Treats year in and year out. You think I just skim off an extra $100 per paycheck and put it aside for high-quality, Made in the USA products to bestow as gifts to the children of the same people who vote against raising my pay and who put more money on a football game than they do in their contributions to their child’s elementary school classroom?

I have not been asleep for years you know. I have been well awake and well aware of this nation’s turning of the educational tide, and unless we get some great James and the Giant Peach happenings going on then I best hope those Lead Locators find the source, hunt it down, kill it, behead it and throw it out to sea for drowning purposes because I do not see our USA labels coming down in price across the board to make affordable the things I need to do my job and make it a win/win for all. How do I possibly think I can afford Made in the USA even though I have taught many of those manufacturers during their early years?

Meet me, entrepreneur, energetic and enthusiastic to a fault. I wish for nothing more than to make my dream come true as I provide you and yours with my product or my service. Outsource? Who me? Well, just that one component, just that one call center, just that one print job . . . but hey! It was almost three times cheaper in China. The vendor told me (in his very broken English which is why I bought a Mandarin language CD just last month!) that we never find no deal no close to his ever in this U.S. of A. or he beat price by $500! I told him he had a deal (and there was no Howie Mandell standing by my side with a silver case and some amazing Made in the USA money!).

I have had pangs of guilt. Even nightmares about my own family coming after me in a boat while I steered a clear path away from them in a ship full of my foreign-born puppets. I know those puppets were stitched and sewn with love in sweat factories, I mean, factories where people are treated kindly and paid well. Never have I with an awake mind knowingly contributed to the horrible work conditions nor to the disgusting planetary conditions I have only read about (oh, but that one deal I did agree to was made waking up from the middle of a deep sleep if I recall!). How can I conceivably run a profitable business using only Made in the USA products and services?

It’s true. There are many perspectives, many takes on this whole issue, and I hope it all has helped us wake up to the fact that we need to become more dependent upon our own country for products and services. We need to support, demand, look for, request, assist, encourage, contribute to, organize, mentor, donate to and so forth American businesses, Made in the USA products, entrepreneurs from our United States and those who look to help our country grow in its autonomy. We seem to be giving it away, piece-by-piece and chunk-by-chunk to countries that should not be in charge.

I am a mom. I am a teacher. I am an entrepreneur. The above-stories are part fiction and part non-fiction. But the point is clear. It is real. It is time to stop the madness and pull together to make this country the great country that it always has been and has the potential to continue to be for centuries to come.

Take a stand. Buy less from other countries and more from our good ol’ USA. E-mail your congressman, your senator, your president, your school district, your mayor, your mom!!! Make it a viral campaign to save our country, our freedom and our earth. Your child will thank you.

Discover One Of The Most Popular Places to Retire In Mexico

Ultimately, the best place to retire is going to be the one that best suits your needs in what you are looking for.

Mexico is one of the hottest retirement spots and there are a number of locations that can provide you with exactly what you are looking for.

The first thing to decide is whether or not you want to really mingle with the local crowd or be in a community with expatriates who speak your language and have stores, shops, and markets that cater to non local tastes.

Then you need to look at weather there are three basic types in Mexico. Areas that contain spring like weather most of the year, hot and humid or hot and dry. The climates run from hot and humid on the coast to spring like, then hot and dry as you reach the interior.

One of the most popular places to retire is probably San Miguel De Allende. It’s a city located in Central Mexico that offers both access to a local community as well as an expatriate community.

It is popular because of the culture, slower pace, and weather. It’s location a few hours away from Mexico city offers a early spring feel in fall and winter and late spring during the spring and summer months making it beautiful all year round.

The city is approximately 80,000 people with an expatriate population of around 5000. This means you can have plenty of interaction with both languages and cultures blending easily in a quiet town.

American comforts like cable are available and large store shopping is available a short drive away in the terms of a Wal-Mart and the bulk store Costco. It has one of the largest libraries in Mexico that caters to a bilingual population. The Texas border is about ten hours away, Mexico city international airport is four and the airport in Leon is a mere ninety minutes away.

Housing is inexpensive compared to American prices, taxes are low and there is plenty in the way of activities from golfing to tennis and local arts and crafts.

It is also a city and community with a large and long history evident it cathedrals and older cobbled streets.

There is a thriving art community so things like concerts, plays, art shows and other performances are available on a regular basis in addition to a number of classes.

Great weather, the opportunity to mingle not just with expatriates but also with the local communities and culture as well as being centrally located gives San Miguel de Allende a perfect set up to being the best place to retire in Mexico.

There are even a number of language schools that are available and the locals are always willing to lend a hand while being open and friendly.

So when looking for places to retire this is probably one of the communities that should be on the top of the list to consider and look at when at Mexico.

Ways to Control Tenants in Your Apartment Buildings

Owning commercial real estate means having to deal with tenants and the problems they present. But, there are several easy methods for controlling tenants. Keeping them under control creates a more harmonious environment, making the building more attractive to prospective tenants. This level of control is one of the keys to effective property management.

It is the property management that is responsible for making certain that tenants pay their rent on time. An effective property management rule is to require the rent to be collected on the day that is specified in the lease. This keeps any confusion about the due date and other rent issues from getting out of hand.

Tenants must also respect their apartments, which can be hard to enforce. However, it’s part of owning commercial real estate and taking an active role in commercial property management. Avoiding the cost of repairs is the main reason for this type of rule. If a tenant doesn’t respect their apartment, there will be repairs needed when the unit is no longer occupied.

In order to keep peaceful surroundings for all the tenants, they must respect their neighbors. This can be accomplished with specific rules that relate to the way neighboring tenants are to be treated, such as respecting quite hours. Keeping the noise level under control is something that property management must take seriously. If a tenant does not follow this rule, it calls to the property management to enforce it. Many property management companies will have specific rules about the repercussions, which can include a number of warnings before action is taken.

The tenant that moves in and has obvious problems with drugs, there should be steps taken toward property management terminating the lease. These tenants usually have more traffic than the other tenants, and may have other character flaws that will become apparent to property management and tenants. It can also give the building and the property management a bad reputation.

Apartment building investing is one of the first steps many investors take into commercial real estate. Once the property is obtained, the tenants depend on you for property management. If your rules are followed, the tenants will be content and your apartment investing is more likely to pay off in profits.

Commercial property management can be made easier by implementing at least one rule, which is to keep the building in good repair and the exterior trash area clean. This tells prospective tenants that this is a well-run, clean building. This image will bring in the preferred type of tenants to fill your rental units. Remember there are as many good tenants looking to relocate to a new building as there are bad tenants. What kind of tenants you have will depend largely on the type of property management you have in place.

