Category: Vacation Homes

Home Lending Rates Remain Incredibly Low

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As the world is still trying to decide what to do in the wake of the 2008 real estate crisis that crippled the financial services industry and drove many people out of homes that they had been in for years, many strategies were implemented on both sides of the ball to try to save the failing mortgage industry. Perhaps the most successful of these strategies, at least in the short term, was the decision of the Federal Reserve to keep interest rates low in order to facilitate lending.

A perhaps unintended consequence of this unprecedented Federal Reserve action was that mortgage rates also came to an all-time low across the board, no matter where you looks anywhere in the nation. Big homes, small homes, family homes, condominiums, vacation homes and investment homes they were all fair game for people who had the ability to buy in the current marketplace, and home lending rates continue to stay low to this day, as the Federal Reserve has promised to keep the base interest rates low for at least the next couple of years.

If a savvy homebuyer were to combine his or her knowledge of the current home lending rates with knowledge of the different types of lending programs that are available in the mortgage marketplace, they could save a great deal of money on the purchase of a home or investment property, or they could even be paid to take home off of the hands of the government or large banking institution no exaggeration.

The lowest home lending rates are usually available for those with high credit ratings and who are willing to take on the risk of an adjustable rate mortgage. If the homebuyer is willing to take on the risk of an adjustable rate mortgage, it tends to protect the home lending institution against some of the invariable changes in the marketplace, as no one is accurately able to time the market on a consistent basis as a rule. Lending institutions are therefore incentivize to give homebuyers record-breaking home lending rates essentially as teasers, because the bank fully expects the interest rate to rise at some point during the term.

However, if you, as a savvy homebuyer, are somehow able to shorten the term period, you can get away with murder when it comes to taking on the incredibly low home-buying rates of an adjustable rate mortgage. For instance, if you have a little bit of cash stacked away, you can pay off the remainder of the principal as soon as the bank attempts to raise the interest rate on you.

The other type of program that many people use, especially those who do not have time to self manage the mortgage investment, is the fixed rate. The fixed rate mortgage may be a little higher than the adjustable-rate mortgage, but it is a great rate to lock in at this point in time as many of the fixed rate mortgage packages of today are actually lower than some of the adjustable-rate mortgages during a normal real estate market.

Vacation Homes Rentals in Theole Sur Mer by Cotedzaurvillarentals

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Theole sur Mer is the picture perfect Riviera seaside village situated between St Tropez and Cannes, but closer to Cannes. It has wonderful sandy beaches, one of which allows nude bathing, from Pointe de l’Aiguille and Pointe St-Marc, some great beach restaurants such as the Marco Polo, huge rocky escarpments, loads of water sports and is ideal for swimming. Fabulous views both up to the mountains behind or from the mountains over the village and the sparkling Mediterranean sea. It is sheltered by those Esterel Mountains behind, which are fantastic in the summer as they offer some shade on the beaches in the late afternoons, but have the effect of making it a bit less sunny in the afternoons in winter, although none the less beautiful for all that in the winter months.

The small harbour is delightful, with its red rock lighthouse standing out and there are other fascinating buildings here such as the crenellated castle chteau des Mineurs which was originally used as a soap factory and is now accommodation. The walks are also very beautiful, but more of a hike than a walk given the mountains (the Grosses Grues is 440 metres in altitude, that’s nearly 1400 feet high) that surround this ancient village which can trace its history back to the 5th century, having always been a safe haven port.

The drive along the coast in the direction of st tropez villa rentals if one of the most beautiful in the world, with its rocky outcrops, untamed sea and the sparkling blue waters, set against the backdrop of the mountains, which are covered in bright yellow mimosa in January and February make this a truly breathtaking spectacle. Continuing on you come to Agay, a sleepy beach village much beloved by campers and then on to the delights of St Raphael and if you feel the need St Tropez.

In the other direction is Mandelieu La Napoule and the Cannes, There are a number of restaurants in Mandelieu and two very nice golf courses, the Riviera and The Mandelieu Old Course, which is particularly pretty as most of the fairways are made up of parasol pines and it is close to the sea.

