29.5.13

Falling Home Prices Have Little Effect on Property Taxes



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Many homeowners have been taken by surprise when the value of their home suddenly seemed to hit freefall. It would certainly seem as though there should be one advantage to dropping home prices; however. Many homeowners assumed that when the value of their homes fell, their property taxes would as well. This has not been the case in many areas; however.

In some cases; homeowners have been shocked to discover that not only have their property tax bills not decreased, they have actually increased in some cases. This has been quite a surprise for homeowners as they struggle to understand why they are paying more in taxes on homes that are not worth as much as they were just a year ago.

The reason for this relates to the complex manner in which property taxes are calculated in many areas. One of the biggest problems, especially in Nevada, is the fact that property tax increases were capped during the housing boom. During this time home values skyrocketed rapidly. Today, the values of homes in these same areas are falling; however, the decreases have not actually been enough to compensate for the increases of just a few years ago. Consequently, the values of homes would need to decrease sharply over a short period of time in order for property tax bills to decrease. While declining property values have certainly been a problem, they simply have not decreased enough in many areas to provide any relief from property tax bills.

As the rate of defaulted loans and foreclosures continue to soar in many locations, numerous counties have discovered that the rate of unpaid properties taxes is also on the rise. The metro Detroit area, in particular, is experiencing a record high rate of unpaid property taxes. Detroit is currently considered to be one of the worst housing markets in the United States based on the decline of housing prices and increase of foreclosures. The lack of jobs and weak economy in the greater Detroit area are considered to be the primary factors contributing to the housing crash in the area.

Even if property owners are paying their monthly mortgage payments on time they could still be at risk for losing their properties through foreclosure if they fail to pay their property taxes for three years in a row. In such situations, the county would then take control of the home and auction it off to pay the balance of taxes owed. Counties in the Detroit area are currently struggling to recoup hundreds of millions of dollars in unpaid property taxes. The issue has had significant repercussions on counties in the greater Detroit area.

Property owners who find they are behind on the property taxes can take some steps to stave off foreclosure. The first step is to begin making payments on their taxes. Many homeowners make the mistake of thinking they are doomed if they cannot pay off all of the taxes owed and thus pay nothing at all. Keep in mind that making any payment, even if you cannot pay all of the taxes, is better than paying nothing at all. If you are not able to pay all of the taxes; at least try to pay off your oldest taxes first. Remember that taxes which remain unpaid for three years consecutively places you at risk for foreclosure. Pay off the oldest taxes first to combat this risk.

You might also check with your county to determine whether you may be eligible for an extension for property taxes which are unpaid. In some situations, the county treasurer may be able to grant you an exemption for your taxes if you are able to demonstrate extreme hardship. It is best to do this as early as possible; however, as there are commonly deadlines for the exemption applications.

In addition, check with your mortgage company or bank to find out whether they offer any type of program or loan that can provide you with the money needed to cover your taxes. It is never in the best interest of the bank to have the county take over the property, so they are often willing to work with the homeowner to avoid having this happen. Keep in mind; however, that when you do this will you will be taking on an increased debt burden.

Foreign Buyers Providing some Relief to Housing Market

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Economic news around the country has certainly appeared to be dim in the last few months. As if the housing crisis was not enough, now it appears that the country is in the midst of a recession. The dollar has weakened and many consumers find themselves wondering whether relief is in sight. Quite surprisingly, these problems may actually provide some encouragement for foreign investors to rally the housing market.

One of the reasons that many homeowners are finding it difficult to sell their homes is the fact that many would-be buyers either cannot afford the prices or they cannot qualify for mortgage loans. As a result, they have found they have little choice but to continue to rent and wait for the housing market to stabilize before they venture into the home buying process. Some homeowners are finding interested buyers in a surprising source; however. Today, homeowners are just as likely to discover buyers hailing from abroad as from next door.

Experts speculate that investment from Europeans is likely to increase in the coming months. Many speculate that foreign investors have recognized the value in buying homes in the U.S. Prices have declined, making them far more attractive. In fact, in some cases, foreign buyers could be poised to replace the niche that first-time home buyers held before they were squeezed out of the market as a result of the recent real estate crash.