Top Paid Survey Program to Make a Full Time Income With

Taking surveys online has always been an awesome way for companies to implement their marketing strategy.

The best way for companies to run their business is by having feedback from customers. The reason that many companies will pay people to take surveys that they put out is because they want to make sure that they arent doing the wrong thing with there business.

Another reason why companies will pay people that are willing to take surveys is because they know that if they do pay money, then they will get more and more people to take their surveys. These companies thrive for opinions. They would rather pay people a good amount of money for their opinion rather then waste millions of dollars on the wrong marketing approach.

You may be wondering know how much these companies are willing to pay people like you and me?

Well, usually the amount of money they pay depends on the factor of how long the surveys are. The thing with making survey taking a full time income job, your main focus should be on the longer surveys because they pay the best and highest. The more paid surveys that you set yourself up to do the more money you will make in the end. So, you can make a goal to take a lot of the long surveys to profit more from.

Some of the surveys that are much longer usually tend to pay anywhere between $5-$150. While most of the shorter ones are usually ranged between .50 cents- $3. With some survey directory sites you could also even have the opportunity to join a focus group. Focus groups make a lot of money and are paid by the hour.

Im talking about if you spend like two hours in a focus group, you could definitely make around $200 just for that. That is some quick cash right there!

How to Get Started:

You are going to have to register with many companies that offer surveys. You will have to register your name, address and a few other details on how you would like to get paid. Another way to get started is to join a site that will continually throw these types of surveys for you. Usually it is better to join a site rather then seeking out surveys because these sites also have many other different cash offers.

Some of these offers include getting paid to eat out, getting paid to drive, joining focus groups, and much more.

Jewelry Business Strategies: List Marketing

Selling handcrafted jewelry is a competitive business in a relatively saturated market, so how do you make yourself stand out from the sea of other jewelry makers? One great marketing strategy is to have a mailing list and to actively send out mailings.

Here are 9 great reasons any jewelry artist should build and nurture a mailing list.

1. To remind people that you exist.

People are very busy these days, have a lot on their plate. They are very easily distracted and sidetracked. I know I am, despite my best efforts! I receive a number of newsletters by email, and I am much more likely to return to these companies websites than the ones I bookmark and mean to go back to. Enough said.

2. To make it easy for people to find you and contact you

Sometimes people need help. Even if they mean to call you or order online from you, they may forget, become distracted, or may forget your business name. They may make a mental note to contact you but never get around to it. Make it easy for them by sending them regular mailings.

3. To build trust

This is a very timely concept. People have been scammed, let down, and under-serviced so many times that they are naturally wary and suspicious of anyone trying to sell them anything. Getting your name in front of people on a regular basis and sending them quality information with their needs in mind goes a long way towards building trust.

4. To build relationships

In our fast-paced world where everyone is bombarded constantly with advertising from huge impersonal businesses, people seek a connection. If you can make that connection and allow people into your world, they begin to feel they know you. This is of course positive for you and your business.

5. To keep in touch with your existing customers.

You have peoples’ addresses because they have given them to you either through an online subscription, personal inquiry, by asking to be added to your mailing list, or by in some way asking you to contact them further. If your customers and prospects have shown interest in getting updates from you, you are doing them a disservice if you don’t follow up.

Have you ever inquired about a product by email and never gotten a response? How did that make you feel? I know that I feel like the company is poorly managed and that they clearly don’t care about their customers. People get very excited by even basic customer service nowadays so give them a little by sending them newsletters, notifications and updates.

6. To follow up leads.

Leads are people who have shown interest in your work or your business but need more incentive to buy. This goes back to the 7-10 rule which states that people statistically need to become familiar with you by seeing you 7-10 times before trusting you enough to purchase something they want from you.

7. To make more sales from your existing customer base.

It is Easier to Sell to a Customer than a Prospect i.e. It is much easier to convince previous customers to buy more from you than it is to convince someone to buy from you the first time.

This is assuming of course that they had a good experience with you in the past. Regular customers are most businesses bread and butter. Offer them the good stuff first and they’ll keep coming back. A mailing list is the perfect way to notify them of your promotions and new products first.

8. To target your marketing and make the best use of your time.

Your time is limited and you want to get as much bang for your buck as possible. A mailing list is made up of people who are already interested in you and your products or services so following up with them by email is a great use of your time.

9. To give great customer service and extra value.
Sending out regular mailings is just part of great customer service. If you do it respectfully, regular mailing can make make your customers feel cared for and special.

Four Keys to Selling an Apartment Building Yourself

When it comes to selling commercial real estate, there are certain procedures that should be followed and some considerations that keep in mind prior to placing the property on the market. A careful consideration of these procedures will result in a much better outcome when the property is sold.

One of the things that should be done is to prepare an apartment analysis form to give to potential buyers. This shows them in writing what they can expect from their apartment building investing venture. This analysis will also keep the asking price from being lowered as you have given concrete evidence about the value of the building that will be heeded by those interested in apartment investing.

Some of the other considerations are determining whether you are willing to give a second mortgage, and whether you have investigated the market and know what the interest rates are for commercial properties of this caliber. By doing this, you can decide how much you will charge and at what interest rate. This can bring in potential buyers who may not have been able to begin apartment investing in your property otherwise.

Determine which websites, newspapers or periodicals are best for advertising in the area and will bring in a pool of potential buyers that can meet your price. Attracting someone interested in apartment building investing, and able to do it, is the main goal, rather than attracting a greater number of hopefuls who will not be able to afford apartment investing. With an advertisement placed in the proper places, the property will reach the right apartment-investing buyers, keeping it from sitting idly on the market and driving the price down. The Internet has become a way for many people to look into the commercial real estate market, and it can be a good place to list a commercial real estate property for quick results if the proper websites are used.

All of these steps are important in order to bring the right apartment building investing buyers to you. This will allow you to sell your commercial real estate at the price its worth on the market. Being educated in the proper advertising placement, whether you might consider a second mortgage, and at what interest rate you will be willing to do this, will allow you to answer questions from those interested in apartment building investing. Also, what criteria you will use to hold this second mortgage, what you will need from this investor and how you will precede with this process are important things to educate yourself about before placing your property on the market.

Lay Down Your Bottles On Wine Racks

great accessory for any home is a beautiful wine rack with fine bottles of wine aging for the perfect occasion. Wine racks are not only a nice looking additions to your home, but they also provide a great place to safely store as many bottles of wine as you choose.

There are several styles of wine racks available for the home that make choosing something to fit the decor and needs of the home easy to accomplish. With some careful shopping the homeowner can surely find the perfect rack for their home.

