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MAGAZINE INFO Explore this magazine buying info editorial reviews customer reviews See more images Customers also bought these magazines these other items Share your thoughts write a review write a So You'd Like to... guide tell a friend about this item RATE THIS MAGAZINE I dislike it I love it! 1 2 3 4 5 Edit your ratings Visit the Books Store Real Simple: The Organized Home by Editors of Real Simple Magazine Spec tacular Readers Never misplace your reading glasses again with the hip andstylish magnetic readers from CliC . Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering. A9.com users save 1.57% on Amazon. Learn how . Real Simple [MAGAZINE SUBSCRIPTION] Cover Price: $54.00 Price: $28.68 ($2.39/issue) You Save: $25.32 (47%) Issues: 12 issues/12 months See more images Print a Magazine Gift Card Ordering it as a gift? Give your recipient a personalized Real Simple gift card! ( Flash Player required.) See more magazine gift options . Magazine subscriptions always ship free, and they help you qualify for FREE Super Saver Shipping on the rest of your order! See details . $10 Holiday Bonus Offer: For a limited time, order two or more subscriptions to RealSimple at Amazon.com and get a promotional certificate for $10off a future order. See details . Ready to Renew? Learnhow . Availability: The first issue should arrive in 6-10 weeks. Here's why See more product details Better Together Buy this magazine with In Style [Magazine Subscription] today! Total List Price : $101.88 Buy Together Today: $52.56 Product Details Format: Magazine Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. Publisher: The Time Inc. Magazine Company ASIN: B00023J4H0 Average Customer Review: Based on 147 reviews. Write a review . Amazon.com Sales Rank: Today: #11 in Magazine Subscriptions Yesterday: #6 in Magazine Subscriptions For magazine orders, your name and mailing address will be shared with the appropriate publisher. This magazine subscription is provided by Synapse Services, Inc. Customers who bought this magazine also bought: O, The Oprah Magazine [Magazine Subscription] Martha Stewart Living [Magazine Subscription] Cooking Light [Magazine Subscription] Lucky [Magazine Subscription] Explore Similar Items : 19 in Magazine Subscriptions , 20 in Books , and 18 in DVD What similar items do customers ultimately buy after viewing this item? 15% buy this item(Real Simple [Magazine Subscription] 13% buy Domino [Magazine Subscription] 7% buy Metropolitan Home [Magazine Subscription] 7% buy House Beautiful [Magazine Subscription] 2% buy Home [Magazine Subscription] Explore Similar Items : 9 in Magazine Subscriptions , 9 in Books , and 5 in Tools & Hardware Editorial Reviews From the Publisher Real Simple is the new magazine for the way you want to live today. You'll find actionable solutions to streamline the ways you manage your life. Systems for reducing clutter, saving time, and reducing stress. Inspiring ideas about home, food, money, clothes, health, work, family, and holidays. Spotlight Reviews (What's this?) Write an online review and share your thoughts with other customers. 148 of 189 people found the following review helpful: You've got to be kidding. , February 6, 2003 Reviewer: Auliya "An Avid Reader" (Austin, TX USA)- See all my reviews Beautiful photography, but empty articles, and advertising, advertising, advertising. Every item, on every page, is an advertisement. Everything. Every sentence in every article, every caption, every line in the index. There are numerous special sections devoted to product endorsements, although they're phrased as "tips." They should give this magazine away for free, considering the money they must make off the advertising. Sure, while it's somewhat "handy" to know what's depicted and discussed (usually the URL and price are provided) it makes me a little uneasy. I feel suckered. I feel uncomfortable. Euugh. --This text refers to the edition Was this review helpful to you? ( Report this ) 159 of 186 people found the following review helpful: Real Simple is simply about buying stuff , June 23, 2003 Reviewer: A magazine reader (Austin, Texas) I subscribed to this magazine for a year and enjoyed my first few issues, but I soon noticed that all of the ideas for "leading a simpler life" involved purchasing expensive products. You might as well just flip through a Pottery Barn catalog. They both offer the same fantasy -- "What a stress-free, genteel life I could lead if only I had closet organizers and all-white furniture!" Eventually I simplified my life by letting my subscription run out. --This text refers to the edition Was this review helpful to you? ( Report this ) All Customer Reviews Average Customer Review: Write an online review and share your thoughts with other customers. 