The Poetry Portal Net

What happens when you get the overwhelming urge to act on an idea? Do you pay attention when the same scenario keeps presenting itself? Do you make leaps when all indications are pointed to the fact that it is the right time? If not, perhaps it’s time to listen to the signs of the universe. Do you hear them? Most importantly, do they make you act? Those signs are nudges by the universe, designed to keep you on path and steer you towards your goals.

Hope was sick of her job and longed for a way out. She had just learned of an online program that catered to graphic design and it piqued her interest. She liked the idea of learning at home as her schedule allowed. So Hope signed up for the course and waited for the materials to come. She waited, and waited, and waited but they did not come. Totally exasperated she called and cancelled the course. Hope decided that it wasn’t meant to be and stuck it out with her day job. Ten months later she ran across an advertisement for the course again. She figured that it had worked out for the best the last time, but decided to give it another try. So she signed up again, or so she thought. About two days later she was contacted and told her credit card had not gone through. She tried two different cards, and none of them worked despite the fact that they were working for her everywhere else. So again Hope decided to put it on the back burner. About six months ago Hope decided that it was time to start making some positive changes in her life. The following week while in the midst of a full-fledged cleaning spree, she uncovered the graphic design course information. She hoped that the third time would indeed be a charm, so she placed her order, waited three days and her course materials actually arrived. Three days earlier than expected.

Hope is half-way through her course and loves it. She intuitively knew that was the right time to pursue her dream. She wasn’t near ready the first time. The second time she was almost ready, but not one hundred percent ready to commit. This last time she was totally amped up to succeed.

Would you have reacted the same way as Hope? She may not have known that the universe was working overtime to get her enrolled in her course, but she did intuitively know when to be persistent. If Hope has succeeded in registering the first time she probably would not have completed the course. She was busy at work, her home office as in a state of chaos, and she was physically exhausted. Hope listened and decided to back off. What if the signs kept showing up, seemingly in conflict? Hope figured that it was this course that she needed to take because the same one was recommended to her by several different people. But when she tried to register the second time, the universe would not allow her credit card to be processed, thus she couldn’t pay for it. It was lucky for Hope that she didn’t commit to the course then, because about 3 months later her car died and she needed to pay for the repairs using the funds that she would have doled out for the course. Conflicting signs? Yup! But for whatever reason it was clear that she was not to take the course at that time.

Learn to look for the signs that show up, and listen to their plan. Contrary to popular belief we juggle way too much, and being able to simply act when we are prompted to do so takes an incredible load off. Answers to problems that we may or may not already be aware of, fall into our laps everyday. Can you remember the last time that happened? Here’s a fun exercise. Write down all of the instances that the universe gave you a nudge in the last week. Don’t groan, it’s just one week. If you do not recall any nudges try getting in a quiet place, closing your eyes, and really meditating on last week. When something seemingly unexpected popped into the forefront and said “Here I am!” Then write it down. Once you get started momentum will take over. Thinking about these moments and writing them down serves three primary purposes.

First it gets you in the habit of learning to recognize these nudges for what they are. Then you can begin to take full advantage of them when they initially occur. Second, it allows you the opportunity to dwell on just how wonderfully the universe is working for you, allowing you the chance to show gratitude. Lastly, reflection allows you to remember the vibrations that were being sent out at the time that the universe responded to you. If what showed up was not what you wanted, this is the prime opportunity to start tweaking the messages that you are transmitting. It’s a powerful exercise. Those of you who journal and/or keep gratitude journals will have a heads-up, but it will be just as intense an exercise for you as well.

With a practice and persistence you and the universe will be on the same wavelength. You will be alleviating stress by letting go of problems and you will find that more and more time is being spent on enjoyable tasks. Even things that would have formerly been considered major obstacles will be solved so effortlessly, that you will enjoy the process of putting the solutions in place. No longer will anyone be asking you “can you hear them now?” Your life will be proof-positive that you have eliminated the static, and are receiving messages with such incredible clarity that Verizon will have nothing on you!