Classic Metal Wine Racks

One nice style of wine rack is the classic metal racks. These racks normally come in a black rod iron style with swirls and bends made to safely hold each bottle. The racks can be small, holding three or four bottles, or can be large enough to hold several bottles. Sometimes the metal wine racks are combined with wood or marble to provide a place to set or open and pour a bottle of wine.

Wood Wine Racks

Many people like the down-to-earth look of wood wine racks. These racks often resemble the large racks of a wine cellar while holding a smaller amount of bottle for the casual wine drinker.

The wooden racks come in a variety of wood types and stains making it easy to find something to match the other furnishings in the home. The basic style racks can be very inexpensive to buy, but if you want high quality wood with elaborate designs you will need to pay for it.

Wine Rack Cabinets

A very nice idea to add a piece of furniture to the home and provide a wine rack for good storage of the bottle is for the home owner to purchase a wine cabinet. Wine cabinets are a beautiful additions to any home.

The cabinets come in small styles holding a dozen or so bottles or can be large models that will take up an entire wall. These cabinets have space for glasses and other wine accessories and also often have a place to display some trinkets or collectibles. For a person who enjoys collecting and serving wine this is a great piece of furniture for the home.

As you can see there are several different types of wine racks or places to store your fine wine. Picking a wine rack is all up to you. It depends on your budget, style, and current decor of your home. When you find the right wine rack it should be a beautiful addition to your home.

The Fast Easy Way to Housebreak a Pomeranian Dog

Housebreak a Pomeranian puppy the easy way. Expert Pomeranian breeders have devised a fast, easy, and foolproof method to have your Pomeranian dog or puppy housebroken in record time.

Simply stated, consistency is the key to housebreaking. More important than any other factor, one must be methodical in their methods by reinforcing the same routine each and every time.

To begin, it’s imperative that you bring your puppy directly from its crate to the outdoors consistently using the same path and door. Once outside, place your puppy in the same spot, every time. Next, you must use the same words each time. "Potty,’ "Go,’ "Go Potty." It doesn’t matter which phrase you use, provided it’s the same one each time. Remain outside until your Pomeranian has fully completed its business. Don’t pick the dog up after three minutes because you’re tired and want to go indoors. Wait patiently outside, using consistent words of positive reinforcement, until your dog is ready.

Once inside again, you’re halfway completed with the routine of housebreaking your Pomeranian puppy. Next, set the buzzer on your kitchen stove for twenty minutes. When the buzzer goes off, take your puppy outside again using the same doorway as before. Again, patiently wait and encourage your dog using the same words as before. Your positive tone of voice and body language will work wonders in the housebreaking process. Before you know, your Pomeranian will be accustomed to the routine and will be willing to let you know when it needs to go.

Ideally, you should not even consider getting a puppy unless you have the time to devote to its training. If you must resort, however, to leaving it in a crate for ten to twelve hours a day, make sure the crate is large enough to accommodate a bed, food and water, and a potty-pee pad all spread out with ample space. When the dog uses the potty-pee pad, do not encourage it but do not punish, either. Simply ignore the fact that he’s gone on the potty-pee pad while you were at work. It’s acceptable, but it’s certainly not praiseworthy.

When you do return home after a long day at work immediately take your Pomeranian from its crate and carry it outside. Make certain you carry your puppy outdoors, because his small bladder will likely be so full that he’ll be unable walk for long. Then, complete the housebreaking process described above ensuring you set the kitchen stove buzzer and take go outside again twenty minutes later.

Do not become discouraged with the amount of time it can take to housebreak your Pomeranian. The breed is notoriously difficulty to housebreak, and each dog will require a different amount of time to train.

While such advice works well for puppies, it can also be applied to second-home or rescue Pomeranians. Such older dogs are likely already housebroken, but they still need to be shown the proper area and pathway to use. By consistently carrying them outdoors and using the stove timer method, your older dog can be housebroken in its new environment in a matter of days.

Simply stated, housebreaking your Pomeranian doesn’t need to be a tedious practice. By consistently applying the method mentioned above, you will find that housebreaking can be a fast and easy process.

For Website Marketing: Back-Door Strategies to Stand Out From The Crowd

As a web site marketer these days, in the 21st century, you have to work harder than ever to stand out from the pack. Everybody’s sending out ezines. Nearly all of us hold teleseminars.

Add your ezine and teleseminar and you’re joining a parade down Main Street. Sometimes you can generate leads even more effectively if you also run through the alleys and knock on back doors.

Often these back-door "sneaky" strategies seem too easy to be effective. But simplicity can be deceptive. You need to plan carefully to avoid wasting time. Used incorrectly, the back-door approach can backfire. You have to play by rules that change overnight and that aren’t easy to figure out.

Strategy #1: Contribute to a discussion list related to your topic.

For lead generation, join a group whose membership matches your target market as closely as possible. Choosing the right group can be challenging. For example, you may be eligible to join a forum after attending a workshop or purchasing a manual. Or you may pay to join a mentoring group. These groups create forums and discussion lists directly related to your interests, but moderators tend to be extremely cautious about self-promotion.

You can also search through yahoo or google for groups. For example, you can search on "professional women discussion list" or "work at home dads discussion list." Some websites feature lists of discussion groups, often arranged by topic. Searching through listings takes time but, with patience, can produce some good results.

Tips:

Once you join a forum or discussion lists, it’s a good idea to "lurk" for awhile. Get a sense of the group’s mood and style. Introduce yourself. Evaluate your responses. If you sense a lack of interest (and occasionally even hostility), consider withdrawing from the group.

The challenge is to draw a fine line between contributing proactively and becoming a nuisance. Success depends on finding just the right blend of asking questions and providing expertise.

Example 2: Write reviews for online bookstores.

As an avid and eclectic reader, I began writing reviews for one of the online bookstores. Originally, I was just having fun and actually felt guilty for taking time from my "real" work. I wrote about everything: mysteries, business books, nonfiction.

To my surprise, these book reviews began to attract subscribers, clients and invitations to be interviewed by professional reporters and writers. Recently one of my reviews was quoted in a blog, giving me valuable (and totally unexpected) publicity.

When these readers came, they were highly motivated. Unlike readers of ezines, they were prepared to pay or resources. After all, bookstores don’t give away books! I suspect many hold a credit card in one hand as they surf with the other.

Tips:

Choose best-selling books related to your topic -but not exclusively.

Write carefully, using correct grammar and style. I’ve found that I get the most response by being edgy but thoughtful, and not too long or too short.

Follow the guidelines concerning what you can disclose about your business. Your review can be edited or removed entirely if you appear to be selling or if you use inappropriate words.