Cannes itself is a fantastic vibrant festival town. The Cannes Film Festival takes place in May each year and attracts film stars and media types from all over the world who swarms around the Palais des Festivals and fill up the Carlton, The Martinez and the Majestic hotels, plus most of the others as well. the shopping here is delightful if you are a designer hound, Dior, Gucci, Louis Vuitton and many others have shops here, most often on the Croisette, the road along the sea front and the beach restaurants are amongst the best in the world. The old town of Le Sucquet has any number of great restaurants as well, especially those congregated up the Rue St Antoine, the road that winds up from the port area to the old town.

Some hotels are available in Theole Sur Mer, but by far the best way to stay and explore the area is to rent a private villa, which is surprisingly easy to do. There are several companies offering this type of accommodation, some speak English some are English, and in Theole Sur Mer there is good chance that you will get a fantastic sea or mountain view together with the almost inevitable swimming pool.

Read Your Contract Before Booking a Vacation Rental

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As more and more people become aware of the bargain vacations that are possible by booking a luxury vacation rental, vacation rentals have become increasingly more popular. As a result more and more vacation home owners have decided to add their vacation homes to the rental market.

However, many renters fail to read the contract they are required to sign, and make the mistake of signing a surprisingly one-sided contract that absolves the owner or rental agency of all liability. The renter signs away all rights to recourse if the property is inaccessible, when there is a power failure, or when vital appliances fail to work. Obviously, any one of these calamities could ruin a vacation, and renters should not have to buy expensive trip insurance to protect themselves.

Some rental contracts pressure the renter to buy breakage insurance in case something breaks during their stay. Of course all rental contracts state that the tenant is responsible for damage they have done to the property during their stay. However, we have been in business 16 years and have never had to charge a guests credit card for damages. That is because we know that some things such as furniture are prone to break from time to time. However, we always give the guest the benefit of the doubt and would not hold the guest responsible for any damage that was not intentional or malicious.

The guest is put in an extremely vulnerable position if the owner or rental agency cannot deliver on their part of the bargain, because often these contracts require that the full amount of the rental be paid at least 31 days in advance. Thus, owners are put in the unfair position of trying to get their money back after having signed away their rights in the vacation rental agreement.

A more reasonable contract would require 50% of the rental in advance and the rest upon arrival, as well as a willingness to give a full refund if the property is not habitable at the time the guest has reserved. Also, a good owner will be willing to hold that deposit and allow the guest to rebook if there is a family emergency that prevents the guests from arriving at the time they have reserved.

If the agreement is too one-sided, you should look elsewhere in booking a vacation rental.
Below are some important things to look for in reading your vacation rental agreement.

1)The contract pushes you toward purchasing trip insurance. If you are renting from a reputable owner or rental agency, you should not have to pay the added cost of trip insurance that will add 7% or more to your cost.
2)The contact pushes you toward purchasing yet another insurance, accidental damage insurance, by requiring a large deposit if you dont buy their insurance, or by holding you strictly accountable for any damage that might not even be your fault. As indicated above, we have never found it necessary to charge a guests credit card for damage because we felt that anything that was broken was not intentional. If it were intentional, the insurance policy would not cover it in any event.
3)The contract absolves the owner or rental agency of responsibility for having the property in habitable and accessible condition with all appliances working. You should avoid at all costs any property if the management refuses to take any responsibility for your not having the vacation that you have paid for.

As a final note, you should remember that the way the vacation rental agreement is written is a good indication of how you will be treated when you arrive at your destination. If you sign a one-sided agreement, you should not expect to be treated fairly if anything goes wrong. It has been our experience that sometimes things do go wrong. What separates good vacation rentals from bad ones is a good maintenance staff and a dedication by management to taking care of problems as soon as they happen.

Luxury Vacation HomesBudgeting Made Easy

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So, you’ve decided to go on vacation?

But you aren’t sure how you’re going to make it! After all, vacations are super expensive and you aren’t entirely sure how you’re going to have enough to go where you would like to. Not to mention that you also have to make sure that you have enough for food, getting there, getting back, emergency money, and maybe if you have any spare money at all a souvenir or two. With such tough standards to follow, it can be difficult to decide what to do and also where to go.

However, sometimes even the best thought out vacations don’t work out. The main thing that comes to mind in these cases is that lovely group of people called college kids. College kids are nice and everything, but they have the added problem of being energetic and loud-in short, something you don’t want when you are trying to take a vacation. You don’t want to get off a plane only to find out that everyone is yelling and screaming at your hotel you want to relax, sit back, maybe take a nice nap. You can’t do that if it’s super duper loud! So, what can you do?