Eva Gregory, master coach, speaker and author of The Feel Good Guide To Prosperity, http://www.feelgoodguide.com, has instructed thousands on the Laws of Attraction in person, on the radio and in dozens of teleconference training seminars and programs. She is the author of several books and e-books and has co-developed several telephone-based and internet-based training courses on the Laws of Attraction. Her most popular program to date is her Leading Edge Living One Year Success Program. (http://www.leadingedgecoaching.com/Living/index.shtml) Eva is regularly featured on radio and in the media and is a recognized authority on the Laws of Attraction. To learn more about her products and services, visit Leading Edge Coaching, http://www.leadingedgecoching.com NOTE: You’re welcome to “reprint” this article online as long as it remains complete and unaltered (including the “about the author” info at the end), and you send a copy of your reprint to eva@coacheva.com

The Self Improvement Way | No Comments »

It is a sad reality that people meet accidents. The physical toll of an accident-related injury can vary from slight inconvenience to, at the very worst, debilitating injuries that could affect not only a person’s ability to earn money but also his quality of life. The stress that results from the accompanying problems that crop up after an accident can also have a major negative effect on the victim. For every kind of accident, the party or parties responsible for the commission of the accident should face up to their liabilities.

But the sad fact is, most people who meet accidents do not usually pursue any legal actions against the guilty party or parties, for the simple reason that legal fees can be very expensive. Already faced with the expenses for medical care and medicines and sometimes even rehabilitation, and the ability to earn a living already compromised, most accident victims just grin and bear it and opt not to file any charges or legal complaints. This is a reality that most accident victims have to contend with.

But accidents victims should always remember that they have the legal right to compensation for the injuries they have suffered from accidents, especially if there is a clear fault of negligence from certain individuals or entities. But far from the compensation that they will get for the injuries and lost revenue that they have suffered there is also a more important reason for filing legal charges for accidents. It is their responsibility as a citizen to have these incidents reported and, if possible, prosecuted so that the accident will not happen to other people. These parties who have caused the accident or have, through their negligence, precipitated certain factors to cause it should be made culpable for their actions.

Fortunately, there is one way for victims to file the necessary legal charges for the injuries that they received from accidents without necessarily worrying about the costs. In some cases you can use a system where you only need to pay the legal fees if you win the case. This is called a conditional-fee agreement, or a “no win, no fee” agreement.

A “no win, no fee” agreement can help pay solicitor costs, unless the case involves family dispute or a matter of a criminal nature. Under this agreement, the victim’s solicitor will take on the case but he understands that if the case loses then he will not get paid. It should be made clear though that there are other costs involved that are not covered by the agreement. For example, even with a lost case, the complainant will still pay the opponent’s legal costs and the disbursements of the complainant and the defendant. But an insurance can be taken to cover the aforementioned payment if ever the case is lost. This can be arranged by the solicitor. If the complainant wins the case, he will pay the solicitor along with his disbursements. A solicitor may also charge a “success fee” as a means of compensating the solicitor for taking the risk of not being paid if the case is lost.

Truly, with a “no win, no fee” agreement, the dispensation of justice for the victims of accidents does not have to stop because of limited funds.

Mark is the webmaster for Accident claim a legal information site.

This article is free to republish provided this bio box remains with working hyperlinks

Legal Hub | No Comments »

Here are some simple, fairly inexpensive date ideas for those of you who wish to add a little romance to your relationship:

1) A picnic in the middle of your living room, with a nice bottle of wine, candles and the music of your choice.

2) A candle lit dinner in your own backyard, patio or terrace. Use the stars as your backdrop and the candles to create intimacy.

3) If there is a river or lake nearby see if there is a company that does champagne river or boat tours. As your guide relates the local habitat, you and your honey can snuggle under a blanket and share a toast to your relationship.

4) Picnic in your local park or at your local beach. Enjoy feeding each other finger foods and fresh berries.

5) Call your local culinary school and see if you can hire one of the chefs in training to cook for the two of you. There prices may be more reasonable than a dinner out, plus

1)you don’t have to worry about how much you drink

2) the mess is cleaned up for you

3) you can slip into the bedroom and into your lingerie, while he tips your chef and sends him or her on her way

These are just a few simple date ideas, that you can try with your sweetie without breaking the bank.

