Traveling Man Discreetly Carries His Libations

Man’s Flask For Travel

whiskey flaskMost men who travel a lot have circumstances where they would like an adult beverage, but the environment for their pleasurable pastime is not conducive to an enjoyable evening. Industrious travelers will find their way into finding the perfect flask for men who travel.

The advantage of carrying your own flask is you can be sure of the quality and brand of your favorite beverage. Many times, some distant places of relaxation may only carry well brands of liquor. During these stressful times, it is very comforting to know you have your own supply of Glenfiddich or Glenlevit.

Now choosing a suitable flask is generally a fairly easy task. 8 ounces will fit quite keenly in a coat pocket. 6 ounce flasks will easily ride in the hip pocket. Many flasks come with various wraps such as leather, faux leather, cloth and more. Often, they come imprinted with droll sayings or emblems of your favorite football team.  When purchasing a flask, you can often get a stainless steel funnel to pair with the flask for ease of filling without spilling. One would never want to waste a dram of the Glenfiddich.

How a man’s flask might have problems.

You may need to check with the local authorities regarding the legality of flask use. For instance, in many US states, a flask, though properly “corked” or with a screw-down cap, is still considered an open container. Having possession of an open container while operating a motor vehicle could cause some legal issues. We aren’t offering any legal advice here, and you would be best served consulting an attorney for a better opinion.men's leather wrapped flask

In most circumstances, though having to face the legality of carrying a flask will be minimal. Most often, you will be sharing with friends. But if it is a particularly tasty and rare batch, maybe you should just enjoy on your own.

2016 is still a good time to buy or sell a home in Texas, industry expert says

 

For the last few years, the Texas housing market has been robust. But according to the chief economist for the Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University, it may likely to cool off some time this year. Thus, now is still a good time to buy or sell a home in this area.

2016 might not be another record year for the Lone Star state, but the housing demand is likely to remain strong. Home prices are expected continue to rise over the next year as well.

As stated by Dr. Jim Gaines, what made it especially attractive time to be a buyer is the low interest rates. However, the lack of choices posed the biggest challenge. Gaines added that they still have a shortage of the current inventory available for sale. With this, buyers may find it hard to find what they really want. Texas had a 3.1-month housing inventory last month, while the Center considers 6.5 months a balanced market.

It is recommended that you work very closely with an agent or someone who is knowledgeable regarding the market on a day-to-day basis. This is due to the fact that several of their markets properties are being grabbed up almost as soon as they are listed for sale. Usually, with multiple offers on the same day. This just means that once you already found a particular property that you like, act quickly as others may purchase as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, this is good news for sellers. As the demand increases, they will probably have no trouble getting the price they want. Such trend may continue at least for the first half of this year.

Housing inventory still remains very limited in Texas. The low housing inventory along with the rising property values makes housing affordability a challenge across the state. Housing inventory declined to a staggering 2.8 months, which is down 0.6 months compared to the first quarter of 2015. Such figure is also a historical low for housing inventory in Texas. The decreasing inventory indicates that the demand is slowly but surely pushing out supply. This could be a bigger problem if there’s no greater balance between supply and demand in the future.

As Gaines said, a slowdown in the housing market might happen this year, but the market will not freeze. Last month, the median price for a home in Texas was $201,900. As compared to the previous month, it increased by $8,200 and up by $9,900 from a year ago.

During the last four years, the housing market had a tremendous imbalance between the demand and the supply being offered for sale. It is expected that the demand will slow down, while the builders will keep supplying as they’ll think that there’s still a very good market for new homes. Then, people will decide that it is now a good time to buy or sell, before the interest rates will hike. As a result, the market will end up more balanced than it’s been.

Eventually, buyers may find that home prices will not rise as fast and there’ll maybe some bargains out there.

