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From saunas to serene city views, these are the most relaxing spa-style apartments in Denver.

As one of the most active and fastest-growing cities in the country, Denver has a lot to offer. With everything from skiing to river rafting to barhopping all close by, it can be tough to carve out time for yourself.

One way to make it easier to prioritize personal time is to move to an apartment complex that provides all the spa-style amenities you crave. The apartment communities that grace this list are some of the best-equipped abodes in Mile High City to help you unwind.

Source: Rent. / Bromwell

It’s darn near impossible to stay stressed at a rooftop spa. Bromwell provides residents with an expansive rooftop pool and hot tub area complete with cabanas, loungers and views of Alamo Placita and beyond.

Along with a luxury spa-style pool and hot tub area, Bromwell also boasts a number of indoor and outdoor shared spaces that all provide residents with everything they need to unwind and forget about the stresses of the week. Whether you’re a Sunday soaker or a cabana coffee drinker, there’s something for you at Bromwell.

Source: Rent. / The Seasons of Cherry Creek

The Seasons of Cherry Creek is one of the only apartment complexes in Denver that houses an on-site sauna. A great place to cure sore muscles, detox after a big weekend, improve circulation and more, it’s here that you’ll find the benefits of regular sauna sessions are all-encompassing.

Located in the highly sought-after Cherry Creek neighborhood, this beautiful complex also boasts a huge resort-style pool, wine cellar, private art collection and a communal firepit. The long list of amenities at this luxury complex provides resources to detox, retox and everything in between. Long story short, stress isn’t going to find you here.

Source: Rent. / The Quincey

The outdoor pool and spa at The Quincey are truly second to none. With two side-by-side rectangular hot tubs situated next to the large rectangular lap pool, this glass-lined pool area is always pristine and the pride and joy of this exclusive community.

This Central Business District apartment complex also has a spa specifically for the four-legged residents. This pet spa is so nice that it just might have your dog begging for bath time. Beyond that, The Quincey also provides residents with a yoga studio and stretching area that is the ideal spot to work out the demons of a long week or meditate before heading to work on a Monday morning.

Source: Rent. / The York on City Park

The York on City Park boasts one of the coolest communal areas you’re ever going to find. Centered around a mid-century modern fireplace, the indoor lounge at this City Park apartment complex invites residents to step back in time and unplug from the stresses of daily life by getting lost in the fire and wilderness view outside the large windows.

The York on City Park also boasts a beautiful outdoor pool area. While the pool may be slightly too small for swimming laps, it is the perfect size for relaxing, lounging and breathing in that fresh mountain air. Regardless of what’s going on with the weather, you always have somewhere to escape to at The York on City Park.

Source: Rent. / Gables Cherry Creek Apartments

With beautiful stonework around the spa and a stunning view from the pool, the rooftop at Gables Cherry Creek Apartments is one of the more relaxing places in Denver to spend a day (or an entire weekend).

This Belcaro beauty also houses an onsite pet spa, spin studio and multiple communal lounges with comfortable furniture, WiFi and unobstructed views of the city. Crack open a book, kick off a conversation with a neighbor or find a quiet place to sit and think about the twists and turns life takes. Regardless of what your relaxation goals are, all the resources you need to meet them can be found at Gables Cherry Creek Apartments.

Source: Rent. / EVIVA on Cherokee

The pool at EVIVA on Cherokee is one of the more distinctly styled apartment swimming areas you’re ever going to find. With an oval shape and city views alongside a half-circle-shaped green space equipped with lounge chairs and a hammock, this is a sweet place to hang out and let stress slip away.

This Capitol Hill apartment complex also boasts a light-filled, street-level lounge with floor-to-ceiling windows, designer furniture and a coffee bar. This is in addition to the on-site yoga studio and demonstration kitchen. Whether you like relaxing by the pool, working on your flexibility or whipping up a healthy meal, you can do it all just steps from your front door at EVIVA on Cherokee.

Source: Rent. / Gables Vista

The elevated pool area at Gables Vista is a serene place to soak up the sun and breathe in the mountain air. With a side-by-side pool and hot tub, lounge chairs under umbrellas, and stellar views of the city, Gables Vista is a great place to unwind and find your inner peace.

This Belcaro apartment complex also boasts a covered open-air dog run so you can walk your furry friend in the winter without having to traverse the snow. It’s forward-thinking amenities like this that make Gables Vista one of the premier spa-style apartments in Denver.

Source: Rent. / Steele Creek Apartments

Steele Creek Apartments is an undeniably relaxing place to call home. One of the main amenities that give it that distinction is the on-site yoga studio. With dark wood flooring, mirrored walls and a large flat screen for guided classes, you can always stretch and decompress in this serene space.

Located in the heart of Cherry Creek, this upscale apartment community also boasts a thin, rectangular rooftop pool with stunning views and an elevated fire table area, perfect for cold Denver days and chilly summer nights. Take a dip or take a sip. Either way, you’re soaking in a stellar view and breathing the fresh mountain air.

Source: Rent. / AMLI RiNo Apartments

AMLI RiNo is an amenity-heavy apartment community in Curtis Park. Curated to provide residents with everything they need to relax and unwind, this expansive 390-unit complex offers spa-like amenities at every turn.