Caterina Christakos is the author of the Seduction Game for Women. To learn even more ways of adding spice to your relationship go to: seductiondiva.com

This & That | No Comments »

The popularity of “exotic mortgages” has the media in a feeding frenzy that the lenders are creating the much bemoaned real estate bubble.

If there is a bubble, it has less to do with financing than with stories of fast riches in hot real estate markets. Yes, the easy money loans have helped some borrowers buy beyond their means. And yes, the exotic loans can act as timebombs when rates spike higher. But the loans are no more the cause of a speculative real estate bubble than a better golf club helps Tiger break par. They are simply tools.

I beleive the exotic loans are good tools for borrowers who know how to use them. Interest only payments allow a borrower to pay a smaller payment when cash flow is low, and pay down principal in better times. These loans actually reduce the risk of loan default, because default only happens when a borrower can’t make their monthly payment.

Therefore any loan that allow this kind of payment flexibility should be seen as a positive for loan quality and stability, not riskier?

Along this same line of reason, an Option ARM - or the extra hybrid, negative amortizing, low payment loan is even more secure. Option ARMs allow a borrower to pay even less than the interest accrual on the loan, with the difference being added to the princiapl. Paying these uber-low rates is even easier on the borrowers monthly cash flow, so the default risk is further reduced. If interest rates spike, the payment does not change, a minimum payment is locked in for several years.

The experts and the media are having a field day with these loans, and few industry insiders have been defending the popularity of the products.

The consumer clearly understands the value to interest only and exotic payment mortgages, this is why they have become the most popular loan options. But few consumers are being interviewed to defend why they choose these loans. Why the media witch hunt?

Simple, the headlines of a real estate bubble is much more exciting than writing about how new innovations in lending are helping Americans afford the Dream better.

Bob Waun , Founder & CEO

bwaun@vacation-finance.com

As a VP at Paramount Bank, and while at Wells Fargo, Bob innovated lending for Condo Hotel projects. He holds a Master’s degree in finance/economics and BBA in finance from Walsh College and a MI Real Estate Broker’s License. He has personally lent over $750+ million in residential loans, and over seen operations lending $1+billion. He has been a professional guest speaker and taught numerous courses/seminars on real estate finance.

He managed controlled business relationships for a national real estate brokerage in MI and OH, held top sales honors for Wells Fargo in 7 states. Bob has a 17 year track record of cutting-edge innovation in the mortgage finance.

The Real Estate Brokers Way | No Comments »

Baby Shower for Moms who just wanna have fun! This type of baby shower is not the only type of shower given today. Traditionally, baby showers have been thrown for mommy-to-be and the guest list was strictly women.

These days, many families choose to have different types of showers, including back-yard barbecues to include the men. These
are a nice idea since they remember that Daddy is a part of the new baby’s life, too.

But there is something to be said for a Sunday afternoon gathering of women to ooh and aah over Mommy’s belly without disparaging looks from the men. One reason to plan a baby shower for mom only.

When you have only women at the shower, you have the opportunity to really “girl it up”, so to speak, at your baby shower for
Mom. You can do really girlie things and not have to worry about the men being bored or embarrassed.

Here are a few suggestions for making a shower extra-girlish: Have Tea and Cake. Find a few really pretty tea sets and order little delectables like petit fours, tea cakes or maybe bring a cookie basket. Drink your tea like ladies, with pinky finger sticking up!

See if you can find pretty lace doilies for napkins. Pick up some baby shower party favors to go along with your ladies only party. You might even want to fake a British accent, dahling!

At your baby shower for mom and the ladies only, let them all be pregnant. Maybe purchase some baby shower decorations to match the pregnant theme. The guys definitely wouldn’t go for this!

Ask each guest to come with a pillow or other make shift stuffing to pretend that she is pregnant, too. Give a prize to the most authentic pregnant lady (excluding the guest of honor, of course) at your baby shower for Mom. You can pick up the prizes at any local party favor store or online party favor supply site.

Have everyone tell a story from their childbirth experience, or, if they have never had any children, let them rehash the stories their mothers told them (”I was in labor for 72 hours with you…”). Be sure there is a mixture of funny, touching, and
gruesome stories to round it out.

