A guest photo!  Courtesy of Crystal Kuhlmannwho found this week’s 69-er on Wolfe Island.  Love that the wind turbines are caught in the background!

One of the more common complaints is that local authorities offer training to a wide range of providers and so it isn’t always as relevant as it might be to any single sector. For example – if you want to know how DoLS works you need to sit through a training day that focuses as much upon surgery and learning disabilities as it does upon elderly care.

The upshot of all this is that workers need to attend a succession of training days to get the bits of information that apply to them – this is far from ideal and in these days of limited budgets and high workloads it’s almost impossible to achieve.

The solution is to tailor training to individual sectors and cover all the relevant bits in one day instead of taking small ’snippets’ from several sessions. That’s why AMJ is developing sector specific training around Duty of Care changes as they apply to different care sectors.

The first of these to be developed is for elderly residential care workers and is available in the venue of your choice. Basically we’ll come to you and your staff team so all you need to worry about is how soon you want us and what you need to be included. There is a ’set programme’ if you’d prefer but we’re also happy to  incorporate whatever you identify as important for your particular situation.

To take advantage of this tailored training programme simply Email stuart.sorensen@googlemail.com or telephone 07872 102626 and we’ll arrange a date.

This beautiful building was built in 1950 and retains its original – and relatively well preserved – appearance. It has three floors, one basement, and a rooftop. There are a total of 6 three-bedroom two bathroom apartments in the building, all with very high ceilings (140 sq meters each, 2 per floor).

The building is situated on 1018 sq meters of fenced in land and has a parking area as well as large gardens on the premises.

The asking price for the building is 22 million EGP – but despite the cost the premium location of the land (off of Dmshek st) in conjunction with a new apartment building can make is worthwhile.

The difference between restriction and deprivation of liberty really isn’t so clear as we might like. Actually even the government isn’t at all sure which is why the guidance is a bit vague.

What we do know is that……….

“The difference between restriction and deprivation of liberty is one of

intensity or degree and not one of nature or substance”

The Bournewood Judgement

(ECHR HL vs UK 2004)

To put it an other way….

“It aint what you do, It’s the way that you do it”

Many people are confused about what this might mean. Some have said that the Bournewood judgement makes it unlawful to use things like electronic coded door locks for example. Nothing could be further from the truth.

There is no problem using such devices so long as they are used appropriately. If the manager of a care home uses coded locks to secure the doors but opens them when it is necessary then that’s fine. If on the other hand the coded locks are used as a way of determining who can go out and who cannot (if you can remember the code you can leave) then that’s a different matter.

Remember it’s not what you do (coded locks), it’s the way that you do it. Using the lock in place of a capacity assessment or legal process such as the Mental Health Care & Treatment Scotland Act 2003 (MHC&T) in Scotland or the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards in England & Wales is probably unlawful. However if you make reasonable provision to allow those inside to exit when appropriate that is unlikely to be a problem. The big question comes when deciding when it might be appropriate.

The real problem is in determining the degree of restriction that is lawful before it crosses over into deprivation of liberty. We know, for example, that restriction is lawful if the person lacks capacity to decide the issue for themselves and the restriction is proportionate and it is in the best interests of the person who lacks capacity.

Nevertheless we also know that once it crosses the line and becomes deprivation then further authorisation is necessary.

The basic principle is that deprivation of liberty is only lawful if it adheres to a process prescribed by law. This means that it’s not enough for care workers to decide to deprive a person of liberty – they need authorisation under the relevant legislation. If you don’t get the approval you’re breaking the law.

In brief:

You can restrict a person’s liberty if the restriction is:

• Proportionate (least restrictive);
• In the individual’s best interests.

