General Articles

Check Out the Wide Range of Gold Coast Accommodation Now Available

If you are a family of four, or just planning a get away with friends, Gold Coast Australia is the perfect spot to start! The hotels offer beach front locations and the even more enticing views make it one of the most famous holiday attractions for travellers.

No matter what the occasion or intention – good dining, soaking up the sun, shopping or partying. You can find accommodation to cater to all your needs, this includes family accommodation, single, couples, luxury, budget, gold coast backpackers – you name it and it will provide exactly the type of accommodation that will enhance your Australian holiday experience!

Surfers Paradise is the hub of the Gold Coast. It offers a number of holiday accommodation types to suit any budget. It provides a great range of accommodation opportunities to suit all holiday makers including luxury five-star accommodation, quality budget family accommodation packages, comfortable backpacker accommodation, beach side resort and caravan parks. Centrally located is a selection of attractions and entertainment and with a variety of shops, restaurants, cafes and activities it ensures there will never be a dull moment during your Queensland holiday.

Whether it’s a romantic holiday, rest and relaxation or an adventure you’re seeking, you will readily find accommodation to suit all your holiday plans. There is holiday accommodation for every holiday and every person! The apartments and rentals are ideal for those looking for a home away from home. Boasting all the comforts of home and maybe a few more, the apartments and rentals create the perfect base from which to start your Queensland holiday. Delve into the renowned nightlife and pick up Surfers Paradise holiday accommodation, luxury or budget that surrounds the buzz and bustle of the clubs and streets. Surfers Paradise is at the heart of all this, an area that is hugely popular with tourists and backpackers. The nearby accommodation caters for all those eager to experience this enjoyable place. Australia backpackers and accommodation is still clean and comfortable, the area attracts a great crowd, provides a bright atmosphere and delivers on the thriving beach culture that is a winning feature of sunny Queensland.

If partying isn’t the priority of the holiday, treat yourself and your special someone and explore the natural beauty and pure opulence of Main Beach and Broadbeach. Take time to wander the streets, visit trendy cafes, wine bars, restaurants and hip pubs with your accommodation, providing that extra comfort at the end of your day. The ever-changing scenery of this Queensland’s famous coast is showcased in the many locations that provide the ultimate holiday environment coupled with hotels and motels, apartments and rentals.

Encircled by the world’s most stunning surf and beaches this holiday destination is a must-see holiday stop. The accommodation on offer frames the glorious views of Queensland’s sweeping 70km coastline and will allow you to enjoy your holiday with style, ease and comfort. The contrasting nature of this place appeals …

What Can You Do In Rio This June? PART 2

Welcome back for the second and final part of the article where we will continue to share a few recreational ideas for those of you that will spend a couple of days next month in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. After reviewing the annual and monthly events in the first part, the continuation of the article will talk more about places to visit that are opened every day or on a weekly basis.

You should go and see Rio’s Parque da Catacumba, which is a scenic park that features an open-air museum that has more than 30 sculptures, including work by artists Mario Agostinelli and Bruno Gioni. Here, original ornamental species have been attentively selected in order to complement the artworks. Here is the address: 3000 Av Epit??cio Pessoa (between Copacabana & Humait??), Lagoa.

If you are in the market for a stylish and colorful bikini that you plan on taking home with you, make sure that you drop by to the Salinas, which is among the country’s best bikini brands. Here is the address: 547 Rua Visconde de Piraja, Lj 204/205 CEP 22410-003.

A gorgeous coastal spot very popular in the city is Guaratiba, where you’ll find dozens of surfers and hikers, surrounded by marshlands which are home to numerous herons. The beach is filled with pleasure and fishing boats that come and go, along with plenty of exquisite seafood restaurants.

The most exclusive shopping mall in all Rio de Janeiro is the Fashion Mall, where many of the best designers in the country have an outlet. It features more than 140 shops, along with fast-food outlets, restaurants and cinemas. Here is the address: 899 Estrada da G?�vea, S?�o Conrado.

If you enjoy surfing, skating, body boarding, camping or climbing, Galeria River has the specialized boutique for you. Here, you will also find lots of other stores, like a new age shop, hairdressers, snack bars, a cyber caf?� and a tattoo parlor. Here is the address: 67 Rua Francisco Otaviano, Copacabana.

At the Feira de Sao Cristovao you can purchase typical art and handicrafts like leather bags and sandals. In addition, here you have the opportunity to try out various local delicacies, like the cachca spirit and listen to live music on weekends. Here is the address: Campo de S?�o Crist?�v?�o, S?�o Crist?�v?�o.

A very popular spot in Rio de Janeiro is the Scenarium, a 3-story concert house that has been decorated from top to bottom in antiques and curious pieces of art. Two bands a day are playing samba, MPB and choro. The wine list is immense while the menu is impressive. Here is the address: 20 Rua do Lavradio, Centro.

