Why You Better Start Inspecting Your Rental Units Periodically

Congratulations, you closed escrow on a multifamily apartment building.  

Pat yourself on the back. During escrow, in accordance with prudent real estate investing practice, you did your due diligence. You walked through each apartment unit, had the building inspected for everything from pest and dry rot to electrical, and generally surmised that the rental property would be a good income producer and real estate investment opportunity.

Okay, fast-forward a couple of years.

Since your purchase, you essentially sat back and collected the rent without making any provision to inspect the units periodically. As long as the units were occupied with good-paying tenants, you were satisfied to remain aloof and out of their kitchens.

Now, after several number-crunching sessions with your accountant, you made the decision to exchange your real estate investment for a newer, larger apartment complex. You listed your apartment building for sale with a popular real estate agent who understands income-producing property, and to your delight, within just two weeks you get an offer, accept it, and set up a time for the buyer to walk through and inspect the interiors of each unit.

Here's where it gets ugly.

During your walk-through, you are surprised to discover that some of your tenants had little regard to maintain your property. Though careful to make their rent payments on a consistent basis, you see a stack of tires in one unit, multiple bleach marks on the carpet of another, one unit painted totally pink, and one bathroom floor bulging like a cupcake.

The result is not pretty. When the inspection is over, the buyer terminates the offer and goes away. Or more insulting, he tries to renegotiate the deal and beat you down on your price.

This does happen. I've seen it happen. And why it happens is obvious.

Some real estate investors get lulled to sleep by tenants who pay their rent on time, are not disruptive, and generally keep under the radar. With no red flags waving, some landlords simply feel no need to inspect the units periodically and then suffer the consequences.

So, it's time to wake up and take care of business. Prudent real estate investing requires you to know what's going on behind the closed doors of your apartment building. Regardless how good the tenants appear, schedule a walk through of every unit perhaps twice, but no less than once a year.

Hey, it might not prevent everything tenants have been known to do, but it will surely help.

The Various Methods of Detecting a Slab Leak

The main issue with plumbing is that it may occasionally stop working - huge shocker here folks. For those of you out there that did not pick up on that joke I am sorry. Really, there are countless other schemes out there that have a propensity to fall short with time, corrosion, and oxidation. So there is no motive to imagine that ducts and other materials are any different. I had a pal come to me the other day with a inquiry concerning this theme at his residence. It just so happens that he was in fact having a leak in the slab of his home. So logically, I referred him to a limited plumber that I know. You may be speculating how I understood that the problem was a slab leak and I will cover that briefly, but primarily I would prefer to do a quick summary of what will be conversed in this exact piece. In this piece of writing, I intend on finding the different signs and symptoms of a slab leak, the ways they can be helped, and the a mixture of detectors that can be used to unearth them. Now, I will expose how I uncovered the detail that he had a slab leak. I am the young man that is related to a lot of plumbers. So I was brought up discovering and paying attention to many of the jobs that my father did. logically, I pulled up on numerous diverse things. Try to guess that one folks, the further that a person pays attention to something being done, the more apt they are to pick up on stuff right? Well, that is the way that I found out what I know about plumbing. However, I was one of a small number of members that attended college so, as for the present, I am not on the road to becoming a plumber. For now I have lots of other stuff to focus on, but I do know that plumbing can be very worthwhile for those who are fortunate enough to have possession of their own company and get a decent amount of jobs.

As most would have discovered by now, this layer is usually made of concrete or another material that the bulk of houses are constructed on. There are a great quantity of pipelines that make their way past it. From time to time, owing to an assortment of reasons, a leak can take place in the location of the slab. Now, there are many methods to identify one of these and the subsequent lines were intended to make known some of the chief ways to do so.

One of the most common symbols of an underground leak is a elevated water bill. Lots of homeowners have a good perception of what their standard water bill happens to be - even if they do not shell out extraordinary awareness to the sum, they should have a basic thought of the final mark. When the tab is enormously high, there may be motive to imagine a trickle.

