Simple Tips For Buying Real Estate Without The Headaches

Jan 25, 2013 | Foreclosures, Investor News, Real Estate, Refinance Options, Short Sale

Buying real estate can be stressful and a life changing event. Though, the stress in buying a house can be reduced with the right information. Perusing the following tips will help you gain more real estate knowledge and make home buying a positive experience.

Be sure to obtain your credit report prior to starting your house hunting process. Once you have obtained a copy, go over it with a fine toothed comb and dispute any discrepancies that you find. If your credit is stellar, you will have an easier time securing that much needed mortgage.

Always have your goals at the forefront of your mind as you are preparing to purchase a property. Categorize your long-term and short-term goals. If the investment doesn?t match the goals you have in place, don?t bother with it. Many property owners fail to make sure their needs are met and end up with a losing investment.

When you are in the midst of a real estate transaction, prioritize your goals to get the best deal. Clarify the nature of each issue and create well-defined expectations for each specific concern. Make sure you stick to the important issues during negotiations. You must go into negotiations with the realization that you can?t get everything you expect. Expect to compromise in some areas so you can achieve those issues that are truly most important.

Stay in contact with other investors in real estate. There will be a steady supply of properties that are available, but each investor will have a preference for particular types of property. You may be able to find a remarkable property that someone else hasn?t purchased already.

If you have kids, you need to make sure there is enough room for the family. Steep stairs or swimming pools are items to closely examine if you have children in the home. Purchasing a home from someone who raised their own children in it can give you some peace of mind about its safety for your own kids.

If you?re relocating, there is much information you can find online about your new neighborhood. Whether you?re moving to a large city or a small town, there is a good deal of valuable information that you can find on the internet. You can find out about the population, local schools and salary ranges compared to other locations.

Using the previous tips, your buying process can be simpler and smoother. The more prepared you are, the less stressful your experience will likely be.For More Information, Call (708) 218-3612

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Source: http://optionalliving.net/simple-tips-for-buying-real-estate-without-the-headaches/

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Supersized court challenge to New York City's ban on big, sugary sodas

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The beverage and restaurant industries on Wednesday urged a New York judge to block Mayor Michael Bloomberg's ban on large sugary drinks, calling it an unconstitutional overreach that burdens small businesses and infringes upon personal liberty.

The ban, scheduled to go into effect in March, outlaws the sale of sugary drinks larger than 16 ounces from New York City's restaurants and many other eateries in an effort to combat obesity. City officials have said they will not begin imposing $200 fines on offending businesses until June.

James Brandt, a lawyer for the American Beverage Association, which represents companies like Coca-Cola, PepsiCo and Dr Pepper Snapple Group, told Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Milton Tingling that the ban, approved last September by the city's health board, represents an illegal end-run around the city council.

"What makes this ban patently offensive is that the regulation at issue is promulgated by the Board of Health, a group of civil servants who are not elected by the citizens, who are appointed by the mayor of New York and as a practical matter serve at his discretion," Brandt said.

City attorney Mark Muschenheim, however, said the health board has the legal authority to pass regulations to protect the "safety, health and well-being" of the city's residents.

The ban is the latest initiative in Bloomberg's years-long quest to use the city's regulatory power to improve public health. During his tenure, the city has outlawed smoking in bars and restaurants; required chain restaurants to post calorie counts; and barred the use of trans fats in food preparation.

The city has defended the rule as a reasonable measure to address the growing problem of obesity.

"There is an association between sugary drinks and obesity," said Thomas Merrill, a lawyer for the health department.

Tingling did not indicate when he will rule, and Brandt said the plaintiffs will soon move separately for an emergency stay.

Minority organizations like the NAACP and a New York pro-business group have filed court papers in support of the challenge, expressing concern about the ban's potential impact on small and minority-owned businesses. Several city council members also oppose the regulation.

Meanwhile, public health advocacy groups have joined in the city's defense.

Brandt told Tingling that the ban favors certain businesses at the expense of others. The regulation only applies to food service businesses under the aegis of the health department, which means convenience and grocery stores will not be affected.

Cup and bottle manufacturers have complained that many of their products barely run afoul of the ban. A 500-milliliter glass bottle, for instance, used by certain drink makers, is 16.9 ounces, while "16-ounce" cups are typically a shade larger so that restaurants don't have to fill them to the brim.

The ban exempts drinks that contain more than 50 percent milk, which means milkshakes or high-calorie frozen coffee drinks will also be allowed, Brandt said.

"You'll be able to go into a 7-Eleven and buy the biggest Big Gulp you want, but you're not able to go to a Sabrett hot dog stand and buy a 20-ounce Coke or Pepsi," Brandt said.