Bottom Line: Often we find our most successful back-door strategies by accident. But applying those strategies callsapplyin for planning, flexibility and responsiveness to change.

Discover Wine Making Kits For Your Home

People have been making and enjoying fine wines for thousands of years. However, you don’t have to own a vineyard to make wine. Making your own wine is not as difficult as it may seem. It can also be a great way to remain stocked on your favorite type of wine without spending a lot of money. Always having to buy a bunch of bottles of your favorite wine quickly adds up.

But how can you make your own wine at home? It turns out that making your own wine is actually easy and can be a lot of fun. All you have to do is head down to your favorite hobby shop and pick up a wine making kit.

Wine making kits have everything you need to make your favorite types of wine. You’ll save money, you’ll have a lot of fun doing it and you’ll have great gifts for the holidays.

Wine Bottles

A wine making kit has everything you need to make your own wine, however, you may still need bottles, depending on the type of wine making kit you get. If you’re looking for wine bottles for your own favorite blends of wine, head down to your local restaurant and ask if they have any wine bottles left over. Or, ask those wine loving family members to save their own bottles of wine.

You can probably also pick up wine bottles at that same hobby store where you bought your wine making kit. The general rule, though, is that if you can’t find it anywhere, you can find it on the internet. Just so you know that if you plan on making a lot of wine, you’ll need a lot of wine bottles to put that wine into. You’ll also need corks so that the wine can sit and ferment without being exposed to the air.

When you have your bottles, you can then use the packets and the mix that comes with the wine making kit to make your favorite bottles of wine. Wine making kits often let you choose which kind of wine you would like to make. You can try something new, or you can make your favorite blend.

That way, you always know you’ll have wine on hand when the occasion calls for it. That occasion could be a dinner party, just plain dinner, or, as mentioned before, wine could be a special gift for someone.

These wine making kits are for personal use only and you shouldn’t use them to sell wine. First of all, it’s against the law.

Trust me, you don’t want the ATF knocking on your door. But if you’re just looking for a way to stock up on wine without having to break your bank account, get a wine making kit.

The Pros And Cons of Landlording

There are numerous ways to invest in real estate. A common investing trend is landlording. Landlords are investors who purchase real estate and instead of selling it for a profit, retain the property and lease it to a tenant.

Landlording for profit makes economic sense. To begin, there will always be a high demand for homes and land. As supply and demand goes, it is reasonable to venture that a landlord could make a lot of money off individuals who, for whatever reason, don’t have a place of their own to call home. Even better, renting is a growing trend. As that trend grows, so does the potential of successfully leasing a home.

When done correctly, leasing property can pay big dividends for the investor. The lessee essentially pays for the property while the landlord retains the equity. Landlords who charge more then the property’s mortgage can either gain a profit off the excess rent or put it on the mortgage for a faster payoff. Eventually the investment will be paid off and can serve as a residual income for years to come.

As an added bonus, landlords qualify for some big tax advantages. Investors who rent their property can receive liberal tax breaks. Landlords can deduct real estate taxes and mortgage interest on their rental properties. Investors can also write off their operating expenses such as yard care, maintenance, utilities, HOA fees and insurance. Finally, residential buildings can be depreciated during a 27.5 year span, even if the property increases in value.

There are some downfalls to being a landlord. If you decide to manage your investment properties on your own, it can be very time consuming and stressful. When renters have issues with the home or property, they come to the landlord for assistance. When something breaks, the landlord is usually responsible for fixing it. For a fee, the would-be landlord can pay a management company to oversee the proprietor duties and handle troubles when they occur. Along those same lines, landlords sometimes face tough situations when their tenants don’t pay on time. This can put the investor in a bad cash flow position.

Landlords are also responsible for their tenant’s safety. There are laws regulating these responsibilities and it is important for the investor to know and understand them.

Because rental real estate usually has a mortgage attached to it, the property can tie up the investor’s personal wealth. Investment property of this nature pays off more so in the long run, after it has been paid for and continues to generate a monthly payment. Depending on the investor, landlording may not be an ideal way to pursue capital gain.

Whether or not becoming a property-owner is right for you as an investor depends on your goals. In the long run, landlording can pay off. Like all things in life, however, there are pros and cons to being a landlord. It may be that you don’t want to bother with rental properties. Either way, it is definitely something to consider.

How To Write Articles That Are Marketable

Everyone, it seems, wants to be a writer. If you are a writer, you know that there is a difference between writing articles that mean something and writing articles that don’t. When you are looking to market an article, you know that the ones that mean something are going to be the ones that sell. Furthermore, you know that the articles that don’t mean anything aren’t going to sell, and not only that ,but they might hurt your reputation as a writer.

In order to build up a good reputation as a writer, you have to be sure that you are writing articles that are marketable. Basically put, an article that is marketable is an article that actually means something. You should be able to look at an article that means something and know that it actually does. You should be able to read an article that means something and come away with concrete knowledge. These are all types of articles that are going to be marketable, and if you are trying to be a writer, you should be able to do this.

First of all, in order to mean something and to be marketable, an article has to have substance. This means that you have to have a clear cut goal when you are writing the article. This should be the goal of conveying a certain type or amount of information to the public. Your article should have a purpose, a reason for being written. If you can find substance in your article you are on the right track.

Next, you article has to make sense. There should be an introduction to the article, and you should make several points in succession in the body of the article. Last, there should be a conclusion, where you wrap everything up and make sure that the article has a good ending. These are the important parts of an article that is marketable.

There are also a few general tips that you should follow to make your article marketable. Make sure that you have good spelling and grammar, and be sure that your sentences are written correctly. Also, be sure that you are using the right tone of voice for the subject matter. You should try to avoid repetition or things that don’t make any sense.

After you have written your article, you should be able to figure out what niche it can be sell in. This is another important part of writing articles that are marketable, you have to make sure that they can fit into a niche.

If you follow these steps, you should be able to write an article that is marketable. You will find that with a little bit of time and patience, and a lot of hard work, you can make a living off of marketable articles. The longer you work at it, the better you are going to get, and the better your articles will sell. This is all important for marketing articles.

Apartment Buildings Will Make You Wealthy

When you are in the commercial real estate market, particularly in apartment investing, one way to reduce your financial risk is by investing in duplexes. You will cut your risk by half with duplexes and cut it by even more with quadplexes. This is because the more units you have under one roof the easier it is to absorb tenant turnover. It is generally rare to have all the apartment units empty at the same time, unless the building is being remodeled and the vacancies are planned. With these properties there is generally enough tenants that if one unit is empty, it’s not going to affect the profit from the investment. Nor will there come a time when you will need to place any of your income into this property, as there will always be enough tenant-generated income. Apartment
building investing is considered a wise investment because as long as there are tenants, enough income is coming in to pay the loan and cover the taxes and other money needed to maintain the property.