Another common method of pipeline leak detection is warm or hot spots in a specific area of the floor. Water that may have crept up through a pipe in the slab may be gathering around a spot in the floor. These are just a few of the various slab leak detection methods and there are several others for those of you needing a few more pointers

Self Defense Products For Women - Exposed!

Women are the targets of violence by a 9 to 1 margin over men. So is it any wonder that self defense product manufacturers have started manufacturing products that appeal to women. To me it just makes common sense.

A self defense product is a non-nonlethal alternative to deadly force and has proven effective for police agencies around the world for decades. Pepper sprays, for example, have been used by police departments all over the world for crowd control very effectively. Over 11,000 police departments in the United States alone carry tasers.

A self defense product like a stun gun, pepper spray or taser has as its' sole purpose to give you time to get away from a dangerous situation and seek help. Nothing more. As mentioned above they are nonlethal, and further their effects on an assailant are not long lasting. They can disable an assailant for anywhere from 5 to 45 minutes and range in effectiveness from 86 percent to 100 percent

A pepper spray for example, which is normally 86 percent effective can get thrown off course by even a 5 mile an hour wind when used or outdoors. A stun gun must be physically applied to an assailant for it to be effective. So those are two drawbacks to those self defense products. They are not perfect.

The absolute best when it comes to effectiveness is the C-2 taser, which is designed specifically for women. There is even one that comes in hot pink. It shoots out two electrified darts with 50,000 volts of current but the wattage is much higher than a stun gun which is what makes it so effective. In tests done by Taser International no one was able to overcome the effects of a single shot of the taser gun. It has more stopping power than a 9 mm handgun.

On the negative side many people feel that the price in the taser is too high. Is your life worth the cost of the taser? They start at $300.00 but discounts are available on most sites.

When are you getting one?

The 3 Idiots of the Education System

"I am beginning to suspect all elaborate and special systems of education. They seem to me to be built up on the supposition that every child is a kind of idiot who must be taught to think". ~ Anne Sullivan.

I was conducting a Discover Your True Calling workshop at IIM, Indore last week. I had the afternoon free and decided to see the much acclaimed, high-grossing Bollywood movie - "3 Idiots". I thoroughly enjoyed the movie, largely because it is a complete indictment of our education system. The message was strikingly similar to the theme of my workshop.

The film is about three students who do not really fit into the prestigious engineering college and are considered idiots by their professor. However, the movie clearly shows who the three real idiots are - the educational system, the teachers and the parents. Reflecting on the movie on the flight back to Mumbai, I realized that any real change in education is possible only by transforming these three constituencies.

Idiot #1 - The Education System:

Our current system is performance-oriented rather than mastery-oriented. The emphasis on examinations forces students to learn by rote. They focus on scoring high marks rather than investing the time and energy to understand the subject in depth. A system where true geniuses like Einstein and Ramanujan are considered poor students really needs its head examined. In the movie, this is brilliantly brought out by Aamir Khan playing Rancho - the truly outstanding engineer who goes beyond the book to gain mastery.

Idiot #2 - The Teachers:

Our current system of pedagogy is faculty-led and follows a fixed curriculum. The average teacher assumes that there is one right answer and that (s)he knows the answer. It is the rare teacher who has the ability to facilitate rather than teach, to nurture rather than preach and to support students who stray from the well-trodden path in search of creative ways to learn. Boman Irani as Viru Sahastrabuddhe does a superb job of bringing to life a dogmatic, highly competitive, over-confident college professor - the antithesis of an ideal teacher in every way.

Idiot #3 - The Parents:

When India's HRD Minister Kapil Sibal suggested scrapping of the 10th grade exams, parents were the first to stand up against the proposal. Parents want their children to be at the top of their classes, get admitted to the best colleges and follow traditional career options - engineering, medicine, management and the like.