But Thomas Merrill, a lawyer for the health department, said the regulation may not be a "silver bullet" but represents a positive step in reducing obesity.

"The perfect cannot be the enemy of the good," he said.

Brandt also warned that the ban, if allowed, could eventually lead to even more restrictive regulations.

"What comes next? Red meat twice a week but no more?" Brandt said. "No jay-walking?"

Tingling interrupted him with a smile.

"For the record, counsel, jay-walking is illegal," he said, drawing laughs from the gallery.

The case is New York Statewide Coalition of Hispanic Chambers of Commerce et al. v. New York Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, New York State Supreme Court, New York County, No. 653584/2012.

(Reporting by Joseph Ax;editing by Sofina Mirza-Reid)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/supersized-court-challenge-york-citys-ban-big-sugary-191218251--sector.html

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Kitchens I Have Loved

Warm and Cozy in the Hudson River Valley; Warm in Ojai, California

It is 10 degrees in my part of New York state today, so "warm and cozy" is definitely on my mind. ?For years I have saved two magazines showing the same house, seemingly the the very definition of warm and cozy. ?After scanning all the images of this house for you, I googled the owners' name and found the family living in an Ojai, California home in 2004, so I added these images also. ?Come join me as we view both homes and their locations, and decide if both homes have warm and cozy elements.

Don't let the July, 1993?date delude you; the home exudes warm and coziness when readers would think the issue would be full of only "beachiness".

See. ?(Don't your love the red paisley throw on the sleigh bed?) Cozy , right?

Right side of room with beautiful books and an antique painting.

And the requisite blazing fireplace.?

The study with a hanging tapestry, a find of the owner.

Dining room with more antiques and a painting I love.

Dining room close up.

Primitive armoire holding china, linen and cocktails. ?And another antique painting.

That I love the kitchen is no surprise. ?Yellow ware seems to be a particular favorite of the owners, but the cat seems unsure.

Master bedroom with its own roaring fire.

Bedroom and master bath details.

Note the touches of black throughout the house, acting like a unifying cord.

Guest bedroom.

Attractive owners of the house and collectors of antiques - Carol Gramm and Jack Bunce, both one-time models who met on a shoot.

Jumping ahead to November, 1994, we find the same home in?Martha Stewart Living.

The same dining room as above but now in its Thanksgiving finery. ?Love how the owners actually use their yellow ware.

Lorraine Bunce, Carolina's mother-in-law helps prepare sweet potatoes,

while Carolina bastes the turkey. ?Even now days after Thanksgiving and Christmas, this fare looks so delicious - especially in 10 degree weather.

Cat still a fixture, warm fireplace, and lovely cheese tray all speak to a cozy holiday.

Glimpse into sitting room from dining room.

Another view of dining room in Thanksgiving finery. ?Natural, simple and beautiful.

Host, Jack Bunce, and his guests.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?

Glimpse of a youngish Martha, and cranberry-filled pears.

Dessert table.

Carolina - chef, antique collector, decorator - rests after her job well done. ?Note that Jack will do all the clean up before morning - a tradition that needs to be followed by all families, especially mine.

Don't you agree the Bunce home illustrates many elements that make up warm and cozy: fireplaces all aglow, a touch of red in paisley throws and tapestries, library with leather books, carefully chosen antiques, a kitchen bursting with holiday cheer.

Now let's view the Bunce family after their move to Ojai, California. ?The following images were taken from the September 2004 issue of?Martha Stewart Decorating. ?During the time between the Thanksgiving above and the move to Ojai, Carolina founded her own design firm, Gramm Design.

Still the great yellow ware collection.

Still the pretty table scapes.

Still a great kitchen and antique oriental rug.?

Several of the paintings from the Hudson River Valley house. ?Clementines now adorn the table replacing pumpkins.

Wooden floors replaced now with tile ones. ?(Has the dog replaced the cats I wonder?)

Ah, still the antique daybed, painting, and a fireplace aglow. ?Is that a clementine tree I spy?

Antique bed? ?Antique chair and tile floor.

A very California and inviting exterior.

A 2004 picture of the Bunce family now including their 8-year-old son, Graham outside their Ojai home. ?(All these articles may be found on Carolina's website, www.grammdesign.com.)

What do we think? ?Can warm and cozy be transferred from a home on one chilly coast to a home on a warm one? ?I'd be interested in your opinion, and I will tell you mine in the next post. ?Till then, stay warm. ?