AMLI RiNo boasts numerous luxuriously adorned indoor and outdoor communal areas, a resort-style pool and a rooftop deck. Beyond that, this complex backs right up to the South Platte River Trail. This beautiful treelined trail has water views and is the perfect place to clear your head or do some breathwork in peace.

Source: Rent. / Sentral Union Station

The lobby area just off the expansive fitness center at Sentral Union Station is one of the best-designed and most spacious apartment common areas in existence. With an aesthetic that’s part Apple Store, part WeWork and part serene escape, this is the perfect place to crack open a book or spark up a conversation. Either way, the stress of the day will never find you here.

Just blocks away from Coors Field, this complex benefits from being in the middle of it all. With all the hustle and bustle going on outside, Sentral Union Station does a great job of separating itself from the buzz of the outside world and provides residents with a safe haven to relax and recharge.

Decompress from your home in Denver

It doesn’t matter if your favorite form of relaxation is hopping in the pool, sitting around the fire, cracking open a good book or anything in between, the apartments on this list offer the most comprehensive spa-style amenities in Denver. Find the one that fits your lifestyle best and fill out your application today.

Featured image source: Rent. / Steele Creek Apartments

Source: rent.com

Apache is functioning normally

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For the longest time I vowed that I would never pay for cable or satellite TV.

For the first 33 years of my life, I didn’t, and I got along just fine.  My wife and I do enjoy movies and TV, but we had found ways to get our favorite shows without paying the high cost for TV service.

This past month my wife and I made a decision to get cable TV.  I didn’t really want to get cable, but my wife wanted to because she doesn’t enjoy the process of watching streaming video through our Xbox as much as I do.

She enjoys the ability to just turn on the TV, flip through the channels and just watch something without having to look up a certain show. She also enjoys  the social aspect of watching TV by being able to talk with friends about certain shows the day after they air.  Me – not so much.

I understand her reasoning for wanting to get service, so I gave in.  However, that didn’t mean I wasn’t going to do my best to get a great deal.

Researching The Best Cable And Satellite TV Deals

Once we had decided that we were going to get cable TV, I moved into the next phase – research mode.  I started saving all of the cable and satellite TV flyers that we received in the newspaper and in the mail looking for the best possible deal on cable.   The deals I found were ok, but nothing to write home about.   I kept them all just in case I could hobble together a deal of my own.

Next I tried finding a good deal or promotion on TV service through an online reseller or physical store.  A lot of them will have rebate programs available that will give you big incentives if you sign up. One offered me a $100 Amazon gift card if I signed up.  The only problem with a lot of these sites or stores is that most of them are selling you cable service at a higher price than  you should be paying.  For example, for cable tv service with comcast (who we ended up going with), most of the resellers were charging $54.95 for the package we ended up getting for much less.  So you may be getting rebates and bonuses, but you’re paying for it through higher monthly subscription prices.

After checking all the reseller sites trying to find a deal I moved on to one of my favorite resources, online deals forums.  Through those forums I was able to do a search for all of the latest deals that people had been able to find through Comcast, Dish Network and AT&T TV Now .  Many of those deals were much better than anything I had been able to find online or in the newspaper.

After some more research on I found that most people weren’t able to get the great deals on their cable bill just by ordering service through the website, or by phone.  The trick was to go on the company’s online chat and to work with the sales agents on there.  From what I could gather, the agents when you call are actually Comcast employees, and they toe a hard line on giving discounts or special deals.

The chat agents are outsourced, and are more likely to give you a deal.  I found the chat agents much more helpful later on when I was ordering.

Ordering Cable TV Service

After doing our research we finally decided that we’d rather have cable TV service since we didn’t want to have a satellite dish mounted on our garage.

The pricing seemed comparable – as did the channel lineup.  So we proceeded to try and find the best deal through the website,  over the phone and through the online chat.

Through The Website

Cable TV in our area comes mainly through Comcast, so we set about finding the best possible deal on digital cable through them.

After checking the website for special deals or discounts – the best deal that I could find on service was for 6 months of their digital starter package for $29.99 plus $15 rental every month for the HD DVR cable box.  $44.99 a month for the service we wanted.  After the first 6 months the pricing would revert back to $54.99 a month plus $15 rental.   $69.99 a month after the first 6 months!

No thank you.

Over The Phone

Next I called Comcast’s phone agents to see what type of a deal I could talk them into over the phone.  Over the phone they offered me a similar deal to the one I had seen on the website, except they offered to throw in the HD DVR box for 1/2 price.  So it would be $36.99 a month for 6 months for everything.

That’s a little better than on the website, but I wasn’t satisfied.

I hung up and called back to get another agent.  This agent wouldn’t go any further than the other one, they would give me 1/2 off on HD DVR service, but no free premium channels or further discounts.  Even after telling the agents that I knew other people had gotten a better deal, they wouldn’t budge.  Time to move on to the chat.

Through The Online Chat

I clicked on the chat icon through Comcast’s support section, and was quickly transferred to the “sales chat”.

I told the agent that I was trying to get a deal that I knew several other people on the forums had gotten.   I wanted to get the digital starter package for $29.99 with 1/2 price HD DVR, for 1 year without price increase.   I didn’t want to worry about the price going up after only 6 months.

