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Archive for December, 2009

Accommodation Madrid Adds Alluring Color To Your Holidays In Madrid

Thinking of a holiday trip with difference? Forget the earlier process of booking for holidays involved visiting travel agents and collecting information of places, tickets and accommodation at that place. Emergence of internet has made it easy for the holiday consumers to book any suitable and efficient holiday package online. Imagine an elegant accommodation in Madrid during your holiday trip to that place. Is it easy! Yes it is. ChicRentals bring you the most apposite service of booking accommodation Madrid for you feasible for your days of relaxation in Madrid.

Holidays in Spain are the most sought after tourist place next to France. The Spanish capital Madrid is a splendid place to take your feet away to an enticing world. For its favorable weather condition and hospitable people it has carved its name among the most popular tourist destinations. Hence, tourist from far away countries long for accommodation Madrid to enjoy the intriguing city during their holidays. We at ChikRentals do the hectic job of booking an accommodation in Madrid for you to help you spend time during an elegant stay. We select the apartments for you that are strictly based on the criteria of decoration and comfort. You will get the accommodation starting from the shoe-string level to most sophisticated ones befitting your holiday plans.

We believe in providing feel-at-home service to every customer as our goal is your satisfaction. You can book your accommodation Madrid through our website or by telephone. We also receive payment through credit cards for your convenience. Once reservation of your accommodation in Madrid is confirmed, we email or fax you about that. You will be informed about the details about the booked apartment through the email or fax. Our staff will receive you upon your arrival to the apartment whose name and procedure to contact him would be there in the fax or email sent to you. You can pay only 30%PRCTG% of the total amount during reservation of your accommodation Madrid; rest of the amount is payable after arrival.

If you are caught by last minute quandary contact us at our email address or by telephone. We can book your accommodation Madrid that best suits to your budget and preference of room.

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Appealing Business Personal Property Tax Assessments in Texas

“Collecting more taxes than is necessary is legalized robbery.” These words of wisdom, spoken by the 13th president of the United States, Calvin Coolidge, still ring true in today’s society for homeowners and business owners. Robbery may seem like a harsh word, but what would you say if someone tried to sell you one-year-old motel sheets for 90%PRCTG% of the original cost? Based on the appraisal district’s depreciation schedule, this is a fair deal.

Most people would not consider this a fair deal and either reject the offer or request a lower price. This should be the same thought process when the appraisal district overassesses your business personal property (BPP). Texas law requires business owners to report BPP, personal property used for the production of income, to the appraisal district for assessment and taxation. Although there are no criminal penalties for not complying with the law, there is a penalty of 10%PRCTG% of the taxes. For example, if you have a BPP account assessed for %100,000, your annual BPP taxes are %3,000, based on a 3%PRCTG% tax rate. The 10%PRCTG% penalty for this BPP account would be %300 (%3,000 times 10%PRCTG% equals %300).

The huge range of assessed value for business personal property (BPP) makes obtaining substantial property tax reductions highly probable. It is not unusual for the range of assessed value for BPP accounts for similar properties to vary by 5,000%PRCTG%! For example, furniture and computers for companies within the same office building sometimes vary from %1 to %50 per square foot. Market value and unequal appraisal are two options for appealing BPP assessments. Given the inequity in BPP assessments and the subjectivity of valuing BPP, property owners have a high probability of success when properly prepared for a BPP assessment appeal. Protest both market value and unequal appraisal.

How to appeal?

To appeal your BPP, you can either use the Comptroller’s form, or send a letter to the appraisal review board (ARB) on or before May 31st of each year. The protest letter to the ARB should identify the property and the reason for your protest (section 41.44d of the Texas Property Tax Code).

Tips:

? Since the appraisal district’s staff tends to become more motivated to resolve appeals later in the season versus earlier in the season, it is better to appeal or protest on May 31st or shortly before the deadline date.
? Even if you do not receive a notice of assessed value for your BPP account, it is still important to send a written notice of appeal or protest. The appraisal district does not have to send a notice of your assessed value if the value does not change by more than %1,000. If the notice of assessed value gets lost in the mail, and you do not send a protest notice, you lose your right to appeal for the current year.
When sending a notice of appeal to the ARB, also send the appraisal district a House Bill 201 request. House Bill 201 refers to section 41.461 of the Texas Property Tax Code that allows property owners to obtain a copy of any evidence the appraisal district plans to use at the ARB hearing 14 days before the hearing. This request prohibits the appraisal district from using any information that was not provided to the property owner 14 days before the ARB hearing.

