A Look at Madrid Vacation Packages

Madrid. This city is capital of Spain and one of the most important cities in Europe, it is also a great travel destination filled with history and the entertainment you expect to find in a modern city. When wanting to travel to Madrid for the first time, perhaps the best choice is to do it by taking advantage of the available Madrid vacation packages.

A vacation package to Madrid includes in a single price all you need to enjoy the city without having to worry about anything else. Packages include the most time the airplane tickets, the hotel or accommodation of your choice and tours to the best touristic attractions Madrid has to offer

Finding a good Madrid vacation package will depend on how and where you are looking for. Nowadays, it is very easy to find this type of packages thanks to the Internet. There are various online travel agencies that offer airplane tickets, accommodations and travel packages to almost anywhere in the World, and since Madrid is an important World destination they will have available many offers.

You can also make use of search engines, this perhaps will be better to tailor the results you want to get, like for example when you are looking for a luxury vacation package in Madrid.

If you can't find a decent package that fits your needs, you can also try visiting your local travel agencies. In general, agencies are more flexible, and a travel agent will try to make your needs come true - after all, they want the commission right?

I'm sure you'll find the right Madrid vacation packages, I 100% recommend it for first-time travelers to the city, because you'll get to know it and have a chance to look at it has to offer, you can also check out online travel guides to find more information about the city.

We invite you to find everything for your Madrid vacation package [http://www.guidetomadridtravel.com] at [http://www.guidetomadridtravel.com/] where you'll find all the information about Madrid attractions, hotels, travel options and more!

Cheap Palma Majorca Holidays to Save Money For the Family in 2009

The average person in the United Kingdom in 2009 is facing up to the grim reality that the UK is harder hit by the global credit crunch than either the USA or the Europe. With families income severely cut and unemployment rising the holiday industry has reacted accordingly by across the board price cuts on Mallorca holidays. For over 50 years Palma de Majorca has been a supremely popular tourist destination for the British that go there to take some weeks in the sun, to relax and enjoy the warm Mediterranean climate. 2009 is a year when many will be weighing up whether a holiday away this summer will be possible or not. The answer indeed seems yes when considering a cheap holiday to Palma, capital city and major port city of Majorca. Cheap flights to Palma are now at a lower level than they have been in years and many British people are taking advantage of this right now.

For £50 you can now get a return to Palma and enjoy a holiday that has something for every tourist. Although sales of UK property and overseas property to British people have fallen away, holidays are proving to be the one luxury that people really will strive to protect. In addition to the cheap flights on offer there is also a wide range of cheap Palma accommodation, Palma self catering flats, cheap hotels in Palma and cheap car hire in Palma all on offer to the tourist in a buyers market. With Majorca relying heavily on the British for a large percentage of its annual tourist profit, the local businesses have dropped prices in the light of the situation that the UK is in. With so many great deals to Palma on offer it is a strong recommendation that you take full advantage of this. Booking in advance now will save you more money, although there will no doubt also be some Palma late deals available in June, July and August 2009.

When visiting Palma for your holidays, you arrive in a modern cosmopolitan city center that also has a historic side to it with history dating back to the Roman Empire and before. There is a massive array of historical cathedrals, churches and castles to visit, then on to the modern attractions of bars, restaurants, cafes, nightclubs, art galleries and places of public interest to visit. You will never be short of something to do in Palma, but when you are tired of all the activity, go and relax on the beach of Palma, sit back and soak up some Mediterranean sunshine.

When looking for information on the best cheap Palma holidays deals try an online tourist forum where UK tourists swap helpful tips on finding the best quality cheap Majorca holidays, maximising the quality of their stay by being smart and doing their research. Friendly online tourist forums are beating the online agents by this culture of information sharing between tourists, getting one back for the consumer in 2009.

Obtaining a UK Fiance Visa For Your Thai Fiance

Settling in the UK with your Thai fiance proves to be your best option if your bread and butter in the UK is keeping you from permanently relocating to Thailand. A UK settlement visa in the form of a fiance visa is your key to bringing your Thai fiance to stay with you in the UK for good. This is true for those couples contemplating of getting married in the UK then proceed in adjusting their fiance's immigration status after marriage.