Deprivation of liberty requires authorisation under:

We tend to see a lot of colonial homes in northern New Jersey and southern New York surrounding our nine Kuiken Brothers locations. The Colonial Architecture style is very common throughout the region. To help maintain the look through the interior of the home, we offer a number of different colonial style crown, casing and base mouldings.  The attached photo shows a colonial inspired design, and in addition to the crown, casing and base mouldings, incorporates a chair rail to round off the design.To see this Colonial Style Moulding Design, and to see how to replicate this look using KB Mouldings, visit the Kuiken Brothers website

Colonial Revival houses have many of these features:*

Symmetrical façade Rectangular

2 to 3 storie

Brick or wood siding

Simple, classical detailing

Gable roof

Pillars and columns

Multi-pane, double-hung windows with shutters

Dormers

Temple-like entrance: portico topped by pediment

Paneled doors with sidelights and topped with rectangular transoms or fanlights

Center entry-hall floor plan

Living areas on the first floor and bedrooms on the upper floors

Fireplaces

About the Colonial Revival Style

Colonial Revival became a popular American house style after it appeared at the 1876 the US Centennial Exposition. Reflecting American patriotism and a desire for simplicity, the Colonial Revival house style remained popular until the mid-1950’s. Between World War I and II, Colonial Revival was the most popular historic revival house style in the United States.

Some architectural historians say that Colonial Revival is a Victorian style; others believe that the Colonial Revival style marked the end of the Victorian period in architecture. The Colonial Revival style is based loosely on Federal and Georgian house styles, and a clear reaction against excessively elaborate Victorian Queen Anne architecture. Eventually, the simple, symmetrical Colonial Revival style became incorporated into the Foursquare and Bungalow house styles of the early 20th century.

* Source: Jackie Craven, About.com

1876 – 1955: Colonial Revival Picture Dictionary of American Colonial House Styles

http://architecture.about.com/od/housestyles/ig/Colonial-and-Federal/Colonial-Revival-Style.htm

We came across an interesting article that we wanted to share with you. Are you seeing similar trends in the northern New Jersey and southern New York markets? Feel free to let us know what you think. Send comments to info@kuikenbrothers.com

Housing Trends Focus on Downsizing, Energy Efficency and Accessibility

Source: Written by Kermit Baker, PhD, Hon. AIA
AIA Chief Economist

Published in AIArchitect Newsletter

Even With General Housing Downsizing, Energy Efficiency Options Remain Popular – Home offices are the most popular special-function room as more workers are home-based

Summary: With pressure on home sizes and prices, households are scaling back on special features in their homes. Special-function rooms like home theaters, exercise rooms, and guest wings are declining in popularity, as are upscale home features like three-car garages. However, households continue to add options for energy efficiency and management, other sustainability features, and low maintenance products.

From a business perspective, residential architects are beginning to see stabilizing conditions, with project backlogs near their low point in all likelihood. Conditions are the most positive in the Northeast and West, even though they have not yet recovered in any region. The weakest residential market at present is for second and vacation homes, with continued softness in the townhouse/condo, custom/luxury, and move-up construction sectors. The entry level market, which was the first to soften when the residential recession began in early 2006, is now seeing strong movement toward a recovery. Home improvement activity is still reported as reasonably healthy by residential architects.

These are some key findings from the American Institute of Architects’ Home Design Trends Survey from the second quarter of 2009. This survey focused on home features, systems, and products that are gaining popularity in the home. Almost five hundred residential architects, covering all facets of the residential design profession, were surveyed on emerging design preferences of households…

Read the full article here: http://info.aia.org/aiarchitect/thisweek09/1002/1002b_housingtrends.cfm

Kuiken Brothers Company offers a wide variety of energy efficient and low maintenance products. Check out Kuiken Brothers Green Building website. For more information, send us an e-mail to info@kuikenbrothers.com, or call Ryan Mulkeen 201.705.5373

Builders Applaud Congress on Extending Home Buyer Tax Credit

Kuiken Brothers recently came across the following article which we thought would be best to share with you all before we send out through our Contractor Connection e-newsletter. Hopefully this means some good news for us all!

Source: NAHB.org

National Association of Home Builders

http://www.nahb.org/news_details.aspx?newsID=9962

November 5, 2009 – The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) today applauded Congress for passing legislation that will extend and expand the $8,000 first-time home buyer tax credit, stating that this will provide a much-needed boost to the fragile housing market and economy.

“We commend lawmakers for acting in a bipartisan manner to extend the first-time home buyer tax credit beyond its Nov. 30 deadline and expand it to a wider group of home buyers,” said NAHB Chairman Joe Robson, a home builder from Tulsa, Okla. “The tax credit has proven to be a powerful economic incentive. Today’s action by Congress will further stabilize housing and the economy by creating new jobs, stimulating home sales, reducing foreclosures, cutting excess inventories and stabilizing home prices.”

