Stores to Watch Out For

We all know that the economy is not in a very good spot as we speak. I wanted to do some personal research and find out which stores were going out of business and which stores are in fear of going out of business. According to Forbes.com Circuit City, Linens ‘N Things and Mervyn’s stores are all going out of business! More pain is predicted along the way as a women’s survey suggested that one third of the women claimed they did not plan on purchasing any new clothing in 2009! Lane Bryant, Gap, and Starbucks are some of the companies that we are supposed to keep our eye on, as they are not predicted to do well in the New Year.

Research suggests that the market will not be the same for a long period of time and could take easily up to 10 years to get back on track. Eddie Bauer, Pacific Sunwear, along with Zales, the big jewelry chain are other stores to keep watch over. All of these retailers are currently having a really hard time making it in the market. It is tough to survive right now and only the strongest will survive as retailers struggle more and more. Stay tuned for continued up dates…

Where are the two worst places to live in 2009…

If you are thinking about moving to another state this list can help alert you of the two cities you should steer clear of. If you are wondering what factors contribute to making them the worst place to live, there are a variety of factors. These factors include public relations image, dwindling population, collapsing auto industry, and poverty among other things.

The number one worst place to live is Motown in New York City. The funny thing about New York City is a different part of New York is on the best city to live list. New York ranked on both lists because the city has so much to offer both in positive and negative ways. The positive attributes include entertainment, Central Park, and great public transportation. The negatives include very high rent and cost of living, crammed subways, extremely long commutes and a number of other things.

Coming in at number two is Detroit Michigan. The two worst attributes for Detroit are health and safety, which either category can be looked at lightly. When looking at your options make sure to do your research so you know what you are moving yourself into. Good luck and happy city hunting ☺

Best Places to Raise Your Kids…

If you have children then this information may be very helpful. Have you ever wondered where are the best places to raise a family? Well the results are in and listed below. Looking at school performance, number of schools, crime rates, air quality, job growth, family income, parks, theaters and other aspects analyzed each city. After looking at many locations here is what was found out:

1. Huntsville, Alabama- This town is known for having more then enough activities for families to do together. You do not have to leave town to find fun things to do, you just walk right out your front door.

2.Anchorage, Alaska- This town offers a strong economy, amazing wildlife, great air quality and low crime rates. What more could you ask for except a heater!

3.Gilbert, Arizona- This town has water parks, theaters galore, skate parks, and over 200 species of birds.

4.Springdale, Arkansas- With parks, rodeo’s, a minor league baseball stadium, hunting and fishing right in your back yard what more could you ask for?

5. Arcadis, California- Coming in at number 5 offers the best schools in California, parks, and live peacocks for all to see from there own front yard!

These are the top 5 stay tuned for the rest of the runners up

My Neighborhood

I live in a neighborhood where a lot of my family also live. My fiancé and I own our home, his brother and wife own the house next door to us and my fiancé’s parents own the house 4 houses up on the opposite side of the street. It is neat to have everyone so close and in walking distance! Currently there are a lot of houses for sale on our block. The house right next door to us on the opposite side of my brother in laws house is for sale. Then the house 2 houses down from us are for sale. I would say out of 20 homes on our block about one forth of them are for sale. With the economy the way it is I would never try to sell our home right now.

The unfortunate fact is that some people have no choice but to sell there home. Either they cannot afford to have a home, or they are trying to downgrade to save money. It is a scary time for everyone and I can feel it more and more everyday. My fiancé and I are fortunate to be able to afford our home but we always have to plan ahead.

Hopefully the economy will get better soon but it does not look good for a while ☹

With a Change in the Economy top 5 places to now live…

Since the economy has changed so much recently so has the top five states to live in. With a new list of top five states there are a lot of things to consider when choosing a new location for a home. There are many things that people are looking for including comfortable living and a stronger economy and a safe environment to raise a family.
The best place to live with plentiful jobs, excellent schools and affordable housing, an active outdoor culture and low crime is Plymouth Minnesota.
Coming in second is Fort Collins Colorado, with a bike lane on every new road built even the carless can get around.
Third place goes to Naperville Illinois. In Naperville the walk able down town area is packed with restraints, shops and the jobs are plentiful!
Forth place goes to Irvine California. Many people consider Irvine the perfect place to live with its school districts winning numerous awards and the majority of the jobs provided by the University.
At fifth place Franklin Township New Jersey. With plenty of high tech, pharmaceutical and research development plants there is more then enough of jobs to go around! So next time you are looking to relocate make sure to check out these places especially if it is in the next couple of months!

More Locations to Live in 2008

A few weeks ago I did a post about the top five spots to live in, in the United States. This is the list of the areas that placed from rank 6 to 10. Being in the top ten is still recognizable and worth checking out!