UK Fiancee Visa Requirements

Applying a UK fiancee visa for your Thai fiance necessitates meeting two important requirements: your relationship with your Thai fiancee and your financial status in the UK. Establishing a believable and an on-going relationship between you and your fiancee requires your having known each other and being together for a period of time not less than 6 months. This should be seen as a logical requirement after all you are sponsoring someone to the UK who will hopefully become your long time partner in life. The longer you have known each other, the better. Apart from this, you also need to show tangible proofs of your genuine existing relationship in the forms of email exchanges, photos together in various places, money transfer receipts, telephone bills, boarding passes to Thailand and any other pieces of evidence that could validate your existing relationship. You would also need to provide proof of your freedom to marry certificate and if you have been married before a divorce certificate or spousal death certificate should be provided to attest the dissolution of your previous marriage.

Finally, you would need to write a letter detailing the milestones of your relationship, how it started and developed to become what it is now. This in turn becomes a literature for all the pieces of relationship evidence you have so far collected. Just recently the British embassy also started requiring a letter of intent to marry from a registrar in the UK for the visa applicant and the British fiance. This, however, would require the presence of the foreign fiancee in the UK at the registrar's office before this letter is issued. Contacting the municipal registrar in your area on how to go with this is the best thing to do to be able to address this requirement. Your fiancee also needs to undergo a medical check up to check her health status. They are particularly concerned with checking if she has Tuberculosis. You would need to call the IOM center in Bangkok to schedule her check-up and anticipate corresponding medical check up fee. She would also need to secure a police record to prove her being a good citizen. This needs to be obtained at the Royal Thai police which can take up to 2 weeks to have it finally issued. Your financial position in the UK is the next crucial requirement in question. The rational behind this is that the UK government wants to make sure that you would be able to support your future wife's stay in the country without any recourse to public funds. To show them your financial capability, you would need to provide your last 6 months bank statements; at least 3 recent pay slips, employment letter, House Title deed or Mortgage Agreement and photos of your house. This is aside from the sponsorship letter which confirms your desire to sponsor her stay in the UK. Speaking of the sponsorship letter, it's advised to include in it your sincere intention of marrying your fiancee once she gets there and supporting her financially and morally and purchasing her airfare ticket and travel insurance after she has obtained her visa successfully.

Process

The UK fiance visa application follows a simple process. Nonetheless, it is advised to take it seriously as remedying a refused visa application proves to be a more difficult ordeal. A good way to start the process would be to familiarize yourselves with the details of the whole procedure i.e. expected time frame, costs, required documents among others. It would be good to list down all the required documents from both ends and start collecting them the soonest possible. In filling out the visa application forms it would be prudent to start with a draft and if there are questions unclear to you, it's always good to ask UK visa professionals. You can also call the British embassy to clarify confusing items in the visa application forms. As for your fiancé's important documents in Thai i.e. Birth certificate and Single Certificate, they would need to be translated into English and legalized at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Once the aforementioned required documents are collected and fully prepared, you can proceed with submitting your visa application at VFS in Bangkok which will turn over to the UK consular Section. It would take approximately 3 months to process the visa application before the result of the visa application gets issued. If interview is required, the processing time would expectedly take longer. Your Thai fiancé is initially allowed to stay in the UK for 6 months if she gets the visa. After marriage in the UK, her immigration status can be adjusted accordingly that she may be able to stay and work there for good. Costs Aside from the service fee of the visa agent, you would also need to anticipate other fees like embassy fees, medical check-up fee and translation fees.

Summary The UK fiancee visa application demands a thorough preparation of the required documents. It is therefore advised to enlist the service of UK visa specialists to guide you and your Thai fiancee with the visa application process. UK visa professionals who speak both Thai and English and have broad experience in assisting UK visa in Thailand are recommended to carry out the task for you.

George M. Londob works as a Business Correspondent for Siam Legal International, Thailand's largest legal service network with offices in Bangkok, Phuket, Pattaya, Hua Hin, Chiang Mai and Samui. The firm has international locations in London and Los Angeles. Siam Legal is a full-service international law firm and provides a wide range of legal and visa services. Reach Siam Legal at +(66) 2-253-8100, or info@siam-legal.com.

Long Term Rentals

A long term rental in Spain enables you to realize and feel about the area you would consider to purchase. You can really get to know about that area in different seasons. If you don't find the long term rental in Spain suitable as per your needs, you can certainly quit after 6months/year as there is not any huge commitment for that, but if you purchase any property there you will need to find the customers and sell out to them.

There are some areas in Spain which are too hot during summer while some areas are much colder during winter. So you can take benefits of long term rentals as you can experience the exact feel of the place before making any decision. If it doesn't suits your requirements you can certainly leave that area and opt for the other one which is not possible in the case of purchased properties.

