Altadena Real Estate - A Look at the Numbers

The real estate market in Altadena, CA is red hot. Homes for sale in Altadena command high prices and never stay on the market very long. Why? Both realtors and residents will answer that by stating: Altadena is a very special place to live, work and relax.

Altadena is charming community located directly north of Pasadena at the base of the Angeles National Forest San Gabriel Mountains. Altadena is an unincorporated and 14 miles northeast from Downtown Los Angeles. This warm, Mediterranean climate has hot and dry summers that average highs of 91 degrees. The winters are essentially warm and windy with the lowest average temperature of 44 degrees. Altadena averages 21 inches of rainfall annually.

According to the 2010 U.S. Census - Altadena had a population of 42,777 people. With 8.71 square miles to share there were 4,909.6 people per square mile. This is average for Los Angeles County. The population was more diverse compared to other areas of the county with the dominate ethnicity being White at 52.8%, followed by 26.9% Latino, 23.7% Black, 5.4% Asian and 0.7% American Indian.

The population of Altadena is well educated in comparison to the rest of the county with 45.6% of residents aged 25 and up with a four year degree and 87.9% with a high school diploma. In regards to the male population: 57.8% were married, 32.9% had never been married, 7.1% had been divorced and 2.1% were widowed. The female population had53.9% who were married, 24.4% had never been married, 12.4% were divorced and 9.4% were widowed. The average age of Altadena was 37, which is an older average age compared to the rest of Los Angeles County. 9.8% of the people in population were veterans and 20.8% of residents were born in a foreign country. The average commute to work was 27.5 minutes. Altadena has a Walk Score of 48 out of 100 meaning that it is a car dependent city.

The average household size was 2.8 people, which was 9% higher than the national average. Approximately 74.6% of residents owned their homes. This was 10% higher than the national average. 25.4% of the population rented from a house, apartment or condominium. The 2010 Census declared there being 15,518 households with a median household income of $83,917. This is high compared to Los Angeles County.

Altadena real estate isn't cheap, however. The median price of homes for sale in Altadena is $780,000. This is 226% higher than the national average. However, the average home value is $731,400. The price per square foot is $485. The current housing market "temperature" is neutral. Last year the home values increased by 8.1% and Zillow predicts they will rise only 1.9% within the next year. The average monthly rent is $2,921. This is 53% higher than the national average. The current housing market health is 6.9/10. This is healthy score given by Zillow in comparison to other housing markets across the country.

According to Area Vibes, Altadena has a livability score of 77 - extremely livable. This is higher than the national average of 70. This comfortable, safe community will continue to flourish and grow and produce beautiful homes by its affluent residents. If looking to buy or sell real estate in Altadena, make certain you perform your due diligence and find an experienced realtor who specializes in the area.

Altadena, CA Is a City on the Rise

In close proximity to the highly successful City of Pasadena, Altadena is gaining some well-earned respect reflected in its home values.

With the region north east of Downtown Los Angeles - the most western area of what is termed the San Gabriel Valley - neighborhoods and entire cities are on the rise. Nowhere is this clearer today than in Altadena, CA. Homes in Altadena are being restored to their original luster and Altadena real estate is through the roof when it comes to home values.

A friend of mine owned one of those 1920's storybook Mediterranean-style homes with a red tile roof up in Altadena. It was perched on top of a knoll and nestled among mature trees. Rainbow colored bougainvillea vines spilled off the rooftop. Sitting in the breakfast nook, one could marvel at the San Gabriel mountain range from its French windows. The house had plaster walls that met the ceiling in a curve. The floors were constructed of large wooden planks, giving the place a kind of Greek Island art studio feel. An idyllic setting for those looking to get away from it all, the neighborhood of Altadena is located just North of its big city sister, Pasadena.

Just being in close proximity to gorgeous Pasadena - of Rose Parade fame - has never been enough to create the real estate buzz that Altadena has longed for until now. After all, Pasadena homes for sale have always been in great demand and the Pasadena real estate market is always booming. Now it's Altadena's turn and home sellers are giddy while homebuyers are gnashing their teeth for waiting too long to enter the Altadena real estate market.

John and Fred Woodbury launched the first subdivision, naming it Altadena in 1887. Recognizing the awesome scenic beauty of the foothills below the Angeles Crest mountain range, millionaires from the east erected the first mansions along Mariposa Street. This became known as millionaire's row. Now let's fast-forward to the civil rights era, a generation later. When the public schools were desegregated a phenomenon known as "White Flight" occurred in this once desirable spot. The Caucasian people pulled out and headed to the west side and the African American population doubled in size overnight. Sadly, the properties fell into disrepair and the area turned into a far less desirable neighborhood than it is today.

Thirty years later the gentrification of North East Los Angeles began to take shape. The rundown and neglected homes were purchased cheap and renovated, then flipped. North East Los Angeles became a prime target for the real estate investor and buyers of modest means scouting for their first house.

Before long the community was thriving once again and the curb appeal of these older neighborhoods improved. The ongoing restorative movement in Altadena, which began in the nineties, has helped to increase property values. As things get spruced up and the area becomes more attractive and expensive, the buyer naturally becomes more discriminating and sophisticated. Like it or not, right or wrong, he rich get richer, and those of a lower socio-economic status are often driven out. Some call it gentrification. Some call it progress. Once considered to be a common working class neighborhood, Altadena now has a private country club with tennis courts and swimming pools. A remarkable contrast to what was "the other side of the tracks" during the 1980s.

For foodies with a sweet tooth and taste for authentic Italian Gelato, take a drive down East Altadena Drive and find Leo Bulgarini's gelateria. The Rome-born ex-sommelier chose this hot spot to open his gourmet gelato shop and that says it all. The new generation of "Hipsteropolis" bars is also finding its way to this side of town. If you have a good pallet and get a hankering for good French wine, Altadena Ale and Wine House is right around the corner. These specialty shops cater to the elite, which is of course a good sign that the community of Altadena is definitely on the rise.

You can still find a single family home in this glorious horse country for less than half a million. In California's booming real estate market, that is unheard of. It won't be long before the middle class will be priced out so its time for homebuyers to make their move. Start by hiring a real estate agent who specializes in the area and who has proven success assisting buyers and sellers alike in Altadena.

The 4 Benefits of Fix and Flip Loans

Buying a real estate property, repairing and selling it quickly tends to be a profitable recipe. However, a key component of this recipe to success is access to capital. If one does not have sufficient funds but is interested in rehabbing a property, a hard money lender who offers a fix and flip loans could be a great financing option. These loans are structured in such a way that allow a purchaser to quickly acquire the property and have access to a reserve of funds for construction and renovation costs.

Buying a real estate property, repairing and selling it quickly tends to be a profitable recipe.

Advantages of Fix and Flip Loans

There are many advantages to fix and flip loans and the demand for this source of funding is steadily increasing in the real estate investment industry.

Four key benefits include:

Quick Approval: Getting approved for a fix and flip loan is a far quicker process when compared against the traditional banking system. If the borrower has submitted the requested documents, a private lender can approve the loan within a couple of days whereas a traditional financial institution can take at least a month. In addition to the significant longer wait time for bank loan approvals, the borrower will be required to submit numerous documents and clear multiple conditions as part of the process.

Any Property: Properties in varying states of the condition can qualify for a fix and flip loans. Whether the property is bank owned, a short sale, a foreclosure, or in a dilapidated state, a borrower is still likely to find a hard money lender willing to fund the deal. Once again, a borrower may not have the option of funding these types of real estate opportunities with a bank. Banks are very risk averse and have strict rules in place as to what type of property they can accept as part of their loan portfolio.

Zero Prepayment Penalties: If you take out a loan from an established bank, you may be hit with penalties should you have the opportunity to pay the loan off before the maturation date. This is called a prepayment penalty. Most fix and flip lenders will not subject you to this fee.

Repairs Covered: When you buy a property with the intention to flip it, a significant portion of your budget will be spent on construction and renovation costs. A fix and flip lender will usually set up a loan reserve which will cover repair costs of the property in addition to interest. This can alleviate a lot of stress and pressure for builders and developers since they don't have to worry about spending money out of pocket for repairs or payments.
Teaming up with a solid lender who understands your property, the local real estate market, and is willing to help you throughout the acquisition, construction and selling process is vital. When choosing a hard money lender, keep the following in mind:

The lender must have sufficient experience in the industry. A private lender that has deep roots in the real estate investment market will not only be able to offer you a better deal but will also have numerous contacts that will prove helpful along the way - from recommended settlement companies, to permit expeditors and other preferred vendors. This can prove to be a great asset as speed, quality and efficiency is the name of the game in the fix and flip world. The less time you need to spend vetting companies and contractors is more money in your pocket.