The chat agent quickly agreed to the deal, which made me realize that maybe I could get a little more out of him.  I told him I still wasn’t sure I wanted to move ahead with it.  He said that if I signed up now, he would also throw in HBO free for 1 year.  Normally HBO can cost up to $15/month. With that I agreed to sign up.

So here’s what I got.

  • 1 year Digital Starter Cable TV Package: Normally $54.99/month – we got it for $29.99/month. (we got an extra 6 months of this deal by chatting)
  • HD DVR cable box: Normally $15/month – we got it for $7.00/month.
  • Free HBO: Normally $15/month – we got it for free for 1 year.  We’ll cancel after that.
  • Total: Normally our cable package would end up costing $84.99/month. We’re currently paying $36.99/month.

Things To Remember When Signing Up For Cable Or Satellite

When buying cable or satellite tv there are a few things you can do to ensure that you get the best possible deal.

  • Research the best deals:  Save all the flyers and circulars you get, do internet searches for online resellers, and check deals forums to find what kind of deals other people are getting on service.   Once you know what deals others are getting, it’ll give you a better idea of what to shoot for.
  • Figure out what kind of deal you want:  After finding out what deals are available, figure out what package you want, what price you’d like to pay, and what (if any) extras you want.   Since you’ve already done the research to find out what the best deals are that others are getting, you can now use those as a baseline for your own deal.
  • Contact the company through phone, website, chat: Contact the cable or satellite TV company through different contact methods.  Sometimes  you’ll find that one method is more successful than others at getting you discounts, free premium channels and other bonuses.    For us the online chat at Comcast had the most friendly agents who were willing to give the best deal.  Make sure to get it in writing!
  • When your promo period ends, re-negotiate your deal!: One of the biggest mistakes that a lot of people make is to not re-negotiate their cable deal with their 6 month or 1 year promo period ends.   That means their monthly bill jumps from $30-40 up to $70-100! Don’t make that same mistake.  Make sure that you re-negotiate your deal when it comes due, and make sure that you continue paying only as much as you need to.  If they don’t give  you the same or a better deal, cancel!

Do you have your own suggestions or tips for getting a good deal on cable TV?  Do you have ways that you save on your TV bill?  Have an experience signing up for service that you’d care to share?  Tell us about it in the comments!

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Source: biblemoneymatters.com

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Last Updated on February 24, 2022 by Mark Ferguson

Making one million dollars in a year seems like an impossible goal for many people. I am a real estate agent and I could not even fathom making that much money five years ago, but now it is one of my goals. One of the great things about being in real estate is there are so many ways to make money and there is no ceiling to how much you can make. As a real estate agent and real estate investor, I run my own business and the amount of money I make depends on how well I plan, the goals I set forth and the work ethic I possess.

The median income for a full-time Realtor is $54,000 a year, but many agents make much more money than that. My real estate team routinely sells over 200 houses, which brings in over $650,000 in real estate commissions from almost 25 million in sales volume. I did not personally make over $600,000, because I had to pay commissions to my team, I had expenses, and had to pay our staff. However, there are many agents all over the United States making at least one million dollars a year as real estate agents. The best part is you do not have to have a college education or even a high school education (depending on the state). You do have to work hard, plan well and be a great networker.

How much money do the best agents make?

Even though I think over $600,000 in gross commissions and 25 million in sales volume was pretty good, it is not even close to what the top agents in the country make. The top agent in the country had over $1,400,000,000 in sales volume in 2016 and the 250th ranked agent had over $60,000,000 in sales volume according to the Wall Street Journal top 1,000 agents. It is important to know the Wall Street Journal does not include all the top agents in their figures. They only count agents that apply to the Wall Street Journal or that they find through their own searches. Many top agents who do not apply or are missed by the publication are left off of the list and some agents ask not to be included as well.

It is not just the top real estate agents in the country that make a lot of money. My office has 45 agents in it and most of them are part-time agents. However, we had four agents who made over $300,000 last year.

How much in sales volume do you need?

Sales volume is the dollar amount of the homes sold by a real estate agent, not the money a real estate agent makes. On my REO listings, I get paid between 1 percent and 3 percent for selling a house and my average commission is about 2.7 percent of the sales price. It is important to remember there is no typical sales commission and all commissions are negotiable. If we use these same numbers as I have for the 250th agent in the country, they would bring in $1.6 million from a sales volume of $60,000,000. There is a good chance a retail agent who is not specializing in REO listings is making more than a 2.7 percent commission on each deal. We will assume they are making 2.7 percent to be on the conservative side.

The top agent in the country may be bringing in over $18 million a year in real estate commissions from 60 million dollars in sales volume. To sell that many homes that agent has to have a large staff and other agents that he is paying out of the 18 million.

Does an agent that sells $60 million worth of homes net over one million dollars?

Even though a real estate agent who sells $60,000,000 worth of homes will most likely make $1.6 million in commissions, they don’t get to keep all that money. A real estate agent has many costs and may have to pay a split to their broker if they do not own their own office.