The new law will extend the $8,000 credit for first-time home buyers for sales contracts entered into by April 30, 2010 and closed by June 30. Further, it has been expanded to include a new $6,500 credit for owners of existing homes who are purchasing a new principal residence. An existing home owner can claim the $6,500 tax credit if they have been residing in their principal residence for five consecutive years out of the last eight. Additionally, the income eligibility limits to claim the full credit amount for both groups of home buyers have been raised to $125,000 for individuals and $225,000 for married couples.

NAHB estimates that the extended and expanded home buyer tax credit will create 211,000 jobs and generate 180,000 additional home sales in the coming year. It is also expected to generate $9.6 billion in wage income and $6.9 billion in federal, state and local taxes.

The legislation, which also extends unemployment insurance benefits and offers relief to cash-strapped firms by providing broader tax benefits for businesses with net operating losses (NOLs), is expected to be signed into law shortly by President Obama.

“The new NOL rules will throw a lifeline to struggling businesses, allowing them to continue making payrolls, paying business loans and otherwise keep their doors open until the economic recovery takes hold,” said Robson.

For more information, contact Kuiken Brothers Company, Inc Ryan Mulkeen 201.705.5375 info@kuikenbrothers.com

Despite the rain (what is it with the rain this year?!?), City Lights had another great year full of surprises as we inaugurated Main Street Garden.  Though record-breaking crowds were expected prior to the dismal forecast, a respectable number still turned out – thanks to you dedicated downtown folks (and those 75205-ers who will endure rain, sleet or snow for a Neiman Marcus event)!  

To get you in the holiday spirit this Thanksgiving eve, enjoy the City Lights footage below.  The time lapse of Main Street Garden and event recount are courtesy of our buds at Corgan Media Lab, and the photos are from Joshua Martin.  If you went to the event and have video/photos, you can upload them next week to yourdspot.com!

Turns out, umbrellas only add to the festivity!

Santa!

Fireworks from atop Neiman Marcus

Stilt walkers ready to lead the promenade to Main Street Garden

Santa reappears at Main Street Garden

LIGHTING the new DOWNTOWNDALLAS tree!

Magnificent!

Legendary Neiman Marcus Windows

Also – one more shout out to Excitement Techonologies…making our holiday dreams come true!

Gobble Gobble-
Kristy & Kourtny

So I asked myself: can you put your money where your mouth is, or – one of my favourite lines — is your mouth writing cheques your butt can’t cash?

Winnipeg has a very low apartment vacancy rate; meanwhile, the majority of downtown residential construction is for condos, which generally sell for over $200,000.  This is certainly a welcome increase in residential population for downtown, but there is a risk that future condo projects could outpace demand.  Apartments, as the hardest type of residence to find in Winnipeg, are our best bet for greatly increasing the population in the heart of the city.

Related story: A deal for developers, by Murray McNeill (Winnipeg Free Press)

For many years (ever since I spent some time in Brandon), I’ve been thinking about a new kind of grassroots, socially-responsible real estate investment trust for apartment construction.  Well, actually, at first I called it “let’s knock down the eyesores beside my house and put in a nice apartment block.”

As a layperson who knows little about financial instruments and the laws regarding investing, I’ve never understood why regular people don’t band together to create for-profit organizations to create new development in existing neighbourhoods.

Maybe it’s the concept of profit; so many Neighbourhood Renewal Corporations are built on the premise that they are not-for-profit corporations, working primarily to improve a community.  And obviously, a not-for-profit creates a friendlier atmosphere to receive public money.  This could work well in older communities, such as the Spence neighbourhood, or in Elmwood (believe me, I’ve thought about that quite a bit).  But I’m not sure it could work somewhere like the Exchange District, which does have residents, but where the vast majority of resources and well-wishers are outsiders to the existing  residential community.