Check the history of the lenders to ensure that they are genuine and have a good track record. It may be worth taking a closer look at lenders that tempt borrowers with "teaser rates" or a "no documents" underwriting process. As with most things in life, if it seems too good to be true - it usually is.

Finally, you should check out what previous or current customers have to say. Is the lender responsive and knowledgeable? How many loans do they have on the street? Do they have good ratings on Google or the BBB? Just as the lender performs due diligence on their borrowers, the borrowers should, in turn, conduct due diligence on the hard money lender. It's a partnership and both parties need to be solid and committed to the process in order to ensure success.

Strategies for Improved Efficacy of Construction Project Management Software

The ever-changing digital technology is gradually making life on earth easier and less hassle-free. Benefits of digitization encompass the construction industry as well. These days, a range of efficient construction project management software is readily available to make things easier for those, who are involved with the industry.

The assortment of software applications comes with many innovative features that help managing:

All communication with your subcontractors and crew
Every electronic correspondence
Project schedules
Budget estimation
Timesheets
Site photos and much more
Extra spadework is required
However, if you're planning to get such a helpful software tool to drive your projects to successful completion, here's a word of caution! Just procuring construction project management software will not help you achieve your goal. After all, it's not any magic wand that will do wonders. You need to do some extra spadework, like preparing a foolproof plan, regularly monitoring the work progress, facilitating personal interaction with both the stakeholders and team members. Moreover, it is important to take care of the cash flow to ensure your project(s) wind up on time. To put it in simple words, the more efficient you're in handling your responsibilities in the construction industry, the more efficiency you can expect from the range of software tools.

The core competencies

Now, at this juncture you must be wondering if there's any core competence of the modern software tools. As far as the building and construction industry is concerned, project management software applications help you in the following ways:

Accessing critical information right at your fingertips
Having everyone on the same plane, so that there's no missed information or error
Alternative plans ready at hand to keep the workflow moving
Ensuring systematic progress of every project right from the word 'go'
Facilitating communication with the peers, colleagues, stakeholders and team members even from remote locations
Considering all these benefits the range of software offers, it's obvious that there's hardly any necessity to rework on a module. Thus, project management software helps successful winding up of construction projects right within scheduled deadlines.
Just like any other commercial sphere, the construction industry too expects you to thread in the latest version of technology to achieve greater heights of success faster. However, you should have realistic expectations from technology to help your business grow bigger. Use the web to update your knowledge pool about the benefits these virtual resources offer. This will help you stay at-par with the best performers in the industry.

Affordable Housing for the Middle Class

"What does affordable housing in Gurgaon, with its high-lifestyle, urbanization, and posh-societies look like?" You may think, given that Residential Flats varies in its meaning for different demographic profiles. Especially in the Indian real estate market, affordable housing has a connotation for housing for the lower income group (LIG), by which they too can enjoy a comfortable living and security. With the incumbent government's focus on this section and more on the affordable housing, it seems like the real estate sector has been able to get the boost that it had been waiting for of late.

However, there is an important trend that needs to be taken note of before the government claims that its affordable housing project is a success. The term affordable housing, in different contexts, also has a local meaning. According to this, affordable housing includes housing options for a segment of population that can become potential home buyers in a city. If we take this definition into consideration, there is a sizeable population in every city, which although it will not identify with or fall under the LIG, is equally incapable of allotting a large budget for buying homes. It is not only sensitive and cost-wary but is looking forward to finding a house of a decent budget-size within the realms of the city. A typical example is of the residential flats in Gurgaon, which although are well-furnished, but do not still fall under the budget for the middle class.

When we take this population's demands and needs a little more seriously, we find that there is a dearth of properties in good locations within the city, which buyers can afford. These buyers often have a budget of INR 30-40 lakhs, but more cities including Delhi NCR have a deficit in properties which match this budget range. Usually properties which are around INR 20 lakhs are still on the outskirts lacking good transportation and other facilities required by the urban middle class. This means that there is indeed a requirement for more housing under the affordable housing section, where different demographic profiles can find properties for themselves.

There is an urgent need for developers to come up with budget housing projects in the larger cities. As modern India moves towards development and rising aspirations, affordable housing and the security that comes with it, is increasing. This appears to be a very high opportunity for developers who can count on a boost in the real estate industry. More absorption of the housing projects in the urban cities is also a strong indicator of the socio-economic growth in the country, thereby projecting a positive image. While the demand is strong and only increasing, there are a lot of policy-level changes that need to be introduced.

Not only will the affordable housing for the middle class prove to be a sustainable business model for the future, it will also allow more cities to come up to ranks. More affordable housing projects will assure developers that they do not struggle with inflation or even setbacks in the economy. Another trend that one needs to channelize is that more real estate investors are now eyeing budget and affordable housing projects. Where luxury homes and premium homes find it hard to make it through a rough economy, affordable housing is still on the move. The healthy demand in addition with more money coming in steady from investors means a healthy micro-economy. It is now time for builders and the government to give this proposition a try, ensuring that the overall development of the country happens throughout.

Gurgaon based real estate company's residential flats in Gurgaon include their massive projects of Solera (Sector 107), Synera (Sector 81, NH8) Andour Heights (Sector 71), Orchard Avenue (Sector 93), Grand Iva (Sector 103), Roselia (Sector 95A), Serenas (Sector 36) and The Millennia (Sector 37D). At present, Gurgaon based real estate company's Signum project offers retail shops in Gurugram in sector 36, 95A, 93, 103, 71, 81, and 107.

Understanding Home Closing Costs in Southern California

Looking to buy a house in Northeast Los Angeles - NELA, as it is known - but unclear of the process and amount of money needed? A licensed Realtor can help you figure it out. But for ballpark purposes, it might help to do some preliminary study on your own.

NELA is, after all, one of the hottest markets in all of Los Angeles. Not just the obvious neighborhoods like Glendale and Pasadena, but in smaller, lesser-known neighborhoods.

You might be in love with the schools in Mt. Washington, the housing inventory in Highland Park or the neighborhoods of Eagle Rock, but you have to work through some of these details before you can call any of those places home.

Much is made about closing costs in real estate transactions, and yet these vary for several reasons. The single largest expense, the real estate commission, is covered by the seller (who pays the commission in a split between the buyer's and the seller's agents).

Fees the buyer will need to pay at the closing come with some variation; the following are the largest of such costs at closing:

Homeowner association fees - If the property is a condominium the seller might be in arrears with the homeowners association, in which case you will find this out before entering the sales contract. In distressed circumstances (foreclosures, near-foreclosures and short sales), these fees might amount to thousands of dollars.
Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI) - If your down payment is less than 20% of the price of the property, you will be required to insure the mortgage at between 0.3% and 1.15% of the loan amount.
Origination fee to the lender - Even while you fix your dreams on a Victorian in Glassell Park, a two-unit duplex in Garvanza or fixer-upper in Hermon, you have to go through a large amount of paperwork with a would-be lender to prove your creditworthiness. And yes, they do charge fees at closing for all that fun.
Points - These enable you to change the terms of the loan to your favor if you pay one or more percentage points toward the mortgage amount. If you have the cash and plan to own the property for a decade or longer, paying a point or two upfront can save you much more over time.
Prorated property tax - As the LA tax year begins on July 1, you will need to cover whatever remains in the year in advance from the day of the closing.
Insurance premiums - Protecting the property (as required by all lenders) from damages and liability is required at closing also.
Escrow fees - Third parties performing escrow services need to be compensated for that work. Note that fee structures are not fixed or regulated by the state of California, but are generally set according to the size of the transaction.
Technically speaking there are multiple fees that will be part of the buyer's closing costs but which the seller automatically pays for in a reimbursement. These include the city transfer tax, documentary transfer tax to title and the owners title policy. Multiple other fees under $500 (average) costs include the lender appraisal fee, credit report fee, prorated HOA fees, courier services related to the transaction, notary services, archiving fees, recording trust deed (to title), and loan tie-in fees.
Note that the process of looking at houses and negotiating a price, and perhaps that of qualifying for a loan, are typically more time consuming than the closing itself. An experienced realtor will be able to advise you on all these details, invariably to the point where you are told how much money to bring to the closing and in what form.