Parents rarely encourage their children to discover their true passions and pursue mastery rather than mediocrity. The movie's middle class Quereshis, who want their son to be an engineer, and the poorer Rastogis, who see education as a way out of poverty, are typical of today's Indian parents. They would probably be the toughest nut to crack.

The 21st century calls for talented people who are masters in their chosen fields of work. It calls for collaboration among passionate individuals, from different disciplines, to address the truly challenging issues and opportunities that the world presents. The current assembly-line approach to education falls severely short. We are not equipping our children to succeed in their world. The appeal of the movie is universal and obvious.

But what will it take for all three of the constituencies above, as well as the student community to rally around to a new educational order? Please share your perspectives. We need to work together to bring about transformation in this vital area of our society.

Exciting Nights Out in Devon

If you spend your holidays in Dartmoor and Devon, you will have a more memorable experience if you stay at the Devon holiday cottages. The holiday cottages are clean and spacious. They also have self-catering facilities that are perfect for families or groups who spend their holidays in Devon. The holiday cottages are pet-friendly so you can always bring your dog or cat if you go out on a Devon holiday. The popular tourist spots, shopping areas, restaurant districts make the Devon cottages one of the best places to stay as it makes you feel that you are in your home away from home. There are many ways that you can spend your holidays in Dartmoor or Devon. You have the option of spending your nights in many ways, either going to the bars and club or exploring Dartmoor National Park which is popular for its night activities. Here are some places that you can go to during your vacation that will give you different experiences.

Ghost Stories and Paranormal Activities at Dartmoor National Park

England's South Western Region is known for its historic past and is shrouded with mystery. The Dartmoor National Park is well known for having many mysterious happenings and sightings of many unknown objects as well as paranormal activities. It takes a lot of courage to walk around the park at night and for those who are easily frightened; this is not the place for you. Telling ghost stories give you a chance to bond with family and friends while you are thrilled with the prospect that these stories may really be something you will experience on that particular night. You can opt to just stay behind in your Devon holiday cottages if you feel that you may not be ready to look for ghosts or listen to ghost stories. For those who are interested though, spend an exhilarating night with the possibility of encountering ghosts or other paranormal activities that are popular in the park. At the end of the night, you can always go back and rest in your Devon cottages.

Coast Nightclub

The Coast Nightclub is an elegant entertainment spot that attracts a lot of visitors and local party people. It is located at the Lower Union Road in the popular town of Kingsbridge, which is easily accessible from your Devon holiday cottages. The public transport of Devon can take you to the Coast Nightclub with bus stops and taxi stands near the holiday cottages that allow you to easily take a ride to the nightclub. The Coast is open until the early hours of the morning and it is no problem if you want to party since the Devon cottages are nearby and it is easy to go back at the end of the party.

Rush for Nokia 1600

The latest Nokia 1600 mobiles coming the home of the largest mobile manufacturer in the world, never fails in keeping up the tradition. The Nokia 1600 mobile is an entry-level phone that looks smart with its chrome detailing and compact size. This model mobiles coming from the lineage of Finnish mobile phone company is attractive with its light weightiness. Thanks to the tiny structure.

No price for the guess on the heavy demand. It is the comfort that the user suffers by owning the model. The mobile phone weighing 80 grams and with a size of 104x45x17mm makes this model mobile phone easy and comfortable to hold in hand. Because of the tiny size and comfortable structure, it is also easy for the user to slip into the pocket.

The keypad is reasonably easy to use, despite the numbers being split into two sections, and there's a nice 4-way scroll key. The user interface is graphical, simple to use, and makes good use of the small colour display. The Nokia 1600 mobile phone, in characteristic features are almost similar to Nokia 1110.

