Friday, December 12, 2008

Real Estate Investment Tip Getting Far Lower Property Taxes!

When buying real estate for investment many buyers look overseas and one of the big advantages is normally the generous tax incentives on real estate investment property.

How does real estate taxes and no capital gains tax sound?

Combine this with fantastic growth potential and you can make money and save tax. Let?s look at one market as an example.

1.Low property Tax.

Property taxes in Costa Rica are extremely low when compared to say the United States. Property taxes vary from 0.5% to 1.5% of the declared value of the property.

The Municipal Tax is administered at the municipal level and varies throughout the country. Paid quarterly, the type of property, location and other factors contribute to the calculation of this tax.

2. No Corporation Tax

A great incentive provided by the Government for overseas investment is that there is no capital gains tax.

A buyer would not be taxed by the government on the profit from the future sale of the property as long as this is not undertaken as a primary means of business.

3. Legal rights of overseas buyers are protected

Ownership of real estate in Costa Rica by foreigners is fully guaranteed by the Government.

In addition, foreigners enjoy the same ownership rights as Cost Rican residents, regardless of whether the property is placed in the name of a corporation or in the name of the buyer.

The decision to have the property under the name of a corporation is up to the investor.

Corporations are very common and can offer benefits of asset protection and anonymity for the actual owner. The cost is approximately $500.00

Costa Rica is looking for overseas investment and its steadily rising with American buyers in particular for the following reasons:

? Its just a 3 hour direct flight yet property can be up to 70%

? Living costs are far lower

? Amenities and infrastructure are good

? The country is peaceful and beautiful and one of the top adventure tourism spots in the world

? Capital growth potential is fantastic those buyers who bought near the popular town of Jaco with 30,000 dollars 15 years ago are worth $750,000 today and with investment at record levels further growth is expected

? Buying is easy, with very little red tape

Consider this

The baby boomer generation are buying second and retirement homes in record numbers and low taxes, cheap properties, great growth potential and in a safe and stable environment is very appealing.

Check out overseas destinations like Costa Rica for yourself and see.

FREE REPORT

On how to invest in property and get great growth potential, as well as low risk and pay less tax visit: http://www.net-planet.org/costarica.php

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Heart Rate Monitor Fitness Information

Almost everyone would like to change something about their body. Many want to slim down, lose fat, develop more muscle tone ? in general, just look better. But physical fitness also opens the door to a healthier, more active and energetic lifestyle. Everyone understands the merits of having a physically fit body?but how can you get there? Use heart rate monitor fitness to meet all your fitness goals.

Heart rate monitors are becoming more and more popular in gyms and workout classes. Wearing a heart rate monitor on wrist (like a watch) or workout clothes (in the strapless variety) may seem like a small thing, but heart rate monitor fitness can change the way you look at exercising. By using this small, simple tool, you can get the most out of your workout and meet your personal fitness goals.

Because they are becoming more widely used, heart rate monitors for fitness training are getting less expensive and more chock-full of features all the time. Now, you can see your heart rate by number or percentage, and displays are easy to access with one-touch buttons. Many heart rate monitors designed for fitness will show you the calories you burn, and even show targeted heart rates on the display. Using a heart rate monitor in your fitness program will help you stay on track with your workout. The more effective your workout, the easier it will be to reach those slim, toned, physically fit results. The results are the reason you exercise, right?

Fitness with a heart rate monitor is fitness made simple. Use this small device to learn if you?re reaching your target heart rate, and how much time you?re spending there. After going through your normal workout routine only once, you?ll have the right tool to begin making changes that can help you custom-design a workout that?s best for your body. Using a heart rate monitor to help you with physical fitness is as good as having your own personal trainer ? only better, because this tool can tell you exactly how many calories you?re burning.

Best of all, you can use your heart rate monitor to work on physical fitness anywhere. Take it to the gym, out on a jog, or use it inside your own home. Most heart rate monitors store past recordings, so that you can look at your workouts over a period of time. You?ll be able to design an exercise routine that really helps you get the most out of your workout. When you?re getting the most out of your routine, you?re producing results. With a heart rate monitor, the body you want is much, much easier to obtain.

Heart rate monitors are extremely popular, so it?s easy to find products and product reviews online. Any search engine will yield results, so with a few clicks of your mouse you can start comparing and shopping for heart rate monitors. Even if you don?t buy over the Internet, you can still read product reviews, compare prices, and get a good idea of what kind of heart rate monitor you want. Using a small, handheld monitor as part of your fitness program will help you spend more quality minutes working out ? so you can spend all your other quality minutes enjoying the results.