Decorate with extra-large maternity bras and undies (or get them in mom-to-be’s size so she can actually keep them after the
party).

Play baby shower games for your baby shower for mom. There is no way you would get away with this at a couples shower! But at a baby shower for mom and the ladies, you can play Guess the mom-to-be’s weight (go easy on her - guess low).

Paint her belly, do crafts like paint matching tees and onesies for Mom and baby, or play a game like baby bottle bowling. Ask guests to come up with other baby shower party ideas or baby shower party themes

Don’t Husband Bash. But you can tell funny or touching stories about other new Dads or dads-to-be. You don’t want to scare the mom-to-be. But she should be aware that some Dads will try to stop for coffee on the way to the hospital. Even though Mom’s contractions are 3 minutes apart.

Drink Girlie Drinks at the baby shower for Mom. Well, except for the mom-to-be. She can have non-alcoholic versions of girlie
drinks, though. Try Strawberry Daiquiris, Cosmopolitans and other fruity drinks.

© Copyright Randy Wilson, All Rights Reserved.

Randy is owner of http://www.planning-a-baby-shower.com where you will find further tips on baby showers at http://www.planning-a-baby-shower.com/planning-the-baby-shower.html and baby shower games at http://www.planning-a-baby-shower.com/Baby-Shower-Games.html

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We often call Climate Change “Global Warming”, yet although the overall trend in global temperatures is upward, the scientific community has been telling us from the start that there will also be greater extremes in climate, and these variations will be experienced both upward in some areas, and downward in other parts of the world.

Climate change prediction is still far from an exact science and substantial uncertainties exist when trying to predict how large areas will react to changing climatic conditions. However, we do know already that when it comes to global climate the warm temperatures currently experienced in the UK are already an anomaly.

The UK climate is noticeably warmer than other countries located at the same latitude such as Newfoundland to the west, and also its Balkan neighbours in Europe, to the east. It is easy to forget that Glasgow and Edinburgh are situated at latitudes similar to the much colder city of Moscow, and surrounding regions.

The Scottish lowlands have in the past 10 years, seldom witnessed anything more than a covering of snow for periods numbering no more than a few days each winter. This is in comparison with the continued prolonged snow covered winters of Moscow, and the hard frozen countryside of the eastern European states, at similar latitudes.

The reason for this warmth is the Gulf Stream, a sea current which draws heat from the topics and releases the warmth in the north-east Atlantic. However, if global warming causes the acceleration of the hydrological cycle and melting of ice, surface water salinity will be diluted and water currents will slow. This is not just a general theory either, as climate change models do also show a net effect of slowed down warming in the north Atlantic because of this effect (Grub, 2004).
Most of us in the UK have been resolutely assuming, as a result, that although many other currently cold climates will at least become more temperate, and some may even become new summer tourist resorts of the future, the UK will miss out!
However, work by the scientist Seager et al (2002) disputes that climate change will have a cooling effect on the UK climate. This is surprising and such ideas go against the established scientific view which has been held for very many years.

Using weather data from the past 50 years, their research shows that as little as 10% of the UK’s warmth comes from the Gulf Stream. Instead, the paper claims that the majority of the UK’s climate arrives in the form of warm winds from continental North America, and that this combined with the ocean’s ability to hold heat for longer than the land, is the key to the mild climate.

Therefore, dilution of the Gulf Stream by ice melt water, could have a less disastrous effect on the UK’s climate than was first thought, and climate change may cause the UK to warm instead of cool.

While there is uncertainty regarding how climate change will affect areas locally, changes already experienced in the global climate and as shown to be occurring by UKCIP (2002) include:-

- Increased night-time temperatures, occurring at twice the rate of warming of daytime temperatures;

- Higher rainfall over many Northern Hemisphere mid-to-high latitude areas of land;

- The Northern Hemisphere is also experiencing an extension in the length of the freeze-free season.

These combined with a practically globe-wide reduction in ice mass, accompanied by substantial Arctic sea ice thinning which is most pronounced in late summer, all point to significant changes. So we will probably not have to wait very long before we will know whether, “Global Warming” in the United Kingdom might result in a colder climate, or indeed just the opposite.