The Clube dos Democraticos was founded back in 1867 and is the oldest carnival society in the country. Its location is very spacious, making it perfect for dancing. The club usually presents musicians of the new generation of forro, choro and samba. Here is the address: 91 Rua …

Orem Utah Accessory Apartment 2012 Update

It is common to find accessory apartments in Orem homes. Many times, the improved area is called a “mother in-law” apartment and then illegally rented out. In 2004, Orem decided to prohibit the approval of new accessory apartments because of a few parking complaints. However, this didn’t stop the construction, or renting out, of basement apartments. All it did was create a whole new class of taxpaying lawbreakers.

After several public hearings, on June 10, 2012, the Orem City Council voted to once again allow accessory apartments to be built and approved. Several regulatory steps are needed to obtain legal approval for existing apartments or to construct a new one. Here is a summary of the new rules for obtaining City of Orem approval:

Orem Accessory Apartment Restrictions

Maximum Bedrooms: Two

Maximum Square Feet: 1200

Minimum Square Feet: 300

Minimum Ceiling Height: Seven Feet

Parking Requirement: Three Paved Pads

Outside Entrance: Cannot Face Street

Approval Fees

Sewer and water Impact Fee: $1895.85

Building Permit: $60 – $500

Occupancy Requirements

Owner must reside at the location

Owner must sign an affidavit that both units will not simultaneously be rented – in other words, an owner must continue to live in the home and not convert it into an illegal duplex.

Rental of the apartment restricted to one family or three singles

Fire-Safety Requirements

One-hour fire-resistive construction between units, under stairs, and in furnace room

20-minute fire-rated, self-closing door(s) between units and furnace room

Handrails must be installed where necessary

Windows and window-well size minimums

Smoke detectors in each bedroom and hallway

Carbon Monoxide detector installed on each level of the home

Mechanical System Requirements

Own source of heat and air conditioning – the conditioned air and return air from one unit’s system cannot be mixed with the other

Proper amount of combustible air for gas appliances

Proper exterior venting for clothes dryer

Bathroom and kitchen countertop outlets must have a ground-fault-interrupter receptacle or breaker

Electrical circuits serving bedrooms must be arc-fault protected

A legal accessory apartment can be a Godsend to both the homeowner and the tenants. Many residents find themselves unable to make their full house payments for a variety of reasons. Renting out an accessory apartment provides much needed income from an area of the home that may not have even been used.

College students and young married couples get the opportunity to live in a single-family neighborhood, often in a far nicer environment than would otherwise have been possible.…

Roommate Wanted – Pros and Cons of Sharing an Apartment Rental With a Roommate

Sharing a Rental with a Roommate

Sharing your apartment with a roommate can be one of two things – dream come true or a living nightmare. There are quite a lot of advantages of having a roommate but of course there are also disadvantages. And these disadvantages are so vague that you might end up having a very uncomfortable living atmosphere. Do not fret though, because there are just some ways to protect yourself when you are sharing your apartment with a roommate. And all this starts by choosing your potential roommate well and including him or her on your rental agreement.

The Pros and Cons

The primary pro of having a roommate would be financial. Of course, when you have a roommate sharing your apartment, your monthly rent would be automatically cut in half. And this is especially advantageous for people who want to live in a huge apartment but cannot afford to pay for it alone.

Another huge advantage of having a roommate is sharing the responsibilities with the roommate. But this situation will only become advantageous when both parties are willing to share the responsibilities regularly. If this will not be the case, then brace yourself for some huge disadvantages.

Among the most obvious disadvantages of sharing an apartment would be the lack of privacy. Of course, if you live alone, you wouldn’t have to worry about their “alone” time when at home. But if there is a roommate, you most probable have a hard time being alone in your place. You can rarely have the opportunity to have the apartment all to yourself.

The distribution of responsibilities is another big disadvantage of renting an apartment with a roommate. Both of you would have to discuss the household responsibilities and there may be times that it won’t be even. At times, you would agree that one will carry a certain task, but there may be instances that he won’t be able to do it. This may create big-time conflict and will definitely make the living atmosphere uncomfortable for both.

Choose a “Compatible” Roommate

If you are choosing your roommate, make sure you choose one that is compatible with you. We have mentioned the disadvantages that may arise and when one doesn’t act upon his share of responsibilities. But this is a small, simple incompatibility. Most renters encounter problems in entertaining visitors. If one of the roommates has visitors, the other one may sometimes not be comfortable with it, thus creating tension.

Being in one roof, even their sleeping times may be a cause of tension to both parties. For instance, one sleeps early and wakes up at 4:00am and the other one is a night owl and sleeps during the day. This may create huge tension to both and they can really get into each other’s nerves. This simple thing may also affect both of their social life and jobs as well.