If this trend continues, it could very well provide some relief for homeowners who either need to upgrade to larger homes or who need to get out of homes they can no longer afford.

Brokers are reporting that inquiries from foreign investors are definitely on the rise. Compared to the number of inquiries that were received just a year ago, many brokers are seeing an increase of as much as five times the amount witnessed just a year ago.

A foreign buyer who invests in a home today would need far less money in terms of euros to make a substantial down payment on a home as a result of the weakening dollar. In fact, foreign buyers today could make what is essentially a $50,000 down payment for little more than 34,000 euros today. A year ago that same buyer would have needed nearly 38,000 euros in order to offer the same amount for a down payment. Quite simply, foreign buyers are able to buy homes in the U.S. for less of an investment than American buyers.

The exchange rate has definitely provided support for increased spending power in many locations. In certain areas, like New York and Chicago, the demand has definitely increased. In some cases, the demand has grown so much that it is actually outpacing supply. California and Florida are also proving to be popular with foreign buyers and investors. The latter two markets, which have been among the hardest hit, are embracing the relief with open arms. Florida, in particular, is still struggling with the crash of the condo market.

Sellers and agents have quickly latched onto the idea that the place to look for interested buyers could very well be overseas. As a result, many properties are now being marketed specifically toward foreign buyers. High-end luxury homes that have languished on the market for months are some of the first to be targeted for interested foreign buyers.

The Internet has proven to be a successful marketing tool in the past and today agents and sellers have discovered it is often the easiest way to reach foreign buyers. Compared to other advertising mediums it is often far less expensive and allows them to reach a broader audience. When marketing properties toward foreign buyers, this can be particularly important.
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Foreign buyers may not be the full salvation that real estate agents and homeowners need to completely recover from the housing bust; however, they are certainly providing a bit of welcome relief in many beleaguered markets.









Falling Home Prices Have Little Effect on Property Taxes




Many homeowners have been taken by surprise when the value of their home suddenly seemed to hit freefall. It would certainly seem as though there should be one advantage to dropping home prices; however. Many homeowners assumed that when the value of their homes fell, their property taxes would as well. This has not been the case in many areas; however.

In some cases; homeowners have been shocked to discover that not only have their property tax bills not decreased, they have actually increased in some cases. This has been quite a surprise for homeowners as they struggle to understand why they are paying more in taxes on homes that are not worth as much as they were just a year ago.

The reason for this relates to the complex manner in which property taxes are calculated in many areas. One of the biggest problems, especially in Nevada, is the fact that property tax increases were capped during the housing boom. During this time home values skyrocketed rapidly. Today, the values of homes in these same areas are falling; however, the decreases have not actually been enough to compensate for the increases of just a few years ago. Consequently, the values of homes would need to decrease sharply over a short period of time in order for property tax bills to decrease. While declining property values have certainly been a problem, they simply have not decreased enough in many areas to provide any relief from property tax bills.

As the rate of defaulted loans and foreclosures continue to soar in many locations, numerous counties have discovered that the rate of unpaid properties taxes is also on the rise. The metro Detroit area, in particular, is experiencing a record high rate of unpaid property taxes. Detroit is currently considered to be one of the worst housing markets in the United States based on the decline of housing prices and increase of foreclosures. The lack of jobs and weak economy in the greater Detroit area are considered to be the primary factors contributing to the housing crash in the area.

Even if property owners are paying their monthly mortgage payments on time they could still be at risk for losing their properties through foreclosure if they fail to pay their property taxes for three years in a row. In such situations, the county would then take control of the home and auction it off to pay the balance of taxes owed. Counties in the Detroit area are currently struggling to recoup hundreds of millions of dollars in unpaid property taxes. The issue has had significant repercussions on counties in the greater Detroit area.

