The Talent Of The Architect

By Mike Selvon 

The architect plays a bigger role in our lives than you might realize. Homes, office buildings, churches and recreational halls are all just some of the places that architectural styles touch our lives. Architects in the world today draw their inspiration from nature, history and art.

They study the form and function of past civilization's designs and how those concepts meshed together to create some of the most magnificent buildings that the world has ever seen. It is through this broad study of the arts, history and math that architects develop their educational background.

When a person decides to study architecture, he or she must decide on a specialty. There are quite a few branches of it to choose from. Interior design, urban, green and landscape architecture are only a few of the many areas in which architects can focus their talents.

The educational background is similar for all architects and consists of a broad selection of classes in the arts. It should make sense considering an architect is a talented artist who uses wood, concrete or steel to bring his or her concepts and designs to fruition.

The architect is usually expected to have a minimum of a four year degree and most architects go on to receive their Master's degree with extensive study in his or her selected field. After graduation, a period of internship is a great idea.

It is one thing to study how to do something and an entirely different matter to put the new found knowledge into practice. Practical experience under a knowledgeable hand in this field is invaluable. The internship is a great opportunity to explore different techniques as well.

There has to be a touch of artistry in order to fully embrace architecture. A keen eye for detail and a great imagination are essential components for designing the next great Wonder of the World. History has shown that the architect plays a much bigger role than just creating a home in which to live and an office in which to work.

He or she helps to define a civilization. Just as we associate the pyramids to the Egyptians, so too will people associate our buildings with us. Huge buildings and structures will rise and they will fall, but for those that stand the test of time, mankind will have made his mark for future civilization's to admire.

A free architecture audio gift awaits you at our portal site, where you can enrich your knowledge further about the architect. Your comment is much appreciated at our modern architecture blog. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mike_Selvon

Real Estate Trends and How They Impact the Average Tampa Household

By Julia Vakulenko

Let us take a look at some of the newest real estate trends in Tampa and how they impact the lives of average American households.

1. Declining home prices

Reports have indicated that the average selling price of houses in Tampa has declined, and this translates to lesser impetus to sell. Real estate insiders have determined that upper middle class and middle class households change homes every six years. The unfavorable market conditions for sellers, however, might make these families decide to weather it out for a year or so.

2. High inventory

The increasing number of homes languishing in real estate listings in Tampa spells both negative and positive outcomes. The longer a property stays in the listing, the greater the chances of the sellers not getting the initial price they asked for. And with increasing competition from other agents and sellers, some might even settle for a reduced price just to get it off their hands. On the other hand, prospective buyers are now faced with veritably wide range of property choices. This also translates to the availability of extra, value-added features to discriminating households, who might just get the chance to purchase the house they have long been dreaming for at an affordable price.

3. Efforts of Florida lawmakers to alleviate real estate woes

This indicates that everybody is sitting up and taking notice of what the sector is going through and is putting efforts to find solutions to problems. The results may not be felt immediately, but everybody connected to this industry is still hopeful for long-term ways to fix mortgage and insurance predicaments faced by average households.

4. Reduction of interest rates

This trend might indicate recovery for the market and may prove right the expectations of Tampa still full of good real estate deals. Along with a weakening dollar, these conditions might provide impetus for foreign buyers to go real estate shopping, something that might offset the dismal sales of homes locally.

Julia Vakulenko is a licensed broker associate with Tampa4U.com Realty. She has one of the hardest working Tampa Real Estate team in Florida. Please feel free to copy any of Julia's articles as long as you credit her and a link to her website. Include our Tampa Real Estate Blog to your regular reading as well. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Julia_Vakulenko

 

Property Renovation - What May Need Doing

By Jene Pedder 

Have you bought a property at auction in need of renovation or purchased a property for business purposes that needs renovation, if so you might need the assistance of professional property renovators.

Property Renovation covers a wide range of activities, from structural repairs and new building work to converting a property into a house or business premises or even a set of apartments to refurbishment of the property all with the intent of renovating the property to the very highest standard. Once the property renovation has been done properly by the professionals you are likely to add considerable value to the property, which is what property developers are after of course.

Many property developers nowadays are buying a large house or warehouse and converting it in apartments. Apartments are great for first time buyers they usually cost a little less than a house and gives first time buyers the opportunity to afford to buy or rent somewhere as well as without the stress of looking after a garden. Selling or renting apartments can make a property developer a lot of money if they put the property on the market at the right time and right price. Of course with apartments you get to sell or rent each one individually usually making more money than just selling or renting one whole property for one price.

You may have a property that needs gutting before any renovation work can start, this may seem like a simple job whacking walls down, stripping walls but it can take time and a lot of energy and if you don't have the time yourself or want a quick turn around the best idea is to get some professional renovators who can come in and gut the property before any other works starts. It's not only gutting of the property that may be necessary but the installation of new electricity, water or gas systems may be necessary.