Market Value, Book Value & Comptroller Schedule

Three popular options for describing value for BPP are: market value, book value, and the Comptroller’s schedule. Market value is defined in section 1.04(7) of the Texas Property Tax Code that reads as follows:

“Market value” means the price at which a property would transfer for cash or its equivalent under prevailing market conditions if:

(a) exposed for sale in the open market with a reasonable time for the seller to find a purchaser,
(b) Both the seller and the purchaser know of all the uses and purposes to which the property is adapted and for which it is capable of being used and of the enforceable restrictions on its use, and
(c) Both the seller and the purchaser seek to maximize their gains and neither is in a position to take advantage of the exigencies of the other.

Let’s compare the differences in value resulting from using market value, book value and the Comptroller’s schedule. The BPP for a typical motel room includes items such as bedding, linens, window air-conditioning unit, towels and a television. Based on market value, after one year, these types of items could probably only be sold for 10%PRCTG% to 30%PRCTG% of the original cost. Book value, based on federal depreciation schedules, indicates a value of 80%PRCTG% of the purchase price after one year. The Texas Comptroller’s schedule for BPP for motels has an eight-year life with 10%PRCTG% depreciation for the first seven years. Hence, the Comptroller schedule indicates one-year old hotel furnishings are worth 90%PRCTG% of their original purchase price. This is clearly inconsistent with market value for these items.

Inventory

There are a number of controversial issues related to how inventory is assessed. These include shrinkage, damage, functional obsolescence and economic obsolescence. For example, what is the market value of merchandise returned during the week after Christmas on January 1st (the effective date for valuation)? Since returned merchandise has usually been opened, damaged, missing parts or may be an unpopular item, it is worth less than cost in many cases. Market value is relevant in determining the assessed value for inventory for Texas BPP taxes.

Preparing A Summary For Your Hearing

The appraisal district would prefer to see a fixed asset listing, which includes the original cost and date of acquisition for every asset purchased. However, a fixed asset listing is not required. This is good news for small businesses that do not maintain a fixed asset listing.

Unequal appraisal

Assessed values for BPP accounts often range from ten-times to fifty-times on a per square foot basis for companies in the same industry. For example, real estate brokerage offices, which have 10,000 square feet of office space, may have assessments ranging from %10,000-%500,000. It seems unlikely that the computers and furniture in one brokerage office are 50 times as valuable as those in a competitor’s firm on a per square foot basis.

Appraisal districts tend to accept the assessed value rendered by property owners. Many large companies render using fixed asset listings. Appraisal districts use the cost basis information and the Comptroller’s schedule to calculate the “market value” for property. The valuations for these rendered accounts tend to grossly distort the actual value of these properties. Property owners who do not render have values on the lower end of the range of value. While it seems intuitive that appraisal districts would penalize owners who do not render by sharply increasing their assessed values, the practice is the opposite. Appraisal districts tend to reward property owners who do not render by leaving their assessed values at modest levels. This creates a disincentive to render. It also unequally taxes property owners who render with a fixed asset listing. These factors have caused a high degree of dispersion in BPP assessed values.

How To Appeal On Unequal Appraisal

Contrary to popular belief, it is possible to appeal BPP utilizing unequal appraisal, a concept that is fairly new. Most property tax consultants and large property owners have not considered or utilized unequal appraisal regarding BPP. Appraisal districts are resistant to the concept of appealing BPP based on unequal appraisal. (It is inappropriate to tax property owners who render using a fixed asset listing at the highest level, based on utilizing the Comptroller schedule, when allowing property owners who do not render very lean levels of assessment.)

Preparing an appeal based on unequal appraisal for BPP is simple and straightforward. Start by obtaining information on the assessed value, and amount of office space/manufacturing or warehouse space for property owners similar to the subject property owner. This is typically done by using companies with the same Standard Industrial Code (SIC) as the subject property owner. You can obtain this information by sending an open records request to the appraisal district. When appealing, research the assessed value for your competitors. Compile data regarding the assessed value and building area for the subject and comparable accounts into a summary:
When should you appeal?