Steve Last is an environmental engineer who is also a Chartered Environmentalist (CEnv), and lives in the county of Shropshire, UK. CEnv is a new and growing academic discipline created in the last two years. All Chartered Environmentalists pledge to further the principles of sustainability.

Please visit “Climate Change for Better or Worse”, an independent web site about Climate Change http://www.climate-change.me.uk to find out more, and for the references given.

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Given the current interest (dare I say hysteria) associated with investing in dirt and buildings, I thought it might be interesting for our readers to have a quick, dirty manual on real estate valuation. My perspective comes from years in the industry as well as some time learning at the knee of some of the better real estate minds in academia.

I will separate (to some degree) investing in one’s residence, for consumption, from investing in real estate for fun and profit. The reason for this separation is that much of the utility or value of one’s home is locked in the pleasure one gets from living in it, or consuming it. Although there are certain ego strokes to owning large buildings, an edifice complex - if you will, the value associated with land, apartments, office buildings and warehouses is locked in the cash flow they provide or will provide. [That edifice complex comes in to play with large, trophy assets - I wouldn’t expect any of our readers to be buying the TransAmerica Pyramid or the Sears Tower, but there is an interesting argument as to why those buildings deserve premiums over their nearby competitors - that discussion will have to take place at another time.]

The first basic principle to understand is that any asset is only valuable to the degree to which it will provide cash flow to its owner. It is important to see office buildings, not as office buildings, but as rent creation machines. One should see land, not as dirt, but as an option to build and rent out or sell - and thus, create cash flow.

‘But, JS, how can I decide what to pay for those cash flows?’ And ‘JS, what if the cash flows are unpredictable or are hard to estimate?’ I hear your questions, and they are good ones. And that is why there are different ways to assess the value of real assets.

There are four basic ways to approximate the value of a building or piece of land. There is the Discounted Cash Flow method, or DCF, there is the Cap Rate method, there is the Replacement Cost method and there is the Comparable method. Each one has its own advantages and disadvantages.

DCF

Discounted Cash Flow analysis or DCF analysis is not unique to real estate; in fact, it works with most any capital asset. DCF is the process of forecasting cash flows forward for some realistic period of time (any investment banking analyst will have done so many 10-year DCFs that he or she will be seeing them in their sleep) usually five or ten years and then discounting those cash flows back to the present to find the current value of the building. I am not going to get in to the ins and outs of choosing the appropriate discount rate (but maybe one of my fellow columnists will) but suffice it to say that the appropriate discount rate should take in to account the relative surety of the future cash flows (or more precisely, the risk associated with the cash flows specific to this asset). The cash flows include the rents or the cash that will be spit out as well as the terminal value (or the value that the building will fetch at a sale (less transaction costs) at the end of the analysis). Below is an example of a DCF analysis. Notice how one might value the building very differently depending on one’s discount rate. Assume that the asking price for the building is $150 - perhaps this wouldn’t be such a great investment. Building a simple model on excel and fiddling with rent flows and terminal values will show how sensitive these analyses are to even small changes.

The advantages to this type of valuation are that if you are relatively sure about the future cash flows and understand the true cost of your capital as well as the correct discount rate for this type of asset, then one can get a good idea of what to bid or what you’d be willing to pay for an asset. Of course, the disadvantages are that if someone can accurately predict anything for the next ten years, I want to meet them and buy them anything they want - they are worth my weight in gold (no small number I assure you). Also, choosing the right discount rate is an art and not a science, as such, it is not only difficult, but it is also prone to be tinkered with. Or in other words, many of my colleagues (and JS is not to be held out as better than anyone else) as well as myself have worked backward to get to the asking price. Or we have done the model and then chosen the discount rate in order to arrive at a value that will in fact make the building trade.

In general, I don’t favor this type of valuation. It is too sensitive to judgment / errors and doesn’t take in to account the vagaries of the market. Additionally, this method doesn’t work well with land, vacant buildings, redevelopment opportunities or any type of asset that has no cash flow or extremely difficult to predict cash flows.