At number 6 it is Stevens Point, Wisconsin. Stevens Point is located in the middle of the state and it is said that it has something for everyone. It has green space, waterways, hiking trials, and biking trials, cross country skiing and much more!

Coming in at number 7 is Asheville, North Carolina. In Asheville it is said that there is always something going on. It has a great down town area where artists and street musicians line the streets. Asheville has 30 plus art galleries, excellent shopping boutiques, retail shops and even a variety of antique shops.

At number 8 it is Albuquerque, New Mexico. Albuquerque is the largest city in New Mexico. It is known for providing a sunny dry climate about 300 days of the year! The city has four seasons but they are all very mild and mostly warm.

Number 9 is Huntsville, Alabama. Huntsville offers a wealth of education, sports and cultural activities. It also has four seasons and the average temperature is 60 degrees.

Last but not least number 10 is Seattle, Washington. I have a special place in my heart for Seattle. It probably has to do with the fact that my fiancé went to Seattle University and my sister lives in Gig Harbor. Seattle offers a natural beauty that would inspire any couch potatoe!

If you are in the market to relocate be sure to keep these places in mind!

Finding A Good Renter

Lets just say that you did all your research and you decided that a second home/investment property was the best way to go. One way to help pay the mortgage is to find someone who is looking to rent a home.

Typically people that are looking to rent homes either do not have good enough credit to apply for a home mortgage or they can not afford to get a home on there own. These types of people sometimes are the not the easiest to work with!

I speak from experience when I say this! For example my fiancé’s brother bought the home next door to our home for investment purposes and he decided to help with the cost he would find some good renters. Well I personally saw him shuffle through tons of different people to rent to. At the end of the day there was just no one that fit the bill.

A great way to find a good renter is to ask close friends and family members if they know of anyone who is looking to rent a home. If you or someone close to you knows the person you have a lot better chances of that person working out. My fiancé’s brother finally ended up asking our great uncle if he wanted to move in and rent the space because he was currently very unhappy at an apartment.

Well it all worked out for him! Next time you are in the same position always remember that people know people that know people…..

Tips About Investment Properties

When you are looking into purchasing an investment property make sure you have a clear head. Most people purchase a second home for personal use about 78%. The number is growing for the percentage of people that purchase a second home for an investment property. In 1999 only 20% people purchased properties for investments and now the percentage is 37%!

If you are focusing on appreciation value you want to make sure that you are in a prime location for example on the beach, not near the beach. The economy can be red-hot one minute and then cool way down the next; you want to be in the best position possible.

Always be ready to spend more money on investment properties. Be prepared to pay lenders about 1% higher on investment property vs. a regular mortgage and expect higher down payments up front.

Be educated and beware of time-shares! No matter what anybody says a time-share is not an investment property. Always approach a join ownership with caution, many people cannot afford a second home so they think that sharing the cost with a close friend or relative is a good idea. This is not always the case! Before you get into a situation like this think twice you might really regret it later!

I hope these tips help you make the right decision about purchasing an investment property!

More to Consider For a 2nd Home

Last week I wrote about things to consider when looking into buying a second home. This week I wanted to continue with more things to consider before purchasing a second home.

You have to have a significant disposable income to own a second home. So another thing to keep in mind is know what your budget is! Most people that have enough money to own a second home make around 85k a year! Make sure that all of your other expenses are taken care of such as having all credit card bills paid off and having an emergency fund available of at least 6 moths expenses saved up. Also never forget college funds and your own retirement! Once you have double checked all of those factors you may be on your way!

A good thing to remember is the tax breaks! The mortgage rates and property taxes are usually deductible on a second home. Anymore then two and you are out of luck! So keep that in mind.

Always look at the pros compared to the cons. If the cons out way the pros then wait until it is the other way around to purchase a second home. Good luck!

Tips for Purchasing a Second Home

When you are considering purchasing a second home there are many things to consider;

First of all you need to really know yourself and think about if you are the kind of person that loves to visit new places and be catered on hand and foot like your favorite hotel, or do you like to go the same place for vacations. If you are the type of person that likes going to new places you might want to reconsider a second home!

Another thing to consider is how long you plan to own the second home. Usually people plan to own the property for there whole lives but is that realistic? If you plan on having children is this option, most properties are not as flexible when it comes to children as you would think. For example the nice house by the lake, would be a nightmare for a parent who had a little toddler running around!

Consider all of the costs that are involved including home repairs, utilities, second mortgage, insurance, golf dues, membership dues, etc. Some people are so excited about the opportunity to own a second home that they forget all of the different costs that go into it!

Try to keep all of these things in mind and always do all of your homework!