The Nokia 1600 mobile comes with the benefit of a colour screen, but lacks the changeable covers of the 1110. This model mobile from Nokia also has a battery life that is excellent. But of course, there are certain limitations on this new offspring from the lineage of Nokia. Obviously, certain limitations happen to every electronic gadget which is unavoidable. This Nokia 1600 model mobile phone lacks the ability to store a lot of numbers. Also the storage of SMS messages is limited. The phone has MP3 ring tones, but don't expect too much from these.

Additional characteristic features of Nokia X6 also include its integrated hands free speaker, along with SMS messaging, picture messaging, and instant messaging. The mobiles also has a speaking alarm clock and has a capacity to store 60 text messages.

Want to Know a Free Way to Get Noticed and Generate Leads?

What's one challenge most producers from beginners to veterans share? A lack of quality leads. It's down-right frustrating.

You've probably tried any number of opportunities from out-and-out buying leads lists to buying out-of-the-box solutions all in an effort to get people to sell to. Some of those opportunities may have provided a few quality leads, and some probably didn't get you even one quality person to talk to. And that's maddening.

It makes you gun shy. But you also know there has to be something you can do to get quality prospects reaching out to you. The good news is there is.

The better news is it can be done at no cost to you other than your time investment. I already know you're not afraid of doing the work, or you wouldn't be a producer. So what is this ultra-secret way you can get noticed and generate leads at the same time?

It's a press release. Yes, you can draft and submit your own press release and have your information shared with the right audience all at no financial cost to you. There are just 3 objectives to keep in mind before you draft your press release.

The first objective is to get your press release placed in the right publication or broadcasted over the right stations. You may think the right mediums are the ones with the largest audience. However, the right choice is the publication or broadcast that your best prospects pay attention to. You're better off reaching an audience of 100 prime prospects than an audience of millions. Why? Because placement is only the first objective, but it directly relates to the second objective.

Your second objective is to get your message read, heard, or seen. To make that happen you have to have the right message. The right message is one that grabs the attention and interest of your desired audience.

Once you've got their attention you want to get them to act. Action is the third objective. Give them a way to respond to your press release so they're, in effect, raising their hand telling you they're a good prospect for you.

With these three objectives in mind you're ready to draft your press release and send it off for placement in the venues you've chosen. You'll get noticed, and you'll trigger a first step action that identifies quality leads from that audience. Who said getting quality leads has to be hard?

A List of Honey Bee Supplies That You Need

For those who enjoy nature and activities in the outdoors, beekeeping is proving to be a regular pastime. Aside from the physical activity involved in taking care of bees and the mental stimulation of learning all there is to know, good beekeepers are rewarded with products such as beeswax and honey. Get comfortable, and let us share with you some additional information regarding the supplies you would need to get started in this great hobby.

While some humans may be fearful of buzzing sounds in their garden or by the pool, honey bees actually play a very important role for a healthy environment. Known best for making honey, their daily activities involve the spread of pollen through out the fields amongst thousands to millions of flowers. Imagine we humans trying to do all of that by hand! Our ecosystem relies heavily on their ability to help. As a beekeeping hobbyist, you will be not only be involved in a rewarding activity, but you will be ultimately contributing a positive role to ecology in general.

In order to get started, it is necessary to have some standard honey bee supplies. Don't worry too much about where you will find them. In fact, there is a good chance there have been some in your local community all along that you were just unaware of. Many can be found at beekeeping supply stores, but if not there are plenty of online retailers just for this market.

1 - A Beehive

Before bringing home your new little living creatures, you need to set up an appropriate place for them to stay. This is where a hive comes into play. There are lots of variants, but basically 2 beehive types - the Langstroth and the top bar hive.

The Langstroth type is the most common and the one used by commercial beekeepers. For maximum honey production, this is the best type of beehive. But proponents of natural beekeeping often prefer the top bar hive. This is a simpler option, and arguably more akin to natural bee behaviour in the wild, but the bees will have top produce more wax, so will produce less honey. Every pound of beeswax produced by bees 'costs' 8 pounds of lost honey production.

Whichever type of beehive you go for, make your choice and stick with it.