Echo Park Real Estate: A Look at the Numbers

From LA's earliest days, people have wanted to live in the storied neighborhoods of NELA. In a densely populated area where residents are always in the process of coming and going, there are always homes for sale in Echo Park at any given time. Since the early 1920's, the real estate here has been in demand and that is how it is today. Why? Let's take a closer look and see what the numbers say.

This is an eclectic city located in Central Los Angeles about ten minutes from Downtown. At the center of the city is the renowned Echo Park Lake in Elysian Park, which is the site of special events like the Lotus Festival. It is northwest of Chinatown and Downtown, northeast of Westlake and south east of Silver Lake.

It is split in to four districts.

• Angelino Heights - This area is known for the beautiful Victorian homes that are preserved by the city's ordinances.

• Elysian Heights - This area is historically known for being the home of famous counter-culture artists, filmmakers, architects and political radicals.

• Historic Filipino town - This section is located in the southwest section.

• Victor Heights - A lovely area scattered with Bungalows and Stucco homes that share breathtaking views of Los Angeles and the Civic Center.

Throughout the four districts, the most common types of homes are Bungalows, Cottages, Victorians and Stuccos. According to the 2000 U.S. Census there were 40,455 people in there. Spread over 2.4 square miles there were approximately 16,868 people per square mile. This makes Echo Park one of the highest density areas in Los Angeles County. The median household income was $37,708, which is low for Los Angeles County. The average household size was 3.0, which is average for the county.

This city has a high Walk Score of 83/100. This means that most errands can be accomplished on foot within the city. This city's transit score is 62. This city has good transit and provides its residents with many public transportation options. These include the Metro Red and Metro Purple Line, numerous bus routes and ride sharing options from Relay Rides. This city received a bike score of 49 because of the steep hills and minimal bike lanes.

According to Zillow, the average home value in Echo Park is $795,100. This value has increased 14.4% since last year and Zillow estimates it will continue to rise 4.3% to $829,000 over the next year. The average price of homes that are currently listed is $742,450. The median list price per square foot is $618, which is higher than the Los Angeles average of $451. The average rental price is $2,967 a month. Zillow has given the Market Health a score of 8.2/10, which is very healthy in comparison to other markets across the country. This is based on a series of metrics including how fast the homes are selling compared to the past rate. Echo Park's prime location and thrilling culture will be sure to keep the housing market rolling for many years to come.

Three Ways to Increase Property Values

Real estate investors live and die by their ability to add value. With no added value, there are no profits. This is true with any business, but what makes real estate such a great business and a great investment, is the number of ways you can add value and cash in on big profits. Here are three ways you can add value to your properties.

Upgrades and Repairs: OK, this is the obvious one and is the reason fix and flippers can make money. Some repairs add a lot more value than it costs to do. The more creative you are with the improvements, the more value you can add. For example, I have a client that adds square footage to every house he buys. He really likes the inner city properties because they are the hardest to add square footage. You either need to finish an unfinished basement, or add a second story. There is not typically enough land on the lot to add an addition by increasing the foot print of the property. This client does a lot of basement finishes and "pop tops," but where he has made the most money is the basement that is only 5 or 6 feet deep. He will go in and dig out the basement to a full 8 or 9 foot height and then finish it. Something most investors would not think of, so he is able to get the deal most other investors pass on. I have also seen some investors find houses that don't really fit into a neighborhood and they make them fit. This could be limited bedrooms or bathrooms or funky floor plans. All of that can be changed. Obviously many cosmetic fixes like kitchens and bathrooms add a lot of value too. There is a lot more to it than this, but the idea is to buy a property at its true 'as is' value, (don't over pay), and then add value with the repairs and upgrades.

Owner Finance: I love this one because it is so easy to add value with very little to no work. You will need to wait to cash in on your profits, but it is a way to increase a sell price significantly. You can also use this strategy to defer tax gains over a few years, instead of taking a big hit all in one year. When you have a property for sale there are a limited number of buyers for the house, although right now that pool of buyers seems pretty big. If you can increase the pool of buyers, the demand for that one house increases, which forces the price to go up. Someone that cannot qualify for an ordinary loan, limiting the supply of houses to choose from for that buyer, will likely buy your property. That also increases the price. You are adding value by giving them the chance to own a home that they normally would not be able to own. For this value, you should be compensated with a higher price and a decent interest rate on the profits, while you wait for the buyer to refinance and pay you off in full.

Shared Units: This is one area of real estate that I have not dabbled in, but it is extremely inviting. The idea here is to sell your property to multiple buyers. You are seeing this a lot in resort towns. It is always a vacation or second home. Have you ever been to a time share presentation? They are pretty enticing aren't they? About 13 years ago my ex wife and I were in Florida and got sucked into a time share sales pitch. We decided to go because they offered us free tickets to Disney. We sat there for about an hour and a half and then the hard sale came. They were very good at selling the "idea" of the time share and had my ex wife sold. She asked me to move forward with the deal, but I could not bring myself to do it. I told her that I was not comfortable with an emotional purchase and that we needed time to think it through. "Can I please have our Disney tickets?" was my response. As we rode back to the hotel that afternoon, I started thinking about the math. Each unit can be sold to 52 different people because your purchase only gets you 1 week a year. Add that to the annual maintenance fees and the numbers are staggering. I know people who have flipped time shares successfully, because you can get them for free or near free on Craigslist, but it is not an investment I was interested in. With that said, I have considered doing a half or quarter share on a house in a ski town in Colorado. In this scenario, you are sharing a house with 1 to 3 other people so there is a ton more flexibility. You can use or rent out your weeks and you can be guaranteed valuable high demand weeks every year. It is a way to get a second home without the full expense. From the seller's point of view, it is a way to get more for the house. ½ a share of a house is going to cost the buyer more than ½ of the fair market value. I have seen business plans from investors that would buy a house and quarter share it out. The idea was that after they improved the property and sold ¾ of the house to 3 different buyers, they would own the last ¼ free and clear. Obviously this strategy will work best in areas where people want second homes. The downside is if there are any improvements or major issues. I can see there being disagreements, so this is something you would want, as a buyer, to work out with all the other owners in writing before you buy.

Echo Park Real Estate: A Look at the Numbers

From LA's earliest days, people have wanted to live in the storied neighborhoods of NELA. In a densely populated area where residents are always in the process of coming and going, there are always homes for sale in Echo Park at any given time. Since the early 1920's, the real estate here has been in demand and that is how it is today. Why? Let's take a closer look and see what the numbers say.

This is an eclectic city located in Central Los Angeles about ten minutes from Downtown. At the center of the city is the renowned Echo Park Lake in Elysian Park, which is the site of special events like the Lotus Festival. It is northwest of Chinatown and Downtown, northeast of Westlake and south east of Silver Lake.

It is split in to four districts.

• Angelino Heights - This area is known for the beautiful Victorian homes that are preserved by the city's ordinances.

• Elysian Heights - This area is historically known for being the home of famous counter-culture artists, filmmakers, architects and political radicals.

• Historic Filipino town - This section is located in the southwest section.

• Victor Heights - A lovely area scattered with Bungalows and Stucco homes that share breathtaking views of Los Angeles and the Civic Center.

Throughout the four districts, the most common types of homes are Bungalows, Cottages, Victorians and Stuccos. According to the 2000 U.S. Census there were 40,455 people in there. Spread over 2.4 square miles there were approximately 16,868 people per square mile. This makes Echo Park one of the highest density areas in Los Angeles County. The median household income was $37,708, which is low for Los Angeles County. The average household size was 3.0, which is average for the county.

This city has a high Walk Score of 83/100. This means that most errands can be accomplished on foot within the city. This city's transit score is 62. This city has good transit and provides its residents with many public transportation options. These include the Metro Red and Metro Purple Line, numerous bus routes and ride sharing options from Relay Rides. This city received a bike score of 49 because of the steep hills and minimal bike lanes.

According to Zillow, the average home value in Echo Park is $795,100. This value has increased 14.4% since last year and Zillow estimates it will continue to rise 4.3% to $829,000 over the next year. The average price of homes that are currently listed is $742,450. The median list price per square foot is $618, which is higher than the Los Angeles average of $451. The average rental price is $2,967 a month. Zillow has given the Market Health a score of 8.2/10, which is very healthy in comparison to other markets across the country. This is based on a series of metrics including how fast the homes are selling compared to the past rate. Echo Park's prime location and thrilling culture will be sure to keep the housing market rolling for many years to come.