A real estate agent that sells that many houses will also need help. Unless your average house sale is one million dollars or more, you must have help to complete that many transactions. I have two full-time assistants and I don’t come close to that much sales volume, but I also have a relatively low median price. A real estate agent will have to pay for marketing costs, MLS fees, staff, office fees, licensing fees and more which I discuss here. If you run a real estate team, you will also not earn all the commissions coming in, because you have to pay part of the commissions to agents on your team who are actually selling houses and doing the work.

A general rule of thumb in the real estate world is an agent needs to sell $50 million worth of homes to net one million dollars a year. Net profit is what is left over after all expenses are paid and is what is important to any business owner. Going by that math, there are at least 250 real estate agents in the country making at least one million dollars a year. However, when we consider some other factors, there may be many more agents making over one million dollars a year.

How many real estate agents make one million dollars a year?

It is hard to figure out how many agents net one million dollars a year because the Wall Street Journal does not include every agent on their list. The expenses and team structure for every real estate agent is also going to be very different. Some agents may need $1.5 million in commissions to make one million dollars net and others may only need $1.2 million in commissions to net one million dollars. Another consideration is the Wall Street Journal list I have been discussing only includes individual agents. There is also a Wall Street Journal list that includes real estate teams. There are another 250 teams on that list with over $60 million in sales volume.

Even though the agents on a team split commissions, I would bet 95 percent of the team leaders are still making over one million dollars a year after expenses. That means there are at least 500 real estate agents making over one million dollars a year in the United States. The great part about running a team is you can have others do most of the work and make most of the money for you!

If you are interested in taking online classes, Real Estate Express offers very affordable classes in most states.

How many houses does a real estate agent need to sell?

To make one million dollars a year as a real estate agent you have to sell a lot of houses. However, how many houses you have to sell you depends on how expensive the houses you sell are. If your average sales price is one million dollars, you only have to sell 50 houses a year to make one million dollars a year. Most agents are not in an area that will allow them to sell 50 one million dollar houses a year. In my area, there aren’t that many million-dollar houses selling in an entire year by every agent combined.

In my area, the average sales price is around $200,000, which would mean I would have I sell 250 houses a year to reach $50,000,000 in sales volume and make one million dollars a year. However, since I sell REOs, my sales price is lower than the median sales price. I would have to sell over 300 homes in a year to make one million dollars net. 300 houses is a lot to sell in one year, but it is possible and one of my goals! The top team in the country in 2013 run by John Murray, sold over 1,200 homes!

For a real estate agent with a median house price sale of $400,000, it gets much easier to make one million dollars a year. That agent would only have to sell 125 houses a year to reach one million dollars in net income. Selling over 125 homes a year is tough, but it is not an impossible task either. You would have to sell just over 10 houses a year to reach 125 sales for the year and two to three houses a week. Selling two to three houses a week takes time as an agent. You have to build relationships, generate leads and take care of your clients. If you do all of those things, it is not difficult to sell that many houses.

How likely is it to make this much?

It takes a lot of work, planning, and some luck to make one million dollars a year. Most agents won’t make $100,000 a year, as the median income is $54,000 for a full-time Realtor, but most agents are not good agents. They don’t take care of their clients, follow up with leads or plan their business. If you use systems, train your team and set goals it is definitely possible to make one million dollars or more a year as a real estate agent. Most real estate agents will never come close to making one million dollars a year, but remember most agents are part-time and most agents do not treat being a real estate agent as a business. I can almost guarantee you are not going to make one million dollars a year in the corporate world unless you become a CEO or get lucky with stock options. How long will it take someone to become a CEO and how much of their path is determined by their hard work or politics within a company? Real estate lets you create your own path to success with no one else to answer to.

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How else can you make money?

This article has discussed how to make one million dollars a year from selling houses as a real estate agent, but real estate agents can do much more than sell houses. I fix and flip 10-15 houses a year and I wrote an article about what it takes to make one million dollars a year flipping houses. I also own 11 rental properties and I wrote about how to make one million dollars from rental properties here. I hope to make over one million dollars a year very soon, by using a mix of selling houses, fix and flipping homes, buying rental properties and income from other sources like BPOs and my blog. Even if you never get to a point where you can make one million dollars a year from just selling houses as an agent, simply being an agent opens up doors that will allow you to add income streams and make more money in other businesses.

Why I love the business

One reason I think being a real estate agent is better than working in the corporate world is that there is no ceiling with real estate. There is no limit to the amount of money you can make in real estate as an agent, investor or business owner. In the corporate world, it is going to be tough to ever make one million dollars a year unless you start your own corporation or become a CEO. I learned in college the way to become CEO is to work 80 hours a week for 25 years. I don’t want to work 80 hours one week out of the year, let alone for 25 years. Plus there is no guarantee you will make CEO or even keep your job in the corporate world.

There is no guarantee you will make one million dollars a year as a real estate agent either. I think you have a better chance of becoming wealthy by creating your own business than by working for someone else, and becoming a real estate agent is one of the best ways to start your own business.