Cap Rate

The Capitalization method or cap rate method is similar to the DCF method. In fact, it is really just a shortcut for the DCF method. The following equation explains what a cap rate is:

First Year NOI Building Purchase Price = Cap Rate

NOI is Net Operating Income. NOI is basically cash flow from a building, excluding debt service and income taxes (not real estate taxes). As an example, if we take the building from the above DCF Analysis and we assume a purchase price of $100 and an NOI of $10, the cap rate is 10%. [$10 / $100 = .10 or 10%]. In order to use the cap rate method to find out what to pay for a building, one only needs to understand two things, the expected NOI for the year after purchase and the cap rate for similar assets (and this usually means tenants) in the market. If you deconstruct this method it begins to look like a DCF valuation - but those similarities and why they may or may not make sense is better saved for a later column.

NOI is Net Operating Income. NOI is basically cash flow from a building, excluding debt service and income taxes (not real estate taxes). As an example, if we take the building from the above DCF Analysis and we assume a purchase price of $100 and an NOI of $10, the cap rate is 10%. [$10 / $100 = .10 or 10%]. In order to use the cap rate method to find out what to pay for a building, one only needs to understand two things, the expected NOI for the year after purchase and the cap rate for similar assets (and this usually means tenants) in the market. If you deconstruct this method it begins to look like a DCF valuation - but those similarities and why they may or may not make sense is better saved for a later column.
In commercial real estate, this is the most common method of quoting property prices or talking about valuations. Brokers will talk about buildings ‘trading at an 8 cap.’ That means that a building sold at 12.5x its first year NOI. Be careful to delineate between ‘in-place NOI’ and ‘projected’ or ‘pro-forma NOI.’ Also be careful to accurately predict capital contributions needed to keep a building leased or lease-able. Because cap rates only take in to account NOI, they often don’t differentiate between buildings that require massive amounts of capital and labor to keep up and ones that don’t.

In general, this is a great short-cut to decide if a building is worth doing more work on. Cap rate analysis is just a starting point in deciding what to bid for a property. But understanding market cap rates (or the average cap rate that assets have been trading for) is a very valuable metric. I would place this as the second best method for valuing real estate.

Replacement Cost Analysis

The replacement cost analysis is exactly what it sounds like. The replacement cost is the cost to recreate that exact asset in that exact location. A good replacement cost analysis will not only take in to account land values and building costs but also developer profit and carrying cost for construction debt.

Although brokers often say ‘this is going to trade below replacement cost’ it is often not the case and also, that is usually not a relevant metric. The replacement cost is a backward looking metric and one that doesn’t take in to account the most important thing, what the building will be able to earn right now. Remember, cash is king.

I will say that in general, this method is unhelpful. The argument that if you buy something under replacement cost, ‘you can only get hurt if no one ever builds here again’ is a shabby one. If you are buying in a vibrant market with high volatility, this argument could have some merit. But unless you are getting an off-market deal or there is some reason to believe that other informed buyers haven’t been made aware of the deal you are exploring, you should ask yourself why you can buy something at below replacement cost.

Comparable Analysis

This is the most important method for valuing any type of asset, but it is especially helpful in real estate. The comparable method or comp method is simply looking for assets in the market that are similar to the one you are acquiring and looking at what they have traded for on a per square foot, per acre or per unit basis. If you are paying more, then everyone else in the market, there had better be a good reason. And if you are paying less, figure out why.

This method is best for ‘hard to value assets’ like vacant buildings, land and residential homes. For those items, cash flows are non-existent or too difficult to estimate. Embedded in this method of valuation is a central theme, that of the efficient market. So long as there are ample bidders and relatively fair market disclosure the prices at which assets have been trading are probably the best indication of their value.

If you have more specific questions about another method or about something in this article, please do not hesitate to write me or post it to http://www.whatbubble.com.

J.S. Silver is a real estate investor and co-editor-in-chief at whatbubble.com. If you would like to post your own comments, or have any financial questions answered by an expert for free or if you would like to just read more on this subject please visit http://www.whatbubble.com. If you wish to re-publish this article, we request you retain all links.

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Hampton Court Palace lies to the south west of London City, on the edge of the River Thames, enclosed by wood and dazzling grounds. Hampton Court Palace, King Henry eights magnificent riverbank accommodation is positioned in more than five hundred acres of woods and grounds.