Three Ways to Increase Property Values

Real estate investors live and die by their ability to add value. With no added value, there are no profits. This is true with any business, but what makes real estate such a great business and a great investment, is the number of ways you can add value and cash in on big profits. Here are three ways you can add value to your properties.

Upgrades and Repairs: OK, this is the obvious one and is the reason fix and flippers can make money. Some repairs add a lot more value than it costs to do. The more creative you are with the improvements, the more value you can add. For example, I have a client that adds square footage to every house he buys. He really likes the inner city properties because they are the hardest to add square footage. You either need to finish an unfinished basement, or add a second story. There is not typically enough land on the lot to add an addition by increasing the foot print of the property. This client does a lot of basement finishes and "pop tops," but where he has made the most money is the basement that is only 5 or 6 feet deep. He will go in and dig out the basement to a full 8 or 9 foot height and then finish it. Something most investors would not think of, so he is able to get the deal most other investors pass on. I have also seen some investors find houses that don't really fit into a neighborhood and they make them fit. This could be limited bedrooms or bathrooms or funky floor plans. All of that can be changed. Obviously many cosmetic fixes like kitchens and bathrooms add a lot of value too. There is a lot more to it than this, but the idea is to buy a property at its true 'as is' value, (don't over pay), and then add value with the repairs and upgrades.

Owner Finance: I love this one because it is so easy to add value with very little to no work. You will need to wait to cash in on your profits, but it is a way to increase a sell price significantly. You can also use this strategy to defer tax gains over a few years, instead of taking a big hit all in one year. When you have a property for sale there are a limited number of buyers for the house, although right now that pool of buyers seems pretty big. If you can increase the pool of buyers, the demand for that one house increases, which forces the price to go up. Someone that cannot qualify for an ordinary loan, limiting the supply of houses to choose from for that buyer, will likely buy your property. That also increases the price. You are adding value by giving them the chance to own a home that they normally would not be able to own. For this value, you should be compensated with a higher price and a decent interest rate on the profits, while you wait for the buyer to refinance and pay you off in full.

Shared Units: This is one area of real estate that I have not dabbled in, but it is extremely inviting. The idea here is to sell your property to multiple buyers. You are seeing this a lot in resort towns. It is always a vacation or second home. Have you ever been to a time share presentation? They are pretty enticing aren't they? About 13 years ago my ex wife and I were in Florida and got sucked into a time share sales pitch. We decided to go because they offered us free tickets to Disney. We sat there for about an hour and a half and then the hard sale came. They were very good at selling the "idea" of the time share and had my ex wife sold. She asked me to move forward with the deal, but I could not bring myself to do it. I told her that I was not comfortable with an emotional purchase and that we needed time to think it through. "Can I please have our Disney tickets?" was my response. As we rode back to the hotel that afternoon, I started thinking about the math. Each unit can be sold to 52 different people because your purchase only gets you 1 week a year. Add that to the annual maintenance fees and the numbers are staggering. I know people who have flipped time shares successfully, because you can get them for free or near free on Craigslist, but it is not an investment I was interested in. With that said, I have considered doing a half or quarter share on a house in a ski town in Colorado. In this scenario, you are sharing a house with 1 to 3 other people so there is a ton more flexibility. You can use or rent out your weeks and you can be guaranteed valuable high demand weeks every year. It is a way to get a second home without the full expense. From the seller's point of view, it is a way to get more for the house. ½ a share of a house is going to cost the buyer more than ½ of the fair market value. I have seen business plans from investors that would buy a house and quarter share it out. The idea was that after they improved the property and sold ¾ of the house to 3 different buyers, they would own the last ¼ free and clear. Obviously this strategy will work best in areas where people want second homes. The downside is if there are any improvements or major issues. I can see there being disagreements, so this is something you would want, as a buyer, to work out with all the other owners in writing before you buy.

Tricks You Should Play While Dealing With Commercial Landlords

Commercial real estate deals like leasing, renting and purchasing the office space or any other commercial properties can turn out to be disgraceful if you go bland in front of the landlords who are very much experienced in the field.

In order to avoid such things happening, you should be playing some tricks while dealing with commercial landlords.

So, what are those tricks that put you in an upper edge over the landlords in a deal?

There are lots of tricks, but the best and effective ones are here.

1. Don't show your weaknesses

Well, your weakness can be a trump card for the landlords! It's same as in other businesses; people look out for your weaknesses, and you're out if you keep it to display.

Of course, you can't be an expert in all the fields, but how you manage is what matters.

Suppose you are Looking for an Office Space in a specific area and you found one; the office space has all the amenities you were looking for, and you don't want to look for any other spaces. In this case, if the landlords get to know you are in love with the property, definitely you will not be in a good position to negotiate. The landlord may also quote a high price for the property taking your urgency as a benefit.

2. Play like an expert (Even if you're not)

The real estate sector is not for those who are not aware of the field and the market. However, you are looking out for an office space to set your business up, and not to get into the real estate business!

But what you need to know is it's always a benefit for landlords when the tenants are not aware of the market value and the field. You'll be in a position to accept and agree for whatever the landlords say. So, play like an expert even if you are a novice in the field of real estate. As said in the above point, don't let them know that you have no idea about the market value.

3. Make a great first impression!

First impression is always the best impression!

Yes, when you meet the landlord in the deal, try building a great first impression. It definitely makes a huge difference that sometimes the landlords will be convinced for a low rent or the advance amount.

Reducing the cost is not the only reason for making a good impression at first, as there are lots of other benefits like the landlord might not be willing to proffer the space to any others even if they offer high rents. So, build an impression such that the landlord sees you as a potential and trustworthy tenant.

4. Hire a skilled commercial real estate agent

One of the simplest tricks ever to deal with experienced landlords is to hire a skilled commercial real estate agent. An experienced can play all the above mentioned tricks with great ease, and put you in an upper edge in the deal. Even when you are not in a good position to negotiate for a space, a skilled agent can completely turn the deal to your side making it rewarding.

4 Ways To Wholesale Real Estate

Want to invest in real estate with no financial risk and no money or credit? Wholesaling houses is a popular choice. I personally think wholesaling can be a challenging way to get started, but the fact that you can get started in real estate investing without any barrier of entry makes wholesaling an attractive option. If you can get good at this side of the business, you will be success with anything you want to do. The reason I say that is finding deals is what makes a wholesaler successful. If you can get good at finding deals, you have unlimited potential.

Once you find a deal, you need to understand how to sell it to make your profit. Here are four ways you can structure your wholesale properties.

Contract Assignment: This is the easiest, but comes with some risks if not done correctly. It is also somewhat restrictive as bank owned properties will prevent this. This works well when you negotiate your deals directly with the seller. The way this works is you will get a house under contract and then you will assign your rights in the contract to another buyer for a fee. That new buyer will take on the rights and responsibilities in the contract and will close in your place. It is best to get your fee paid up front, but it is very common to get your fee when your buyer buys the house. Here are a few things to keep in mind when assigning contracts.

Be sure that you always disclose to your seller that you are or may assign the agreement to another buyer for a fee. I suggest you actually put this in the contract. Sellers should be OK with this if you are transparent that you are an investor who buys houses for a profit before you start to negotiate.

I would get money from your money that is at least enough to cover any earnest money you put up with your seller. That way if your buyer defaults on the agreement you at least cover your costs. Always try to get the entire fee paid when you assign the contract.

I like this way the best because it is easy to do on your end, it is easy for the buyer and the buyer's lender, and it is the cheapest way to go.

Double Close: This just means that you actually buy the house and then resell it. There are several ways to do this, but the most common is to buy and sell in the same day or within a day. Typically, you will need to bring in financing to get your closing done with the seller, which is why this is my least preferred method to wholesale. Also, because you have two closings you will have two sets of closing costs, so it is the most expensive way too. With that said, some wholesalers prefer this method because they do not have to disclose to the seller their intent to resell and they can both keep their deal with the seller and their deal with their buyer private. It is believed by some that this is a good way to protect your profits. The information will all become public record at some point, but that is well after the closing.

This is the method you will use by default if you do not do your contract on the front end correctly, so we do see double closing frequently.

Flip the Entity: This has become the most common way to wholesale in my market. Most, if not all, the successful wholesalers will use this strategy. Especially when wholesaling foreclosures where contract assignments are forbidden.