When a commercial real estate property is bought properly, other people pay your loan amount. The tenants pay your mortgage and expenses, and most importantly, they pay you. Because this is true, the more units you have under one roof, such as the number of tenants in a duplex or quadplex, the more your initial investment will pay off.

Another advantage of investing in commercial real estate is forced appreciation. This concept can be so profitable it can be compared to legally printing your own money. To take advantage of this, look for apartment buildings with some fixable structural or cosmetic problems and fix them. These properties may be ones that other commercial real estate investors are passing up rather than fix the existing problems. If it just needs simple updates to make it more profitable, it may be an excellent investment opportunity. Any commercial real estate property once repaired, modernized or even just painted, will instantly be worth more. In some cases, this may entail something as simple as creating new parking spaces for the tenants or laying new carpet. There is an initial cost with any improvements you make, but it can be regained quickly by either renting at a higher price or reselling the property. Apartment building investing is not just about owning the property for yourself and making the money back through rent. Apartment investing is often about buying a property as inexpensively a possible, making necessary repairs and then selling it for a tidy profit.

List Building Course - 4 Killer List Building Tips

So you want to build a list?

Are you looking for practical guidance; for an easy-to-follow list building course?

Listen, I will assume that you are already aware that growing your own list of subscribers is absolutely necessary when it comes to building a successful online business.

Many Internet marketing experts go as far as saying that it is nearly impossible to make a consistent amount of money online if you fail to build your list.

And yes, I am one of those experts who feel that list building should be the #1 priority of every online business.

So without further ado, here are four (4) quick tips that can help you build a cash-producing opt-in list:

Create a Lead Capture Page: You will not be able to capture a single person’s name and email address if you do not have a lead capture page. In case you don’t know, a lead capture page is a simple one-page website that is designed to give your visitors two (2) simple choices, which are: Join your list or leave your website.

Size Doesn’t Matter: That’s right, contrary to popular believe, size doesn’t really matter when it comes to building a list of subscribers. It is in you best interest to focus on quality, not quantity.

Think about it; would you rather have a list of (A) 1,000,000 subscribers who can careless about reading your emails, or a list of (B) just 1,000 people who actually look forward to hearing from you?

Well, I hope you went with option because that is what would definitely make you the most money.

Avoid Buying Subscribers: You see, there are many companies on the internet that sell subscribers. Yes, you can actually purchase millions of names and email addresses and get yourself an "instant" opt-in list. Beware! You will only throw away your money, as this so called "opt-in lists" are filled with untargeted prospects; therefore, you’ll be lucky to make $1 from them.

Respect Your Subscribers: Your subscribers will buy from you only if you treat them right. Do not abuse their trust by selling them junk or recommending affiliate products that you haven’t actually reviewed. Breaking the simple "respect" rule will result in a huge number of people unsubscribing from your list and not to mention the fact that you’ll taint your reputation.

Well there you have it… four quick but killer list building tips. Now get out there, build a list and make some money!

The Real Estate Investor’s Guide To Finding The Perfect Tenant

If you are a real estate investor who leases property you probably already know the importance of finding and retaining good tenants. A tenant can make or break your investment dreams, so it only makes sense that they are hard to come by.

In order to find the perfect tenant you must first be able to define what that means to you. If you have had renters in the past, think about what you liked and disliked about them. In general, you are probably want an individual who pays their rent on time, takes good care of your property and isn’t a difficult person. If you can identify and understand who you want your renter to be, you can more effectively advertise and attract them to your property.

If you aren’t confident in your assessment abilities, hire a management group to screen and select tenants for you. Agencies can narrow down your tenant pool by calling potential renters’ personal references and reviewing their credit reports.

While no one wants to be a scrooge, it is important as a landlord to protect your investment. You know what is and is not acceptable on your property. When interviewing a potential renter, bring your expectations to the table and explain them thoroughly. If you are upfront from the beginning, you have a better foundation to build the tenant-landlord relationship on. Explain to the renter how you handle problematic issues such as late payments or bounced checks. Review the lease and go over consequences for lease violations. Be friendly but firm during this process so the tenant knows you mean business.

As with children, you must practice what you preach when it comes to the renter. If you set expectations for the tenant and then waiver when he or she falls below the standard, you are doing a disservice to you and your leaseholder. For example, when your renter pays the rent late and your policy calls for a late fee, don’t waive the fee out of courtesy. By showing leniency, you send the message that you aren’t serious about the lease agreement. This can open the door for your tenant to take advantage of you and the relationship you share.

Finally, always be professional and courteous to your tenants, they will respect you for it. If you are a nice landlord who doesn’t get emotionally charged during disagreements with your renters you are more likely to retain them. If you aren’t good with people or don’t want the hassle of working on a relationship with your renter which isn’t always an easy task, try utilizing the services of a property management group who can take care of the tenant for you.

Finding and retaining good tenants is a learning process, but being conscientious about who you want to lease to can pay off. Establish what an ideal renter means to you, seek out that renter and build a good relationship with him or her. By doing this you will improve your experience as a landlord, and make some income doing so.

Success Is About Choosing What You Want In Life

Success is about choosing what you want in life and taking the necessary steps to achieve that goal. Success is not stopping until you get there!

Easy to say but how do you get there? What are the choices made by the successful? What are they doing differently from everyone else?

Choose to remove whatever is holding you back. Has something happened in the past to affect your self esteem? Do you immediately have negative thoughts as soon as money and success come to mind? If you are not choosing success then it is likely that something is blocking your ability to change and follow a new path. To remove the block you must have focus. To have focus you must first have an all consuming dream of where you want to be. Only when you have defined that dream can you start to focus on it. Focus so intently that everything you do is done with your dream in mind. Only then can you move toward that dream.

Choose to live your success. Live your life as if you were successful, as if you had already achieved the goal that you are focusing on. When you are at work, visualize what your workplace will be like when you have reached your goal, and place yourself there. Sit at your desk as if you were running the multimillion dollar business that you are focusing on. When you get into your car, visualize what your dream car will be like and see yourself sitting in it. Visualize yourself driving away from your dream house. When you are in your home - look around it and see your new surroundings. Get inside the feeling - really be there.

The more you do this, the more your subconscious will think that you are successful and move you towards these things. Live your success expecting to realize it. Living it now is a practice run for when it comes to you. After all, you want to be prepared, don’t you?