 

Increased home sales in Plano

Plano, Texas’ home sales saw an 11 percent surge from last month. About 3,933 houses were sold, December of 2015, which is 5 percent higher than last year’s sales. New Home listing in Plano increased by 20 percent, with 225 newly built homes for the month. Homes listed under contract in totaled to 210 properties in the area, an increase of 5 percent from the previous month. The houses sold this year is around 3, 949 making the current listing under contract year-to-date increase by a percent compared to last year’s output. Average selling price of homes were approximate $320, 718, causing an 8 percent increase from the previous month. Overall, home sales price reached around $338, 473 which is an 8 percent high to last year.

Buyers in Plano received about 98 percent of their original price. Buyers received 99 percent of their listed price which is a percent higher than the previous year. Properties stayed about 27 days in the market before they are sold, which is a 14 percent decline from last year. Inventory of available homes in Plano climbed 3 percent this month, with 376 available homes. This month, in Plano, properties took 36 days before they are sold, which is a 6 percent decrease; although overall, the supply of houses climbed by 5 percent this month.

The North Texas Real Estate Information System designated MLS Area 20, as the Multiple Listing Service Access number for Plano. The DFW-Dallas-Plano-Irving and Fort Worth has 13 counties and 2 major metropolitan regions and spans over 9,000 square miles of land. The Dallas Forth-Worth metroplex’s Gross Metropolitan Product is the sixth largest in the United States and the tenth in the world.  The Dallas Forth-Worth area is Texas’ most populous metropolitan. It is the fourth in the United States and ranks as tenth in the Americas.

 

 

 

The benefit of titling your real estate correctly

The way your real estate is titled will determine how it will be passed on someday. Here are the possible options in titling your Florida property:

Sole ownership

This is often used by property owners who are single or whose spouse is in a high liability profession or someone who has creditor with gambling and substance abuse problems.

Joint tenants

This is common when two people own a property together, yet are not married to each other. Their title is a joint tenancy with right of survivorship, which means when one owner dies the property will automatically belong to the surviving owner without undergoing the process of probate.

Tenancy by the entireties

This type of title is reserved for married couples only and must be done at the time of their marriage. The interest in the property cannot be transferred without the consent of the other spouse. Tenancy by entireties gives the couple the same protection as joint tenancy.

Tenants in common

This type of property title is used when two or more people own a property together. But unlike joint tenancy each owner can freely pass on their portion without the consent of the other owners.

Think like a Seller

When looking for a home to purchase it will be an advantage to take on the mindset of a seller. This will give you a better value for your money and even end up with a great deal. When you think like a seller you’ll understand a homeowner’s bias. When you negotiate you will be better at it, because you’re comfortable and at ease knowing you’ve got enough information to back your proposal. After all, nothing beats being prepared in saving money when purchasing your dream home.

Understanding bias

Residing in a home where tons of memories have already been built, will cause a seller to have too much attachment to the property. Often times this leads to over appraisal of a home’s worth which results to a higher selling price than what it should be. Sometimes, it’s not the attachment which causes the price to hike up, but the substantially renovations done in the home. The seller will have the tendency to seek return for their investment through the sale price.

Coming to terms with “reality”

The bias of a seller is better understood by a buyer who has or is now a seller themselves. But this doesn’t mean an immediate agreement with the seller’s evaluation of the property’s worth. This is where agents will become a convenient help to better understand the real worth of the home. An agent can help bring to light the true market value of the improvements done in the home over the years.

Condition savvy

When you think like a seller you will realize that there might possibly some condition in the home. During the Open House you will know where to check as you walk around the foundation. You won’t be easily fooled by the seller’s attempt to cover up what will decrease the value of the home. The seller’s aim is to close a deal, so be prepared to make a compromise and you won’t be able to do this if you did not check the home properly.

How to start a business with limited funding

The lack of personal capital is not a reason for you to let go of your dream to launch and grow your own enterprise. A business is possible despite limited funding as long as you know what you are doing.

 

Money is essential in building your business because of the following: licenses and permits, suppliers, equipment, office space, association, subscriptions and memberships, operating expenses, legal fees and employees and contractors.

 

Given the importance of money, there are three options you can consider in order to begin your business.