Awaken the ambience of more than four-hundred and fifty years of rituals, fancy dressed staff can be witnessed within Henry 8’s & King William 3rds attractive State homes. The scenes, noise & stink of the great Tudor kitchens where dinners were planned for Henry?s courtyard of well over one-thousand individuals can also be viewed.

Hampton Court Palace has been split into 6 unique routes or outings. The Maze at Hampton Court Palace which is placed on the Thames to the west of the City is probably the most greatest hedge maze on this earth.

Hampton Court palace has a nasty heritage and is apparently owned by quite a few ghosts, including two of Henry 8ths dead wives & a nurse to his offspring. Hampton Court Palace stewards and hostesses will be near by to aid visitors to their chosen state residence for a wine and canap?s meeting. Uniformed workers will announce the evening supper and visitors will be invited to take their seats for an excellent two course meal with hand picked fine champagne. The England tourism board has plenty of other Royal attractions to visit in England.

Hampton Court Palace has 60 acres of state private gardens on-top-of the five hundred acres of royal plants. The palace private gardens date back to the 16th Century, when the original Privy Garden was installed between fifteen thirty and 1538 for King Henry the eighth.

Hall Of Travel | No Comments »

The summer home buying season is just around the corner and many people or already searching for a new home. When browsing the selection on hand, beware of the 10 to 20 year old homes.

Why?

Simple. The 10 to 20 year range is the time that most of the mechanical systems in a home are nearing the end of their life cycles.

The national average for people selling their homes is around 7 years. That means a lot of people are selling in their homes after living in them 10 to 20 years. There are many sellers who know that it’s about time to start replacing water heaters and HVAC units and they’d just soon the new buyer be stuck with those expenses.

Shingles also need replaced in this time frame. Just because your shingle has a 20 to 30-year warranty, doesn’t mean it will last that long. Besides, they have a pro rated warranty and chances are if it’s over 10 years old there isn’t much left on the warranty.

In the South, a 20 year shingle will normally last between 12 and 15 years before it need replaced, barring any hail storms or other natural disasters.

A professional home inspector can alert you to these costly components. Beware though, most state and national home inspection SOP’s do not require the mention of components at the end of their life cycle. Ask the inspector you hire if he/she mentions components that are at the end of their life cycle. Also ask the inspector if he/she will put the age of these components in the report.

Another item to watch out for is wood siding. Composition wood siding has had its issues also. I’ve even seen Cedar plank siding rotted after 13 years because it was never maintained. A fresh coat and some wood filler can make old rotted siding look pretty good from a distance. Buyer beware.

It’s a huge bummer to move into your ‘new’ 10 to 20 year old home only to find out that the furnace and roof need replaced this year and then next year the water heater and A/C go out. It happens every year, just make sure it doesn’t happen to you. You’ve been warned!

You have permission to reproduce, copy or distribute this article as you see fit as long it remains intact including the resource box below and all links remain live.

Donald Lawson is a Houston Texas home inspector. Licensed in Texas (#5824) and Oklahoma (#454), he currently owns and operates V.I.P. Home Inspections. You can also find more information on Houston Texas Real Estate by clicking on any of these links.

The Real Estate Brokers Way | No Comments »

Whether you are seeking capital for your company or are optimizing your business strategy, the most important element - particularly for outside investors - may be your written business plan. You can tune-up and supercharge your plan using this 19-step checklist. When your written plan firmly answers yes to each of these 19 questions, your market/product strategy is in terrific shape plus you increase the odds of attracting investment capital.

If you don’t already have a written business plan - write one! Your business plan is a blueprint for your whole company. It describes in detail your goals, the financial and technical viability of your goals, and the strategy you will use (or are using) to reach those goals. And your business plan is a working tool - it is a yardstick to measure your progress and a compass to keep you on course.

Must a business plan be written?

Yes! A plan which is not written usually has not been thought through fully. And despite what you may have read, it is doubtful that any business ever attracted capital on the back of a napkin.

Use this checklist as a way to identify where your strategy, as spelled out in your business plan, needs work. Each of the questions below highlights an area considered critical to technology investors.