The way this works is the wholesaler will set up a separate entity, like an LLC or a Trust, and put that entity as the buyer of the house to be wholesaled. They will then sell the entity itself for a fee. The benefit with using this strategy is that actual contract on the house does not change. Since the buyer of the house is the entity, there are no issues with any regulation or assignment restrictions. The downside is it could be more work because of the extra step to set up the entity, and there could be additional fees to register the entity with the state. The risk for the buyer is whenever you buy a company you are buying all of it. So, if the entity was used in another transaction and owes money to anyone, the new buyer could be on the hook. Knowing this, the best way to do this transaction is with a brand-new entity used for this one purpose.

Relationship Close: I don't know if there is an actual name for this method. In fact, it is rarely seen. What I mean by relationship close is that you have such a strong relationship with a buyer that you write offers in the buyer's name. For this to work, you should be a licensed agent and preview houses for your buyer. You would need to understand their criteria and only offer on houses they will want to buy. I have a client that works this way. He has an agent write his offers and the agent/wholesaler gets paid a commission with each successful closing. They do 2 to 3 deals a month with this strategy. My client just signs contracts without looking at them at this point and trusts what the wholesaler is putting together solid offers. There is always an inspection clause protecting the buyer and the agent, but more than 9 out of 10 houses that go under contract close. That is because the agent/wholesaler knows the business and knows what this buyer will buy.

What Type of Property Should You Start Out Flipping?

Now, you've heard me say it before, and I'm going to say it again, money makes money. I don't want you to forget that. I want you to prove to yourself that you can work hard, stay frugal, and save $50-$100,000. For all of you guys and girls who have saved $50-$100,000, you're probably wondering what to do next.

Where would it be advisable for you to contribute this cash?

You're taking a gander at a wide range of properties and there's a ton of masters out there pitching their own jibber chatter. You're dousing up a ton of data, you're doing your examination, you're viewing the recordings, and you've most likely burned through six to a year (if not longer) on the sidelines considering what you ought to do and how you ought to do it. Yet, learn to expect the unexpected. You folks need to make a move. I require you to make a speculation. I require you to accomplish something at this moment.

Sitting on the sidelines will just give you an establishment to take in the essentials of how to do certain things; it will never give you educational experience. Careful discipline brings about promising results. In the event that you contribute, regardless of the possibility that you wind up losing cash, you will gain quite a lot more from losing it than spending another six to a year or longer perusing on the web gatherings, watching recordings, and going to courses.

Presently, what sort of arrangement would it be a good idea for you to do?

I have no cracking intimation. This is my conviction: when you're beginning your land tries, minimal measure of cash you can contribute will break even with minimal measure of hazard. In this way, if that implies purchasing a D-class property in a harsh zone for a couple stupendous, so be it. I'm a major adherent to making a move, putting your cash where your mouth is, and gaining from the experience whether it's great or terrible. Gain from the experience. Comprehend where you turned out badly. On the off chance that you turned out badly, ensure you don't rehash those same slip-ups. Take what you realized, recreate it, and go into another arrangement. Simply don't commit similar errors.

How about we simply say, speculatively, you're taking a gander at getting one of these very economical properties. Have the mentality that you will light a match and that cash will go poof, however that will be your learning knowledge. I'm glad to state that I lost over a large portion of a million dollars when I began my excursion as a land speculator. I call it my Harvard level of land. The lessons that I gained from those misfortunes have empowered me to be the land financial specialist that I am today. They've Empowered me to be the business person that I am today.

I am presently running two organizations that are doing a great many dollars in income. So when you lose on that D-class property, getting your feet wet and beginning your trip in land, those misfortunes, and the lessons from those misfortunes, will shield you from rehashing botches when there are more chips on the table. Consider it that way.

Conclusion

What kind of class property you should take a gander at flipping? I for one figure you should perceive what you're alright with. Take a gander at how much cash you have spared. Perceive how certain you feel in your capacity, and the capacity of your encompassing group of systems and after that, I say contribute minimal measure of cash. Why? Since that will liken to minimal measure of hazard. I trust that bodes well. I trust you delighted in this article and don't hesitate to leave any inquiries underneath.

Quit Smoking - The Miracle Of Breath

It is easy to take things for granted, things like our health, the people in our lives and even something as simple and automatic such as breathing.

As a child we breathe easily and deeply, as an adult many things change the way we breathe.

Our posture, our stress, and of course smoking. Breathing is the only automatic process that we can control or override.

A child can hold their breath to get something they want. We can stop breathing to swim underwater, and we can breathe slowly and deeply to relax and release stress.

Breathing is certainly a big part of the miracle of living, but smoking interferes with that miracle 24 hours a day. As a smoker every breathe is slightly labored, causing your heart to work a little harder to supply your muscles and brain with enough oxygen to move and think.

But under load such as climbing stairs or exercising that heart stress is more noticeable as you struggle to suck in enough oxygen and many people find themselves puffing on exertion.

An average persons heart will beat 115,200 times per day. If your breathing is just restricted by 5% that means an extra 5760 beats per day. 2,102,400 per year or 42,048,000 over 20 years which is the average time a person smokes.

And it does all of this to not even give you the same energy as a non-smoker.

Your heart is not a super human machine, it will feel the strain, and between the impact of reduced circulation in your arteries and a stressed heart it is little surprise that smoking causes heart disease and heart attacks.

Unless you have been on another planet for your smoking life you would already know this, but have you ever stopped to think about exactly how it affects your heart, and do you care?

The figures above are based on a 5% reduction but it could easily be much more. I see clients who are breathing hard from just walking a short distance from their car to my clinic.

I notice that even after sitting in a chair for more than 30 minutes their breathing remains a little strained. This is a hard way to live, when you reach this stage your life becomes restricted, you have little energy for life and even your sleep will be compromised.

When you quit smoking within a week you will breathe a little easier, and in six months your heart will be much healthier.

Quit Smoking - The Important 70/30 Number Tips

It is not uncommon for smoking clients to come to see a hypnotherapist and expect the therapist to fix them. In my early days before I knew better, when a client would sit down with an attitude of solve my problem I would work extra hard to help them.

Now if it happens and it's rare I immediately challenge them and question whether the consultation should even go ahead.

As a new therapist I imagined that would be the hypnosis master and fix the world. It didn't take me long to realise something very important.

As much as my ego would like to think otherwise I am only a part of the solution. I guess that is about 30%.

The good and bad news is that it is you who are the remaining 70%. So you can see that if you want your therapist to fix you, then at best you have a 30% chance of success.

The question to ask yourself is, do I want to quit smoking or do I just want to play around and see what happens?

So back to the 70%, and what exactly you have to do. The surprising thing is very little, but what you do has to be done right. These things are from my perspective and the way I run my clinic, based on my experience and what I see as the best way to succeed.

You must be 100% committed to yourself and your quitting success. It doesn't matter if you are nervous or anxious, your commitment is critical.

You will be asked to watch a couple of videos and apply the strategies presented. These strategies are about you having a less stressful life and not just about quitting smoking.

You are given a questionnaire and asked to be as specific as possible when completing it. I've seen clients arrive with a partially completed form with the excuse that they didn't have time. I say if you can't find 20 minutes to do your form then don't come in.

Be fully engaged in the hypnosis session and expect success.

Use the strategies I teach you to manage any periods of stress, which could lead to smoking, plus use them to manage any cravings if they occur.

As you can see none of the 70% things I ask of you are difficult, so if you do them I can bring my 30% which is the magic sauce which will ensure you become a non-smoker for life.

Quitting Smoking - Why a Tiny Bacteria Matters

A long long time ago a tiny bacteria entered the human body and took up long term residence in every one of our cells. We now call them mitochondria, and they are the engines of our energy production.

They still have their own DNA and are seen as predictors of our lifespan. An average 70 year old has only half the mitochondria of a 35 year old, and this explains why we have less horsepower as we age.

This is the average, but at 83 my father had my cardio capacity than most 35 year olds. He cared for his diet, he cycled every day and importantly he never smoked.

The mitochondria are a direct target for environmental toxins and cigarette smoke is a directly introduced toxin with a perfect delivery system.

Even though every cell is affected some will be targeted more than others, such as those in your heart cells and cells in your arteries.

For you as a smoker it means you will age much faster than you normally would. Along the way you will generate much less energy and other cells such as those involved with your immune system.

In short you will feel tired, you will get sick more often and you will have less ability to heal when unwell.

It's hard to think about things as small as mitochondria, and understand how they can make so much difference in our lives.

Imagine you go to the beach and you see hundreds of jellyfish slowly swimming by in the clear clean water.