Now, like most Internet blowhards, I don’t have a large pile of money under my bed (usually all I find are ripped up diapers under there, thanks to my dog), but I might be able to convince my daughter to part with $500-1000 of “Elmo money” for a lofty goal.  Is it possible that there may be other Winnipeggers who not only share a soft spot for the Exchange District, but who could also put a small amount of money into a worthy project?

I can envision two separate concepts that could work for improving the Exchange District with smaller contributions of progressive Winnipeggers (I said progressive, so now Graham is obligated to send money for this stuff):

1.    A baby Real Estate Investment Trust

Now it may not actually be possible to have an REIT with such a small amount of capitalization, but the methodology is similar.  A possible mechanism is a reverse microlending plan, with contracts stipulating an interest-only mortgage for a fixed period.  This trust could be governed similarly to regular REITs, and would pay annual dividends (and/or interest).

The idea is contingent on finding around 320 people who are willing to risk some money (between $500-1500 per person) on the idea of creating new rental housing in the Exchange District, either by retrofitting an old structure or by new construction on a surface lot.

Under the minimum scenario of 320 donors, using 70% mortgage financing and estimated grants of $20,000 per unit (assuming conservative city and provincial tax-increment financing grants), a 10-unit apartment building could be built or renovated in the Exchange District.  The total project cost would need to be kept under $1.6 million including property acquisition, and total grants of $200,000 would be required (more grant money may be possible).  With anticipated annual revenues of $135,000 (based on 95% occupancy rate with estimated current market rental rates), this project would be able to generate a modest profit.  The original investment would take around a decade to recoup, with investors receiving slightly more than 10% every year.

If more investors could be found, or their contributions increased, it’s possible to expand the scope of the project to cover 20 or 30 units.  2000 investors contributing between $200-1,200 could finance a 26-unit apartment building.  Of course, finding 2000 investors for an unproven idea is much less realistic than berating 320 people to take part.

2.    An online donation and microlending aggregation website

This is an idea that is not only for the construction of apartments, but it could include those types of plans.  The website would be a place where anyone could create a donation/lending account using PayPal or other financing methods.  Each registered user (or benefactor) would have the option of making manual payments, or setting up an automated debit.  Their payments would go into a personal online account.  Not-for-profit corporations, community groups, businesses, and private citizens will be given the ability to register to make requests for donations or loans for their project (as petitioners).  Their project would first be reviewed by a board of volunteers to ensure legitimacy and appropriateness, and would then be categorized on the type of request.  Examples of possible categories are:

• Community improvements (community centres, faith-based organizations, renewal corporations, schools)
• Environmental initiatives (riverbank and park improvement groups, specialized recycling programs)
• Commercial endeavours (microlending for home-based businesses, ambitious apartment-building campaigns)

Benefactors would have the ability to pre-screen which requests they are sent by category or geographical area, but would also be able to view any other requests on the website.  There would also be an automatic feature which (if desired by the benefactor) would contribute a given amount to each worthy cause that fits their criteria.  They would then have a specific amount of time to reverse their automatic contribution.

At first, the system would expect registered charities to provide receipts for donations independently of the website, but the website organization could itself become a registered charity in time.  Some benefactors would choose to only donate to charities (perhaps only registered charities), while others may choose to only loan money.

The whole idea is to enable groups of ordinary citizens to influence their community in a positive way, seeing results in smaller specific projects as opposed to a blanket donation to an agency.  The system is not meant to replace organizations like the United Way, but to supplement them with a tool that would be considered fun to use (at least, I think it would be fun).  In addition, there would be no reason why the United Way or Siloam Mission couldn’t submit their own specific projects to the website.

…………………………

Both of these ideas involve some serious legal work to make sure that risk and misuse is minimized as much as possible; there may also be problems with creating what could be unregulated financial tools (this is beyond my level of investment knowledge).

Do either of these ideas make any sense?  Do either have merit?  I don’t know if they do.  I think that someone out there has enough knowledge and experience to make something similar happen.  If that’s the case, it would certainly be a good thing for Winnipeg.

CIJ is a media patron of one of the most important property conferences in Poland, the 6th International Congress on Housing Finance in the CEE countries. It’s taking place on November 26 and 27 in the Holiday Inn hotel in Józefów, just outside Warsaw.