Property owners who find they are behind on the property taxes can take some steps to stave off foreclosure. The first step is to begin making payments on their taxes. Many homeowners make the mistake of thinking they are doomed if they cannot pay off all of the taxes owed and thus pay nothing at all. Keep in mind that making any payment, even if you cannot pay all of the taxes, is better than paying nothing at all. If you are not able to pay all of the taxes; at least try to pay off your oldest taxes first. Remember that taxes which remain unpaid for three years consecutively places you at risk for foreclosure. Pay off the oldest taxes first to combat this risk.

You might also check with your county to determine whether you may be eligible for an extension for property taxes which are unpaid. In some situations, the county treasurer may be able to grant you an exemption for your taxes if you are able to demonstrate extreme hardship. It is best to do this as early as possible; however, as there are commonly deadlines for the exemption applications.

In addition, check with your mortgage company or bank to find out whether they offer any type of program or loan that can provide you with the money needed to cover your taxes. It is never in the best interest of the bank to have the county take over the property, so they are often willing to work with the homeowner to avoid having this happen. Keep in mind; however, that when you do this will you will be taking on an increased debt burden.

Don't Get Stuck With Event Planning Obligations!

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When it comes to event planning there are all sorts of things that are very important to choosing what exactly will take place at the event. If you have ever been in charge of event planning for a church group, music group, youth group, women's group, men's group, or any other type of possible group out there than chances are that you have felt overwhelmed. On the flip side if you have just been granted the duty of event planning for a large gathering of people then the first thing that should easily come to mind is, "Why Me?" Even though many people absolutely dread event planning for large amounts of people even though these people may be your friends, there are a couple routes that one can take in order to prevent much of the work from falling on your own shoulders. Indeed, there are a couple good ways to have the work-load lessened!

Form Sub-Committees

From the entertainment group to making sure that everyone has enough food to eat, there are all sorts of different concerns that should come to mind when event planning. Fortunately, if you have been tasked with the responsibility to make sure that all of these things gets done one thing that you can do is to actually form sub-committees within the large group itself. Chances are that the other people in the group will have no problem with this whatsoever, but if anyone cries foul that you are actually using sub-committees to help with the event planning then all one must simply do is explain that there are many responsibilities that is too much for one person to handle, namely them!

Hire Event Planning Specialists

Of course another route that one can take in order to succeed with the event planning that he or she has been given is to contact an actual event planning professional in order to get help. However, instead of letting the professional take over the reigns entirely, it may be possible that you may only have to pay a consultation fee if you only want to seek out advice for the event planning checklist that you have created. Many times event planning professionals will be thrilled to help out and might even offer to plan the entire event for you, but those decisions are completely up to you!

Get an Assistant

Even though the sub-committees that were discussed above are essentially like group assistants, hiring an actual event planning assistant is a good way to obtain much needed help for the event that you are responsible for. Assistants are a great way to help out with anything that you need, but they can also be a good help when you need errands to run, and you can even have them place telephone calls to the entertainers, caterers, and other very important figures that are supposed to be at the event!

All things considered, when it comes to event planning it is very important to your whole self in order to stay calm to get help with planning the event for your group! Hiring an assistant, getting consultations from event coordinating specialists, and forming sub-committees are three excellent ways to help with planning!

Really Need Event Planning Specialists?

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Do We Really Need Event Planning Specialists?

There are many different types of professions in the world and one of the ones that individuals rely heavily upon for some reason or another is event planners. Make no mistake: event planning is an important responsibility in many people's lives that they definitely do not take lightly, but does there have to be a whole profession devoted to the idea of event planning? There are many arguments for and against having an event planning specialist take over the whole direction that your efforts were being directed, but the main theme running through both of the arguments is whether or not individuals are smart enough and careful enough to take on a whole event by themselves! Nevertheless, though, here are some of the arguments that people use in favor of and against having event planning specialists in the world:

Mankind is Lazy!

One argument that is obviously against having event planning specialists to do the jobs of others is that mankind is lazy and unorganized. Many people assume that if someone doesn't have the energy to coordinate a large event by themselves (i.e. a wedding reception) then it simply shouldn't happen. However, there are arguments on the flip side as well! As in the case of wedding receptions, some people are just too nervous about coordinating large events that they absolutely have to have someone to help them, and at the very least an assistant of some sort! Event planning professionals can act as assistants for a large event and oftentimes the people that have asked for their help insist on helping for the majority of the process anyway!