From a very nippy 10 degree,

b

Source: http://kitchensihaveloved.blogspot.com/2013/01/warm-and-cozy-in-hudson-river-valley.html

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Wii U Virtual Console Trial Campaign hands-on

Looking forward to the Wii U's incoming Virtual Console update? No need to wait -- despite the service's post-spring update launch announcement, Nintendo is already rolling out fully functional (and Wii U enhanced) Virtual Console games to the eShop. It's part of the Famicom's 30th anniversary celebration, and gives gamers a chance to sample a handful of Nintendo's best at a hefty discount -- only 30 cents a pop. We tossed a few dimes toward a copy of Balloon Fight to give the upcoming service a quick look.

Gallery: Wii U Virtual Console Trial Campaign

Like all Wii U downloadables, Virtual Console games take up residence on the system menu, flaunting a thumbnail of the game's title screen underlined with a Virtual Console banner. While loading, players are treated to a preview of the game's vitals -- year released, originating console and number of players supported. Easy enough for Balloon Fight: 1984, the Nintendo Entertainment System and two. Within 15 seconds (we're looking forward to that speed update, Nintendo) the game's title screen is mirrored across the gamepad and TV. This is the basic, pure experience -- press start, twiddle the thumbsticks and play the game.

Tapping the gamepad's screen or pressing the ZR button brings up the Virtual Console menu, laying bare the Wii U enhanced features Iwata told us about: restore points and controller settings. 3DS owners should be familiar with the former -- restore points allow you to save your game at any moment and restore it without penalty. Little has changed in the feature's jump to the home console, and usage is straightforward -- just tap the onscreen buttons to save or restore. The Controller settings menu, on the other hand, is new, allowing users to remap the game's controls to their liking. The menu's capabilities are limited, however -- analog sticks and the d-pads won't tolerate reassignment. As promised, playing on the Wii U gamepad is an option, but it isn't necessary. Traditional Wii remotes work just fine, and the tablet-controller's screen can be disabled through the regular Wii U menu. Miiverse is supported too, of course, dropping users into a Balloon Fight community when launched from the game.

The Wii U Virtual Console's official launch may still be a few months off, but based on the first game in the Famicom 30th Anniversary Virtual Console trial campaign, it's shaping up to be a strong evolution of its predecessor. Controller mapping allows users to manually sidestep control issues -- something select games suffered from on the Wii VC when paired with a Gamecube controller. Save states have been a boon to 3DS owners not accustomed to the challenges of classic Nintendo games, and is a welcome addition to the full-sized Virtual Console setup -- after all, how else are we supposed to get a decent score in Balloon Trip mode?

Filed under: Gaming, Nintendo

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/23/wii-u-virtual-console-hands-on/

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NTT DoCoMo announces 12 new mobile devices for the spring, launches Smart Home initiative

Change of season? You can bet NTT DoCoMo has an armload of new devices to announce -- it's almost a tradition. This time around, the Japanese carrier has revealed 10 new smartphones, two tablets and a mobile WiFi hotspot. Large, 4.5 to 5-inch displays and quad-core processors pepper the entire spring smartphone line, but there are a few notable standouts, including the previously leaked LG Optimus G Pro, Huawei's Ascend D2 and the NEC Medias W -- a curious dual-screen smartphone we first saw at MWC 2012. DoCoMo fills its tablet quota with the Sony Xperia Tablet Z and a carrier branded device called the dtab, a 10.1-inch WiFi slab apparently built for DoCoMo's Smart Home initiative. Don't let the name run away with your imagination -- the Japanese carrier is focusing on sharing music, video and digital content between smartphones and other home electronics, not automating your apartment.

The dtab is compatible with a handful of carrier exclusive services, such as the dmarket and DoCoMo cloud. It's not technically part of the carrier's mobile line, but DoCoMo had one more announcement for spring: an HDMI dongle. The SmartTV dstick gives HDTVs access to the carrier's dvideo, danime store and dhits services, and can be controlled with via smartphone or a similarly named tablet. Spring hardware will start hitting Japan on January 25th with the Aquos Phone EX, and continue to roll out through March. Read on for the official press release.

Update: Apparently, we're looking at a different Ascend D2 than the one we saw at CES, one with a smaller screen (4.7-inch 720p vs. 5-inch 1080p) and battery (2150mAh vs. 3000mAh).

Show full PR text

NTT DOCOMO Unveils 12 New Mobile Devices
- 5 Models to Link with Home Electronics and Play Full-HD under New Initiative -

Products & Services

TOKYO, JAPAN, January 22, 2013 --- NTT DOCOMO, INC., announced today its 2013 spring lineup of 12 models that will launch in sequence beginning on January 25. The lineup includes 11 smartphones and tablets, plus one mobile Wi-Fi(R) router. For maximized ease of use, the models feature upgraded versions of numerous popular functions introduced in the 2012 winter lineup.