Finding out long term rental in Barcelona is not an easy job as people charge massive amounts for summer holiday rentals and they don't want long term tenant during their peak season.

The contracts for long term rentals in Spain are referred to as Vivienda Contracts. As these contracts are for a period of one year, it should be cheaper as compared to short term rentals. One cannot move out without paying for a penalty. A long term rental in Spain involves depositing amount for one or two months usually.

You can find out the long term rentals in Spain through local estate agents/online agents which is the best way.

Paramount Places helps people finding out their kind of long term rentals in Spain and long term rentals in Barcelona. We also provide the best services for holiday Spain.

Five Dream Wedding Destinations Around The World

If you're getting married or know someone else who is, then you're probably already aware of the fact that weddings are rather expensive nowadays. Whoever said that a marriage is easy probably didn't have to sit down and plan his wedding. Even if it is a simple wedding held in a church and is followed by a simple reception and a honeymoon, there is still a lot of planning involved in it. Fortunately, you can now cut those wedding costs to almost half and save on loads of time without the frustration that is normally involved, by hiring a travel agent to plan a dream holiday destination wedding for you.

When weddings are held at holiday destinations, away from the betrothed duo's hometown, they are known as destination weddings. According to recent survey, destination weddings have rapidly increased in popularity over the last few years. Many such weddings feature the betrothed couple eloping to some exciting and adventurous, far off location. Some prefer to invite close friends and family to join in the celebrations.

There are so many breathtakingly beautiful wedding destinations all over the world to choose from and planning your dream holiday wedding is an exciting experience. The most difficult part of having a destination wedding lies in choosing the perfect location. However, here are 5 of the most sought after marriage destinations:

1. Mexico: Mexico is home to two of the most gorgeous holiday wedding locations. All you romantics who are dreaming of white beaches and crystal clear water for a perfect beach wedding should probably opt for Cancun. On the other hand, Cozumel is just off the Yucatan Peninsula and has some of the world's best scuba diving spots. With its charming little resorts that are a perfect contrast to the secluded beaches, Cozumel is perfect for those looking to have a tropical wedding.

2. Hawaii: If you're looking to have a fun-filled wedding then the sunny capital of Hawaii, Oahu should be your choice. With its pristine, aquamarine blue waters and its long, powdery beaches and the rugged mountains, a wedding here would be a rich and rewarding experience. Maui is another beautiful location in which to hold your dream holiday wedding. With its perfect sunny weather and its secluded beaches that guarantee privacy, Maui will make your special day absolutely perfect.

3. Jamaica: Get married amidst the rich culture, easy lifestyle and tropical climate of Jamaica. What could be more beautiful than getting married on a tropical island? With its breathtaking waterfalls and rugged mountaintops and clean beaches, hosting your wedding in Jamaica would be an unforgettable experience.

4. Bermuda: A true paradise on earth, Bermuda is considered to be one of the most beautiful islands in the world. Adorned with lush green gardens and exquisite pink sand beaches and unique coral reefs, the hospitality prevalent all over the island is simply amazing. With all the wonderful resorts, hotels and accommodation available on the island, it makes a perfect choice.

5. Las Vegas: Popularly known as the marriage capital of the whole world, Las Vegas is considered to be the most unconventional and exciting of all dream holiday wedding destinations. With almost 150,000 couples getting marriage licenses every year, Las Vegas is the only place on the globe where you can get married by an Elvis impersonator. Being one of the hottest wedding destinations, Las Vegas is where you should go if you want to elope or if you want to have a dream holiday wedding. Despite its 'not-so-rosy' reputation, there is more to this city than just casinos. With its new and ultra cool resorts and nightclubs, Las Vegas will definitely provide you with that exciting and adventurous wedding that you are looking for.

Being interested in Alicante, Peter Wilson was authoring countless detailed articles on this specific subject. You can come across his publications on Benidorm over at alicante-spain.com and many different sources for Costablanca information.

Australian Fiance Visa For a Thai Fiance

If your bread and butter in Australia is keeping you from moving to Thailand to live with your Thai fiance, you can always take the other way around it to fix this relationship impediment. Why don't bring your fiance to Australia and live with you there instead? But, of course the challenge is how to make this grand plan come true.