3 of 4 people found the following review helpful: My favorite magazine! , December 20, 2005 Reviewer: Starr Calooy "The Wordsmith" (San Antonio, Texas)- See all my reviews I have read the reviews and find several to be inaccurate and incomplete so I want to set the record straight! This magazine does have advertisements but they all compliment the subject matter of the copy. I am a business owner/mother/caregiver/author so I truly appreciate and use all of the great organizing articles. I also don't have time to track down where to buy the products they suggest so I find the information provided extremely helpful. This is the first magazine I have ever taken the time to read or even ordered! All the others are so similiar and boring, but Real Simple shows me step-by-step how to accomplish what I need to do for my home, what materials to buy(come on! -a coffee can to store Christmas light strings are not expensive!)and where to get them! I look so forward each month to my new issue. I am buying a subscription for my best friend this Christmas. I also planned my entire Christmas dinner party two nights ago by their suggestions and it was a huge hit. The ads really are a plus- not a negative element! Congratulations on such a big success Real Simple! Was this review helpful to you? ( Report this ) 0 of 1 people found the following review helpful: i'm totally hooked.. , December 19, 2005 Reviewer: K. Santos (New York, NY)- See all my reviews i can't say that i read it every month, but when i do i devour it. i LOVE the ideas and the new product lines. the mag is so attuned to what i crave to see and buy and know. i feel like i've learned a lot from the mag and now i have a 3 yr subscription. i'm totally hooked on this mag. Was this review helpful to you? ( Report this ) 1 of 2 people found the following review helpful: good, mindless reading , December 17, 2005 Reviewer: Dee Dee (San Antonio)- See all my reviews This is a good magazine if you're looking for short, simple articles. The tips are useful, but try to focus on one or two per issue or else you'll be taking on too much. The product recommendations are right on. I have not bought anything recommended in this magazine that was not excellent. My only complaint is that there are, of course, too many ads. Was this review helpful to you? ( Report this ) 3 of 4 people found the following review helpful: Useful , December 15, 2005 Reviewer: Michael J Edelman (Huntington Woods, MI USA)- See all my reviews This is the sort of magazine I think I would have appreciated more back in my student apartment-living, bead-curtain, cinderblock-bookcase, cable-spool-as-table days. That's the design ethic portrayed. Some of the articles are rather clever, and the projects- making a switchplate from a beercan, or building a stylish garden building for $1500- are often novel and useful. They're not all winnners, of course; some project ideas are pretty awful. And as others have noted, much of the content is devoted to mindless fashion slavery and buying. But for the urban single or young couple looking for some cheap design ideas, it's pretty useful. Was this review helpful to you? ( Report this ) See all 147 customer reviews... So You'd Like To... Protecting Your Spines Natural Curves., :by Dr Adam Weiss , Doctor and Author Be Like Me? :by Rosemary , appreciator of the following items KNOW what to GROW this month :by LeRoy Armstrong , keep it simple gardener Listmania! Must Have Magazines for Chic Women :A list by Emily Randolph Jones , City Girl My Favorite Magazines :A list by Deanna , a magazine fanatic. My Favorite Magazines :A list by amc230 , Mid 30's Office Manager Look for similar magazines by subject: Browse for magazine subscriptions in: Subjects > Home & Garden > Design & Decoration I have read this magazine, and I want to review it. Is there a specific product you'd like us to sell? Tell us about it. Suggestion Box Your comments can help make our site better for everyone. If you've found something incorrect, broken, or frustrating on this page, let us know so that we can improve it. Please note that we are unable to respond directly to suggestions made via this form. 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Find a Property - Properties for sale & rent from estate agents Find a Property - Home Property Search Estate Agents Property News Specialist Properties Browse All Areas Find your ideal house, flat or apartment for sale or rent Find a Property - Moving made easy Search 171,640 houses, flats and apartments for sale and rent through 3,617 estate agents. Area Guide Search for properties by area, with price guides, maps and local information Find a Property has 171,640 properties for sale and to rent throughout the UK and overseas. Review our estate agent list or start searching properties by location now... Property Prices How much is your house or flat worth? Review recent property price trends... Search all Editions 6,711 new properties for sale and to rent in the last 7 days Search for properties in... London (North of Thames) London (South of Thames) Surrey & Middlesex Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire & Essex Hampshire, Sussex & Kent Rest of UK Rest of Europe Rest of World Virtual Tours Get a 'real' feel for a property with a 'virtual' tour... Estate Agents Review a full list of letting and estate agents advertising on Find a Property Sector Inspector We talk to estate agents who focus on a particular corner of the property market... Specialist Properties Commercial property, new homes, investment properties and more... Dream Houses Forget the house price review the properties of your dreams... Premier Property