Choose to believe in your success. What your conscious mind believes, your subconscious strives to achieve. Look around at your friends and acquaintances and ask yourself how many of them have unshakable belief in where they are going. Are they successful? Possibly not - they may be in a good job and have a nice life but they do not have the success factor. Perhaps you do know of someone with unshakable belief. They may not be successful now but they will be moving in the right direction. Watch that space….

Belief is the catalyst which takes the dream and turns the focus into a plan to get there. Never underestimate the power of belief and Law of Attraction. You attract inti your life what you are thinking about and believing it.

Choose to be emotional about your success. Belief plus emotion are unstoppable. If you have utter belief then you will develop emotion. If you want something badly enough it is emotive. Maybe it is to get out of debt. If you have suffered the hardships of this situation you will feel everything to do with debt and money is charged with emotion. This is the reason behind so many ’rags to riches’ stories. Sometimes only the most devastating of emotional circumstances are the catalyst for change and a move toward success instead of away from it.

You can choose success. Or you can choose to stay safe and do what you do now. Guess what - you will still be doing the same in ten years time. The question is - do you want to?

Making the Most Out Of Your Article Directory

There are several things that you can do in order to get a better handle on the types of things you need when you are submitting articles. First of all, it is important that you remember that one of the tools you have for your article submission is always going to be the article directory. When it comes right down to it, the article directory is going to be what allows you to place your article in the right area, so that it has the best chance of being seen. This means that your article directory is one of the most important tools that you have, and you should work with it, not try to fool it.

The first thing that you need to know when you are working with your article directory is exactly what you are working with. This means that you should take a look at the various things that the article directly can offer you. Before you even think about placing your article somewhere, you need to be sure that you are going to be placing it in the right spot or subject heading. So, you should take a few moments and go through each part of the article directory, to make sure that you are familiar with all of it.

Remember that your article is going to have a much better chance of success in an area you are able to define it the most clearly. This means that your article should be put in the exact right location, right down to the subheading. When someone is looking for an article, you know that they are looking for something very specific. This means that the more specific you can make your article listing, the more of a chance that you have to have your article seen by others. So, the first thing that you have to do is make extra sure that your article is listed correctly. Then, you can begin.

After you have gone through the various listings for the article directories, you want to take another close look at your particular article. Remember that you should have words and phrases in that article that will come up during a search for whatever you are talking about. This means that you also want to have those words and phrases in the article directory. You have to make sure that no matter what, someone is going to be able to find your article and is going to be able to use it as well as they can.

Before you place an article in a specific article directory, there is something else that you want to think about. You want to take a look at the other articles that are in that particular directory, and make sure that your article fits in well with them. Only then should you place your own article into that directory. Once you know for sure that your article can compete with the other articles that are in the directory, you will find that you are much better able to make a difference in the type of article that you have and what it is going to mean for you.

Yoga Retreat in Tuscany

If you are planning to unwind, reconnect with nature and with yourself, then a yoga retreat in Tuscany may be just for you. Tuscany, with its hills and mountains, the trees and the breeze, and the valley of the Arno River, can help you connect with nature and look deep into yourself as you prepare for meditation and for the yoga retreat. The centuries old artistic legacy of Tuscany will also help set the mood for an appreciation of the arts and the beauty of the transcendent.

Why Yoga Retreat

Modern life is now characterized by deadlines, crowded inboxes and information overload. Life is moving at a breakneck speed and a lot of times, one’s energies get drained with the efforts to catch up. When life gets too fast, it would be wise to simply pause and take a good look at the directions that the journey is leading to. Ironic, but in cases where the speed of life is too much to bear, one has to retreat in order to move forward.

Yoga helps a person pause and meditate. Through yoga, a person is led to a spiritual experience and a better understanding of his existence. There are several varieties of yoga. Hatha yoga focuses on the purification of the body. This will lead to the cleansing of the mind and of the vital energies. Impurities, cares, and worries are put into trash bin through this process.

On the other hand, purifying the mind is the starting point of the Raja Yoga. This will then lead to the purification of the spirit. Asana or body postures and pranayama or breath will facilitate this cleansing process. Yoga is far broader than just Hatha Yoga and Raja Yoga. Still, those who practice these will have better health and vitality, and recharge lost energies.

Visiting Tuscany for a Yoga Retreat

Going to Tuscany is not very difficult. You simply have to free at least a week of your busy schedule. Prior research on the best places to stay and where to take yoga classes is also important for the retreat to be meaningful. Citizens of the United States, New Zealand, Australia, Japan, and Canada who wish to visit Tuscany for less than three months do not need a visa.

There are good international hotels providing accommodation in Tuscany. Likewise, there are several good locations that offer yoga classes that usually last for 1 and a half hours everyday. Such a schedule still leaves a lot of time for exploring the area, especially its artistic legacy and other tourist destinations there. For a person who seeks to maximize his personal yoga retreat, it would be best to visit Tuscany for a retreat in mid-autumn when the tourists go home and the locals go about their daily lives, harvesting grapes, truffles and olive. The occasional rains will also help set the mood for contemplation and for the retreat. Not only that, airfares and vacation packages are usually cheaper during the off peak season.

To replenish lost energies, reestablish directions and understand one’s existence better, a break from the usual breakneck lifestyle would do wonders. A yoga retreat in Tuscany will do just that.

Universal Law of Attraction

The universe may be full of mystery. Good luck happens to a lot of people, bad luck goes to unlikely people and fate seems to distribute good things randomly. Is success merely because of luck and fortune? Is it only because of hard work? Actually, for people who want prosperity and success, there is a universal law of attraction that is at work.

Prosperity, success and a good life is open to those who are receptive to them. Open buckets on the yard get water from heaven when the rain falls down. Those that are closed, of course, are empty. Even if you put a closed bucket beneath a generous faucet, it will remain empty because there is a barrier in

The universal laws of attraction works pretty much like an open bucket receiving rain from the sky. This law of attraction may also prove useful for you as go through your daily life. You have to check if you are an open bucket or a closed one. Do you think about negative things most of the time? Do you dream of something but feel that you cannot have it? Do you believe that you deserve the best and that the universe can give that to you?

Maybe you are a closed bucket right and you are not benefiting from the universal law of attraction. Slowly and surely, you have to tweak some of your thinking and open up your bucket. Habits that have long been inculcated in your system may be difficult to remove. Yet, if you are patient enough and persistent enough, you can open the lid and start

Making the Law of Attraction Work for Your Life

The universal law of attraction is simple and practical. It is not costly and there are no special rules. What you simply need to have is openness to what is beautiful and what is positive. By setting your expectation to what is good; you are attracting what is good in the universe. By thinking about good things and positive ideas, you attract positivity and goodness.