Looking for Top Brand Heart Rate Monitors at Below Retail Prices?

FITZZ.COM - Personal Health & Sports Products Home Fitness Exercise Equipment Online


Broadband and Internet 101


Internet is the World Wide Web. Broadband is the medium that carries it. Internet is the international computer network linking together thousands of individual networks. Broadband is the transmitter of these signals.


The most popular features of the Internet include electronic mail (of course you know e-mail), discussion groups (called newsgroups or bulletin boards, where users can post messages and look for responses on a system called Usenet). There is also the online conversations or chats, adventure and role-playing games and information retrieval You can also find electronic commerce (e-commerce) in the Net where you can buy and sell stuff at the click of a button.


On the other hand, broadband is the high-speed transmission. It is used to refer to Internet access which uses cable modems or DSL (Digital Subscriber Line). Broadband DSL connections are faster compared to dial-up connections.


Dial-up connections utilize phone lines to connect to the Internet while broadband uses cables.


High-speed transmission is commonly used to refer to Internet access via cable modems or DSL, which is faster than dial-up. For years, roadband has referred to a higher-speed connection, but the actual speed threshold has varied.


Along with digital subscriber line technology, cable modems ushered in the age of broadband Internet access in developed countries. Before DSL and cable modems, Internet access involved slow dial-up access over a public switched telephone network.


Users in a neighborhood share the available bandwidth provided by a single cable line. Therefore, connection speed can vary depending on how many people are using the service at the same time.


While T1 (1.5 Mbps) has been widely used as the threshold, others have used T3 (45 Mbps) for broadband. For example, after the turn of the century, South Korea leapfrogged the U.S. in Internet access, offering DSL up to 50 Mbps and calling their 1.5 Mbps service light.


Mbps is an abbreviation for megabits per second. It is the data transfer speeds as measured in megabits. This unit is mostly used in networking technologies such as broadband.


The World Wide Web (WWW) is the greatest force to the popularization of the Internet. It is a hypertext system (a computer based retrieval system) which makes browsing the Internet both fast and intuitive.

The information stored in the computer networks connected to the Internet forms a huge cyber library. But the enormous quantity of data and information in these interconnected computers makes it difficult to retrieve the information.


This is where broadband comes in because with the use of these cables, the information available in the Internet can be retrieved really fast and without hassles.


The broadband medium can carry signals from different network carriers. This is done through fiber-optic cable. Fiber-optic cable is a thin glass strand designed for transmission. It is capable of transmitting trillions of bits per second


Broadband technology can support a wide range of frequencies. Broadband in general refers to data transmission where multiple pieces of data are sent simultaneously to increase the effective rate of transmission. In network engineering this term is used for methods where two or more signals share a medium.


Various forms of DSL service are broadband in the sense that digital information is sent over one channel and voice over another channel sharing a single pair of wires.
About the Author

James Monahan is the owner and senior editor of

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Protect Your Investment: Real Estate Investing Secrets For A Zero Vacancy Factor

I hate empty rentals - as a landlord, as a neighbor and citizen. As a landlord, yeah I lose lots of money and time, not to mention the extra hassles.

And no matter what, empty rentals bring extra worries and headaches: vandalism, neighborhood kids, landscaping upkeep...

What most property owners don't know or understand is the concept of marketing their rentals. I try to be flexible and treat my renters as partners, because they are. If you don't have tenants, you're left with empty houses and costly real estate investments.

If the property has been vacant for only 1 month, the entire years profit from that property is affected. If it's vacant longer, well, you can do the math.

Here are some investing secrets and strategies that I use to get my units rented faster.

Give the first months rent for free. If a unit is vacant, your renter will many times be ready to move in sometime during the monthly cycle, not necessarily at the beginning of the month.

So give them the rest of the month for free as an incentive. You'd lose the rest of the month anyway if the renter doesn't move it, but now you have the place rented, and the security that (and since I only do 1 year leases) you have them for a full year - because their full paid year doesn't start until the first month they pay rent.

Reward your tenants. Yeah, we all fall for this tactic. If my tenants keep the unit in great condition, keep the landscaping up, pay on time... sometimes I pay their water bill, or give them a gift certificate for a free dinner or pizza.

It it's a multi-unit, I tell the other tenants about the reward to get the other tenants motivated.

Stage the place. No matter what kind of neighborhood, I always stage my rentals. Many people don't have the vision to see what the place will look like with furniture. Most people are driven by emotions, and if they like what they see, they go with it.

Helping them with the deposit and rental monies. It's about being flexible again, but you have to be careful of course. I meet with them first, check their background, their credit, and other factors, and sometimes I do cut them a break if I feel they need it. There are people who are trying hard to get themselves back on track. And others who aren't. So you need to decide who is up for the extra help and who it won't work with.