Well, you can look into luxury vacation homes. But, just by reading the words luxury vacation homes, you probably cringed. However, there’s really no need for cringing or panicking. As a matter of fact, with the right budgeting, you can get pretty much any luxury vacation home that you have in mind. It’s all a matter of having the right timing, the right budgeting mindset, and lots of planning.

First of all, before you do anything, figure out where you want to go. You never know if you’re going to end up somewhere weird for your vacation, so try and decide now. Even if summer is still a year away, you still need to know how much you’re going to have to save.

Next, keep an open mind. You may not realize it, but quite a few places offer discounts if you book early or if you go off season. You only have to ask. And remember you don’t have to go on vacation during the summer. Some people may find that the fall is better suited to their vacationing needs! Or perhaps spring! Or maybe you want to go somewhere hot during the winter instead! The point is you don’t have to have your vacation during the summer!

Lastly, you need to start budgeting, which is the most important part when you really come down to it.

First of all, see what extra money you have. If you have a certain amount extra that you are wasting each month-well, start putting it up! Try to get a rough estimate of how much this might be before but also keep in mind that you probably won’t save quite half of that.

Next, cut what you don’t need. Do you really need that super duper keychain polish? Chances are no. Do you really need that fourteen dollar cleaner? You could probably get the same thing cheaper and better smelling at the dollar tree. The point is to cut out the wants and keep it to the necessities. However, don’t lose your stress relievers.

Mobile Home Builders And Manufacturers

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There are many advantages to choosing a manufactured home, besides the relatively lower cost. Extended periods of time spent in construction out of doors can cause damage to valuable materials; woods can buckle or be ruined, and you would have to pick up the bill. Nowadays, off-site manufacturers and builders will involve the consumer in every phase of the building process, from fitting their construction to the floor plan and models that they choose, to consulting with the buyer during the installation process.

Among the finest builders of manufactured homes are Silvercrest, Champion, Cavco, Redman and Fuqua. All of these home manufacturers can guarantee quality and reliability and their builders have the well-deserved reputation of being the best in the business. After you have selected your floor plan, the manufacturer will show you a model of how your home will look. Based on this model, you will be able to get an idea of your new home.

Of manufactured home builders, Champion is perhaps the largest and best-known name in the manufactured home construction business. Champion can build a home as small as 800 square feet or as large as 2,400 square feet. With Champion builders, you can find the kind of features that are not often seen in manufactured homes, such as fireplaces, skylights, luxury bathrooms and tailor-made cabinetry. Champion manufacturers have a network of builders located all over the country, all with excellent credentials.

Silver crest is another popular choice among home manufacturers. Most models are two to three bedrooms and are known for their superior construction. You can count on a rapid completion of your project, and at the same time, you can be assured that the best builders are constructing your home. Every home is approved by HUD, and you will experience no zoning headaches or other technical problems.

Cavco is the home manufacturer that is known for its fine selection of RVs and vacation homes. You can also find builders to work on the construction of your regular home, whether it is in a subdivision, a planned lease community, for your private property or located in an urban setting. You can find many special features that many home manufacturers cant provide.

Redman and Clayton are also quality home manufacturers, and Redman specializes in classical construction styles, and Clayton builders guarantee your homes sturdiness, fire safety, energy efficiency and insulation. When Clayton homes are constructed off-site, the builders inspect every section during every phase to ensure that there are no minor flaws that can create serious problems later on.

Fuqua is another well-known name in home construction. Fuqua manufacturers offer many special features, such as a 12 foot floor truss, that is stronger than the typical joists that are used. Fuqua builders use 50% more lumber than other brands, and they can guarantee their crack resistant ceilings. The roof insulation and the windows provided by Fuqua manufacturers reduce heat loss and the shingles have a 30 year warranty.

Once you have selected your home manufacturer, you might want to double-check with friends who have used the same company. Usually, word of mouth is best indication of whether or not you will be satisfied with a particular company, and a builders reputation is the best indication of good construction. Make sure that you are happy with the model and the floor plan before construction begins; it is always more difficult to change things later on.