If you are eying for your Thai fiance to come to Australia to live with you there permanently after your marriage, a prospective marriage visa aka Subclass 300 is the appropriate visa to obtain. This visa provides your Thai fiance a 9-month stay in Australia coupled with privileges. However, within this allowed stay, you have to marry her so that you maybe able to adjust her immigration status accordingly.

Eligibility of the Sponsor. To be able to sponsor your Thai fiancée to Australia, you need to be

1. an Australian citizen or an Australian permanent resident or an eligible New Zealand citizen.


2. you need to be 18 years or older


3. you should have met your fiancée in person and should have known her personally


4. you should be free to marry

Eligibility of the Applicant. Your Thai fiancée on the other hand needs to meet the following qualifications:

1. she must be 18 years old or older


2. she must be free to marry


3. has a good background or has no criminal records


4. in good health


5. should have known you personally and met you in person

Benefits. Once granted the visa, your Thai fiancée can enter Australia even before she marries you. The visa allows her a multiple entry to Australia within the allowed 9-months period of her stay. She can work in Australia with this visa. She can apply for a spouse visa after your marriage. She can study though will not be entitled to government funding. However, she'll be entitled to Australia's medical expenses and hospital care assistance scheme.

Requirements. It's necessary to show proof of genuine and on-going relationship and to show the sincere intention of both sponsor and the applicant to get married. You are therefore advised to keep every piece of evidence you have to establish your relationship. These can be in the forms of photos together, email or correspondence exchanges, money transfer receipts, air tickets and others. As the sponsor, you should be able to show proof of your financial capability to support your fiancée once she gets to Australia. If you are incapable, you can have an Australian resident to act as the sponsor of your fiancée. Your Thai fiancée has to lodge the appropriate application forms, together with all necessary supporting documentation and application charges, in person at the VFS Bangkok who in turn will submit it to Australian embassy for the processing and evaluation. The evaluation process can take up to 3 to 4 months to complete.

Post Application Process. There are things that you and your fiancée need to be aware of once a fiancée visa is granted:

1. She has to enter Australia on the fiancée visa before she marries you. Getting married before entering Australia may cancel the fiancée visa.


2. She needs to enter Australia on the specific initial entry date.


3. You need to marry her within the allowed 9-month period. You can marry her outside Australia provided that she has already entered Australia on a fiancée visa at least once before the marriage takes place.


4. You have to adjust her fiancée visa to spouse visa before the former visa expires so that she maybe able to remain permanently in Australia.


5. Inform the office handling your application if you change address, your fiancée has given birth to your child and if your relationship ends after marriage.

If visa is refused, the Australian embassy will provide you an explanation letter concerning the reasons for the refusal and the things that you can do to remedy the problem with your application.

Summary. It's a comforting thought to have your Thai fiancée by your side taking care of you as you go on with your daily toilsome existence. While you maybe able to do your part in the visa application just fine, your Thai fiancée may find the process difficult and frustrating due to language barrier and unfamiliarity with the procedure. In this regard, it's advised that you consult with a professional visa agent who can guide you and your fiancée through the Australia fiancee visa application process. It might cost you an extra penny but it should be worth it.

George M. Londob works as a Business Correspondent for Siam Legal International, Thailand's largest legal service network with offices in Bangkok, Phuket, Pattaya, Hua Hin, Chiang Mai and Samui. The firm has international locations in London and Los Angeles. Siam Legal is a full-service law firm and provides a wide range of legal and visa services. Reach Siam Legal at +(66) 2-253-8100, or info@siam-legal.com.

How to Design a Comfortable, Affordable Vacation Home

Many people dream of owning a vacation home in a location far away from the hustle and bustle of their everyday life. The home may be in their budget, but once they are settled into the space and using it on the regular basis, they realize it is not as comfortable as their regular home. If you are spending several weeks out of each year in a space, you should do what you can to make it a home. This can be done for an affordable price so you will not feel guilty spending money on furnishings after investing in the home. If you have purchased your dream New Hampshire real estate or Vermont real estate that you plan to use for your perfect New England getaway, you will want to add character to the space. Even if you do not have the same amount of money to use on a second home that you spent on your primary residence, you can still turn the vacation home into something comfortable and warm. While the surroundings may be more than enough to lure you to the space, you will still want to feel comfortable while staying there. If it feels like you are staying in a hotel while vacationing, then you may as well not invest in a second home and just stay at a hotel. Enjoy the benefit of having a vacation home of your own by creating a space that actually feels like a home.