The Congress’ intensive agenda is here. Highlights include discussions on the consequences of the  financial crisis on the housing markets of Central and Eastern European countries and mortgage portfolio refinancing.

Confirmed speakers  include:

Cezary Grabarczyk, Minister of Infrastructure

Annik Lambert, Secretary General of the European Mortgage Federation

Włodzimierz Kiciński, President of Nordea Bank Polska SA

Kazimierz Kirejczyk, President of REAS

Jarosław Szanajca, CEO of Dom Development

Piotr Cyburt, President of BRE Mortgage Bank

There will be blog updates as the Congress will be happening tomorrow and Friday, as well as a larger article in the January issue of CIJ on the issues raised during this event.

FINALLY… The Long awaited Project in D9

is Coming on 26 Nov 09

FROM $8xxk !!!$8xxk !!

Prime District 9, Mins Walk to Somerset MRT & ORCHARD ROAD!

ESPADA @ St Thomas Walk

Developer: Novelty Group
Project Name: Espada
Location: St Thomas Walk, D09
Tenure: Freehold
Land Size: approx 38,756sqft
Facilities: Tennis Court, 4xPool, Spa, Gym, Sky Terrace, Sports Bar, etc
Est TOP: 15 DEC 2014
Total Units: 232 luxurious units

Unit Types for Selection

Typical Units

1 bedroom sizes from 344 / 355 / 377 / 452 / 560sqft – Total 141 units

1 + Study from 646 & 689sqft - Total 56units

2 bedrooms from 667 & 721sqft - Total 27 units

Penthouse Units

1br / 1+S / 2br Penthouses from 657sqft to 1313sqft – Total 8 units

(all sizes quoted are estimates and subject to change as required by authority)

Estimated Prices:

1 Bedroom from $8xxk !

1+Study from $1.5xx m

2 Bedrooms from $1.6xx m

WHY ESPADA??

TOP 5 SELLING POINTS!

1)FREEHOLD, PRIME DISTRICT 9,MINS TO SOMERSET MRT AND ORCHARD ROAD !

2)FROM $8xxk only! Very Affordable price to own a masterpiece in Orchard road! Where else can u find such attractive properties in  prime d9,Orchard ,Brand new and freehold yet near mrt?

3) 3 Different level of facilities apartment and iconic building sitting on top of the hill in orchard which give you a 5 star living lifestyle,where else?

4)Investment Return,Estimated >$3500pm for 1 bedroom..which enjoy > 4% pa in return..isn’t sound good better than rest your $ with the bank or cpf board??

5) Quality Finishing> Branded Stuffs provided by developer( Lema , Bontempi,Gaggenau,Gessi and duravit)..Classy …like driving a ferrari,owning a LV or Prada  ..branding shown different in you!

Amenities Nearby:
• Sommerset MRT Station (Est 5 Mins walk)
• Orchard Road shopping belt (Est 10 mins walk)
• Vibrant Nightlife & Urban Living (Cineleisure,Heeren,TakaShimaya,Paragon etc)
• Excellent Rental Yield due to shortage of small units in the city (>4%-5%)
• Great Investment Grade project with Super Potential Capital Gain when economy pick up.

(ST 9/11/09 Economic Growth 3% Next Year: MM )
• Short drive to future MARINA and SENTOSA Integrated Resorts (Estimated 15-20mins)
• CIRCLE LINE COMPLETION 2010 and 2011..MINS to CBD and travelling thru city and towns..so convenience!

Recently, I wrote about an old idea: use the available material.  In that post, I noted that California is full of strong structures that use simple materials, and marry them to a natural setting. I also gave some examples from a fall road trip to Northern California.  Fortunately, trails and wooded areas are never too far away from me, and I often walk in the Arroyo Seco, near my home.  On the east and west banks of the Arroyo, there are homes built of rounded river rocks and long shaped beams. Some are legendary, part of the architectural setting for the Arts and Crafts movement in the early 20^th century.