Need More Time!

Many people use the argument that they are simply too busy to be bogged down with the details of event planning when it comes to getting things done. Of course, there argument in relation to that statement would be that there are professionals who are hired everyday to take care of events that they should have no problem getting help with what they need. On the other hand some people would view this argument as someone who is completely disorganized and a complete time-waster! After all, if you manage your time effectively then one should have the time to do just about anything, right? Unfortunately, that's how some people view the issue, but obviously event planning specialists are glad that there is a need for their job!

Of course there are plenty of other reasons why someone might make the argument for or against hiring an event planner. Some people may simply see it as a complete waste of money that could be spent on something more useful, whereas others absolutely need all the help they can get when planning their wedding reception, bridal shower, baby shower, high school class reunion, and other such large events! In the end what it really comes down to is personal choice and whether or not an individual would mind paying for expert advice that could be given to them. Event planning specialists are a big help to society, though, and they continue to work behind the scenes to help pretty much any event that is in need of direction!

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Do you really want an Event Planning Business?

There are many people who think that owning their own business would be the best thing since sliced bread, however, much of the time they have this mindset only until reality kicks in. The event planning business that many people have is no different than owning another type of small business; although there are actually many different things that one needs to pay attention to if they want to succeed with their event planning business. Before you are all gung-ho about creating your very own event planning business there are some important things that one must think about beforehand. Some of these things include:

Other Commitments

Are there any other commitments, either full time or part time, that require your attention? Chances are that if you want to start you own event planning business then it will take up much of your time anyway, so making sure that you know the time commitment of an event planning business is crucial before actually creating one. One good way to really find out how much time an event coordinator uses is to spend the day or a period of time as an event planner's assistant? When spending time as an assistant for another event planner you will be able to see just how busy the day can get.

The Skills

Do you have the skills required to have you own event planning business? Once again there are many people who think that their personality would match that of an event planner but once they actually get into the position of power then they might cower or crumble after all the pressure and heat starts to kick in. Some of the personality characteristics that a person should have for their event planning business include being outgoing, friendly, as well as always having a smile on their face. Furthermore, being direct and forceful are other characteristics that should be deemed important!

The Financial Requirement

Even though you may have previously thought that all you would have to do is show up to be an event planner and everyone else would essentially pay you to do all the work, there is actually a big financial requirement that would be involved with your event planning business. For starters, some event planners pay for the whole event themselves and then only make a little bit of the purchasing price back with all their fees.

Of course these are just some of the things that must be thought about when trying to decide whether or not you want to start your own event planning business. Even though the experience of having and owning your own business can look good on any resume that you hand in, chances are that you may be surprised at everything that is actually required of a person in order to start and keep an event planning business! On the other hand you may be well and good with everything that is required, but nevertheless these are some of the important considerations that must be thought about beforehand anyway!

 

Choosing an Event Planning Specialist

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There are many different events in everyone's life where they may want things to turn out just perfectly! For example, take wedding receptions: brides and grooms all over the world spend so much time preparing for the event that they may lose sight of themselves in the process! If you are having a hard time planning an event for some reason or another then one option that you may want to consider is hiring an event planning specialist. Even though there are some event planning specialists that charge high prices for the services they perform, many people would think that it is well worth the price considering you get to stay calm and collected throughout the whole process! Here are some guidelines, though, to choosing an event planner in order to make sure everything turns out the way that you want it to:

Don't Go By Prices

Even though there may be some things in life where the price of one product or service is indicative as to how the product or service will turn out, that simply is not true most of the time! Event planning specialists may have their prices set for a specific reason: a relatively low-priced event planning specialist may have his or her price set low when they first start out simply because they are inexperienced, yet they perform their duties and services wonderfully! If that's the case then a pay raise may just be in order for them. On the other hand the opposite could be true. An event planning specialist may consider themselves one of the best in the business and charge an exorbitant price for their services yet fail to deliver what their customers really want. Even though prices may be somewhat of an indicator of how well a specialist may perform does not mean that one should go by the factor of price alone!