The best way to design a vacation space is to give the interior the feeling of the surrounding area. For instance, if your second home is a ski chalet, you will not want to decorate it with wicker furniture and palm fronds. Choose furniture and accessories that fit into the spirit of the home while also reflecting your own personal taste. Beach homes should be bright and cheery, with as much of a beach feeling as possible. Bring in the feeling of the seashore with calm blue and green colors, soft, comfortable furnishings. If you have chosen to purchase a vacation home in a quaint town, browse the area for local antiques that catch your eye. Remember that area flea markets and yard sales are often great places to find deeply discounted items that reflect the natural wonder of a space. Your home will have a personalized feeling while fitting into its environment, all for an affordable price.

Your next step to creating a vacation space that feels like home is to bring personal items into a space. Just as you would hang family photos and mementos in your primary home, you can do the same in your vacation space. When you arrive at your vacation destination and enter the home, you should feel as if you are coming home. Put familiar items in the space and use items that make you feel calm and settled. This will help you relax, help you sleep, and making visiting the home a lot more fun. You can turn your vacation house into a home for an affordable price.

Connor R. Sullivan used the services of an New Hampshire real estate agent to help locate homes for business associates in the area. He and his wife hired a Vermont real estate agent in order to find a vacation home in the area.

10 Vacations Your Kids Will Never Forget

Maybe you discovered the hard way that kids are not exactly content wandering through murky museums or art galleries, gazing at massive cathedrals, or lunching in a lush setting. If you have a couple of 4-5 year olds, maybe you can get by with a few amusement rides and the hotel swimming pool. But once kids hit elementary school through high school, they will make your family vacation miserable if it's boring. I've researched ten super family vacations that are kid-friendly. If you have grade school and high school kids, you may have to split up during the day, but that's okay. So here's my list.

1. Okay, Okay, I'll cave and include Disney World first so you don't keep bugging me. There are far too many attractions to describe in detail. Let's see, there's the Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom Lodge, Blizzard Beach, Typhoon Lagoon, Epcot Center, MGM Studios, Legoland, and much more. In my opinion, the only attraction that's getting a bit old is Epcot Center. The others are terrific. Just a word about the Animal Kingdom. The lodge is decorated with earth tone walls and African ambiance. Thirty-three wild acres contain over 100 different species including impalas, zebras, giraffes, Thompson's gazelle... Your kids will love Orlando.

2. The Out 'n About Treesort in the woods of Takilma, Oregon is a kid's dream. What child hasn't dreamed of living in a tree house? Well, families can actually live in one during their vacation. There are fourteen tree houses sleeping 2-8 people each. Lodgers use rope swings, swinging and suspension bridges, fire poles, and a 160 foot-long zip line to get around! During the day, families can take courses in tree house building or they can go rafting, swimming, or horseback riding, scale a 51-foot rope climbing tree, or take arts and crafts classes. The kids won't stop raving about this place.

3. Atlantis Resort in Reno only cost $850 million to create. The complex includes 20,000 guest rooms, 38 restaurants, 11 exhibit lagoons, 50,000 animals, 11 pool areas, 7 water slides, including a 60-foot Mayan Temple drop into a tunnel submerged in a shark infested lagoon. Kids feel like they've just discovered the infamous lost continent themselves. If you live closer to Florida, there's an Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island, Bahamas which includes many similar attractions to the Reno resort. But while we're talking about good old Nevada we might as well mention the other fabulous kid-friendly resort, Circus Circus. It's only the biggest permanent big top in the world and 3.5 million people flock there each year. Circus performers do their amazing feats non-stop, plus there are 200 arcade games, plus carnival games, and wandering clowns. As if that's not enough, there are over 20 rides in the theme park, miniature golf, and laser tag.

4. Now for something completely different: dude ranches. Tanque Verde Ranch, in Arizona's Sonoran Desert, is one of the best known. Throughout its 640 acres roam over 120 horses. There are riding lessons, as well as every kind of trail ride you can imagine. Naturalist guides offer hikes through desert wilds, yawning canyons, towering cacti, and even secret waterfalls. Kids also can take tennis lessons, swimming, and arts and crafts. Appealing to adults are the delicious steak cook-outs, gourmet picnics, the square dancing, and the beautiful mountains rising in the distance.