Build a Rental Property Empire

Categories Real Estate Agent

Source: investfourmore.com

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Last Updated on March 29, 2023 by Mark Ferguson

As an investor, I have bought a few houses that were located on busy streets. I have bought houses that backed up to a busy street and houses that fronted a busy street. Often, houses on busy streets are much cheaper than similar houses on quiet streets. There is a reason those houses are cheaper: fewer people want to live in them. As a real estate investor, buying houses on busy streets can be tempting because they are cheap; however, they can be much harder to sell than other houses. In this article I will go over a couple of properties I have bought on busy streets and how it affected their value and made it harder to sell them.

Which houses did I buy, and why did I buy them?

I actually grew up in a house that backed up to a busy street. I lived in the house from fifth grade until I graduated from high School and moved out. I did not mind living in that house since we had a large privacy fence, and you could not even see the street. I did, unfortunately, lose a kitten who became a victim of that street. My parents bought that house as a foreclosure and got a great deal on it. When they sold that house, the street affected the value some, but mostly likely by less than 5%.

As a fix-and-flipper, I have bought a few houses on busy streets myself. One house I bought this year backed to a busy street like the one I grew up in, and the other fronted a busy street. I have also, as an agent, listed many houses that were on busy streets. I bought both of the houses I discuss in this this year.

How much does a house backing to a busy street hurt its value?

The house above and on the right backs to a busy street. I bought this house with my direct marketing campaign, and it needed very little work. I listed the house for $277,900, which was what it should sell for based on the comparable properties that have recently sold. I am in Colorado, and we have a crazy real estate market right now. Most houses that are priced well are going under contract within a couple of days of being listed. I did not get any offers on this house the first two weeks it was listed. In our market, after two weeks, you wonder what is wrong with the house! We did get the house under contract, but it took 17 days, and we had to accept an offer contingent on the buyers selling their house.

I think the busy street affected the value of this house by about 5%, and it definitely took longer to sell the house than it normally would. If we were in a market that had more houses for sale, the value could have been affected even more. You can see a video of the house below.

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How much does a busy street affect the value of a house?

The other house I bought was directly on a busy street. The driveway was only accessible from that street. It’s a one-way street with three lanes, and it’s very noisy. I bought this house from a wholesaler, and thought I got a great deal. We listed the house for $289,900 based on what other houses on busy streets were selling for. If you are trying to value a house on a busy street you, must use comparable sales on other busy streets to get an idea of what it is worth. The house has been for sale for 53 days, which is an eternity in this market, and it still is not under contract. We have lowered the price twice and still have no offers. We have had many showings, but almost every real estate agent says the busy street is why their clients did not like it.

If this house were on a quiet street, it would be worth over $300,000. However, because of the street, it is worth at least 20% less than similar houses on quiet streets. Being directly on the street affects value much more than backing to a busy street.

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Is buying houses on busy streets smart?

If you are thinking about buying a house on a busy street, you need to consider many things:

  • How busy and noisy is the street?
  • Does the house back to the street or front the street?
  • Is it possible the street could be expanded by the city, cutting into your land and making the situation worse?
  • Are there similar houses for sale or that have sold on busy streets that can give you a good idea of value?

If the house backs to a busy street, it may still be worth buying for the right price. If the house is directly on a busy street, it may be really tough to sell unless it has potential commercial uses. The house I own on a busy street has the potential to be used for commercial purposes but still is not selling. Very few people want to live on a busy street because of the noise, the danger, and the poor resale values. I think you have to get a smoking deal to buy a house directly on a busy street. I will still make money on the house I bought…but much less than I was counting on.

Build a Rental Property Empire

Categories Real Estate

Source: investfourmore.com

Apache is functioning normally

Ah, summer. The word itself is enough to ignite a smorgasbord of delicious scenarios. Lively pool parties as the sun goes down, lazily reading a trashy airport novel with a chilled glass of lemonade, or even a slightly over-intense game of volleyball with the fam are just a few of the nostalgic images summer brings to mind. Even if these aren’t your exact go-to’s, we’re sure your mind flits to at least one scenario involving that iconic staple of summer — pools.

While owning a pool has a five-star rating when it comes to entertaining, lounging, and exercise benefits, there’s also some practical issues to consider before deciding if a pool is right for your family. Just for our Homie readers, we taking a deep dive into the breakdown of the pros, cons, and best ways to maximize your pool investment.

The Pros and Cons of Pool Ownership

Before you tell the kids they’re going to have a watery wonderland to cavort in during the summer months ahead, it’s smart to carefully consider the upsides and downsides before you dip your toes into swimming pool ownership.