The landscape of the Arroyo Seco was the setting for Ernst A. Batchelder’s house. Batchelder became, in the early part of the 20^th century, a well-known designer and producer of decorative ceramic tile. On Arroyo Drive, at a curve on the eastern bank, sits his unimposing home and studio. It nestles into the shady oaks nearby.  From the street, the front elevation shows a strong-beamed, shingled house with brick and stone at the foundation. According to architectural historian David Gebhard, a kiln still stands in the backyard, where the now-coveted Batchelder architectural tiles were first produced.

On the opposite side of the same street lies La Casita del Arroyo, a low-slung structure. I wandered around this public meetinghouse recently, and took some pictures.  The hall seems to step down into the steep bank of the Arroyo, and the imposing chimney stands broad and strong. The stone construction is rough. As I learned (from David Gebhard and Robert Winter’s Los Angeles: An Architectural Guide), architect Myron Hunt “donated his services and designed this structure using boulders and sand from the Arroyo, fallen trees from higher up the canyon, and even part of the bicycle track abandoned after its use in the 1932 Olympics.”

Every once in a while, I take a photo that looks pretty great, like I’m a photographer or something.

• caribb: “Nice shot.. increasing layers of buildings..”
• me “That’s the word I was looking for: layers. But it’s unclear where each layer starts and stops. And which buildings share a layer. Maybe each exists on its own – at least from this perspective.”
• caribb: “It’s really rare to see such perfect layering like this in a downtown core.. It’s almost like it was all planned out. Chicago is such an amazing city though I’m not surprised “

Statistics for this years third quarter (July 1 - Sept. 30) are out regarding the housing market.  Data was gathered from the National Association of Realtors.

Average Total Sales (for Single-family, Apartment, Condos, and Coops)

Average total sales of the nation have increased from the second quarter to the third by 11.4% and the third quarter’s average total sales have increased by 5.9% compared to Q3 of 2008.  In the state of Missouri, the average total sales have increased by 16.4% since last quarter and 1.8% compared to last year’s average total sales.  Only thirteen states have a higher average sale price than Missouri in this quarter, with California, Texas, and Florida leading, respectively.

Average Sale Price (for Single-Family Homes)

From last years third quarter to this years, the national average sale price has decreased by 11.2% and the St. Louis average has decreased by 4.4%.   

There is no data for condos in St. Louis.

Predictions for the St. Louis Market

According to MARIS, the average price in the housing market will remain stable in Q4 in St. Louis City.  The number of homes on the market is expected to increase, as well as new homes built.  The average days on market is predicted to increase and the number of homes sold may not change all that drastically.

In St. Louis County, the average sale price is projected to remail stable as well as the number of homes sold.  An increase in homes on the market, new homes built, and average days on market is predicted.  Overall, the prediction seems to be that both the county and the city will mirror each other in market activity in the fourth quarter.

Data gathered from NAR, MARIS, and Stltoday.com

If you want to grow your wealth faster and better, you can buy residential properties for rent. Your investment will grow faster because of the leverage of the mortgage that gives you, and grows better because the rental income, tax laws, guidelines and decision-makers keep your risk is extremely low for high performance. Here's how.

Leverage gives you high returns on investment:

Owning a residential rental income can give high returns and low risk. The high profits that come fromleverage to buy your property with a mortgage. Your investment is your capital – the value of the property, less the amount of the mortgage you need on it.

When you buy a house, get a fraction of its price down. The bank pays the rest through a loan (eg mortgage), we have now. Each monthly mortgage exclude part of the interest and the balance of the payment going toward the loan principal. The main part payment finally killed off(amortized) loan.

The first payments on a 25-year mortgage are mostly interest payments are in large part to end the primary. These two components are about 18 years. Very little capital (loan) is repaid during the first 10 years.

Thus, equity is growing rapidly:

Suppose you put down 20% for a house $ 200,000 – $ which gives you $ 40,000 in equity and a mortgage of $ 160,000 home. If housing prices are only 5% next year, your $ 200,000 house worth $ 210,000.Since we still have approximately $ 160,000 for the mortgage, the equity increased to $ 50,000. This is a growth rate of 25% of the capital of your capital with a growth rate of 5% for the home.

The multiplier effect, L is 5 (= $ 200,000 / $ 40,000) before the increase. While major increases L times faster than the growth in house prices. You get a high rate of investment growth for the price growth rates relatively low in the house.