 

1. Reduce your needs. In this option, you will adjust your business model in order to lessen the needs as listed above. You can do this by running the business on your own (initially) at home. This way you reduce employee expenses and office space fee. Another way is to do a thorough research to find cheaper suppliers. The rest of the expenses are unavoidable though like licensing and legal fees.

 

2. Bootstrap. This is like your business’ adjustment period. Instead of going full-pledged with your business, just start with the basics first. You can do this by launching a blog and one niche service, reducing your scope, audience and profit to give you a head start. You can also start as a self-employed individual for a simpler tax situation. Once you see revenues coming in, you can build your business piece by piece the way you imagined it to be.

 

3. Outsource. You can raise your capital through an outside source. Here are some potential sources you can consider: friends and family, venture capitalists, angel investors, crowd funding and loans from the government or banks.

 

Choosing one of these options or combining them will help you reduce your personal financial investment into your startup. Of course expect to make small sacrifices if you want your business to thrive. But never let the challenge of capital be a hindrance because it can be conquered.

 

Top 7 Travel Destinations in Costa Rica

Costa Rica is a small country bordered between Panama and Nicaragua, and it is among the world’s biggest natural playgrounds. With exuberant rainforests and stunning beaches, it is touted as one of the best places to visit and explore its rich flora and fauna in addition to a varied landscape of misty mountains, white sand beaches, forests, lakes and rivers. Here is an overview of top 7 Costa Rica travel destinations.

Costa Rica

1. Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve

The Monteverde reserve is located in the central Costa Rica and is among the most sought-after tourist destinations in the country. Along with the mega-diversity of flora and fauna, it has a tropical jungle with lush green mountains which is filled with the exotic sounds of insect and animal calls. You might probably spend the night in the lively town of Santa Elena while exploring this reserve. The unbelievable biodiversity has given it international acclaim to the Monteverde reserve as among the most extraordinary sanctuaries in the entire world.

2. San Jose City

San Jose is Costa Rica’s capital and the largest city. It is situated in the central valley region and is both a modern and historical city dotted with various cultural traditions. The capital is home to numerous museums, restaurants, parks, including other forms of entertainment. The city always has a pleasant temperature due to its relatively high altitude (3,839 feet).

3. Arenal Volcano

The Arenal Volcano and the national park is the perfect spot for the nature lovers. It used to be among the most active volcanoes in the region. However, right now it is in a resting phase, but the area surrounding the volcano offers exciting activities and outstanding sights to explore. You might also like to visit a tiny town at the base of the volcano called La Fortuna.

4. Manuel Antonio Beach & National Park

It is a natural paradise located on the mid-Pacific coast, just south of Quepos, Puntarenas Province. Manuel Antonio is a delightful combination of coral reefs, beaches and rainforest and is considered to be the most beautiful spot in the region. Although it is Costa Rica’s smallest national park, it is among the richest in terms of biodiversity and beauty.

5. Jaco Beach

Playa Jaco is the most visited beach in Costa Rica and is two hours journey from San Jose. It is a hugely popular destination for backpackers and surfers. Jaco offers the best of Costa Rica ranging from gorgeous beaches to sizzling nightlife apart from other activities like horseback riding, kayaking, hiking, and sports fishing. You can also find lots of tour operators who offer packages at competitive rates.

6. Tortuguero National Park

The Tortuguero National Park is also known as the “Amazon of Costa Rica”. It can be accessed only through an airplane or a boat ride as it is remotely situated in northeastern Costa Rica. Every year thousands of marine turtles choose this area as their nesting ground. Tortuguero canals are the major attraction of this area which are both man-made and natural waterways used for exploring the jungle and for the purpose of transportation.

7. Rincon de la Vieja

It is situated in the North pacific region of the country and features a treasure of great activities to attract the tourists. Horseback rides and Hiking trails are great ways to make memorable adventures and relish the natural beauty of this area. Other activities include waterfall swimming, mountain biking and tubing. The geothermal activity around Rincon de la Vieja produces heat bubbling mud pools and warm springs. You might like to have a mud bath here as it is considered to be very therapeutic in relieving sore bodies.