Now imagine the water is still and murky, made toxic by pollution. The jellyfish will become slow and many will wash up dead on the shore.

Now think of your mitochondria as those jellyfish. But if you remove the pollution those surviving jellyfish will come back to health and move freely.

This whole sorry tale about these ancient bacteria doesn't have to be your story; you can quit smoking even if you believe you can't. It's possible; it's do-able with the right help and your commitment.

The harsh reality is every year older you are, when you quit smoking your mitochondria will have a harder time bouncing back. But if you don't quit then you really can't expect to be very active in your old age.

And you really will need at least enough energy to carry your oxygen bottle with you, unless you can attach it to your wheel chair! Not very friendly but true none the less.

How To Quit Smoking Now With The Best Stop Smoking Aid

With so many suggestions and tips on the best way to quit smoking it is truly simple to see why numerous individuals really do not stop.

The fact is that with so many details passed around that is puzzling to individuals, it is typically much simpler to continue cigarette smoking and hoping for a simple solution.

But let me state right up front, the best stop smoking aid is your power of choice to do so!

When you ask yourself, how can I quit smoking, understand that really taking the essential actions to actually quit cigarette smoking is not easy, but that you have a willingness and readiness to quit smoking now.

Go within, and is why I urge mindfulness training, ask your inner guidance system-- which the Course in Miracles terms the Holy Spirit, to help you.

The Course in Miracles states, "This invitation is accepted immediately, and the Holy Spirit wastes no time in introducing the practical results of asking Him to enter."

The majority of people are easily aware that the best way to quit smoking is in understanding that smoking can harm their health, but discovering the best stop smoking aid can be quite difficult.

With a lot of temptations flowing around, as well as the tensions of life it is easy to see why jumping into a pack of cigarettes seems like a smart idea.

The best way to quit smoking is in the power of choice to do so.

Simply choosing to give up because the sky is blue is not a sufficient reason. The need to give up cigarette smoking is obvious, but the desire to quit needs to originate from within in order for the process to be successful.

You are not most likely to just stop cold turkey with no complications. Set up small rewards that will assist you to want to make progress to ultimately quitting.

Also of the best way to quit smoking is to plan out your giving up method.

If after a time, state 6 weeks you have not stopped, deal with a new plan.

Work to conquer your struggles to quit smoking now. If you are smoking due to demanding things in your life, you have to deal with the tension prior to, you can effectively stop. Regardless of the reason why you are smoking cigarettes, it needs to be handled in able to stop for good.

Set up a punishment for yourself.

If you typically stop at Starbucks every day for a coffee you might consider avoiding that on days when you have disappointed your goals for smoking cigarettes. Whatever punishment you pick, make sure it is something that you care about.

To quit smoking now ask for assistance from your friends and family. Even when you find the best way to quit smoking, you will need support and assistance as you are aiming to stop, and this will assist you to guarantee that you are not alone in the whole procedure.

Look for somebody to quit along with you. Working to stop smoking is not simple, but hard jobs are much simpler to achieve with a partner.

The task of quitting smoking is rather tough. This is extremely disadvantageous to your objective of stopping cigarette smoking for good.

Aim to quit and never turning back.

This might appear a bit weird, but if you are simply preparing to quit for a weekend you are not going to put much effort into the procedure. If you are planning to quit for excellent, a lot more time and effort is going to go into the procedure as well as your strategy to quit.

Look for methods to take your mind off cigarettes. If you are constantly thinking about cigarettes, you might discover that you are much more lured to smoke.

Reading a book, exercising, talking on the phone, surfing the web and even cooking are all terrific methods to inhabit your mind and keep from considering when your last cigarette was.

The best way to quit smoking is in the power of choice to begin taking action on the needed steps.

The requirement to give up cigarette smoking is apparent, however the desire to quit requirements must come from within you, from your inner core to make the decision, in order for the process to be successful.

Remember, regardless of the reason you are smoking, it needs to be dealt with and surveyed, but without criticizing or judging, in able to give up the smokes for good.

Who Smokes More - Men or Women?

Is a cigarette a bad medicine?

Yeah, we know smoking is dangerous.

Smoking kills!

The government should ban cigarettes.

Let me ask you a simple question," Who smokes more -Men or Women?

I know it is not the smartest question to be asked but surely not the dumbest one either.

If the same question came up 5- 10 years ago, the answer would have been very simple but now think twice before saying anything.

According to the recent research conducted by World Health Organization (WHO), 12 percent of world smokers reside in India.

A study suggests that in India smoking is 8 times more frequent in men than women. So this answers the obvious question asked. But we all know there is a huge difference between men and women's population in India. The most interesting fact is the ratio of women smokers have gone up in last two years. Interesting isn't? As per the report of World Lung Foundation, third highest female tobacco users are from India in the world. As per the research, out of the estimated 11.9 million female consumers of tobacco in India, 5.4 are those who smoke and rest of them chews the leaves. Surprisingly second largest number of female smokers are from India only next to America. Now, who would have seen this coming considering the fact that they are suppressed here more than any other place in the world?

Let's go back to 20th century when smoking amongst women was still considered as taboo They were seen as the reincarnation of a goddess. (I don't know which one to name as we have so many of them). The only thing taught to them was looking after their husband and families. I am not suggesting that they were not capable enough to make a career in the corporate world but for most of them, professional success didn't matter as much as being a successful housewife did. Being raised in the orthodox family culture could be the main reason behind all of that. Like the other day I met this old lady in the bar, she appeared to be around in her mid fifty's. When I saw her smoking, I couldn't control myself so I struck the conversation and asked her for how long she had been smoking, to which she replied and I quote, " Since the time she turned 15." She said that it was not easy to be a lady smoker in those days as it was considered as frowned upon in the society. She always had to do it in isolated areas so that no one could catch her doing it.

So, this explains a lot about the orthodox frame of mind of Indian societies in the late 20th century times.

Now let's come back to the present time. Apparently, there is a huge rise in women smokers in comparison to men in India now. Yes, we feel very proud to see women matching up with men at every level. Tables have turned around in last two decades or so but giving competition to them in smoking is the last thing they would ever want. It's bad enough that there are already millions of men smokers in India; we don't want women to add to that numbers for sure. Same applies to men too.

And this calls for another question.

Why do we smoke after all?

Irrespective of whether it is woman smoker or men, there can be many theories of why we get into this bad habit after all. I guess it has a lot to do with the society only. It's funny though because earlier also society was one of the main reason for us not to smoke due to its orthodox way of perceiving things. Who would have thought one thing which kept us away from a bad habit, gave us away eventually to it. I know a lot of people will argue with the fact that it's one's own responsibility to stay away from bad influence but is that bad influence not a part of our society? It is, isn't? And when it is around us all the time then how can it be ignored.

I had a very interesting conversation with this person I knew, she said she tends to take a puff when she is tensed, it soothes her nerves apparently. It's not surprising because a lot of people says the same thing. Don't they?

One of my friends said that the only reason he got into this habit is that of his boss being a chain smoker. Whenever he took a break to fire a puff or two, he would always talk to him about what he needs to improve in his work to get a promotion or hike. So, to gain a good chance of getting a promotion, would you not smoke with your boss? He asked me.

Few of the folks I know are of the opinion that people tend to attract towards it when they go through tough times for instance break ups in relationships, it's the time when they are feeling so low, they would go for anything new no matter how infectious and addictive it is for them, just to get that move through the difficult times. The only thing which is beyond my understanding is when people do it just to look cool. Like this guy I knew, he used to tell me that smoking has become a part of fashion these days.

How uncool is that? What does damaging your lungs have to do with fashion?

They will give so many reasons to why one gets into this disastrous habit but all I can say is that It has nothing to do with above reasons, I strongly feel that whosoever does it are weak from inside. Smoking doesn't have anything to do with helping one in depression or stress, it's all in our mind. Even though we all know the consequences of doing so, yet we succumb to it every time.

Well, I am not proud to say this but it's a fact that smoking has become a part of our daily routine nowadays which includes nonsmoker as well as they too are around the smokers playing the role of passive smokers. Unfortunately, it seems like they have made it like an addictive bad medicine, though it is seriously injurious to our health yet we feel that it is helping us with our day to day stress problems, appalling enough, isn't it?

How Much Money Will I Save If I Stop Smoking Weed?