Appeal annually on market value and unequal appraisal. To effectively appeal on these two options, research unequal appraisal based on assessment comparables on the appraisal district’s web site and evaluate the market value of your BPP. After reviewing both the unequal appraisal and market value options, determine your primary focus for appealing your BPP account. If neither market value nor unequal appraisal provides a basis for appealing your property taxes, you can withdraw the notice of protest or just skip the hearing.

Tips for your hearing (Informal & ARB)

Informal hearing

? First meet with the appraiser and politely explain the basis for your adjustment. Give the appraiser a copy of your evidence and explain it in a methodical way.
? The appraiser will review your information and the information he/she has available, and will then likely make an offer to settle. Consider the appraiser’s offer and explain why your evidence is better than his/her evidence, and again request your value or a value between your value and his/her value.
? You will quickly learn the lowest value the appraiser is willing to accept. At this point, you need to either agree to that value or proceed to the Appraisal Review Board (ARB) hearing.
? If you settle the appeal at the informal level, you will not be able to pursue an ARB hearing or a judicial appeal. However, it does resolve the issue in a timely manner.

ARB hearing

? Introduction of the two parties at the hearing
? Explanation of the hearing process
? Property description (address any errors in the description of your property after the appraiser’s description of your property)
? Property owner presentation
? Questions from the ARB panel members
? Appraisal district presentation
? Rebuttal and closing evidence from the property owner
? ARB announces its decision

Summary Points

? Annual appeals will minimize your BPP property taxes.
? There are huge differences between the market value estimated by the Comptroller’s schedule and actual market value.
? Based on excessive assessments for BPP for companies who render using a fixed asset listing, a low percentage of property owners who render and the low assessed values for property owners who do not render, there are rich opportunities for appealing BPP by using unequal appraisal.

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If you’re looking for cheap real estate, you can’t go wrong with the free foreclosures information on the Free Foreclosure Blog. The blog covers the entire country and is a totally free service. If you have any questions at all about Real Estate Owned Foreclosures, this blog will answer them all – and for free!

The Foreclosure info page starts with the bare basics of the foreclosure process. This is great for those of us who have thought about looking into this market but didn’t know any more than the fact that there are some very good deals in foreclosure real estate.

Then there is the free REO foreclosures page. This is basically a list that directs you to all the major bank foreclosure sites. A single click of the mouse button here will save you hours of fruitless internet searching.

If you don’t find what you’re looking at in bank real estate listings, you can find out all about foreclosure auctions. Again, especially if you are new to foreclosures, this freeforeclosureblog page will show you exactly where to go for all the latest foreclosure auctions. It is priceless information, but here it is free!

There’s more than foreclosure information on this blog. There’s a page on real estate trends and even a rant about government bailouts that you will enjoy. So check out the Free Foreclosures blog and come away with an education or maybe even a cheap real estate deal!

Apartments In Madrid Boast Your Elegant Stay In Madrid

Though Madrid is one of the most sought after tourist destinations it is affordable in comparison to other for the availability of apartments in Madrid . Madrid attracts tourist for its royal palace, the museums that store memories of history of Spain, internationally renowned art galleries and grand public squares. Hence, many fun lovers prefer Madrid to deviate from regular busy schedule. ChicRentals is in the service of arranging apartments in Madrid for a comfortable living of the tourists.

Madrid is enticing tourist place for the people who know how to enjoy life. Accommodation is Madrid is the suitable way to create a feel-like-home atmosphere in the alluring city of Madrid. We opt for selecting excellently decorated apartment as we realize you value good taste. While booking apartments in Madrid for you we strictly follow the criteria that satisfy most of your demands for a pleasant stay.

Our site has got precise and extensive information about the apartments in Madrid . You can click to view the description about each apartment, the rent and the facilities that are provided. Each apartment that we select for you is exquisitely designed along with being cozy and functional. We know how to handle your booking with utmost efficiency. You reservation of apartment in Madrid can be done through internet or over phone. The reservation procedure is mentioned in ?how to book? page of ChicRentals.com. We email or fax you about the details of your reservation and the apartment that you are going to board in.

Our service at ChicRentals is exclusive for the people who are sure of what they want form the trip to Madrid. After your arrival to the previously mentioned address of apartment in Madrid, you will get our staff to welcome you at the apartment. The personnel will give you in detail about your living and functioning of appliances and answer any other query if you have.