Make Sure You Like Them!

It's very important that the event planning specialist that you choose definitely has a likable personality! In other words, some questions to ask yourself when meeting an even planning specialist include whether you like him or her, how comfortable they make you feel, and how much freedom you'll have in the aspects of your event that they're helping you to plan. All of these things are important, but perhaps the most important one in that bunch is whether or not the event planner likes total control or whether they allow you to express your opinions and feelings when making some of the important decisions as well!

Look at their Reputation!

One thing that you may want to do is ask around throughout the city to see if anyone else has had a good experience with the event planning specialist that you're thinking about hiring! An event planner may actually have references they are willing to share, but obtaining those references can be a good thing to let you know whether or not that particular event planner will be good for you or not!

There are many other aspects about choosing an event planner, however, it's very important to make sure that these three issues are checked off your inspection list before you count them out or decide to hire them!

Atlanta Landscape Architect

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There are so many landscape architecture and graphic design firms in Atlanta. The landscape architects of these firms create innovative landscape designs. Atlanta landscape architects are specialists in striking balance between natural surroundings and built environment. They offer customized design plants to clients. They also grant landscape design patterns perfectly – no matter whether the design is traditional or contemporary, formal or casual.

Atlanta landscape architects offer dedicated and timely service to clients. Quality service is the first and foremost commitment of these architects. They maintain good relationship with clients, contractors and suppliers.

Some of the special services offered by Atlanta landscape architects are listed below:

The landscape architect firms in Atlanta specialize in distinctive garden designs for various clients. Their garden designs suit the tastes, styles and needs of the clients. In fact garden in home is not a place simply for plants. You can relax yourself in your garden after long hours of working in a stuffy office. You can enjoy a night party or dinner in the garden. You can even cook in the outdoor with the help of garden grill. Atlanta landscape architects help to make your dreams a reality.

The highly trained experts of Atlanta landscape architect firms help you make specialty gardens like shaded, wild life, butterfly, cutting flower, cottage, and garden kitchen and so on. You can also seek their help to maintain a container garden in your patio or front porch that can make your home really appealing.

They also help you select trees, shrubs, perennial and draught tolerant plants. You can get tips from them with respect to garden maintenance. They can also arrange for excellent garden lighting. They can provide environmentally friendly landscape design.

Some other Landscape architect firms in Atlanta provide various specialty services like interior landscaping, green roofing, ponds, outdoor lighting, lawn design, and recreational design and so on. They also provide some special landscape designs that need less maintenance.

Atlanta landscape architects also provide removal services like tree removal, stump and root removal, lot clearing, hazardous removal etc. They provide quality service in this work. They help you by removing these problems without any damage to the nearby buildings.

Most of the landscape architecture firms in Atlanta provide various irrigation systems like sprinkler system and other irrigation services. They help in irrigating plants, lawns and trees in park, recreation or other public places with comparatively less amount of water. Their irrigation plan is environment friendly and so the design earns better reputation among people and Government agencies.

The landscape architect firms in Atlanta offer superior quality service. They provide great attention to detail and design. They have rich knowledge in selecting the materials used for various landscapes. They also provide wide variety of designs for enclosed and screened porches. They also help in selecting right furniture for outdoor landscape.

Since these architects are willing to provide an array of low maintenance landscape designs, you can select anyone that suits your dream and budget easily. There are some award winning landscape architect firms in Atlanta.

You can also select such firms in order to get an innovative design plan to fulfill your dream.

Landscape Architect Summer Internship









Landscape architect is a profession that involves planning and designing exterior landscape. Landscape architecture was not recognized as a unique profession until the early twentieth century. However now it has been recognize as a distinct profession in developed nations like United States. Separate training programs are being conducted to provide assistance to landscape architects and one of them is 2008 landscape architect summer internship program.
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Landscape architect needs to complete bachelor or master degree in landscape architecture. Many employers recommend that prospective landscape architects complete at least one summer internship with any landscape architecture firm so that they can gain technical skills and daily operations in the field. Hence the main purpose of 2008 landscape architect summer internship is to improve the skill and understandability of a landscape architect about how to satisfy clients, how to generate fees and so on.