Provide an upgrade. Since I know my rentals, I know the things that are targeted for upgrades or replacement. Every so often, I'll take care of one of those. The tenants love it and it keeps the value of my properties up. Another win/win situation.

And last but not least, marketing, marketing and more marketing. Real estate investing is no different than other businesses. You have to keep marketing and keep your leads coming in. Expose your marketing to as many people as you can.

Send postcards in the neighborhood, even to other rental properties. Give them reasons why they should rent from me instead of where they are. Give them the benefits of living with me. I take pictures of my rentals and send them to my prospects so they can see the beautiful places I have.

You have to take care of your tenant's interest first before you own. I've learned that in life, the problems start when we take care of ourselves first before others. When you help other people and take care of their interest first, your own interests will be taken care of automatically.

Raul Luna officially became a millionaire before he turned 21! This successful speaker and educator is turning ordinary people into millionaires. Discover his secrets: http://www.moonvesting.com

Monday, December 8, 2008

INDIE GAMES ARE SOCIAL AND INTERACTIVE


Non- gamers often say that gamers are unsocial people. Not true. Of course it is not a very social activity like hanging out with friends. But the popularity of multiplayer games goes to emphasize on the social factors.


Increasing role-playing has reduced the barriers between the players with others. Now a gamer can connect with another gamer at any part of the world. You can be a friend or a complete stranger it doesn't matter. So if you are a social recluse take heart.


For you could be miles apart, but still playing the game together, since the gulf between the gamer and the virtual world is almost non-existent.


Even if you are a loner, indie-games can relieve you of your boredom. The games are tightly constructed. Also the content is such that you are not left talking to yourself. -- Although, some people like to talk to themselves!


However indie-games are not claustrophobic. They give you a chance to speak, you are an active listener not a passive one. We know that people do not like to sit and listen. So indie games will compel you to play since interaction is a top priority in our list.


Look at the past. The board games that you played on a rainy day were also very interactive. But they were closed games. There were these fixed set of rules. The tools were limited to cards, dices etc. Even after so many years, those games may use different designs, but the basic concepts are unchanged. You don't seem to have much of a choice there.


The interaction quotient work best when you are not aware. That you are actually being interactive and you connect to indie games effortlessly.


And as your skills increase you can play more complex games that need extra dedication. You will find that gamers increase the popularity of games simply by the word of mouth. That is why we do not sell clones. Our games are original and they compel you to play because playing them becomes an enjoyable experience.

About the Author

Sunday, December 7, 2008

Pick One Make Excuses or Write the Darn Story


OK so what's your excuse this week?


The Cat had to go to the vet 8 times this week and you spent all your time in the waiting room or driving to the vet hospital.


The kids destroyed the house for the 18th time this week and you had to spend all your time picking up after them.


You had to work through lunch and breaks at work, plus stay until midnight every night.


A major earthquake, hurricane, tsunami, tornado or other massive natural disaster and it's taken all your time and attention?


Guess which one of the above is the ONLY acceptable excuse for not put at least one sentence on paper? You only get one guess and if I need to give you a hint, then you probably need to examine whether or not you REALLY want to be a writer.


A lot of people SAY they want to write, but when it comes down to it, it just doesn't seem to happen. There's always something that comes up. There's always something that takes up all their time. There's always some reason why they don't have time.


There's always something.


And that, dear reader, is a pretty good clue that if you're one of those people, maybe you don't really want to be a writer. Maybe someone said you should be a writer because you wrote something nice in school. Or maybe you just want to have written because there's this great romantic idea of what being a writer is like and you've fallen in love with that great romantic notion.


The problem with that is that great romantic notion is just something made up in novels and movies. It's not real.


Yes writing is a fabulous occupation for some people because it allows us to communicate what's in our heads, whether it be a fictional or eal. But it's also a craft like playing the piano, creating fine furniture, painting or a myriad of other occupations that requires practice and thought.


At some point a piano player has to sit down on the bench, put their hands on the keyboard and play something. If she wants to get really good at it, she'll probably practice scales for hours and play the same piece over and over until the piece is in her bones.


It takes time. It takes practice. And it takes work. (Although, if you love it, it really isn't work as in a JOB. But, yes, it CAN be work!)


Our society has turned into an instant, give it to me now with no effort kind of place where we think everything should come easily and quickly and without breaking a sweat.


Well, guess what -- it doesn't work that way!


