Investing in Real Estate = Riches

The reasons for this are simple. When you buy a house, you can rent it out for a nice monthly income. And when you decide you no longer want the house, you can sell it for a higher price than what you bought it for, which results in a nice profit.

So investing in real estate = monthly income + selling price - buying price

Not only is investing in real estate financially sound, but it is also relatively stress free compared to investing in stock markets, which would consume more of your attention and time.

The most enjoyable part of investing in real estate is when you go looking for houses. Like this one?

This is a 5 bedroom villa in Dubai which is on sale for 1,000,000 (I’m assuming, US$) at Athand 24 Real Estate.

Dubai is a good location to invest in and there’s a good article in the Real Estate Forum that lists the reasons why you should invest in Dubai. Some of the reasons are the low crime rates, high international standards for business, tourism and lifestyle, freedom of living, no income taxes, and no restrictions on capital repatriation. Of course there’s always a risk factor when purchasing a house. Earthquakes and fires for instance happen on a daily basis. So we can further expand our equation like this:

investing in real estate = (monthly income + selling price - buying price) * (r)

where r = the risk factor = 0 for disasters and 1 for no disasters

But natural disasters rarely damage houses, so your chances of making a profit are still very high compared to your chances of losing everything. So it’s no wonder that Donald Trump loves Real Estate, as do all other rich men and women do.

The picture above looks cozy doesn’t it… like a picture of someone’s living room. But no, this isn’t a typical house, this is one of the luxurious Mexican homes for rent on Vacation Rentals, perfect for those looking for home away from home. Those who are familiar with Mexico probably knew it was a Mexican home right away. The vast use of clashing colors like red and green, as well as palm trees, give Mexican homes a distinct look.

Think of Betty’s house on Ugly Betty.

A lot of American celebrities buy or rent houses in Mexico because it is easier than having to go all the way to Europe for their vacations. Sly Stallone, Julia Roberts, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Liz Taylor and Michael Jackson all have homes in Cabo San Lucas, which is in Mexico.

The first picture you’ve seen and the ones below are of a Mexican Zen-style home in San Miguel De Allende. The courtyard looks absolutely stunning, and has a airy tropical paradise feel to it.

The rooftop terrace has beautiful views of the surrounding city and mountains.

It has 3 bedrooms and comes fully furnished with a fridge, cable, dvd player, microwave, and utensils.

Possible activities include horseback riding, mountain biking, golf, swimming and hiking. This house is in a convenient location, making it a breeze to go to the city, the ATM, the mall, the park or the airport. Renting a home is better than buying a vacation home because every time you travel, you can stay somewhere new. You can check out arrangeyourvacation.com for more Mexico Vacation Rentals.

1. The first stop of course is the capital city of Dublin. You can snap some pictures at tourist attractions like Ha’penny Bridge and the Dublin Castle.

2. The next stop is Glendalough where you can see the monastic ruins, the Round Tower, and witness Glendalough’s beautiful valleys and lakes as you drive by leisurely in your car.

3. Kilkenny Castle is one of the must sees in Ireland and it’ll be fun to have a look at the colorful streets Kilkenny is famous for.

4. Rock of Cashel looks absolutely stunning and is worth seeing even though it is not directly on the path where we’re headed.

5. Taking some time out in Waterford’s beaches would be nice.

6. Kinsale is an ancient seaside town and has those magnificent sights you see only on postcards.

7. While visiting Blarney castle, you can kiss the Blarney stone to get the gift of gab. The story behind it is that Queen Elizabeth I was exasperated with Lord Blarney’s ability to talk endlessly without ever actually agreeing to her demands.

8. A stop in Kenmare for some shopping, or fishing perhaps?

9. Dingle is officially being called “An Daingean” now because it is an Irish speaking part of the country. You may notice that the locals have stencilled ‘Dingle’ back onto most signage because they’re not happy with the change.

10. You can go on a horse riding trip in or opt for an excursion to Aron Islands in Galway.

11.DrumCliff is where William Butler Yeats, one of Ireland’s most celebrated poets spent much of his childhood.

12. Derry has a distinct architectural quality from other Irish cities. You may want to check out Guildhall, the Harbour Museum, The Bogside and St Columb’s Cathedral while you’re there.

13. Belfast is the capital of Northern Ireland. After your long car trip, it’ll be a chance for you to indulge in some last minute shopping before leaving Ireland.

If you’re not sure where to rent a car, I recommend Argus car rental, which is conveniently located in three different airports. Some people prefer to take low-cost flights rather than the high-cost flights that go direct to Dublin, so you can start off your trip from Car Hire Shannon, Car Hire Kerry, or Car Hire Derry whichever one is best suited to you. Since the route we have entailed is in a circle, you’ll conveniently get back right to where you started for your flight back home.

If you’re looking for a luxury hotel in Havana, HOTEL SARATOGA is the place to be.

This 5-star hotel has a great view of the Capitol, Fraternity Park and the impressive bay of Havana.