2008 landscape architect summer internship offers guidance and training to students in the field of landscape architecture, parks and recreation and some other related fields. The landscape architect summer internship for the year 2008 plans to accomplish various tasks that include the following:

1. Planting more vegetation and maintaining the greenery of the location is the main aim of the internship. It also includes planting lawn, shrubs, flower beds and trees on the selected village’s property in order to enhance the appearance of the location. This may also include pruning, brushing, fertilizing, weeding, mulching and watering the plants regularly. In short the main aim of 2008 landscape architect internship is to maintain the village greenery.

2. The work also includes maintaining lawn area in all parks and public places. It also includes mowing, trimming, watering and raking the lawn area. These operations require lawn maintenance equipments like mowers, trimmers and blowers. The internship aims at providing the equipment to maintain beautiful lawn area in all public places.

3. Trimming and pruning decorative shrubs in all parks and public places is another important work of 2008 landscape architect summer internship.

4. The work also includes lawn and shrub maintenance in associated areas.


Many organizations involve in the construction of parks, airports and other public places hire landscape architects in order to add some landscape features like fountains or decorative features in such places. Landscape architect summer internship for the year 2008 provides adequate help to create and design new topography, vegetation and walkways in the public places.

Computer aided design has become most important in landscape architecture. Many landscape architects use video simulation in order to propose their ideas and designs for client’s approval. They also use geographic information system technology, a computer mapping system in preparing designs. Landscape architects can get the knowledge of the above latest techniques in their field and other practical knowledge from landscape architect summer internship for the year 2008.

Some landscape architects specialize in particular area like residential development, historic landscape restoration etc. Summer internship can help them acquire necessary knowledge in their respective fields.
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Landscape architects who work for Government agencies like designing government buildings, parks and other public places are required to undergo landscape architect summer internship.

3DHome Architect Suite


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3D home architect home and landscape design suite is a very easy to use design that helps achieve your dream home to reality. It offers you full set of software in the form of DVD to construct your home in a perfect design. Since it uses latest technologies, it is able to design any room in your home and to make an awesome landscape.

The possibilities you can make with 3D home architect home and landscape design suite software is endless and you can design your floor plan or remodel your kitchen or create a perfect landscape that improves the entire appearance of your home easily. It contains the complete set of home and landscape design tools that let you make changes in each and every aspect of your home and landscape project. You can view number of remodeling options by using an array of material templates.  The interface of this software would make your design experience more pleasant.

The deck tool in this suite helps you model your deck in any type according to your desire. There is a large library that contains numerous appliances that you can select anything suits for you.

Landscape of a home inspires the outsiders and it improves the value of your home. Therefore it is important to focus more on landscape design. The 3D home architect home landscape design suite helps you design a fantastic landscape complete with plants, trees, decorative shrubs, pools, fencing and outdoor lighting. You can design your outdoor space with pond, spa, waterfall, outdoor grill, Garden furniture, garden statues and much more. Customizing your landscape becomes very easy now with the help of this 3D design suite.

You can even decide which types of plants would be suitable for your garden with the help of plant library in this software. The plant library helps you select the best planting option after considering the terrain, region, climate and soil. There is plant growth projection tool in this design suite which helps you view the growth of plants in your landscape over a period of time.

Interior design in this suite is yet another excellent feature. You can design your living room, kitchen, bedroom or any other room with the help of this software according to your wish. You can utilize the powerful tools in order to change each and every element of a room. You can finalize paint color, flooring, furnishing, and much more with the help of this design suite.

3D home architect home and landscape design suite provides various options to include brilliant lighting system to every room in your home. It also provides wide variety of lighting options for our exterior landscape. You can decide which place in the room can be left for direct sunlight and which place requires artificial lighting system with the help of this software. The lighting options include floor lighting, table lamps, inset lighting and much more.

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It is difficult and time consuming to change anything in real home or landscape. But it is easy to remodel anything in the software up to our satisfaction. Hence, the 3D design suite is often essential to bring your dream home to reality.