Including …

The Difficulties in Moving in a New Apartment

I just moved in to a new apartment last week and I am planning to clean every areas of my house from the ceiling to the floor including doors, stairs and windows. I know I could not do it by myself and I might even need the help of a professional but if I do that I would have to pay him so that would mean extra expenses on my part. Well, I really do not want to be spending much on other things since I just moved in and I still need time to adjust and I could use the money to buy furniture and other washing and cleaning equipments that I will need. I guess it is just wise if I save the money and clean the house gradually on my own or perhaps I could use a helping hand from someone too. But first, I also need to find suppliers of these equipments so that I could begin with the cleaning process.

It is really difficult moving from one place to another especially if you are single and you have got no one to help you with the packing and unpacking and stuffs like that. It is no fun especially if you have got other important things to do like accomplish projects on time, answer many phone calls related to work, follow up everything, feed your pet and many more that sometimes I just want to shout until I release all the pressure and tension that is inside of me but then again nobody can hear you except yourself.

This is actually my fourth transfer. I have been moving from one apartment to another because of various reasons like I have been reassigned to another branch or I could not just keep with the payment of the other apartment so I needed to move to a smaller one until I decide to find another bigger one. However, this time I was made to move because of work so I must not complain. Until now I do not know where to find suppliers of my washing equipments and I badly need to begin immediately because my windows are really foggy and dirty.

I am thinking of finding some helpful information on the Internet about where to find washing equipment suppliers for windows. I have already gone to some stores but they do not have some of the things that I need or I would rather say they are incomplete and a bit pricey. I have heard that suppliers could even give you discounts so I first have to know where to find them and I will make negotiations immediately.…

Renting an Apartment

If you are interested in renting an apartment, the best solution is to talk to a realtor. You can find reputed real estate companies online. When renting, normally, you do not have to pay the realtor because the realtor charges a certain commission to the landlord. Therefore, it makes a lot of sense to avail the services of a realtor. Not only realtors guide you about the area, they are well versed with the market rent, crime rate, facilities nearby schools etc.

When looking for a short term corporate housing, location is very important. Make sure you find something in the downtown area with all the facilities within walking distance. Look for facilities nearby such as schools, stores, coffee shop, libraries, book stores, bus stations, underground train, movie theatres, children’s entertainment etc. Searching these short term furnished apartments online will give you a number of options.

When looking for an unfurnished accommodation, you will normally have to sign one year’s lease. The documents involved for one year’s lease includes credit background check with a decent credit score, job letter, post dated cheques, a rental application and first month and last month’s rent. In the absence of a job letter or insufficient credit worthiness, the landlord may ask for three to six months’ advance rent. The documentation required for a town house or a semi detached or even a detached house is the same as outlined above.

However, to rent a basement, the landlords are not very stringent in checking your creditworthiness or even getting your salary confirmation. You can either go for the basement or the whole house or even a house without the basement. The basements available for rent usually have a separate walkout entrance and utilities are included in the rent. There is also a parking spot available for the residents of a basement. An advantage of moving into a basement is that mostly landlords let you use your cable and internet connections. In some cases, the landlords also let you use their laundry machines.…

Bangalore Residential Apartments

What is the first thing that comes to your mind the moment you hear someone saying ‘Bangalore’? If not all a majority would have thought of IT and technology. Yes, Bangalore truly is a paradise for all IT geeks. The IT boom has revolutionized the real estate sector of Bangalore with equal pace. The tech-savvy city of Bangalore invites all the IT geeks and professionals from around the world promising a golden career graph. This, as obvious, increases the population of Bangalore. With fatter pay packages the IT experts look for a lifestyle nothing below an international standard. This is why a demand for residential apartments in Bangalore has shot up and governs the real estate of the city.

The gardens of Bangalore for which Bangalore was once famous for are slowly losing their charm as most of the open spaces are occupied by concrete structures. In the yesteryears, the bungalows of Bangalore were a pride as far as accommodation was concerned, but now they are slowly being replaced with stylish apartments infused with all the possible amenities. Residential apartments in Bangalore have majorly been developed in South Bangalore in upcoming areas like J.P.Nagar, Jaya Nagar, Kanakpura Road and Bannerghetta Road. Sales of real estate in Bangalore have seen a marked increase due to the affordable pricing, security offered, amenities provided and the ease of getting home loans.

The residential societies in Bangalore have become a favorite with the inhabitants of the city primarily because of security concerns. Independent houses are more prone to theft, murder and any other form of violence whereas the 24×7 security, intercom and CCTV facility (at the entrance gate) in the residential society of Bangalore make them fare more secure.

The cost of residential apartments in Bangalore varies as per the location. The cost of residential apartments in prime areas like MG Road, Lavelle Road, Indiranagar etc. costs nothing less than a whopping Crore or so. It’s not that the city ignores the residential needs of people with a budget not as lavish as a Crore. The outskirts offer residential apartments in Bangalore at an affordable price. 2 BHK Flats in Bangalore lead the sale charts of the real estate developers.