Pros of Owning a Pool

  • Social Benefits 
    • “Public pools are fun,” they said. So, you lather up the kiddies in sunscreen and claim a spot on one of the coveted loungers with your latest page-turner. Just as you’re about to find out who pushed Angela over the stair banister, you look up and to your horror, see the toddler next to your own kids squint and scrunch into their “bathroom face.” Long gone are the days of yelling, “Get out of the pool NOW!” to your kids in front of total strangers. Having your own pool in the backyard offers a host of social benefits. Pool parties, barbecues, Fourth of July celebrations, and lackadaisical days by the pool are just a few of the backyard bonanzas you can dream up when you have your own pool.
  • Landscaping Benefits 
    • While Arizona is known for its cotton-candy hued sunsets and earthy desert landscapes, having a pool gives homeowners the opportunity to contrast the stereotypical desert aesthetic and create a tropical landscape that leans on the side of aloha. Surrounding your pool with sherbet-orange birds of paradise, wispy emerald vines, and a gentle, natural rock waterfall can turn your backyard into your own private oasis. Do we need to come right out and say that a gorgeous pool will make you the envy of your street?
  • Increase Marketability
    • Owning a swimming pool will increase your home’s resale value and marketability, especially with those steamy, but beautiful Arizona summers. The vast majority of potential Homie buyers are going to view households with an in-ground pool as a huge plus. Because of its leisure and convenience aspect, Homie buyers may show more initial interest in a house listing with a pool simply because it plays to their grandiose imagination of summer pool ragers with friends and family.
  • Health Benefits
    • Another sweet benefit to owning a pool is that it has an almost magical ability to make physical activity fun. If you struggle to get the kids away from a TV or computer screen, watch what happens when you have a gleaming, blue expanse of delicious swimming goodness waiting just outside! Families can schedule in daily swimming time as a fun way to incorporate an exercise regimen for kids — and they’ll be none the wiser! While your kids are busily splashing away and hosting a who-can-swim-the-fastest contest, their video games, phones and TV binge-watching habits will dwindle.

Cons of Owning a Pool

  • Safety Issues
    • While we don’t like being a Debbie-downer, having a pool, although great in the wondrous summer months, increases the need for adult supervision. Pools in general can be dangerous for young children, especially in Arizona where drowning is one of the top reasons for childhood injury or death. Although it doesn’t dismiss all potential for unfortunate accidents, one effective way to minimize pool danger is to have added safety measures installed, such as a locked pool gate. With the desire to have everything in your house be Pinterest-worthy, there are pool gate design options so your pool doesn’t have to sacrifice charming designs for safety.
  • Low Equity Value
    • Still tossing the pros and cons of a pool around? If you are solely investing in a pool because you think it will increase the amount of equity a house has, we hate to break it to you, but owning a pool only adds around seven percent to equity. In the grand scheme of things, a seven percent equity isn’t much in comparison to the $30,000 average investment that goes into the construction and addition of a backyard pool. As the saying goes…there is no beauty without pain.
  • Neighborhood Value
    • The rule is to never judge a book by its cover, but in the world of real estate, your neighborhood can determine the value of your house, regardless of how much winter-white subway tile you hand-laid in your house. When it comes to swimming pools, the value of your house may only benefit depending on how great the real estate gods deem your neighborhood. If you live in a higher-end neighborhood where the majority of your friendly neighbors all own swimming pools, your home could gain value with the addition of a swimming pool. On the contrary, if your house is worth $200,000 without a pool and $225,000 with a pool, the financial benefit of owning a pool is significantly less.
  • Ongoing Cost and Maintenance
    • While we would all like to believe the tiny aquatic vacuum droid patrolling the pool floor is enough to keep your pool sparkling clean, the truth is that pools do need constant maintenance, and this requires both money and time. Buying chalky chlorine tabs, filtering out pool water, installing a pool heater, and repetitively scooping out leaves, debris, and the occasional toy car courtesy of Tommy are all costs to take into consideration. Hiring a pool cleaner is definitely an option, but also requires extra moola in the bank.
  • Additional Insurance – Images of the kids spewing water at each other from pool noodles or getting that toasted-marshmallow tan you’ve always wanted are reason enough to want your own swimming pool. But as your Homie friend, we do have to let you know pools come with their fair share of liability issues. Depending on where you live and your specific homeowner’s insurance company, you may have to pay additional insurance costs to cover your swimming pool.

The Most Cost Effective Types of Pools

If we lived in a perfect world, we would all have enormous pools complete with a jade waterfall, full-sized bubbling jacuzzi and automatic fancy drink dispensers. But alas, this is the real world, and in this world, big luxuries cost big dollars. Although the swimming pools you see on Million Dollar Listing are not the most feasible for the average household, don’t despair. There are great, cost-effective ways to enjoy having your own pool. Here’s a bite-sized overview:

  • Build a Smaller Pool
    • Smaller pools cost less money. Who knew! It’s almost too obvious to state, but one of the best ways to reduce the cost of your in-ground pool is to make it smaller. Even if you have ample room in your backyard, a smaller pool means more room for other great summer fixtures, such as backyard furniture, a swing set or jungle gym for the kids, or even a lush patch of grass for Fido. While pools entertain guests in the summer, having other backyard features like the ones listed above can provide easy, breezy entertainment all year round.
  • Go Vinyl
    • When it comes to initial installation, vinyl pools are the kindest option to your wallet. Its counterparts — concrete and fiberglass pools — sport a significantly higher price tag and can take longer to install, which means you’ll be sadly standing around in your swimming trunks pool-less for longer. Before hopping on the vinyl pool train, however, know that vinyl liners last for about five to nine years before needing to be replaced. The replacement cost? $4,500 on average.
  • Hold out for Autumn
    • Swimming pools are synonymously rejoiced alongside summer, which means the demand for pool installation is highest during the summer or spring seasons. If you’re okay putting your pineapple-patterned one-piece away and getting your thrills watching new Netflix series, one way you may be able to save money is by installing a pool during the fall. By holding off on pool construction until the autumn season, pool contractors may be more open to negotiating a killer deal since business will have simmered down.
  • Buy a Pool Kit
    • For the do-it-yourself gurus, purchasing an in-ground pool kit gives you all the materials you need to build your own pool. If installing furniture from a certain Swedish company often leaves you in a crumpled, soggy mess of a human, we’d recommend giving the pool construction to someone else. To potentially save you some extra cash, buy a DIY pool kit and then hire an expert contractor to do the heavy lifting for you. When searching for your potential contractor, let them know you have all the necessary materials and want to know how much the cost of installation will be.