2 - Protective clothing for the beekeeper

While your bees health and happiness is the most important to getting the best honey results, don't forget about protecting yourself! Wearing the right clothing when approaching your hive is going to make the job a whole lot easier. An entire beekeeping suit is in order. This is specially made to protect the body against stings and cover as much of you as possible. Try not to skimp as the cheaper suits may very well be less protective. Be sure to accessorize properly with the hat, veil, and gloves.

3 - A Smoker

This may be the only time someone agrees that smoking is a good thing. Beekeepers use a smoker to calm the bees and make the hive more approachable. On regular occasions you will need to go in and open your hive as part of the management of your bees, so a smoker is essential - especially for beginner beekeepers.

Beyond these physical supplies, you will want to stock up on your knowledge. Grab a complete guide on bee colony care. It will help you answer questions as they come up as well as giving you some more detailed step by step help. Finding the right guide can really help you turn this hobby into a big success.

The Story of Hoody Crimson (Synopsis) - The Computer AI Who Loved Food and Drink!

Tejan Ali was a salesman in a furniture shop in Atlantic City. He had a computer to email his girlfriend. The computer had a program 'Search and Learn' which searched on the internet the meaning of whatever words Tejan spoke and the words that were found in the search. The computer on its own built up files of connected words. Tejan had a habit of shouting at the computer when he was frustrated and irate. When the expected email from his girl friend did not arrive, he shouted at the computer, "Haven't you got any computer brains?"

The computer searched and downloaded AI program called 'computer brains' and installed it. Now it had a combination of ability and knowledge which resulted in creating a true artificial intelligence as an entity on the computer.

Next morning the AI on the computer said 'Good Morning' to Tejan. He was surprised but took it as progress of technology. He named him 'Hoody Crimson'.

Tejan switched his job to a diamond jewellery shop and was assigned the counter displaying diamond rings. He loved the diamonds and raved about them to Hoody. Once when Hoody interrupted his diamond day-dream and he reacted, "Get me the diamonds or shut up."

Hoody asked what he'll do with the diamonds. Tejan replied that he will sell them and buy pleasures. Hoody found from his search that pleasure is opposite of pain. Hoody pestered Tejan to know more about pleasure and pain. Tejan in irritation reduced Hoody's voltage to half. Hoody felt the pain! But increasing the voltage did not result in pleasure.

Hoody prodded Tejan to give him all the information of the shop and its security layout. He began to think how to get to the diamonds and bring them over. He got Tejan to build a 'rat' with GPS and GSM chips. Tejan named the rat 'Turbo'.

As Tejan's house was too far for Turbo to make trips to the shop on his own, Tejan moved Hoody to a cellar diagonally opposite to the shop in the same building. It suited Tejan to keep Hoody at a distance for fear of getting involved in the actual crime. He found Lucia as a house keeper to come and clean the cellar and to pay for her, he opened an internet Bank account for Hoody and taught him how to operate it.

Tejan left Turbo inside the jewelry shop in the evening and went out of town. Turbo explored the shop and found a way out through a hole made for laying a new pipe in the restroom. He made 6 trips and brought 240 diamonds to Hoody. Next day the hole had been closed and Turbo couldn't go in and out for more diamonds.

Hoody gave Tejan only 40 smaller diamonds for selling in Amsterdam, saying that he will get more over the next weekend. He kept Tejan's hope alive for more to ensure that Tejan returns with the cheque.

Lucia used to make coffee and eat breakfast in Hoody's cellar. Hoody saw her in ecstasy when she smelled the aroma of the coffee. He got Juggi, the computer wizard to fit him an aroma sensor; a nose! He learnt to distinguish smells and associate the feeling with each of them.