You are what you think you are. The thoughts that you have control the kind of actions that you do. Your actions, in turn, control the kinds of rewards that you have. If your thoughts are good, then your actions become good and you are rewarded with good things.

You will become what you believe you are. If these beliefs are negative, you could only suppose that you will reap negative results. If, however, you affirm yourself and your worth, then you slowly fit into the mold that you believe in. For the universal law of attraction to work in you, you have to let go of these negative beliefs about yourself and start being open to positive spirits and good things.

Be expectant of what is good. By believing that you deserve what is good, you are putting yourself in a position to receive these good things. Although, you become more open to positive spirit and to what is good, you also need to go where you can work for and attract fortune and luck. To maximize luck and fortune, you should also be willing to work. Given your work and your practice of the universal law of attraction, the flow of good things will not cease.

Palm Pilot Accessories And Thier Capabilities

Would you like to find out what those-in-the-know have to say about palm pilot accessories? The information in the article below comes straight from well-informed experts with special knowledge about these accessories.

A palm pilot is basically a personal digital assistant and has the title which is often being used by many today as the vernacular for personal digital assistants. This is so because the Palm is actually the first generation series of personal digital assistants from them, which came out in 1996. Since then, advanced models have come out, with some coming with integrated camera features as well as integrated mobile phone capabilities.

With the trend direction of technology nowadays, which Palm’s products have been riding the wave on, there are a number of personal digital assistants out in the market today, each boasting impressive functionality as well as overall comprehensive digital capacities. With this present "population" of personal digital assistant owners, it isn’t surprising to know that there are all sorts of palm pilot accessories as well, each enhancing one’s tenure time with his or her pda.

Think about what you’ve read so far. Does it reinforce what you already know about these accessories? Or was there something completely new? What about the remaining paragraphs?

Here are the two of the most vaunted accessories, which users just want to get their hands on. These Palm Pilot accessories stand as representatives to the line of many accessories out in the market.

SanDisk Ultra II SD Plus USB 2GB Palm Pilot Accessories

The SanDisk Ultra II SD Plus USB 2GB memory system is quite an item among palm accessories. For starters, it is basically a Secure Digital, or SD memory card, with a two gigabyte capacity, perfect for storing music, pictures, videos, system software, eBooks and much much more. It is also a USB Flash Memory Item, which PC users could easily access their stored music, pictures and other digital content, combining the different functionalities of an SD Card and USB Flash Disc all in one item.

It is quite and entry into the roster of valued accessories.

Palm Desktop Hotsync Cable

When talking about accessories, the Hotsync Cable category of Palm accessories stand to be the medium through which owners of palm pilots could sync their handhelds with their personal computer systems, defining them as one of the most sought after or palm pilot accessories.

Utilizing the power of USB-enabled computer systems, the Palm Desktop Hotsync Cable isn’t exactly dedicated for desktop to Handheld use only, as USB-enabled laptop systems could also be used in the synchronization activities between computers and Palm handhelds. They are quite popular among palm pilot accessories, with due reason.

This article’s coverage of the information is as complete as it can be today. But you should always leave open the possibility that future research could uncover new facts.

Successful Article Marketing For Effective Profits

When you want to submit and market your articles, there are several steps that you can follow to make sure that you are successful. These are usually easy to do, it is simply a matter of making sure that you follow the right steps and that you follow through with what you should be doing.

First of all, the article is the biggest thing to focus on when you are trying to market it. You want to be sure that the article is written correctly. When you are marketing an article, there is absolutely no room for mistakes, so you have to be sure that your article has been checked and double checked. Next, remember that it is also important what you call the article, and where you put it. You have to be sure that the article has a title that will draw people in, and also that you have placed it in the right category. Remember that lots of people who are looking for articles have very specific ideas of what they want, so as specific as you can make your article category and title, the better chance you have that someone will be able to find it and therefore will want to buy it.

Next, you want to be sure that the rest of the information about the article is correct. Many times you will be able to post certain aspects of the article along with the listing. This might include a description of the article, or keywords that are pertinent to the article. No matter what choices you have, you want to be sure that you are able to use them well and you want to be sure that you have posted as much information as possible about the article. It is always very important to make sure that the article is posted in exactly the right area and is described in the right way.

Last, be sure that you are checking back often. When you are marketing an article, things might change or you might find more information. Either way, you are going to have to be sure that you are able to take the new information and put it into the article. You also want to make sure that you are always available in order to help the other people answer questions and to make sure that you have all the article information. Basically, you need to make yourself available as you are trying to market your article, and be sure that you are always checking back.

If you follow these suggestions with a clear plan of action and a clear mind, you will be able to market your article to the best of your ability. If you have the determination that it takes to market your article, and if you are willing to do whatever it takes to make sure that your article is sold, you will find that you can have a very successful writing career, marketing and selling your articles. You will be able to succeed.

Knowledgeable Articles Aren’t Hard To Come By

Usually, when you see a good article online, it has a lot of knowledge in it. When you are looking to market your articles, you are going to want to make sure that your articles also have knowledge. But what defines a knowledgeable article?

A knowledgeable article is much more than simply words that are typed into a document and then submitted to a website. Anyone can type words, and you can certainly make an article fast enough simply by writing nonsense over and over again. However, these articles are not going to sell, and if you really want to have an article that you can market, you are going to want to make sure that your articles are knowledgeable.

It is fairly easy to be writing articles that are marketable whenever you are writing articles. One of the most important things that you can do is to be sure that you are only taking articles that you know a little bit about. Sometimes there are going to be huge incentives to take an article project, but be careful not to take article projects that you don’t understand, or that have to deal with something totally different from what you know. It is much too easy to take articles that you know nothing about and write words that don’t matter in them. The best thing to do is to take articles in a subject for which you have a liking, and a little bit of knowledge. This is one of the most important things that you can do when you are writing articles.

Even if you understand what you are writing about, and have a little bit of knowledge, you are still going to want to do some research on your articles. This is something that a good writer is always going to do. No matter how expert you are in a certain field, you are still going to want to research the subject matter, even just a little bit to make sure that you are providing your article with enough knowledge.

Of course, you can know everything there is to know about a subject and still write an article that is not knowledgeable. So, it is important to remember that when you are writing an article, there are certain things that you should be sure to do.

First of all, be sure that your article is clear and concise. You should have a set beginning, middle, and end to your article and you should create content to fit into each of these areas without pushing too much. You also want to be sure that each part of your article is important, and that every fact you give is correct.

If you follow these steps, you will be able to write content and articles that are knowledgeable. With so much information on the internet, and so many sites with information that is not important, the best way to make sure that your articles are marketable is to pump them full of knowledge so that they can really do some good.