5. As more and more vacationers are discovering Alaska, it's becoming a top favorite. Alaska is still a bit wild, with 14 major mountain ranges, glaciers, much wildlife, and almost 34,000 miles of coastline. Ideally, it's best if you can take a land and sea cruise to enjoy the best of both worlds, but do what your pocketbook can afford. Summer is the most comfortable time of the year and there is plenty to do. You can whale-watch or view a vast panoply of wildlife at Denali State Park or another refuge. You can tour a gold mine, count moose, backpack, bird watch, camp, cross country ski, dog sled, hike, salmon fish, visit Mt. McKinley, stargaze, take a riverboat discovery tour, or visit the Imaginarium Science Discovery Center. And this is the short list. I don't think the kids will get bored.

6. New York City is sometimes left out as a kid-friendly place for whatever reason. But there's a lot for kids in New York's Central Park alone. You'll find horse-drawn carriage rides, Heckscher Playground, lake boating, Swedish Cottage Marionette Theater, Central Park Zoo/Tisch Children's Zoo, Billy Johnson Playground, the Wollman Ice Skating Rink, and Belvedere Castle Nature Center. In the Broadway area, artists set up shop on the sidewalks and draw personalized names in a colorful pattern of dragons, pandas, and dolphins. These are extremely popular with kids. But the big draw, of course, is what Broadway offers. Disney invested $34 million to restore the old Ziegfield Follies haunt, the New Amsterdam Theater, to stage The Lion King in 1997. It's still playing to packed audiences. More recent Disney extravaganza include the Little Mermaid. Other popular family-friendly fare includes Mary Poppins, Wicked, and Hairspray. What can I say? This only scratches the surface in regard to what New York offers. Check it out.

7. Most don't realize it, but while some other states slept, South Carolina has been quietly becoming the #2 state for tourism, after Florida. Myrtle Beach alone welcomes over 13,000,000 guests per year. It's a 60-mile stretch of sand called the Grand Strand and features a great beach, water parks, amusement parks, dinner shows, the Hard Rock Park, special hotel and beach activities, and much more. MagiQuest, a major attraction, is a uniquely interactive experience. It takes many elements of a child's fantasy world, combines them, and creates a special place where children can be heroic, valiant, and brave. Children can fight the dragon, run around a Magical Kingdom, wave magic wands, and have lots of fun doing it. MagiQuest even brings out the child in all of us big kids too! So, if you're looking for some great fun, or wish to burn off some of that rambunctious child energy, you've got to take the kids to MagiQuest.

8. I've got to include at least one choice that's considered extra easy on the family budget. It's the YMCA in Winter Park, Colorado and it goes by the name of Rockies' Snow Mountain Ranch. Last time I checked, rates for a two-bedroom cabin with kitchen started at $126 per night. If you cook a lot of your own food, you can get off pretty easy. The area comprises 5,100 acres of pristine near world-class ski resorts. There is hiking, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, downhill skiing, a climbing wall, an indoor pool and gym, and horseback riding in the summer. And best for families with kiddies, there's a full kids' program for ages 3 and up. Who likes winter sports? This is for you.

9. Club Med Ixtapa may be the attraction on the list that would appeal most equally to both adults and kids. It is 30 acres along Mexico's western coast that hosts over 20,000 visitors a year, 60 percent of them grade schoolers. Kids of every age group are kept gloriously busy with all sorts of outdoor activities, fun shows, and crafts. If you want, there's even a perfect kids-only dining room. Meanwhile, the parents get to play! There's tennis, scuba, archery, kayaking, water polo, volleyball, and gourmet picnics. Families venturing off the Club Med property can visit the island, take a sunset cruise, go fishing, or take an excursion into the Mexican fishing village of Zihuatenejo. Then melt your troubles away at the Ixtapa Club Spa and get an outdoor massage or whatever else your heart desires.

10. There's a reason Caribbean cruises corner almost 50 percent of the cruise line market in the U.S. It's because the Caribbean offers the vacation so many have dreamed of for years. Imagine yourself on the largest, sleekest ocean liner imaginable, watching a brilliant sunset against rippling waves out of your cabin window. Then imagine eating superb food whenever it strikes your fancy, day or night. Imagine wonderfully entertaining shows, on-shore excursions to lush islands, and see yourself relaxing or engaging in activities according to your fancy. Then realize that, if you wish, the kids will be engaged for much of each day in a children's program tailor-made just for them. This is what you call an all-inclusive vacation. What more could you want?

Go ahead, Google your favorites if you want. Choose your family vacation of a lifetime and begin planning for it. This will be the vacation that your kids will still remember fondly when they have their own kids. Cool.