If you're looking for writing to fit the instant coffee model, you picked the wrong career. Writing is about practice. It's about putting words down on paper and pushing them around in your head as well as with your pen. It's about sitting down every day and actually writing something. Even if it's just for 5 minutes.


The good news is that if you really are a writer, the more you put words down on something, the more you love it. The more you communicate the stuff in your head, the more joy you experience in the actual doing. It's not a chore doing something you love.


I still rather suspect that the biggest block for writers is the idea that whatever we put down has to be perfect or we are personal failures.


But consider musicians. No one puts that kind of expectation on them. Everyone knows they practice. They have rehearsals. They are expected to practice.


Well, here's the latest news flash for you: Writers have to practice too.


So, take a look at your excuses. Why is it you're REALLY not writing? Do you secretly hate it? Are you trying to write something you aren't passionate about. Are you really secretly a horse trainer? Are you really destined to teach history?


Take time to consider why you think you want to be a writer. Maybe it's something your read or something your mother or an influential teacher said. It may be that you really DON'T want to be a writer, you just think you should. Or maybe you are a writer and just don't have anything to say right now. That doesn't mean you won't at some point, you just aren't there yet this year.


The best way to find out is to stop trying to write. Put away all the writing stuff. Close up shop and go do something fun. Go have a life. Do something interesting. Join the Peace Corps, backpack on a different continent (or two or three) for a year. Volunteer in an inner city school that desperately needs good teachers who give a rat's ass about the kids and could make a difference. Join the police force. Join the State Department and take postings all over the world. Join the CIA or the Navy or the Air Force. Learn a new hobby or two. Learn a new skill, like woodworking or painting or interior design.


Do something unrelated to writing.


In other words, do something you would really ENJOY or you've always secretly wanted to do. As long as you're over 18, you can do anything you bloody well want to.


Then after a few years of having an interesting life you can see if the writing bug is still pecking away at you. If so, then write something. But at least now you'll have something to write about.


And if you have discovered your passion and that you don't really care if you write about it, then guess what? That's what it's all about.


True writers are those people for whom putting words on paper is their passion. If you're always making excuses, then it could be that your real passion is somewhere else.


So go out into the world and give something else a try. If you're meant to be a writer, then you'll come back to it. And you'll bring a depth of experiences and life to it that will make your writing richer than if you've never had a life.


And if you're not meant to be a writer, then at least you won't have wasted your life trying to be something you're really not. Life is just too short to waste it on the wrong thing.


So give it a try and see what life brings. It's all just a glorious train ride anyway. So go out and ride the rails.

About the Author

To get a free copy of the Writers Block Solution Manual and for a more writing starters and exercises to get you past writers block, visit www.writers-block-solution.com and start getting those words out of your head and onto the page.

Saturday, December 6, 2008

Are You an Entrepreneur Whos Not Afraid to Think Outside the Box and Make Some Money?

Its called Companion Air, my client Sarita bubbled. She wants to take a trip and doesnt want to leave Rudy, her dog, at home. So there she is, with lots of money and time, staying home.

I LOVE MY DOG AND I WANT TO TRAVEL

What is Companion Air? ( http://www.companionair.com ) Stress-free travel for pets and owners is our mission, says founder, Rick Roof. We dont think any pet should be considered cargo.

Sarita, like many of my clients, is middle-aged, has disposable income, and is ready for her time. The kids are raised, shes got her 401k, shes ready to have some fun. She loves Rudy and wants him with her, or shes not going. Finally someone decided to help her spend her money and set her free!

Companion Air listened, and so are some other providers.

IM SINGLE AND I WANT TO CRUISE

I like to cruise and Im single. Am I the only one? Its true you dont see a lot of singles on cruises but maybe its because no ones invited them. Could it be because there are no singles fares? The only cruiseline Ive found that offers a true single-rate, not double-occupancy, is Carnival.

AND I LIKE TO DANCE

Theres music all over cruise ships, and I like to dance. It makes me sad to sit there and watch all the couples dancing. The QEII is among the cruise lines offering Gentlemen Dance Hosts, available for dancing every night from 8 pm to 1 am.

AND I DONT WANT TO HEAR KIDS CRYING

Tom and Julie went on a cruise the last week in July. Not that great, said Julie, when I asked her. Crying babies, kids splashing in the hot tub, a toddler at the table next to ours, and worst of all, a million teenagers. Watching a dude with an ear ring in his nose and purple hair writing on the corridor wall with a lipstick is not my idea of relaxing.

Never again, she added.

Celebrity (http://www.celebritycruises.com ) listened. They offer the Celebrity Escape. Every now and then, they say, grown-ups need a little getaway of their own, and what better way to truly relax than on a Celebrity Escape cruisewhere all of the guests are over the age of 21.