There is always a question of how to stop smoking, but have you ever thought about the price point? It has been said that smokers that quit cigarettes will be able to save hundreds if not thousands of dollars annually by quitting smoking tobacco. But what about weed? How much money could you save if you were to stop smoking weed? That's an interesting element to consider, and one that most people may not know how to consider. The following may very well show you how much money you can save if you stop smoking weed.

The Price Points Vary

Unlike tobacco, weed can cost a lot of money, or it can cost very little depending on what you're getting, and where you're getting it from. Some individuals are buying legal products from states that allow recreational use. Those people are spending a lot in taxes, and could find one pre-roll could cost $10.

Assuming you were taking one preroll a day, you would be spending $10 a day, which is $300 a month on weed. But what if you smoked 2 or more a day? That's multiples of 2 and even more. Some heavy users smoke 3 to 4 a day, that's $40 a day on this habit, and could lead to thousands of dollars.

Rolling Your Own

Let's assume that you're rolling your own or perhaps using a pipe. You would have to look into the price of the stuff you're buying, which can vary. High quality options by the ounce could cost you upwards of hundreds of dollars, depending on the strain, the location you're buying from, and how much you're buying.

Some individuals buy large quantities that are legal, and others that are illegal. Whatever the case may be, as you look at the price points, and your frequency, you'll find that it's not a surprise that you could be investing thousands of dollars a year for weed.

Saving Money

Not sure how much you will save? Just think about how much you're using on a week, and then start to look at the bigger picture. Next time you buy, write down a note as to how much you've spent. Do this regularly, and then add up the money you're spending. You'll find that you could very well be spending all of your money for this, and that's never a good thing. Just look at the money, and where it's going. Be a good accountant for a short span, and you'll be stunned by the money you're spending and could be saving.

There is no "one" way to look at this. Many people smoke a small amount, and others smoke a lot. What is going to be the price point that shows how much you're spending? Well, that's a matter of you considering how much you're smoking, when you smoke the most, and what you're smoking overall. There's a lot of different factors that come into this, mind you. It's a positive thing to consider, and something that you shouldn't take for granted if you want to save money.

Quit Smoking - The Certainties and Uncertainties Of Life

Anthony Robins states that two of the needs of people are certainty and uncertainty.

Unfortunately smoking provides both of these needs, but in a negative way. As a smoker you live constantly with the 

certainty that 30% of all cancer deaths are related to smoking and that a whopping 87% of all lung cancer is smoking 

related, and that as a smoker you increase your chance of getting lung cancer by 23 times.

These statistics are scary, but in addition to that certainty, you also live with the uncertainty that you may or may not 

in the group who dies or becomes very sick or in the group whose lives are only moderately affected by smoking.

Having worked with over 2000 smokers I cannot recall having meet a smoker who has smoked more than 10 years who does not 

have breathing problems at the very least. So I guess you can be certain that smoking will get you.

The only question is how fast and how badly. Of course there is another layer of uncertainty. You may succumb to 

emphysema, but that doesn't stop you from having diabetes, low bone density, fertility and sexual function problems, 

peptic ulcers, asthma, cancer, stroke, heart disease and bronchitis.

An especially unlucky smoker may have a dozen or more smoking related problems, all at once. And this is entirely 

possible, because your body is one big interconnected unit, and when it starts to break down or fail, it can happen in 

multiple systems.

This would require many medical specialists, many pharmaceuticals and perhaps several visits to surgery, and a big part of 

your life given over to sitting in medical waiting rooms and managing your daily medications.

So why not flip the switch to another type of certainty. The certainty that every day you live as non-smoker the healthier 

you will get.

Of course you will always live with a degree of uncertainty because of your past smoking history, but you can even improve 

those odds by adopting a healthy diet and treating your body and mind to regular exercise and relaxation.

The good news and the bad news is that some of this certainty and uncertainty is lodged firmly in your hands. So the 

question is, what will you do, will you bite the bullet and book a hypnosis session to ease your mind and improve your 

chances or will you roll the dice of uncertainty?

How Smoking Affects Your Hormones

A side effect of smoking you may not have considered is the effect on the hormone estrogen. Women are familiar with this but males also require a small amount to enjoy good health.

Nicotine and the combination of the thousands of toxic chemicals in a burning cigarette can reduce or completely cancel the effect of orally administered oestrogens.

This can increase hot flushes and raise LDL cholesterol and therefore make worse the symptoms of menopause.

For men smoking is a sure way to drastically impact your sex life. Nicotine is considered an anti Viagra compound. It lowers nitric oxide which is important to increase blood flow in the penis and constricts blood vessels.

Smoking raises LDL which is considered the bad cholesterol. Cholesterol is a hormone like compound found in every cell in the body and is instrumental in the production of testosterone, estrogen, DHEA and progesterone.

We need cholesterol but if the LDL is to high relative to the HDL and your insulin is high because of too much sugar then the flow on effect is increased inflammation and hormone disruption.

All of these hormones are produced in the adrenal glands and smoking stresses the adrenals affecting all the other hormones in this group.

Many smokers believe that smoking will relieve stress but the opposite is what happens. After a brief period of relaxation your body produces excessive cortisol which is a stress hormone.

Smoking causes your adrenals to secrete more cortisol which is the main stress hormone This makes you feel stressed and anxious.

Over time this increased stress affects the HPA and The HPT. The HPA is the hyperthalmic pituitary adrenal access and impacts all hormones produced in the adrenals such as DHEA, which is your live long and feel good hormone.

The HPT is the hyperthalic pituitary thyroid axis and controls how much thyroid stimulating hormone is produced which controls your levels of thyroid hormone.

The result of smoking on your HPT and HPA is that your hormonal balance is severely affected, which impacts weight loss, sleep and energy just to name a few problems.

This affects your sex life, your energy, your sleep, your capacity to think and that's just the start.

When cortisol is too high across the day your normal melatonin production will be diminished. Melatonin is your sleep hormone so you need it or you will suffer.

Compounds in cigarettes affect your thyroid, the cyanide in cigarettes inhibits thyroid function and both under active and over active thyroid is made worse by smoking.

One of the main ways we influence our cells is via hormones. They determine if our cells are in a healthy growth phase or in a stressed out protective phase. To be blunt smoking is hard on your cells, and considering you have 50 billion of them you do not want them to under pressure.

The other way we influence our cells is va nutrients in the blood stream. So if your blood is pumping toxic chemicals and dirty oxygen to everyone single one of those 50 billion cells then you are in trouble.

A whole lot of these cells make up organs like your thyroid or adrenals, so here again is the effect that smoking is having on your hormones.

So if you want to make happy hormones, if you want your health to be as good as possible then you have to quit, and the best way to quit is with hypnosis. Fast, effective, low stress and the best way to go.

If you don't quit you may need a whole raft of hormone medications to try and correct a problem which is being recreated by your habit. The good news is that you can fix this.

Quitting Smoking - Is Poor Breathing Really Good Enough?

If you are prepared to settle with 3rd or 4th best in life then smoking might be OK for you. You know for sure that smoking affects your breathing.

How much it affects you is in the lap of the gods. Your genes, luck, your diet, how fit you are, how many you smoke and for how long, all these things will impact how much your breathing will suffer.

Your cardiovascular capacity is in a large part determined by how much oxygen you can get to your muscles.

Your endurance and even your ability to climb stairs depends on your breathing.

I always ask my smoking clients how much they are affected by smoking, and some of the younger ones deny any problem with their lungs.

The fact is they are in one of two categories.

They are couch potatoes who never push their bodies to perform.

They are fooling themselves, feeling bullet proof because they are young.

For those who exercise hard and feel that smoking isn't an issue, they have no way to compare how they would be if they were non-smokers. Medical science knows exactly how smoking and combusted toxic smoke affects the internal workings of your lungs and every cell in your body.

Breathing is a unique activity. We breathe automatically, whether awake or asleep. We breathe harder and faster when we exert energy to compensate and keep our muscles firing.

But we can control our breathing to relax and calm our selves. We can use breath to control many functions in the ways of the Yogi's and the Qigong masters.

We can breathe deeply to prepare ourselves mentally and physically whether it be, to tackle a difficult conversation or to break bricks with our bare hands.

It's been proven that cycles of deep breathing can cause our blood to become more alkaline and to even regulate our immune systems.

If you take a moment to reflect on all the amazing things that breathing offers us, then perhaps you may want to reconsider smoking. Or if you want to quit but don't think you can, then use the information here to motivate you to do it.

If you use hypnosis to help you quit then your transition will be as painless as possible and faster and easier than you may have ever imagined.