The finest properties in some of England's prime residential locations New Homes for Sale New homes for sale and new build property developments Short Lets Properties available for short or holiday let and serviced apartments Commercial Commercial property from office and retail space to industrial sites Waterside Property River views, house boats, canal apartments... Investment Properties Buy to let, property development and investment opportunities Property Auctions A selection of properties for sale by auction Contemporary Properties Loft apartments, warehouse conversions and other contemporary property Property features Animal House (29 Dec 2006) Finding the perfect rented home can be difficult at the best of times; but for pet-owners especially, house-hunting can be an uphill struggle... more Oxford's Eco Home (16 Dec 2005) In 1997, George Marshall bought a rundown 1930s terraced house on an Oxford council estate. Then he did something rather unusual with it... more The Truth About ... Ex-Council Properties (15 Dec 2005) They're still within reach for hard-pressed first-time buyers and a tempting prospect for canny buy-to-let investors. But are ex-local authority properties really a safe bet? ... more Christmas: Far Away But At Home (09 Dec 2005) What could be more Christmassy than a holiday season in an exotic winter location - think hats and scarves and New York in the snow; or a barbecued turkey with all the trimmings, cooked on sizzling Bondi Beach... more Headlines Scotland's Year, Says Halifax 29 Dec 2005 It was a good year for Scottish house prices: nearly half of the top twenty increases were recorded by towns north of the border... more Huge Annual Increase In Mortgage Lending 23 Dec 2005 Gross mortgage lending in November was a whopping 30 per cent higher than the same month last year, says the CML... more NAEA: Christmas Cooldown In November 22 Dec 2005 The seasonal Christmas slowdown was evident in November, according to the latest survey from the National Association of Estate Agents... more Flat Year Ahead For House Prices 21 Dec 2005 A broadly flat market is what we can expect next year, according to a report from HBOS... more More news... Local Links A list of local guides, resources and directories Word on the Street This week's area info posted by local residents Top Top Find a Property - Home Property Search Estate Agents Property News Specialist Properties Browse All Areas Find a Property 2004 Advertise (estate agents only) Contact us (estate agents only) About us Privacy Policy Terms & Conditions
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The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Business NEWS AND VIEWS PUNJAB HARYANA JAMMU & KASHMIR HIMACHAL REGIONAL BRIEFS NATION OPINIONS MAILBAG BUSINESS SPORTS WORLD SPECIAL COVERAGE CHANDIGARH LUDHIANA DELHI THE TRIBUNE SPECIALS 50 YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE TERCENTENARY CELEBRATIONS B U S I N E S S A-I fleet expansion plan takes off as Boeing offers Rs 1,000 cr rebate New Delhi, December 24 The empowered Group of Ministers today approved flag carrier Air-Indiasplans to purchase 68 aircraft, after securing a Rs 1,000 crore discount on the deal value from US manufacturer Boeing. Istithmar stake in SpiceJet is $50m Stewardesses walk past the engine of an Air Deccan Airbus A-320 aircraft on the tarmac at Bangalore airport. Low-cost private carrier Air Deccan announced on Saturday, that it would buy 30 A320 aircraft from European consortium Airbus Industrie for $1.5 billion. AFP photo Apax to buy Tommy Hilfiger for $1.6 b New York, December 24 After several months of searching for a suitor, Tommy Hilfiger on Friday embraced the same private equity firm that two years ago helped buy out fellow US design icon Calvin Klein. EARLIER STORIES No decision on selling stake in PSUs December 24, 2005 New Year bonanza for RIL investors December 23, 2005 Kalam draws up roadmap for 10-12 pc GDP growth December 22, 2005 Govt to list large central PSUs December 21, 2005 Govt invites EoI for 8 pc stake in Maruti shares December 20, 2005 Raha terrific CEO, but ONGC faulty, Mani tells PM December 19, 2005 Govt may inject dose of health cess to boost economy December 18, 2005 Rs 9,245-cr package for rural coops okayed December 17, 2005 Tatas buy Thailands steel company December 16, 2005 Aiyar blows hot and cold on LPG, kerosene price hike December 15, 2005 Roche, Hetero ink deal London, December 24 Swiss pharmaceutical firm Roche has signed a deal Hyderabad-based Hetero Drugs authorising it to manufacture and sell its anti-viral flu medicine Tamiflu under licence in a number of developing countries. CBoP mulls acquisition Mumbai, December 24 The Centurion Bank of Punjab, the merged entity between the Centurion Bank and the Bank of Punjab, today said it is looking at further acquisition to increase its presence in the domestic market. INVESTOR GUIDANCE NRIs can buy house abroad and claim exemption in India Q: I have sold my house in India and earned some capital gains. Can I claim exemption u/s 54 by purchasing a house abroad? Aviation Notes Tourism to figure in Punjabi Parvasi Divas meet Aviation and tourism are among a few vital areas for development and expansion through non-resident