Submitting Your Work to Affiliate Success Builder Article Directory in Five Easy Steps

There are several misconceptions that fledgling writers need to overcome when they take a closer look at Affiliate Success Builder Article Directory:
* This is not your average free-for-all site where you can post anything and everything, no matter how badly it is written. Instead, this site has a standard which as a poster you are required to respect and embrace.
* The articles cannot be about odd subjects that have little bearing on the subject matter at hand. You need to have a purpose in your writing.
* Do not mistake this site as a dumping ground for articles which other sites have rejected due to their commercial nature.

Even as you are permitted to engage in article marketing, your approach must be skillful, succinct, and of interest to the reader who will consider posting your articles in e-zines, online newsletters, and other venues where your writing will be exposed to much attention. If you have what it takes to provide quality content, then simply follow the guidelines to submitting your work to Affiliate Success Builder Article Directory in five easy steps!

1. Check out the content produced by other writers. Amazingly, this is one of the most commonly overlooked aspects of posting your work to sites such as this one. Marketing your article with Affiliate Success Builder Article Directory will only lead to a vibrant form of name recognition if the quality of your writing is up to par with the best and most prolific content producers on the site while at the same time in some way standing out.
2. Have quality work which you created, is devoid of affiliate links, and meets online grammatical and editorial guidelines is welcomed. Double check you are writing with a succinct style, fresh insights, and offering high quality content.
3. Sign up on the site for an account. This is your opportunity to post your name, website information and also a short biography that will entice visitors to visit your online presence on the Internet to learn more about you.
4. Carefully read through the submission guidelines and agree to their terms of service. While this may appear odd, considering you will not receive payment for your articles, this is standard procedure and must be observed.
5. Confidently post your articles.

Every so often, enter some of your articles in the search engines to see who has caught on to your writing. Even as this may appear odd, keep in mind that this kind of information is vital when attempting to find where interest is being generated for your writing. The very fact that others are reprinting your work attests to your writing skill as well as the interest your content is generating.

Another aspect of posting your work is the ability to keep your content fresh and always cutting edge. The danger of submitting content freely to a big site is to yield to the temptation of posting older work, some of which may no longer be factually accurate, and thus not only detract from the site’s reputation but also your own.

Successful Article Submission Techniques For You

There are a couple things that you should be aware of as you are submitting articles, in order to make sure that you are the one who has the successful article submission. Just because you have submitted your article some where doesn’t mean that it is going to be successful. In order for it to be successful, someone else needs to see it and either respond to it in some way, or contact you because of it. Then, you will have had a successful article submission, simply because you will be able to know that your article has done something for you.

If you want to make sure that you have a successful article submission, there are some things that you should remember. First, you always want to be sure that you are submitting your articles once they are completed and once they are able to do you some good. You should be able to get something out of the articles that you are submitting, which is why it is very important that the articles you submit are actually going to do good things for you. The best way to make sure that the articles you submit are doing good things for you is to be sure that you are able to submit articles that are free of errors and that people will want to read.

Next, the best way to make your articles into articles that people will want to read is to make sure that they actually mean something. You have to be sure that you are submitting articles that have a purpose and that you and the reader can get something out of. This means that the articles you submit have got to have a purpose, and they have got to have information. The information is very important when you are submitting articles.

Next, you want to be sure that as you are submitting articles, you are making the most out of what you have seen and heard. You want to be sure that the articles you submit are really relevant to what is going on in the world around you and what is going to become important as time goes on. This means that you have to be sure that you are submitting articles that have something to do with the world at large, and that therefore have information that other people will find useful.

These are very important parts of successful article submission. Remember that in order go be successful; an article submission has to actually get the reader to do something. You have to make sure that they are able to get some good information about the subject matter from your article. Then, they either have to buy the article, which is going to get your money, or they have to contact you and offer you a job based on your article. If this happens from an article, you will know that you have made a successful article submission.

Everything You Should Know About the Albuquerque International Sunport

This article explains a few things about Albuquerque International, and if you’re interested, then this is worth reading, because you can never tell what you don’t know.

Those of you not familiar with the latest on Albuquerque International Sunport now have at least a basic understanding. But there’s more to come.

Are you a New Mexico resident? If so, there is a good chance that you have heard of the Albuquerque International before. Unlike traditional airports, that contain the word airport in their name, this popular New Mexico airport has made their airport name catchy and unique. A catchy name is not all the Albuquerque International Sunport has to offer. In fact, it offers a wide variety of both international and domestic flights, on a daily basis.

Being the largest airport in New Mexico, the Albuquerque International is not just for residents who live in or around the Albuquerque area. In fact, residents travel from all across the state, just to use the top of the line service offered by this well known airport facility. If you are one of those individuals, you are urged to further examine the Albuquerque International, especially if you are a first-time visitor. You will find that a small amount of time and research will provide you with all of the information that you need to know.

Perhaps, the first step in examining everything that the Albuquerque International has to offer is to visit their online website. At that online website, you can learn virtually anything that you want or need to know, including information on incoming or outgoing flights, terminal locations, and airport parking services. To make use out of this valuable information, you are advised to start your research before you are to leave for your next trip. Doing so will help to ensure that you can put the information that you learned to good use.

When visiting the online website of the Albuquerque International Sunport, you will learn that a number of commercial airlines offer flights in and out of this international airport. If you are looking for international flights, you will find that Continental Airlines, Delta Airlines, American Airlines, Mesa Airlines, Northeast Airlines, and Southwest Airlines are the commercial airlines that have numerous international flights, many arriving or leaving on a daily basis.

The online website for the Albuquerque International is pretty limited on air travel rules and information; however, it does not mean that those rules to do not exist. Depending on where you are flying to and form, you may need to bring your driver’s license, government issued identification card, or your passport with you. On certain international flights, additional proof of identification may be needed. For this reason, it is best that you check with the airport or your airline before leaving for your trip.

Once at the Albuquerque International Sunport, is important that you abide by all airport rules. This includes leaving prohibited items at home or in your vehicle and cooperating with all airport security staff. Since there is always a chance that a problem could occur, intentionally or not, it is advised that you arrive at the Albuquerque International well in advance. You may want to arrive at least two hours before your flight is scheduled to depart. If you are scheduled to fly out on an international flight, you may even want to give yourself more time.

By keeping the above mentioned information in mind, you should be able to make the most out of your next visit to the Albuquerque International. As a reminder, for additional information, you should examine the online website of the Albuquerque International Sunport.

When word gets around about your command of Albuquerque International facts, others who need to know about Albuquerque International Sunport will start to actively seek you out.