Because your equity grows faster than the home value, the leverage decreases slowly.But a growth rate of 5% per annum for home value, it takes about 10 years for the original 20% to become half the value of the house. Overlooking a small change in the mortgage, the house would be worth $ 320,000 with a loan of nearly $ 160,000. Optimize your only factor '2 '.

You can always 'remortgage' home to withdraw money and raise the lever to maintain the level of investment.

Better tax, rental income and manager of mortgage:

TopInvestment rate that you offer your property need not get in a situation of risk. Because you can keep the cost of participation in your property at the lowest level you want, fitting enough so that the rental income will always cover the costs of participation. And tax breaks for owners of rental income to do much to help.

Rental income can cover the costs. Owners to meet their rental income on Schedule E (rental) form. But not only get to deduct their annual guideinterest paid, but the other annual costs of owning a rental property such as maintenance costs and annual depreciation.

Depreciation is an accounting deduction that you can probably put money aside for replacement of your home. It is free of charge actual costs and value of the house does not – like a car depreciates. Actually goes up! Here's how it helps you.

Ideally, when you buy a house to rent in the early years, you want theRental income to cover the cost of mortgage payments and maintenance costs that come out of your pocket. In this way, the "rental" costs nothing "because the rental income is paid for all out-of-pocket cost of participation.

But the deduction for depreciation, which does not draw from his pocket – could create a "superficial loss" on the annual rental income or an expense sheet. This suggests that "superficial loss" against your income earned on the regular 1040 to further reduce your taxeson their earned income.

These depreciation deductions lower fee based on the house. So when you finally sell, the capital gain – the house of the lower cost base – will be greater. But taxes on capital gains and techniques to lower taxes, will keep your profits high.

Conservative Investing

But if you keep borrowing costs low mortgage with a small and a fixed rate, you can probably keep your tenants paying the cost of ownership. This way, you get a price or otherstorm that threatens the interest rate on your investment.

This is the latest in the tale of the study desk for Betsy and Adrian. This is the desk just before final assembly, and during sanding and filling. The end result is in sight at this point, but there may be more to come in the form of shelving and drawers, we will wait and see.  

In the mean time, I will post some shots of the desk completed and in situ. It is going into a newly refurbished apartment in the city, and should look good against the vic ash floor boards.

These Seattle Architects had the opportunity to climb up on the roof of the Ellis Residence to film the installation of the 20 panel, 4 kw photovoltaic system which will supply about 40% of the power to the residence. The system features 200 watt panels from Sanyo. The panels harness the rays of the sun to create DC electricity which is then inverted to usable AC power. Electricity generated by the panel but not used by at the residence, especially during the summer months, will be sent to the power grid to be used elsewhere. The installation was recently featured on a Bainbridge Island Television broadcast.

Posted: 20 Nov 2009 09:36 AM PST

If you’re interested in the future of real estate, you need to be watching Google closely these days.

A couple weeks ago 1000Watt Blog noted the company’s move to include a real estate overlay on Google Maps, which put listings smack-dab in front of millions of Google users who likely had no idea the company has spent the last several years quietly aggregating this content.

Now, today, search engine land reports that Google has taken this one step further to include a unique page for every listing that includes photos, a map (including Street View) property details, directions, transit information and more. It’s a listing detail page, basically.

And, of course, there’s advertising on these pages too.

Here’s an example.

Sure, Trulia, Zillow and a hundred other online real estate sites do this. But this is Google, folks – a force so large that it can upend entire categories overnight.

Will revenue at the big online real estate sites decrease as the prominence of real estate on Google increases?

Lots of questions here.

The first new-issue commercial mortgage backed securities (CMBS) supported by brick-and-mortar properties in nearly two years successfully sold this week.

DDR Depositor LLC Trust 2009 Commercial Mortgage Pass Through Certificates, series 2009-DDR1 represents the beneficial interests in a trust fund established by affiliates of Developers Diversified Realty Corp. The trust fund will consist primarily of a single promissory note secured by cross-collateralized and cross-defaulted first lien mortgages on 28 of Developers Diversified Realty’s properties. Goldman Sachs Commercial Mortgage Capital originated the $400 million loan. Read Complete Article Here