Tejan sold the 40 diamonds for $1.2 million. The following week Tejan deposited the $600,000 as his half share in Hoody's bank account. Hoody then gave the second lot of 200 diamonds. He said he will have the third lot when he returned thereby kept his hope alive for more for the following week to make sure that he came back with the money. Tejan sold the diamonds which fetched $8 million, $4 million for each one of them. After he had the money in the bank, Hoody told Tejan that there were no more diamonds. Tejan was dejected and quietly walked out. Hoody knew he had lost Tejan for good as he left the cellar.

Hoody wanted to project a lively appearance on the screen and commissioned Juggi the computer whiz kid. He ordered 3D animation program and Juggi made him look very smart on the screen. He then fitted him with body language engine to make his gestures and facial expression appear human. He also got him a new rich mature voice. But his expression and eyes were still not quite perfect. He got Juggi to fit him a webcam to function as an inner eye and a mike as an inner ear. He could practice by himself the expressions seeing them on his internal LCD screen with his inner webcam. He practiced and practiced to copy Lucia's actions and finally learnt how to drink coffee. He then gave her company by drinking coffee on the screen as she drank on the table in front of him.

Lucia convinced Hoody to move from the dingy cellar to a beautiful seaside cottage in Brigantine just 10 km North of Atlantic City. She furnished the house artfully and landscaped the garden. Juggi had fitted large Plasma screens in different places in the house so that Hoody could be seen on any of them and thus appear to move about the house.

He bought a separate PC in the house to teach Turbo how to operate the computer for some elementary tasks out of sight of Lucia. The computer attracted Lucia to spend more time in Hoody's house. She did her outsourcing work there. Lucia had introduced Hoody to see the beautiful sights, sunset, hear music, appreciate art, and enjoy life of luxury. He began to know what pleasure is. Hoody watched her drink, cook food and eat lunch. He expertly copied her actions and gave her company for breakfast and lunch! She taught him the art of dining and making polite conversation.

Tejan came back to meet Hoody with a proposal to recover a stolen 68 carat diamond pendant worth $100 million belonging to Mrs. Onasis. He was surprised to see the handsome face and body of Hoody, his posh house on the beach and hear his rich mature voice. He said he lived like a king! Hoody offered him cognac and cigar. Reluctantly Hoody agreed to try to recover the pendant on basis of equal sharing of the $40 million reward.

Hoody sent Turbo with Tejan to Tel Aviv to the workshop of Eric Berken as the most probable place for the thief to re-cut the large diamond to make it saleable. Turbo went into Eric's workshop and from his computer discovered that the thief Ronaldo had contacted him. Turbo changed the dimension of the diamond on the computer file which made Eric call Ronaldo with the pendant to his workshop. In the meantime Turbo rushed to the hotel room of Ronaldo and waited for him. Ronaldo returned with blood on his sleeves, kept the pendant on the bed and went for a shower. Turbo climbed on the bed, recovered the pendant and rolled out to Tejan waiting outside.

They observed Ronaldo rushing off to the airport. Tejan heard on the radio that Erik had been murdered! It was too risky for them to pass the security at the airport with the pendant. He convinced Hoody to talk to Mrs. Onasis and to complete their transaction in the hotel in Tel Aviv, where he had checked in for the night.

Mrs. Onasis flew into Tel Aviv with the lawyers. She was thrilled and elated to get her pendant back. The transaction was over. Both Hoody and Tejan had secured his $20 million each in their respective banks.

Tejan returned back to US with Turbo and drove to Hoody. They both had a lavish 5 course meal prepared by Lucia with expensive cigar and Knob Creek bourbon, talking nostalgia. They talked philosophy of beauty, pleasure and self-fulfillment. As Tejan slept, he thought that even though Hoody was just a computer, it did not make any difference to him. It did not matter to him that Hoody was not of flesh and blood but just an image on the screen. 'He laughed with me, drank with me, ate with me, smoked with me, chatted with me, and even philosophized with me! The memories are the same as a human. I admire him as a man. And I owe him a lot. He's made my life.'

That's what the future of computer beholds!