Debra Fortosis is a professional travel agent. You can book travel on her user friendly website. She can even help you easily launch your own turnkey e-travel business.

Book Travel: http://www.mndgetaways.com
Contact Debra: mndgetaways@comcast.net

Let's Give Up On The Star System

When I first got into the manufactured home community business, everyone was obsessed by the concept of a "star" system - 1 for poor, 2 for mediocre, 3 for average to good, 4 for better and 5 for best. Owners would love to outdo each other by boasting "my property is a four-star, how many is yours?" Of course, the system was highly flawed, and there was definitely star inflation (people always seemed to add a star or two to their score), but it made for some apparent meaning to somebody (I'm not sure who). Unfortunately, unlike the hotel business, which takes it's star system seriously, and has many independent judges who allocate them and promote the highest winners, the manufactured home community star system has long been a joke, and about as accurate as a world atlas printed before WWII.

Why does there have to be a star system?

Star systems are very useful if they are consistent and monitored by an impartial source. The best example of this is the hotel industry. When I am picking out a hotel on hotels.com, the first level of screening that I am interested in is number of stars. I have no interest in staying in a hotel with less than three stars. How do I know that the three, four and five star hotels are superior? Because I have confidence that the system is being monitored by every travel agency and AAA-styled travel group in the world. I believe that the trust in the system is such that everyone feels confident placing reservations in hotels that they know nothing more about than the number of stars.

The goal of a similar star system for manufactured home communities is no different. The concept was to be able to rank, sight unseen, communities from bad to best. This system would be helpful for customers, banks and buyers, at least theoretically.

Why does the system not work?

If you gave a test to a group of students without any oversight, and allowed them to grade their own papers, what do you think they'd get? That's right, they would all get "A"s. The first problem with the system is no different. There is absolutely no oversight as to who gets what number of stars. Every owner is free to pick their own number, and it's about two times the real number.

Since no group with authority manages the star system, there is no tangible value to having a certain star score. If the guy with dirt streets down the block claims to be a four-star property, then why bother re-paving your old asphalt to get a higher ranking? It's like having a game without scoring, or a debate without a judge. There has to be leadership that monitors results, reward the winners, and penalizes the losers.

Why it will never work.

Before you can institute a real star system, you have to have commitment from all the community owners to embrace the concept and not cheat. Getting the manufactured home community owners in the U.S. to agree about anything is nearly impossible. With around 50,000 communities in the U.S., realistically, you are never going to great consensus on anything. And as long as there are enough rogue operators to claim more than their fair share of stars, the system will immediately break down. Who is going to hurt their business by claiming two stars, when everybody else is illegally claiming four and stealing their customers, lenders, and buyers? Nobody.

The other reason why any type of rating system will never work is that there is no funding to create a group to standardize and enforce the system. Let's face it folks, this industry is in terrible shape financially. The last time I checked my local Manufactured Housing Association, their dues received could not cover Denny's Grand Slam Breakfast for a family of four. In an industry that has been on the ropes for almost a decade, especially on the retail side, who is going to pay for this group of inspectors and enforcers? Nobody.

Why the system has been turned upside down.

You know, it's really a good thing that there never will be a star rating system for manufactured home communities. Why? Because the whole star system does not really work on communities. In fact, it distorts the truth and is a disservice to, if not customers, then definitely lenders and buyers.

You see, in all other types of real estate, from hotels to office buildings, the higher the star rating, the better the property. This formula, however, falls apart on manufactured home communities.

The communities that are struggling the most right now, in my opinion, are the four and five stars. These are the ones that have pools and clubhouses and big lots. They have everything - except a winning business model. Most of these properties have lot rents so large that they are no longer affordable housing. When a customer is paying you as much in lot rent as a decent apartment costs, then you are definitely in uncharted territory as far as affordable housing goes. In addition, many of these same properties have rules on how old a home can be. As a result, there are very few "paid for" homes. When you add the home mortgage and lot rent together, and get a number above $1,000 per month, then the customer has many, many housing options available to them. This leads to reduced demand and, often, customers walking off and leaving their homes. I have met many four and five star owners who churn 25% of their tenants per year. That is a terrible statistic. Often they resort to buying these homes to keep them in the community. Maybe I'm old fashioned, but when you have to pay your customers to live there, you've got a big problem. On top of that, they are constantly involved in some type of large capital expense project to maintain all of their amenities and perks.