After the property is gutted, the areas that may need renovating and the help of professionals are:

• Electrical services
• Installation of partition Walls
• Installation of heating storage, radiators and or air conditioning units
• Installation of cavity walls and insulation
• Plastering of all walls
• Painting and decorating
• Window installation (double glazing)

If you have a listed building property that needs renovation you need to get permission from the English Heritage. They will give you a set of guidelines that you must follow, and they will regularly come and check the progress of the renovation and that the renovation is in keeping with the age of the property and that any original features are restored carefully.

If you're a property developer and have bought a property that's in need of renovation before you rent or sell the property on and you require professional help with renovating any part of the building or the whole building, there are specialist renovation and building supply companies to help you. You may feel you can do parts of the renovation yourself and also save some money, but you may also want a quick turn around and know you can't complete the properties renovation in the time you have. If so contact a property renovation company today.

Jene Pedder is the Webmaster of ARCH Building Solutions who specialise in Property Renovation. Please feel free to republish this article provided a working hyperlink remains to our site Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jene_Pedder

Britney Spears, Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie - Rich Girls and Their Real Estate

By Lance W. 

For investing in Real Estate perhaps there is no better time than the next 18 months to be one with a huge cash flow during rock bottom real estate prices. In Parts I and II and specifically Part II we noted all the real estate holdings of Britney Spears, Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie. After careful in-depth digging of the public record it was amazing to find much more property than most people had believed.

After all, who would expect a young single gal to own so many pieces of real estate, while in the prime of their lives and a list of parties to attend, that is a mile long? Each gal of course owns a private residence, all of which are substantial. Britney Spears, who has a monthly income said to be about $700,000 per month, enjoys spending all of it, without saving, or does she? Owning real estate at the bottom of the market is in a way like money in the bank.

Paris Hilton's timely purchase of some prime Malibu Beachfront property, is not a bad call either. That neighborhood historically was the last to be hit during downturns in the real estate cycle and generally the first to recover. She may have bought very close to its lowest low - what would you expect from the daughter of a superstar business family with real estate holdings the world over.

We also know that Paris Hilton, although quite controversial is also a hugely successful business woman with royalty income of well over 3 million a year, you may think she is a dumb blonde, but you'd be dead wrong. In fact, Paris Hilton's on the prowl for prime real estate in this depressed market and something tells me she'll find exactly those pieces she is looking for. The term " buy low, sell high" has been a Hilton tradition and this young gal does not seem to be one to break that rule of thumb.

Nicole Richie, is indeed rich, not as rich as the other gals, but she has some nice real estate holdings, even though she is more in the boat with many Americans as to the timing of her purchases. Anyone, who believes Nicole Richie is down and out, reads too many tabloids and believes too much of what they see on TV or read in the Inquirer.

In conclusion, Paris Hilton, is beginning her own real estate fortune and is miles ahead of the other girls in the long-term real estate investment game. She has made some early decisive moves and does not appear to be stopping anytime soon. I hope you have enjoyed this three-part series and comprehensive case study of the three most popular Hollywood Babes and their diverse and most fascinating Real Estate Holdings.

My name is Lance Winslow and I am a semi-retired entrepreneur, retired Franchisor and now I am a consultant brain-4-hire, internet writer and author. I got bored in retirement so I founded the Online Think Tank - http://www.worldthinktank.net . If you would like to send me an email just to say hi, discuss an article, send me hate mail or need some advice you can find me at; http://www.carwashguys.com/history/founder.html . Have a great day and thanks for reading - tell me about you? Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lance_W.

How To Choose A Real Estate Agent?

By Mark Zawaideh

A real estate agent will guide you to - and through - the most important decision of your life. How do you know, for sure, that he will act in your best interests?

How do you know if he will really work for you? Is he too busy for you? What of his personal integrity? How much effort will he expend for you?

You will want to feel very comfortable with the real estate agent that you choose, comfortable enough to be able to say 'no' to the bargain of the month and 'no' to the almost perfect house.

He must not be intimidating to you, yet a business-like attitude and assertiveness are qualities you will want in a professional acting for you.

Often when you are choosing a business professional, the outcome is not so critical, but who wants to lose their dream property? Choosing a real estate agent falls into the same bracket as choosing a medical doctor or a lawyer.

The interview and short listing process is really all about finding one that you feel comfortable with. Real estate agents usually have a 'presentation'. This is usually a very business-like procedure and if they are having an off day, the presentation may click in automatically.

However, you will need to get past the 'rehearsed' person and get to know the real one. Mostagents will have integrity, they have their reputations to think about, but you need to feel that you also have one that understands you and your wants.