How to Maximize Your Pool Investment

If you’re reading this, we know you’re smart with your hard-won cash. After all, you did make the intelligent choice of being in fabulous cahoots with Homie. We appreciate the fact you like knowing the most efficient ways to stretch a dollar, and pools are no exception. If you decide to get a pool for your own benefit or for the benefit of selling your home, here are some tips to help you get the most splash for your cash in your pool investment.

  • Use a Pool Cover
    • Reduce the amount of time and prevent future problems by utilizing a pool cover. Having a pool cover will keep your pool free from strange floating debris and lower the chances of having to deal with any drain blockage down the road.
  • Use the Power of the Sun
    • If you’re going to live in the scorching deserts of Arizona, you might as well use the power of the sun to your advantage. Installing solar panels to heat your pool can not only save you money, but also extends the life of your swimming pool into the colder months. Heated dips into the pool with a mug of velvety cocoa? We think yes.
  • Reduce Filtration
    • When you’re not using the pool, save energy by reducing filtration in your pool. Be careful not to completely stop all filtration though. Just like it’s important to keep our body’s circulation happy and humming, a pool’s circulation is important to maintaining the cleanliness of your pool no matter the season.

Whether you are on the pro or con side of the pool gate, make sure to float your ideas to your partner and make an informed decision with the help of your friends at Homie. To infinity pool and beyond!

Source: homie.com

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When this blog started (nearly 10 years ago – what?!), my favorite thing about all of this was discovery. Finding new, eye-catching things, ideas, designs, products and sharing them with you all. In 2017, I’m excited to get back to treasure hunting, looking for the new, the interesting and the truly special.

Case in point, ZAKKIA, a Sydney-based housewares company that creates beautiful, functional pieces using old world techniques. The company’s founder is from Sweden and her Scandinavian influence marries with the off-the-moment Australian design aesthetic that I just cannot get enough of. The results are some seriously covetable objects.

All of ZAKKIA’s designs are handmade. Founder Sara Lundgren designs two collections a year and then works with small, family run makers in Vietnam to create all of their pieces. Some are thrown on potting wheels while others are hand poured into molds. In Northern Vietnam, there are small ceramic villages where people have been making homewares for over 900 years! Materials are all natural ranging from concrete to clay collected from the back yards of different family members in the Vietnamese villages. With each piece being handmade, there are are unique variations depending on how a piece was shaped or fired. Some have raw finishes, some speckled, some smooth and glossy – all so good.

  

It doesn’t hurt that ZAKKIA’s product styling is also top notch. The presentation certainly gives the time-worn ceramics tradition an of-the-moment feel. I’m certainly sold. Now I just have to figure out how I can get ZAKKIA pieces in the USA.

For our Designer Files archive, featuring our history of fabulous finds CLICK HERE

And if there’s anything you want me to be looking out for – please let me know! Part of the fun of a treasure hunt is the challenge of finding the prize.

images via zakkia as spied on the design chaser 

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Source: apartment34.com

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By Peter Anderson 15 Comments – The content of this website often contains affiliate links and I may be compensated if you buy through those links (at no cost to you!). Learn more about how we make money. Last edited February 10, 2012.

Lending Club had another great year in 2011, reaching a variety of milestones.  They reached 400 million in loan originations in November (pushing 500 million now) – only a couple of months after reaching 300 million. They were also recognized as a World Economic Forum 2012 Technology Pioneer, a Forbes Top 20 Most Promising Company, 2011 Webby Award Winner, Top 300 Startups at 2011 fundedIDEAS and continued to receive great mentions in the  mainstream media.  They’re becoming more and more mainstream.  The word is out!

While Lending Club had a good year, the returns I saw last year were good as well, better than I saw in my retirement or savings accounts.  I think Lending Club and social lending in general are a great way to diversify your savings and investments especially in turbulent times like we’re going through right now.  You can also open an IRA with Lending Club as well if you want to make this part of your retirement plan.

Interested in my original Lending Club Review? check it out below.

Check out my original Lending Club review

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Returns Increase To 11.23% Despite Charged Off Loan

As I begin preparing for my taxes and looking at my Lending Club taxable earnings for last year, it’s clear that Lending Club had another good year.  Yes, my account had it’s first default and charged off loan this year, but it was the first since I started Lending Club a couple of years ago.  I’m surprised I dodged that bullet as long as I did.