You can do it, you can use your lungs in the way that they were intended to work, before you started lighting fires in your lungs.

Quitting Smoking - Why Hypnosis Is Your Best Option

There are lots of good research reasons why hypnosis is your best quit smoking option, such as a meta study of 600 studies showing that hypnosis is 15 times as successful as cold turkey and three times better than nicotine replacement therapy.

But there are even better reasons for using hypnosis. And the best of all reasons is that you are a human being and most of your smoking reasons are human reasons not some brain addiction.

I'm sure you realise that most of your daily cigarettes are related to people, places, times and events.

You relax on your outdoors veranda and you light up, not because you are suddenly deficient in nicotine but because you have a smoking association with your veranda, and most likely a specific chair.

You walk outside and sit in that chair so it follows that you will smoke, because that is exactly what you have done numerous times before.

If you were to analyse your daily smoking habits you would realise that most of your cigarettes are connected to something else.

Research shows that the perfect way to create a new habit is to link the desired habit to another common activity. Over time we establish new habits.

Your smoking is exactly the same. You smoke when on the phone, or driving or with a coffee or a glass of wine etc

All of these are just habits which have been re-enforced countless times until it feels like you can't do these things without a cigarette, and this is why it feels so difficult to quit smoking.

Hypnosis goes to the heart of these kinds of habits. The difference is that while it takes some time to make your smoking connections or even a positive habit stick, hypnosis will allow you to let go of those smoking habits usually in one or two sessions.

The best news is that hypnosis is stress free and pain free. The only requirement is that you want to make the required change and that you commit yourself fully to the process.

After you have quit smoking there may be a short period when doing your regular things feels a little odd without smoking. But just remember that every day you are a non-smoker you are re-enforcing new habits, such as sitting on your veranda without a cigarette, maybe a cup of tea or a beer.

To make that easier it could pay to sit in a different chair, while this may seem trivial, being creatures of habit little things can make all the difference.

Quitting Smoking And Big Upsets

Most smokers recognise that they use cigarettes to manage stress. Unfortunately nicotine isn't actually very useful for this but smoking does distract your thoughts for a few moments.

After you quit it is important to have a plan in place to deal with any big upsets which come your way.

A recent client who was very nervous about quitting did very well for 5 days, no desire for a cigarette and reported that she felt really excited about how her new life as a non-smoker would pan out, especially as she would have a lot more money in her purse each week.

But she had a big upset with a family member and went outside to her car, where against my advice she still had some cigarettes. She smoked and quickly regretted it. An important point is that if she had discarded her smokes, it would have been a big effort to get more and she would have given herself a buffer zone to calm down.

When she came in for her follow up session 8 days after quitting she said that she had only had one smoke that day, and when I had her hold her cigarettes to her nose and inhale she had almost no interest.

If she hadn't come back in she would have crept back to smoking over 25 per day within a week or so.

What this meant to me was that she had been successful in quitting but didn't put my advice into play in the event of strong stress.

In that session we barely mentioned smoking, but instead we worked on reducing the stress she felt with her family member and designed a future strategy when this problem surfaced again, which was about 100% certain. She left feeling calm and confident and was successful as a non-smoker.

For everyone who quits smoking, there is a thing called life which is going to bite you sooner or later. To not have a plan to manage such situations will surely lead to disaster.

I recommend you treat it like a fire drill. Actually create and write down what you will do if a big stress lands in your lap. It's an if, then strategy.

Simply put if problem X happens then I will do Y. Without such a strategy then you will slip into reactive stress mode and it's possible that there will be a cigarette close at hand.

So what is your plan to manage the next life challenge?

How Smoking Can Destroy Your Health in 10 Ways

There is a trend in smoking and you can see people smoking no matter where you go. Young people smoke because they get influenced by their friends. Young people who start smoking in their teenage years usually will continue until their adult years. Perhaps you will change your mind and make up the decision of stop smoking when you are informed about the bad effects of tobacco smoke and how it can harm your health in many ways. The following are the 10 bad effects of smoking on your body.

1. Premature Aging
Smoking makes you age at a faster rate so that you look older than your age. Because of the premature aging effect, you will notice your skin developing lots of wrinkles and having a leathery texture. Nicotine is responsible for narrowing the blood vessels on the outer skin layer so that lesser oxygen can reach your skin. As a result, your skin cannot obtain important vitamins such as vitamin A.

2. Inflammation on Stomach Lining
Smoking causes inflammation in the stomach lining and encourages the development of ulcers. Nicotine will induce the stomach to produce a higher amount of acid which in turn can increase your risk of developing ulcers. Many smokers suffer from ulcers in the duodenum and esophagus. If you continue to smoke, it will take a longer time for you to fully recover from the stomach ulcer even if you are taking a prescription.

3. Acid Reflux
Nicotine from the tobacco can weaken the sphincter muscles, a ring of muscle in the lower esophagus. The sphincter muscle facilitates the food passage from the esophagus to the stomach and makes sure the stomach acid flows toward the stomach. When the muscle is weakened, the stomach acid will flow up to the esophagus causing the person to suffer from acid reflux.

4. Atherosclerosis
Smoking can cause plaque to build up inside the blood vessel and increases your chances of developing atherosclerosis. In atherosclerosis, the plaques that have been built up in your blood vessels become hardened and narrow the passageways of your arteries. When the blood vessels become narrow, the blood that travels to your heart will carry lesser oxygen. People with atherosclerosis also tend to suffer from coronary heart disease and peripheral artery disease.

5. Oral Problems
Yellow teeth discoloration is one of the most obvious bad effects of smoking. The tartar from the tobacco can also cause brown stains that build up on the edge of your teeth. The acidic cigarette smoke can cause cavities in your teeth so that you suffer from toothache. Smoking can cause receding gum lines exposing more of the tooth. People who smoke regularly also tend to suffer from various types of gum diseases such as gingivitis and leukoplakia.

6. Bone Injury
Smoking can weaken your bone so that it is easier for you to get bone injury. In the cigarette smoke, there is a chemical that can reduce your body's ability to absorb calcium. Calcium is an important mineral required for a healthy bone. When your body can't absorb calcium properly, you will have weaker bone and suffer from bone related problems such as rheumatoid arthritis. Long term smoking can reduce the overall bone mass density and increases the chances of develop osteoporosis.

7. Damage to Fetal Development
Smoking can cause damage to a fetus that is still in development inside the womb of a pregnant mother. Many women who smoke during pregnancy deliver babies with health problems such as heart problems, cleft lips/cleft palate, and high blood pressure. The baby that is born tends to have low birth weight or they are born prematurely. Smoking also increases the chances of miscarriage, delivering a stillborn baby and sudden infant death syndrome. If you don't want to give birth to an unhealthy baby, you should stay away from smoking.

8. Make Your Lungs Black
The tar of the cigarette smoke that you inhale can build up on your lungs and make them black over time. The tar will deposit in the bronchioles one by one until the entire lung becomes black. Smoking can damage the cilia, a structure that brush away particles that enters into your lung. When the cilia is damaged, it will no longer be able to remove the tar that you inhale and you will find yourself coughing as your lung work harder to remove it. Smoking can lead to diseases such as emphysema, COPD, lung cancer, and breathlessness.

9. Cortical Thinning
Cigarette smoke can cause cortical thinning and deteriorates cognitive function of the person. Corthical thinning not only causes minor problems such as short term memory loss. Too much dopamine can cause the smoker to suffer from psychotic illnesses such as Alzheimer disease, Parkinson's disease and schizophrenia. Cortical recovery can take place weeks or years later after you quit smoking depending on how much cigarettes you have smoked.

10. Type 2 Diabetes
Research has shown that smoking is link to Type 2 diabetes, the most common type of diabetes disease in the world. People who smoke are 40% more likely to contract diabetes. Smoking causes you to have problem with insulin dosing and makes it harder for you to control your diabetes. Diabetes can lead to other problems such as heart disease, kidney disease, blindness, and damage to the nervous system. Type 2 diabetes can cause poor blood circulation and slow down the healing process of any wound that appears on your body. When the wound is slow in healing, the tissue around it will rot. Ultimately, you will have to resolve to amputate the body part to prevent the infection from spreading to other part of the body.

Conclusion
In conclusion, even though you don't see any of these symptoms now, you should not feel safe about continuing your cigarette smoking habit. This is because they take time to develop and you don't know the bad effects that are happening inside your body while you are smoking. So, if you don't want to suffer from these harmful effects, you should take actions to help yourself quit smoking now.