The properties that some would call one-star, or even no-star, often have stable tenant bases and are virtually full with affordable housing clientele. They produce consistent income with little capital expenditure. They're not pretty, but they are highly profitable.

Based on this data, which would you rather buy or make a loan on? Which is more desirable - the five star or the one star? That's right, the one-star is often many times more secure and profitable for both lenders and buyers. So do you see the problem?

Why it's best just to let the star system die and never talk about a rating system again.

Clearly, the star system is not working, nor will it ever work for our industry. I often retort the question "how many stars is your park?' with the answer "it has five star cash flow and that's all that's important". And that pretty much sums it up.

You know, sometimes things just don't work out. The 8 track tape quietly disappeared off shelves and now is only available at garage sales. "New Coke" quietly disappeared out of the grocery store freezer, and nobody ever talked about it again. So let's have a moment of silence for the star system and move on. There are plenty of more important concepts to worry about - like sales.

More MHP Investing articles.

For over a decade, Frank has been involved in all facets of the mobile home park business as an owner/operator of parks in four different states. His experience includes:

Purchasing and operating over 25 mobile home parks as an investor and performing "due diligence" on hundreds of other mobile home parks.

At one point, ranking as the 63rd largest owner of mobile home parks in the U.S. Frank has achieved a high-level of expertise in evaluating, buying, operating, turning around, financing, and selling mobile home parks. His experiences are real life, and he can provide you with real life scenarios and solutions on almost any issue that you can face as an investor or operator.His knowledge can be yours through the unique offerings at "Mobile Home Park College" as a Faculty Member.

Mr. Rolfe has also authored and co-authored some very informative books on investing in Mobile Home parks , to see books wriiten by Frank Rolfe visit Mobile Home Park Store.

Fractional Ownership - How to Enjoy a Luxury Life Style For a Fraction of the Cost?

Have you ever wonder why people goes on vacation every year looking for quality time with their love ones to have fun, and relax but they end visiting costly crowded resorts paying sky high rates for a cramped tiny room? Doesn't make sense, Does it? In my experience they came back year after year to those places mainly for three reasons:

1) Enjoy the weather and the quality life of an awesome resort area.
2) Receive extraordinary pampering service.
3) Enjoy a worry free vacation.

Being pampered is part of the resort experience for many vacationers. In the other hand, those who prefer the comfort of a luxury private vacation home in their hideaway locations can choose from an assortment of housing options. But they'll have to make dinner and handle repairs by themselves.

But what if you could own a luxury private vacation home in those beach and mountain areas that you love, and still be treated as if you were at the Ritz-Carlton, having a worry free vacation for the fraction of the cost? Sounds like a dream? Well, that's the idea behind residence clubs, one of the fastest growing segments of the vacation home real estate business.

The trend of this idea is so strong that some of the high-end hotel operators like the Ritz-Carlton and Four Seasons amongst others have embraced.

Marriott

In 2001 Marriott launched its Grand Residence Club Concept. The private residence clubs combine fractional ownership of a second home with the amenities and service of a luxury resort. Fractional interests are from three weeks up to 13 weeks of use and the selling price varies from 84,900 up to 555,000 USD.

The Marriott hotel company also operates the Ritz-Carlton Club, another fractional ownership product with fractional properties in Aspen, St Thomas, and Florida amongst others. At this high-end private residence clubs the people can invest on fractional interests from 21 to 35 days per year from $98,900 up to $490,900 USD.

Four Seasons

The Four Seasons also has been developing private residence clubs. It has fractional ownership properties in Scottsdale, Florence, San Diego and Punta Mita amongst others.

Exclusive Resorts

Wait not all the private residence clubs involve hotels. Exclusive Resorts offers a collection of 350 luxury vacation homes in 35 locations worldwide that members have access to. The homes average about 2 million dollars but members pay a one-time deposit of $375,000 to join plus yearly dues. The company also offers travel arrangements and on-site concierge service.

The private residence clubs are growing around the world ant they offer an extensive array of options in time, space and luxury for all kind of budgets.

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Alois F. Larc is a Real Estate expert and the owner Of Fractional Ownership and Real Estate News Blog. Fractional Ownership and Real Estate News Blog helps you to achieve success in real estate investments by providing comprehensive, easy-to-understand detailed information and analysis about the Real Estate and fractional ownership industry. You can get your free PDF guide by visiting http://www.sawo.com.mx