Bangalore has realized that sky scrapers are the only answer to fight the space crunch and the growing pressure on land. Many reputed builders have constructed several residential townships while many are yet to be launched. Comparing the advantages of living in a residential apartment with that of living in an independent house, the former is surely a safer bet.…

Are You Looking For Naval Air Station Apartment Rentals?

Pensacola is known as one of the friendliest and most historically Navy-minded communities in the country, so it is no wonder that so many people are interested in available Pensacola furnished apartments.

Of course, due to the fact that Pensacola is home to a Naval Air Station, Navy families are among those who are most interested in finding Pensacola furnished apartments. After all, moving into a furnished apartment is ideal for military families, as they tend to move around often and transporting furniture with every move is quite a hassle.

The Naval Air Station at Pensacola has a long and rich history. In fact, the Naval Air Station is considered to be the provider of choice for training and operational support for air, land and sea resources. Thanks to the rich history and natural beauty of the area, the Naval Air Station is also considered to be the most beautiful installation in the Navy. Therefore, it is no surprise that even non-military personnel are interested in Navy Air Station apartment rentals in Pensacola, FL.

Known as “America’s First Place City,” Pensacola was settled in 1559, making it the first area to be settled by Europeans in the United States. Because the city has flown the flags of France, Spain, England and the Confederacy, in addition the United States flag, throughout its rich history, it is also known as the “City of Five Flags.”

Due to this long and interesting history, history buffs are also drawn to Navy Air Station apartment rentals in Pensacola, FL. Just a few of the historical and cultural attractions found in the area include:

Historic Pensacola Village – Located downtown in the historic district, rare French Creole colonial architecture can be seen throughout the area. Numerous homes of historical significance can also be viewed here, including the home of a free woman of color who lived there during slavery times.

The Florida State Museum – Located on Jefferson Street, this museum features artifacts from Florida’s rich history.

Civil War Soldiers Museum – Located on Palafox, this museum features Civil War artifacts.

Pensacola Historical Museum – Located on Zaragosa, this museum covers the interesting history of Pensacola.

National Museum of Naval Aviation – Home to one of the three largest aviation museums in the world, the museum features two IMAX movies and a display of aircraft from the early days of space travel and naval flight.

With so much natural beauty coupled with rich history, it is no wonder why so many are interested in Pensacola furnished apartments for extended vacations or as a corporate retreat. Nothing beats the move-in ease and convenience! Furthermore, with world-class training and educational opportunities available at the Naval Air Station, it is no surprise that military personnel and their families like to stay in the nearby Navy Air Station apartment rentals in Pensacola, FL.…

Five Mistakes You Don’t Want to Make When Screening Prospective Tenants For Your Apartment Building

Screening prospective tenants for a vacant unit in your apartment building is one of the vital parts of rental property management. Mistakes here can cost you dearly in lost rents, property damage, loss of current “good” tenants plus lots of personal stress. Rental property management is a tough stressful business. It can be lots worse if you make any one of at least five mistakes many “newbies” to this business make.

1 – Using a verbal instead of a written application for the apartment unit. This should be a no-brainer, but I know of some who rent units out based on an interview of a prospect. I am not a lawyer, but I do know that verbal contracts do not stand up in court when you are dealing with real estate.

If you end up letting a “deadbeat” rent your unit, when you try to evict this person you have no evidence to present at the court hearing. If the person merely stated that he was employed when he was not, it would be your word against his. If he told you he had no pets and you find he has 3 dogs and 5 cats, you have no evidence to refute anything he might say.

To avoid this mistake, find an application. These are available through office supply outlets and on the internet. We use one that has been modified several times to include items not felt necessary when we started. The application need not be complicated, and I think is better when simple

2 – Assuming that if someone puts down references, they are always telling the truth.

You should always do the “due diligence” when checking references, especially the employment references. When you call to check with their current landlord, be aware that a landlord who is trying to get rid of a tenant is probably not going to say anything bad about the prospect. A more reliable reference would be the landlord previous to the present one. They are less likely to lie, or shade the truth about a tenant they no longer have to worry about.

3 – Forgetting to ask for identification, the driver’s license being the most common. If anyone refuses to give you identification usually has a reason. Good examples I have run into are: criminals out on bond, persons who say they are employed but actually are unemployed, people who are violating the law by driving without a license, and foreigners living in this country illegally.

4 – Not asking who will be living in the apartment with them.

5 – Persons who say they are renting the apartment for someone else rather than for themselves. I once rented to a man who said he was renting it for himself and his wife. He said his wife was in the hospital and wouldn’t be able to move in until two weeks later. When the two weeks …