I HATE SECOND-HAND CIGARETTE SMOKE AND I WANT TO CRUISE

Nancys thrilled to have discovered the Carnivals Paradise. Its non-smoking and they mean business. They check your luggage before you get on, for tobacco items, and if youre caught smoking on-board, you get kicked off. She has terrible allergies and from now on thats her ship.

IM SINGLE AND DONT WANT AN APARTMENT OR CONDO

Chin, another client, has plenty of money but he doesnt want to spend it on a house. He lives alone, he travels a lot, hes beyond showing off, and he has no intention of sharing a wall with someone else.

On a recent drive from my home (San Antonio) to Austin, I saw an amazing site: three billboards advertising three different housing developments in beautiful locations with houses starting in the $40s.

WHATS NEW? THE UNIMAGINEABLE

I never wouldve dreamed of being able to take Rudy with me, says Sarita. I never even thought to ask.

I never thought Id find a house for $40,000 in a decent neighborhood, says Chin.

Your consumers have many questions they havent thought to ask for because they didnt think it was possible. And whats possible?

When I was growing up in the 50s hang on, theres a purpose to this Im delivering paradigm shift here, dramatic paradigm shift:

Milk was put in bottles and delivered to your house 3 times a week. You never locked your house door or car door. You left your keys in the ignition. The dry cleaner delivered and just walked in and put the clothes in the living room. Someone put gasoline in your car.
There were no female lawyers or doctors.
There were no fast-food restaurants.
There was no daycare. There were hardly even babysitters.
I never went inside a toy store. My mother didnt have a car; Dad took it to work every day. Stores werent open at night or on Sunday.
Grocery stores delivered.
You tipped the guy who carried your groceries out to your car.
Pediatricians came to your house.
1% of the kids in high school had braces.

WAYS I COULDVE MADE A FORTUNE

In the late 60s when I was in college, the only hair dryers were those bonnets you put over your head that took forever. One day I decided to stick my head under the blow dryer in the bathroom. My hair dried fast, had body, and looked cute. The idea spread around the dorm.

In the late 60s there was a strange restaurant in Durham, N.C. It made to-go breakfasts eggs and sausage on buns and biscuits, etc. It was extremely popular. You stood in a line forever. I wondered why no one else offered breakfast-to-go like that. It never occurred to me or anyone else that the Hardees down the road could do that as well as the burgers. No one was connecting the dots. And whos to say Durham was the universe?

HUNCHES INKLINGS

Theres some need out there you arent conceiving of you could capitalize on. Keep your mind open and consider possibilities.

I WANT TO BE COMFORTABLE WHEN I FLY

Breta is happy with Southwests new policy about large people. Its controversial, I know, but Bretas experiences have made avoiding having someone spill halfway over into her seat her number one priority. She now flies Southwest all the time.

I DONT WANT FIBERGLASS IN MY HOUSE

My client, Ray, is wealthy and a very discriminating consumer. He wanted to build a house, and didnt want fiberglass insulation, so he was stalled out. He called the other day. I found it, he said. Prodex insulation ( http://highr.net ) its got the fire rating, waterproof, radiant barrier, energy-efficient, all that, AND no fiberglass.

Someone was listening.

And look at that list he rolled out. Todays consumer knows a lot. Are you addressing this?

INVENT & ACCOMMODATE

Im a coach, and everyone negotiates fees with me. When I started licensing my products, I thought Good. I can just list these on my website and I wont have to mess with all that. They click, they order. Wrong! The emails continued. People simply like to negotiate these days, and expect to be able to. So I accommodate.

In response to consumers, I now offer one-shot coaching. Many clients accomplished what they wanted to in one session, so I just made it an official option. Other clients dont want to schedule their session. They sign up for a month but want to call on an as-needed basis. I now call it putting me on a retainer.

CONCLUSION

1.Listen to your clients. As in hear them.
2.If somethings a hassle in your business, figure out why. Then accommodate. 3.When they hassle you, your clients and customers are telling you what they need and what theyd pay for if you offered it. 4.When youre the consumer, speak whats on your mind, i.e., If you did what X does, or provided X, Id buy from you. Or Have you thought of? 5.Push the limits. There were no female lawyers in 1965. No fast food restaurants in 1970. No coaches in 1980. Whats not in 2003 you could make happen?

Susan Dunn, Internet Marketing Coach, EQ Coach. www.webstrategies.cc, www.susandunn.cc. Web strategies, branding, web design, article-writing service. Don't just have a web SITE, have a web STRATEGY. Mailto:sdunn@susandunn.cc