Contact us to book an apartment in Madrid through our given email addresses or the phone number. We are proud to maintain long lasting relation ship with our customers by our service. We do our best to make your holiday in Madrid a perfect and memorable stay.

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Apartment Search

When you are apartment hunting, prepare a rental search plan. Be sure to know in advance what you want in an apartment and what you can live without. Decide in advance what areas of the city you could consider living in and make a list of apartment buildings within that perimeter.

Be sure to consider how far and how convenient it will be for you to travel to your job or your school or your family and friends. Also, how far is the apartment from stores, banks, hospitals, Church (if you attend) etc. If you have a car, make sure that there is adequate and convenient parking space 24/7. If you don’t drive make sure that there is close by public transportation.

Narrow your apartment locating to the size of rental unit you need. Studio apartment or one bedroom apartment or 2 BR apartment or more. Are you considering a furnished apartment or do you possible need a short term rental. If you are renting an apartment with a cat, dog, or other pet, you need to find out which apartments allow renting with pets and which do not. And, if they do allow pets, is there an additional security deposit required and if so, how much it is. Do you need an apartment complex with an exercise room or tennis courts or a pool or a recreation room, etc. or do you simply need and desire a nice clean and quiet pad.

Be realistic about what you can afford. Most apartment renting guides suggest that your rent should not be more than 25%PRCTG% to 30%PRCTG% of your income. This can vary depending on the income bracket, but be sure to be “real world” when budgeting additional apartment expenses such as heating and air conditioning and other utilities. If you fall short of affording the apartment of your choice, you might consider sharing an apartment with a roommate or roommates. Keep in mind that living with roommates can help you afford an upscale apartment or even, in some cases, luxury apartments, but it also has extreme restrictions to your privacy.

If you are familiar with the area and its neighborhoods, that gives you a distinct advantage for your apartment search. If, however, you are relocating to a new city or are not particularly knowledgeable about the city, you may want to contact an Apartment Locator or an Apartment Finder.

Once you narrow your search for apartments down to apts which suit your needs and desires you must be well organized & well prepared for your visits to the apartment complexes. When inspecting the rental premises be on the alert for unsafe conditions, excessive noise from traffic or playgrounds or neighbors. Visit the apartment building at night as well as the daytime hours. This will give you a more comprehensive understanding of the total space you will be residing in.

When you find the apartment complex that meets your renting needs and desires, you must be ready to put your “best foot forward” when you meet the apartment’s rental agent. This person may be the apartment building manager or a renting agent for the apts. You should prepare for this apartment renting interview in a professional and intelligent manner. Be advised that you are going to be asked to provide proof that you are a reliable prospective tenant. You are most likely going to need references from previous landlords. You may also be required by the apartments to show that you are gainfully employed and can afford the rent. Many landlords may require a credit report. If you are a first time renter and/or you have limited credit history you may be asked for references from family, friends, employer, professionals, etc. Likewise if you are renting with bad credit you will certainly want to come to the interview with a strong selection of references.

You are not necessarily restricted from apartment renting with less than perfect credit, but you may be required to put up an additional security deposit and possibly have a credit worthy person co-sign the apartment lease with you. Don’t unprepared for by requests for any of these things. Be sure to fill out a 100%PRCTG% truthful apartment rental application and come to the interview with references, proof of employment, credit information and any other renting resources at the ready. If you do have a credit history or renting history that might be detrimental, going through an apartment locator or apartment finder may be the best solution. They will present your history to the landlord for you, (make sure they are 100%PRCTG% truthful about it) and they can also be quite helpful and save you a lot of time because they most likely will know which landlords and apartments are more lenient in these circumstances. They can also advise you as to exactly what kinds of references and documents you might need to prove that you can be a responsible tenant.

You Have Located Your “Dream Apartment”

Once you have located your “dream apartment”, or as close to your perfect apartment as possible, now it is necessary to pay extremely close attention to the particulars of the rental agreement. An Apartment Lease is a contract between you and the landlord. Once agreed upon and signed by the tenant and the landlord, the rental lease creates obligations and restrictions for both parties. The most obvious covenants of the apartment lease are the length of the rental, (Six month lease, one year lease, two year lease, etc.) The amount of the security deposit, when the rent is due, who is responsible for what utilities. Also in that apartment lease, however, are stipulations, (sometimes in small print) that can cover a great variety of landlord and tenant obligations and restrictions.