Some agents have amazing sales records, so ask about sales history. Ask if he would mind giving you some recent sales to choose references from. Gather up at least half a dozen and then choose your own references to phone. Before you phone, ask the real estate agent a few questions.

For instance: How long was each house on the market? How many were reduced and why? How many times and by how much?

Some other questions could be: Will there be a marketing plan drawn up for the sale of your house? Will it be carried out? What guarantees do you have? To see if the agent is keen and enthusiastic, ask him if he has taken any extra real estate courses.

See if you find his voice or tone very monotone; if so, do you find it relaxing, or would you prefer a lively voice generating a more energetic feeling?

Finally you must try and gauge the quality of his negotiating skills. Ask about commissions; in a house sale it will be necessary for you both to be able to discuss money amicably.

Observe the way the agent explains things when you try and negotiate a lower rate. If he can convince you that his fee is fair and that he will have to work hard to earn it, then he can convince others to listen to his viewpoint when he is working for you!

All this discussion will give you enough time and a good basis on which to judge the personality of the agent. Then the bottom line is that you have to pick someone that you feel you can trust.

Mark is in the top 1% of sales associates in the United States, and is based in the Northville Michigan real estate market. If you're looking to buy or sell property in the Birmingham MI real estate area, be sure to visit Mark at http://www.markzproperties.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mark_Zawaideh

Overview - International Real Estate

By M Siddique 

It suddenly occurred to us that we were very remiss in not pointing out that Gudrun was born and raised in Germany. While Tcat came into the world in the city of brotherly love, Philadelphia -- he has been based in México for some years. Both Tcat and Gudrun can clearly agree there is much more to transcend then language, or even culture or history... add philosophical approach differences to how government is run... you can trust us. It makes for finding the area of common reference a real challenge.

For example, Gudrun and Tcat were out listening to Bill Gatten in Los Angeles. It's certainly not the point that the incredible Mr. Gatten was presenting pearls of wisdom, as he always does. (He is a Great Magician, in more ways than one.) Anyway... and here is where it gets dicy...

Bill is doing a great job explaining the really cool twists of an Illinois-based land trust brings over other real estate transaction methods and getting a seller of full price offer... however that's another story... so anyway...

So we're taking a break from Bill Gatten's land trust seminar in Los Angeles, taking a working lunch break... and Gudrun says to me something to the effect of:

Okay, so the Illinois-based land trust from Bill Gatten creates a win-win-win, using a tripod of: time, tax code and not being piggy. Got it. What I don't get is why this is such a great deal? All it will take is the U.S. Congress changing the tax law making all this land trust stuff just go away.

Someone once said confession is good for the soul. Okay. I confess Tcat did a bad thing.

I laughed at my partner.

Thankfully, she did not get insulted. And we quickly discovered that despite years of working together, on many topics we figured out how the tax code works is so radically different "across the pond", from each other -- it just never occurred to her United States tax law looks so quirky.

Uncle Sam gives and takes -

The oddity that Uncle Sam extends its reach for taxes to its citizens on even foreign earned and already (locally) taxed income. Yet, Uncle Sam is so generous with tax credits on private home ownership and deductions on real estate. To Gudrun, Uncle Sam is so generous; it was beyond her tax scope. Note to self-Tcat. Remind yourself (again) to run down the punch list of assumptions and be alert for things normally taken for granted.

I laughed at Gudrun even entertaining the idea that the United States could just turn on a dime and change the way its economy is built on numerous tax incentives. It was then that we both realized that our long-standing joke, "it's different on the other side of the pond", is no joke.

This becomes a funny education on democracy. Because sure, Tcat and Gudrun are from democratic countries yet international details on tax are fundamental and easily overlooked or taken for granted. And that allows for a lot more freedom of expression than it first appears. So much so, it surprised your veterans on the topic.

So anyway... the take away on this is: It's not insulting to check all the assumptions when investing locally or internationally. It can be enlightening and entertaining. It can be a deal maker or a deal breaker. It always is, surprising.

Hey! We didn't do all this work and put it on ButterflyLister. Just to sit in it dark, stuffy and hot little box of electronics. Not only that, we cannot hear you when you talk to us. Send us an e-mail to tell us what topics you would like to hear about. Feedback@ButterflyLister.com

Siddique is real estate investor for over 22 years and President of ButterFlyLister. This article first appeared on http://www.butterflylister.com - a leading real estate website with a comprehensive property listings with owner financing and lease to purchase options. Now Sellers can sell their homes at full price in any market. Launched in 2007, ButterFlyLister now offers Home Listing service throughout the united States for buyers and sellers. ButterFlyLister attracts thousands of buyers, sellers and real estate investors a month. Download Free How to sell your Home for Full Price in any market. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=M_Siddique

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