  1. Net Annualized Return of 11.23%: Up from 11.03% in November,  10.93% in September, 10.76% in August and 10.53% before that. That puts me in the 62nd percentile. My returns are higher than 62% and lower than 38% of all investors.  Note:  The compare feature in Lending Club account is gone from your account page now because of some problems in how it’s calculated, but you can still find it here if you’re interested.
  2. Number of defaults.. no longer zero: For the past two years I’ve defied the odds and I’ve never had a single loan default or get charged off.  This past month, however, I had my first default and charged off loan. The funny thing is that the charged off loan was a Grade B loan for someone who originally had very good credit.  Just goes to show that the higher graded loans aren’t always the best bet.
  3. Twenty two loans have been paid off early: Nine were A grade loans, six were grade B loans, five were C grade, and one grade E and F. Looks like grade A loans, while they’re more likely to be paid back, may also be more likely to pay of early – reducing returns. Another reason to look at including more higher grade loans.
  4. My account balance still going up: I currently have $2,663.59 in my account, with $231.14of that ready to invest.
  5. I’m still diversified by investing across a large number of loans: I’ve had 148 loans, with no more than $25 in each loan. That way when you have defaults like I did this month, while my returns may go down somewhat, the risk is minimized.

NOTE: Did you know that 100% of investors who have invested in 800 notes or more had positive returns. Not too shabby, not everyone in the stock market can say that!

How Do You Measure ROI?

One thing that is often talked about in the peer-to-peer lending world is how you can determine a more accurate way of knowing your true return on investment (ROI). Some have complained that the numbers on the Lending Club and Prosper sites will give an overly rosy view of what your actual or projected ROI will be, and the ways that they calculate your ROI are not standardized. They don’t take into account future default rates of your loans, how young or old your portfolio is, and other things that may be a factor. It’s basically a take or leave it when it comes to accepting their stated ROI on your portfolio.

One site that tries to take into account more factors when calculating actual ROI is Nickel Steamroller’s Lending Club portfolio analyzer. Basically the analysis tool with give you an estimated ROI after you download all your notes from your Lending Club account and upload the .csv file. It will go through you notes and give sell recommendations, show duplicate notes and highlight notes that are below Lending Club’s average return (so you can sell them on the secondary platform). In looking at my returns on the analyzer, my actual return according to the site will be closer to 10.26%.

I think my returns are showing lower than in LC in part because I’ve had one charged off loan now, and a number of my loans are still relatively young.  We’ll see how it pans out though.

Lending Club Strategy

Here’s the basic strategy I’ve been using with Lending Club over the past couple of years.

  • Less than $10,000: I believe I’ll still be sticking with mostly loans below $10,000. Lower amounts mean higher likelihood of payback of the loan.
  • Zero delinquencies: Again, I may fudge slightly on this one, but I still want it to be very few or zero delinquencies.
  • Debt to income ratio below 20-25%: I like to invest in loans where the borrowers have a lower DTI ratio, and preferably have higher incomes. I’ll try to keep this as is.
  • Good employment history: I like loans with a decent employment history of at least 2 years, and a decent income.

So that’s what I’m doing with my Lending Club portfolio right now, and how I’m investing.

Not ready to invest, but looking to consolidate debt or pay off a high interest credit card? You might want to consider borrowing from Lending Club. Check out my post on borrowing from Lending Club.

Are you currently investing in Lending Club? How are your returns looking? Tell us in the comments!

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Source: biblemoneymatters.com

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For many apartment or urban dwellers, living near a green space is a non-negotiable. When people don’t have yards of their own, they often want to be near a community garden or park to help fill that need. Many cities are now building and maintaining community gardens that also frequently help feed underserved neighborhoods.

Here are 5 reasons to get involved with a community garden near you:

1) Fresh food for you (& neighbors!)

When you plant a community garden, you’re working together to plant all kinds of things. In your area’s garden season, many vegetable plants will produce bountiful results, fresh food to eat at home or share with others in the community or surrounding neighborhoods. If your bounty is extremely large, you could make a bulk donation to a local food pantry or similar organization on behalf of your community garden.

2) Chances to socialize with neighbors

Since community gardens are about sharing the work and rewards of a garden, they foster communication between neighbors. Many garden organizations hold events to discuss working and investing in the garden and some even collaborate with farmer’s markets to sell plants and vegetables.

3) Great activity for kids

Kids are likely a part of your community. A garden is a great chance for them to hone their work ethic and sense of responsibility, while enjoying the rewards of a job well done and the joy of sharing.with those less fortunate. Kids love getting their hands dirty with planting seeds and picking vegetables.

4) Beautifies your neighborhood

Community gardens can help with the visual appearance of your neighborhood, turning a forlorn lot into a happy green space and a point of pride. Community gardens positively reflect the people and homes in your neighborhood. They automatically convey a sense of community and collaboration while creating something fun to keep an eye on.

5) Can attract affluent neighbors

Areas with community gardens often attract residents in a higher income bracket. Whether they’re empty nesters or young professionals, garden fans are looking for ways to stay healthy and be a part of their communities. A bonus: If nearby residents are in a higher income bracket, they’ll have more disposable income to contribute to maintaining a community garden.

There are many benefits of living near and being a part of a community garden. Whether you’re looking for a chance to be a part of a community organization or trying to learn how to garden, apartments and homes near community gardens are sure to give you plenty of opportunities.