Condo-Hotels – A New Second-Home Alternative To Time SharesWritten by Leon Altman
Condo-hotels have evolved as a better, more reliable second home alternative to time-shares. They are usually attractive, high-rise hotels on ocean or in other prime locations, and range in price from mid $200,000s to over 1 million, depending on size, location, and amenities.Many of biggest names in hotel industry have condo-hotel buildings, including Hilton, Four Seasons, Clarion, and Ritz-Carlton. Donald Trump has numerous condo- hotel facilities across country, including a building in Fort Lauderdale and another in Sunny Isles, Florida. In general, condo-hotel properties have been highly successful with all or nearly all units selling out within months of first offering. For example, Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne is a beachfront property with 188 condo-hotel units, all of which sold out a year before building was even finished. Needless to say, values of condo-hotels in this building have gone up significantly. There are several reasons for popularity of condo-hotels. When you purchase a property, you purchase a condo unit in hotel. Unlike a time share, you have access to property whenever you want, and it is put into a rental pool when you are not in residence. Although developers can’t guarantee properties will rent, management by a well-known hospitality group will typically result in several weeks of rental income. This is one of biggest appeals of condo-hotels because rental income can offset some of costs of owning a vacation property. In addition, management company takes care of renting unit, using their connections and expertise. You don’t have to worry about any of these details. Most rental agreements split income 50/50 between management company and owner. However, some properties offer more favorable arrangements, and this is another aspect to consider when deciding which property to purchase.
| | How To Make A Wheat Heating PadWritten by Christine Miserandino
How to Make a Wheat Heating Pad Ingredients for this project:Any thick material (this project calls for 18",but you can make heating pad any size you want) sewing machine or needle and thread Flax seed or wheat Essential oil *optional We have all seen those microwave heating pads selling in stores for big bucks, and I always thought "Boy I wish I knew how to make one" They look so easy to make. It's pretty easy to make a wheat bag heating pad - all you need is some strong material like cotton, canvas or tartan, as long as there's no give in it, so it doesn't stretch! Keep in mind, it needs to be pretty thick so when wheat is heated (and it gets pretty hot) that you don't burn yourself. Once you pick your material, cut a square about 18" each side and fold it in half so it's inside out. It will be oblong shape. Stitch down one short side and long side. A sewing machine works best as you need short stitches close together, so wheat doesn't come out. If you stitch by hand go over it again to make sure stitches are tight. Next, turn it right way in so seam is on inside. You will need to buy some Flax seed or Wheat. They need to be whole kernel. Fill bag about 1/2 way, then stitch one side that is left, sealing it tight. If you are handy with sewing, and don't mind a little extra work, you might want to divide bag into sections. Maybe in 4- put in 1/4 of your seeds then stitch bag 1/4 of way up, drop in another 1/4 of seeds and stitch those in, repeating for rest, so you will have 4 compartments full of seeds, instead of one big one. Then you will have seeds fairly distributed throughout your hand made heating pad! This isn't necessary- but a great tip.
|