Some of the new and prominent features of the lineup include:
o.First DOCOMO smartphones capable of full-HD for superb high-definition video.
o.Compatible with DOCOMO's Xi[TM] ("crossy") LTE service for max. downlink of 112.5 Mbps (some areas), the fastest LTE connection in Japan as of January 21.
o.A large selection of models featuring quad-core CPUs for increased enjoyment of mobile games and videos.
o.Many models running on Android[TM] 4.1.
o.Large-capacity batteries (2,000mAh or more) for power-thirsty users.
o.Smartphone model with special safety and security features for preteens.

Also announced today was "docomo Smart Home," an all-new initiative for sharing videos, music and other content between smartphones and home electronics, realizing a convenient new way to enjoy high-definition digital content both at home and on the move.

As part of this initiative, the new spring lineup offers the "dtab," a Wi-Fi-dedicated tablet with special features for DOCOMO services such as the dmarket[TM] portal, and the "SmartTV dstick," a small flash drive-like HDMI device for enjoying movies and animation from dmarket, etc. on large-screen televisions.

In addition, new functions have been added to the Twonky[TM] Beam app, which enables DOCOMO smartphones to play full-HD digital-terrestrial and broadcast-satellite programs that are stored on the user's Blu-ray[TM] recording devices at home.

[See source link for pictures and attachments]

Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Mobile

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Source: DoCoMo

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/3fHAydwWS78/

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Apple investing $3M to open first retail store in Indonesia, resume ...

Apple plans to create an online retail presence in Indonesia, according to?a report from NZWeek?(via TNW),?as well as open its first retail location in the country with a new store in the capital city, Jakarta. Confirmation of the investment comes from the country?s Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM). It has approved Apple?s application to open up shop in the country, and the report claimed Apple is looking to invest $2 million to $3 million USD in the capital city of Jakarta to open its first brick-and-mortar retail location.

Just last month, Apple started selling the iPhone 5 in close to 50 new countries including Indonesia. The country also started receiving access to iTunes music and movies last month with the rollout of the service to 56 new countries.

As noted in the report, Foxconn is investing $10 billion USD to open a new hardware manufacturing plant in Indonesia with construction slated to kick off this year. TNW pointed out that Apple actually sold products in Indonesia from 2008 to 2010 before stopping due to difficulties with shipping out of Singapore.

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Source: http://9to5mac.com/2013/01/22/apple-investing-3m-to-open-first-retail-store-in-indonesia-resume-direct-online-sales/

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Atari US files for Ch. 11 to separate from parent

NEW YORK (AP) ? Video game maker Atari's U.S. operations have filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in an effort to separate from their French parent company, which is filing a similar motion separately in France.

In a statement, Atari says the move is necessary to secure investments it needs to grow in mobile and downloadable video games.

Atari's U.S. operations have shifted to focus on digital games and licensing, including developing mobile games, and have become a growth engine for its owner. France's Infogrames Entertainment first took a stake in Atari in 2000. It acquired the remaining stake in 2008 and changed its name to Atari S.A.

But the U.S. operations have been better performing than the rest of the company. In fiscal 2012 digital and licensing revenue both grew significantly and contributed 70 percent of revenue, while sales in bricks-and-mortar stores declined.

In December, Atari S.A. said a credit agreement it entered into with investor BlueBay ? its main shareholder and only lender ? would lapse at the end of the year and the company was seeking other ways to raise money. It added that it expects to report a "significant loss" for fiscal 2012.

On Monday, Atari S.A. said it and its European operations would file related bankruptcy procedures in France at the same time as the U.S. bankruptcy filing.

CEO Jim Wilson said the moves were the "best decision to protect the company and its shareholders." The auction process in U.S. bankruptcy proceedings will "maximize the proceeds" going to shareholders, he added.

Creditors include accounting firm Deloitte & Touche, and retail stores Kmart and Wal-Mart Stores, although none are owed more than $250,000. Blue Bay is not listed as one of the U.S. operations' creditors.

Atari, which turned 40 last year, was a videogame pioneer with games like "Pong" and "Centipede," but has changed ownership several times amid financial problems. In its filing with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in the Southern District of New York, Atari said it had $1 million to $10 million in assets and $10 million to $50 million in debt. It is seeking approval for $5.25 million in debtor-in-possession financing from investment firm Tenor Capital Management.

Atari said it expects to sell its assets or confirm a restructuring plan within the next three to six months.

Atari S.A., which trades on the Euronext Paris market of NYSE Euronext, has requested trading of its shares be suspended.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2013-01-21-US-Atari-Bankruptcy/id-664e84764683416ba6362b338fe94149

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