They can include, but are not limited to, the following:

* Maintenance of the apartment
* Care of the premises
* Cleanliness
* Insurance
* Governmental regulations
* Eminent Domain
* Nuisance and noise clauses
* Stipulations as to the circumstances whereby the landlord can enter the premises
* Use of Common Areas
* Keys and locks
* Loss or damage
* Parking
* Pets
* Plumbing
* What the landlord may do if the rent is in arrears
* What the tenant can do to bring the rent current before any kind of action might be started
* Non performance or breach of the contract by the renter
* Renter’s penalties in the event of early termination
* Circumstances which might cause the tenant or the landlord to break the lease prior to the end of the term
* Heat and other utilities
* Removal of goods
* Surrender or Non-Surrender of the premises
* Waivers of various obligations
* Prohibited reprisals
* Garbage disposal
* Recyclables
* And the list goes on and on and on.

Prospective tenants should read an Apartment lease thoroughly. Prospective apartment renters should understand everything that is contained in that lease and make an informed decision to be 100%PRCTG% accepting of all the provisions for both the tenant and the landlord, that you are positive that you can live up to your end of the bargain and that you are comfortable with the provisions on the landlord’s end.

If you do not understand every single clause of that apartment lease then do not sign it until you do understand it. If necessary and if possible, request assistance in interpreting the lease from a trusted source such as a knowledgeable friend or family member or employer or professional, or anyone else who can understand it and explain it to you. If necessary get legal advice. It can cost additional funds if you do not qualify for free legal assistance, but that additional cost might save you a ton of money and save you a ton of heartache and aggravation down the road.

If you do not agree with any of the provisions of that apartment lease and/or you feel that you can’t live up to the tenant’s obligations, or if you are not in agreement with any of the landlord’s rights under the agreement, then do not sign the lease until/or unless it can be changed to your satisfaction. If the apartment rental agreement cannot be amended to meet your needs and desires and comfort level then do not sign the lease and do not rent that apartment. The Apartment Rental agreement that you sign as a prospective tenant will not change once you become the actual tenant of that apartment.

Good luck in your apartment search and good luck in your new apartment.

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Alternative Housing

Why alternative housing? To save money, to travel, to live creatively – there are many reasons why people choose to live in tents, RVs, cabins, underground homes, rental rooms and anything else that’s less common than the houses, condos and apartments that most people call home. Below are some of these housing options, and their advantages.

Alternative Housing That Moves

Camping at a hot springs area, we sat around the campfire one night with several young men living in the desert in their old converted school bus. It cost them nothing to park it in the desert (on BLM land you have to move every two weeks, though), bathed for free in hot spring tubs that were as nice as those in nearby expensive resorts, and played guitar around the fire each night. Not such a bad life.

In Arizona there are whole communities that spring up each winter, full of people living in their RVs. Advantages of RV housing are obvious, and include moving with the seasons, trying out different places, and not paying property taxes. I’ve talked to people living in Rvs that cost %200,000 and ones that cost %600, so the selection of accommodations is varied, to say the least.

My wife and I lived for almost a month in our conversion van as we traveled from Arizona to Florida and then to Michigan. Advantages of a van include better mileage than an RV, and being inconspicuous. We found that could park and sleep almost anywhere.

Other Alternative Housing

In most areas where rents are high, renting rooms has become common. This makes sense for single people. Just pay a set amount each month or week, and (if it includes utilities) you have a predictable and lower cost of living. I rented out rooms in my own home for years, and even put carpet and lighting in a shed so I could get %50 per week for it in summer.

A friend of mine lived in a shack he built for %3,000 on a small piece of land he bought for %7,000. Eventually he ran into problems with the county because he had no occupancy permit. Apparently you can’t live on your own land in the woods if your home is too small. However, you can camp on it, so a %2,000 used RV parked on your land makes for a cheap and legal housing alternative.

Some people live on houseboats and avoid paying property taxes. Some live in the jungle near the beaches in Hawaii, so they can afford to be in paradise. I know people who lived in a basement while slowly building the house above for cash. People live in cabins built in the national forest wilderness, moving every few years as they are discovered. Truly, your imagination is the only limit to your alternative housing options.

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