1. Can the key ideas behind your product or service be stated in one or two sentences? (y/n)

2. Does your company have at least one unique and compelling competitive advantage, which cannot quickly or easily be duplicated? (y/n) Examples are a special feature, a cost advantage, a technical refinement, a new delivery system or a special supplier.

3. Is your competitive advantage proprietary? (y/n) That is, can it be copyrighted, patented, trademarked or otherwise protected? Can you keep it exclusive to you?

4. Is your industry segment growing by 25% or more? (y/n) If not, can your new product dominate its segment? If the answer is no, you probably won’t be able to generate the kind of financial returns investors look for.

5. Does your product or service create a new market? (y/n) Although generally positive, this could be a trap - in a brand new market, the potential can be slow to develop. Lotus Notes created a new category but took years to create value for investors.

6. Is your market in “early momentum” - the market growth phase where market revenues have recently taken off? (y/n) Venture investors prefer markets in this stage because the time-to-create-value is shorter and the growth potential still large.

7. Is your target market segment 1) tightly defined over a population sharing common characteristics, 2) large enough to support significant profits, 3) served by communications channels to reach that market - i.e., trade or special interest publications, response mailing lists? (y/n)

8. Is your company filling a gap in the market, or do you have a “gee-whiz” product which you think is so terrific that customers will surely want to buy it? (y/n)

9. The benefit of your product or service to users is 1) significant, 2) quantifiable and 3) cost-justified? (y/n). If you provide a benefit which is important, and you can prove it - there is a much higher probability of generating sales.

10. Is there a demonstrated market for your product? (y/n) If you have an existing product, is your customer base expanding? Investors would rather fund sales and production than product development.

11. Is there wide appeal for your product or service? (y/n) Are there enough potential customers in the target market that you can earn significant profits, for a long time? Are there follow-on products to sustain revenue and profit growth?

12. Does your company have the ability to sell your product? (y/n) Particularly in companies where the founders have technical backgrounds, a question to ask is “Who is going to sell your product or service?” What about outside distributors?

13. Is there an experienced management team? (y/n) Investors would rather fund a solid team instead of one lone genius with a great idea. The team should be highly qualified in marketing, sales, finance, and the product/service area itself. Of course, a demonstrable track record helps.

14. Can you demonstrate a likely return of 5-15 times investors’ capital, over a period ranging from three to seven years? (y/n) The actual parameters used by venture investors will vary based on which stage you are in (idea, startup, development, expansion, turnaround).

15. Is there a clear exit strategy for investors? (y/n) The most common strategies for returning investors’ capital are 1) going public; 2) acquisition of your company; 3) new investors; 4) founder’s buyback or management buyout.

16. Have other investors already put money into the company, particularly the senior management team? (y/n) This reduces the apparent risk, reduces overall exposure, and shows that management “has its money where its mouth is.”

17. Have you clearly defined a structure for the investment you seeking? (y/n) The structure should include: who is involved, how much capital is needed, what minimum investment you will accept, how much equity that will buy - and, of course, the projected return on investment.

18. Are your financial projections realistic? (y/n) Have you soundly justified your projected growth rates and other financial assumptions?

19. Have you clearly examined the risks? (y/n) Investors like to know that you have considered the risks. This is key - can you turn your risks into opportunities?

Too many no’s? Remember, each “no” opens up an area for you to strengthen your business. Even if you aren’t seeking capital, each question highlights a critical success factor - which, when mastered, will increase your profits, your performance, and your future success.

In order to help you discover hidden value and opportunities in your existing business, and to make it easier to spot potential problems while you are just starting out, I’ve created the Discover Hidden Value Business Building Guide. A remarkable aid to accelerating the growth and profitability of your business, this program of insight-provoking questions and checklists enables you to rapidly diagnose, troubleshoot and optimize every part of your business, from marketing to sales, customer service to product development and finance to production.

© Paul Lemberg. All rights reserved

Paul Lemberg’s clients call him “the unreasonable business coach” because he insists they pursue goals and take actions far outside their comfort zone to make more money than they previously thought possible. To get business coaching tips, tools and strategies like these, visit http://www.paullemberg.com/Business_Coaching.html.

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