5 STAR HOTEL IN VARADERO

If you’re looking for an all-inclusive hotel near the beach, HOTEL PARADISUS is your answer. (All-inclusive means the drinks, meals and most non motorized water sports are included) I couldn’t help drooling over their activities programme: “Dancing classes, Spanish classes, Aerobics, Archery, Mini-bowling, Giant chess game, Petanca, Shuffleboard, Darts, Sjoelen, Beach volleyball, Ping-pong, Multi-purpose sports court, Volleyball court, pool tables, 3 tennis courts, Bikes!” What else could a person possibly ask for?!

5 STAR HOTEL IN GUARDALAVACA

HOTEL PARADISUS RIO DE ORO has a swimming-pool with children’s section but their website states that from 1 November 2007, the hotel will be exclusively for adults over 18 years of age. Makes you raise an eyebrow.. it’s definitely not my kind of place.

Rooms in these luxury Cuba Hotels can be booked from Floridita Travel. They also offer Cuba Flights and Cuba Car Hire for your transportation needs.

If you want to go skiing but don’t like the crowds at ski resorts, a winter Poland Holiday is a nice alternative. Because the mountains are close to Krakow, you can take a break from skiing and do some sightseeing or shopping.

Baltic Holidays is a company that specializes in holiday packages for Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Russia, Poland and Finland. Visit them for more great vacation tips - they know these places inside and out!

I had no trouble finding the hotel thanks to the tacky colours of the walls:

As soon as I walked in, I felt like I was at an airport terminal:

There were so many reception counters! We had to get a ticket, sit in the airport-style seats and wait for our number to be called. I had to wait for about two hours. Two hours! I went there to have a great vacation, not to feel like that guy from the movie Terminal.

Ok, I have to give you props for the beautiful jungle theme at the front entrance. The figurines resembling animals and the animal sounds in the background was a nice touch. In fact, that was the only reason why I had the patience to wait for 2 hours.

When I finally went up to the room, I realized it’s true what they say - you get what you pay for. While I had the impression that I was getting a great bargain (the hotel price was ridiculously low) the room resembled a dungeon. This is the picture you have on your website:

The only difference is, let’s see.. the beds were a lot smaller, there was nothing else in the room except beds and a wardrope, the bedsheets were yellow and ugly and stained, the lighting was terrible, and there was no window. I repeat, no window.

Needless to say, I left. And my room was paid for in full.

Yours sincerely,

Lost revenue

Evaluation

Service: 1/10 (2 hours waiting)

Room: 1/10 (disgusting)

Location: 9/10 (easy to find)

Price: Doesn’t matter, I wouldn’t stay there even if they paid me to

Dear Manager,

I have mixed feeling about your hotel. Firstly, I love how the shape of the building stands out as you make your way up the hills to Genting Highlands:

I also like the location of the hotel. It is far away from the noise of Genting Highlands. Peaceful and relaxing, it makes for a get-away atmosphere.

I liked how my room had a balcony where I could breathe in fresh air and stare at the beautiful scenery below. I also like the park with the obstacle course in it, although I’d prefer it if you didn’t keep some birds there. It ruins the atmosphere, and they smell too.

The only thing I didn’t like was that the hotel is in need of renovation. The carpet in my room was old, really old. The same goes for the sports facilities and the building in general. You could easily add another star to your hotel if you’d just invest the time and the money to renovate.

Overall, my experience was positive and I thank you for a great vacation.

Sincerely yours,

One Happy Customer

Evaluation

Service: 8/10

Room: 3/10 (because it was old)

Location: 10/10

Price: 7/10

If I want to take one of those posh European cruises for example, I could opt for the ‘Century’ Celeb Cruise. This beauty has plenty to offer, including theatres, comedians, dancing, and a cinema showing first-run movies for starters. They have a variety of daily activities led by cruise staff (which gets thumbs up from me!), shore excursions (a relief for the seasick amongst us!), swimming pools and whirlpools, golf simulator (it’s really hard to get the ball off the ground with this - I’ve tried it), jogging (to lose those extra pounds gained whilst indulging in all the on-board cuisine), aerobics classes, a library and a game room and programs for kids. Wow. I wish I was vacationing.

If that doesn’t cut it for you, you can opt for ‘Mercury’ which is for Alaska Cruises. This one also offers all of the activities I’ve listed above, but of course you have an entirely different view from the deck.

Of course, some of us want to experience Europe but not the mainland itself. For those Mediterranean lovers out there who love calm seas and romantic places, ‘Galaxy’ which is for Mediterranean cruises will take you to Italy, Greece, and Ephesus in Turkey (I’ve been there - it’s gorgeous! The sea is all blue-green). There’s nothing like vacationing celebrity style!

In their Costa Rica News blog, I especially loved reading the Hotel Reviews. They are written in a very conversational style - as though I am having a little chat with my friend and she is telling me about her experiences in Costa Rica. I wish they had guidebooks like these - it really pays off to learn about hotels from people who have actually stayed there and are able to give balanced reviews of their stay. I love how they’ve included pictures with each post too (unlike your typical guidebook which lists like a 100 hotels and puts up a teeny tiny picture of just one hotel in the corner). If you’re travelling to Costa Rica, this website is a must-see and without hesitation I give my own stamp of approval for it.

This house is located in Laguna Beach and retails at $549,000. I don’t recommend you to buy it. Why? If this is the only way in, you are going to have a hell of a time after you come home from grocery shopping.