Indians in Punjab in particular and country in general. Taiwanese models display a Toyota Motor Marathon Race concept car at the 2006 International Auto Show on Saturday in Taiwan. AP/PTI A-I fleet expansion plan takes off as Boeing offers Rs 1,000 cr rebate Tribune News Service & PTI New Delhi, December 24 The empowered Group of Ministers (eGoM) today approved flag carrier Air-Indias (A-I) plans to purchase 68 aircraft, after securing a Rs 1,000 crore discount on the deal value from US manufacturer Boeing. Besides the huge discount on the total price of around Rs 35,000 crore, Boeing has also offered to set up MRO (maintenance, repair, overhaul) and training facilities in India at a cost of around $205 million. The eGoM has also made Boeing agree to sourcing materials from India, equal to 30 per cent of the value of the aircraft, which works out approximately to Rs 8,500 crore. After a five-hour long meeting that eGoM and A-I officials held with Boeing representatives, Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel told reporters that the documents would now be sent to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for final approval. The eGoM, headed by Finance Minister P. Chidambaram, has Law Minister H.R. Bhardwaj and Programme Implementation Minister Oscar Fernandes and Patel as members. Patel had a few months ago informed Parliament that the deal would cost Rs 38,900 crore which was the price prevailing at that point of time. Official sources said A-I has converted its options to buy 16 aircraft into a firm order, taking the total number of firm orders to 50. It is also acquiring 18 more aircraft for its subsidiary Air-India Express. The fleet would comprise eight Boeing 777-200 (Long Range), 15 B777-300 (Extended Range) and 27 B787s, besides 18 Boeing 737-800s for Air-India Express. The AI Board has selected engines for all 68 aircraft from the CFM International, a 50:50 joint venture between Snecma of France and General Electric Aviation of the US. While the B777-200s and 777-300s would be fitted with GE90 engines, the B787s would have GEnx engines, totalling to about Rs 4,912 crore. The B737-800s of the AI Express would be fitted with CFM56 engines at a cost of around Rs 768 crore. The fleet acquisition proposals of Air-India and Air-India Express were cleared by the Public Investment Board on October 13. While the precise calculation of the monetary concessions was being worked out, an official statement gave a break-up of the $205 million investments promised in India by Boeing and GE. The money would be used for setting up four training simulators costing (up to $75 million), MRO for Boeing aircraft (up to $100 million) and training and other civil aviation requirements ($10 million), besides GEs investment in an engine shop ($20 million). Istithmar stake in SpiceJet is $50m Dubai: Istithmar PJSC, a UAE-based investment house focusing on private equity and alternative investments, has announced that it has raised its stake in low-cost Indian carrier SpiceJet to $50 million. It invested $12.5 million in SpiceJet earlier this year, and the present stake-rise was made through the carriers recent issue of Foreign Currency Convertible Bonds (FCCB). Istithmars investment in SpiceJet, its first in India, reflected the groups long-term plans in Indias burgeoning aviation industry, news reports said. Executive Chairman of Istithmar Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, said his company is extremely bullish on low-cost carriers in India with the current spate of reforms and the gradual shift to a more open skies policy. UNI Apax to buy Tommy Hilfiger for $1.6 b New York, December 24 After several months of searching for a suitor, Tommy Hilfiger on Friday embraced the same private equity firm that two years ago helped buy out fellow US design icon Calvin Klein. Tommy Hilfiger Corp said it had accepted a $1.6 billion cash takeover bid from Apax Partners. Apax in 2003 teamed up with clothing vendor Phillips-Van Heusen Corp. to buy Calvin Klein, and PVH said it is in preliminary talks with Apax on how they could collaborate on a Tommy deal. This is an incredible brand, a great American iconic brand that we think we can continue to grow globally very significantly, John Megrue, Apax co-chief executive officer, said. John Orrico, fund manager of the Arbitrage Fund, a mutual fund that specialises in merger targets, said that in light of Tommys 49 per cent share rise this year, the price seemed fair. Theyre getting taken out in line with market expectations, Orrico said. Tommy Hilfiger, which maintains headquarters in Hong Kong and New York, has struggled with relatively flat sales for the past five years. J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. advised Tommy Hilfiger on the deal. Reuters Roche, Hetero ink deal London, December 24 Swiss pharmaceutical firm Roche has signed a deal Hyderabad-based Hetero Drugs authorising it to manufacture and sell its anti-viral flu medicine Tamiflu under licence in a number of developing countries. The deal makes Hetero the second drug company after Shanghai Pharmaceutical Group to receive a sub-licence that will allow it to sell large volumes of Tamiflu at a price that it chooses. It will also be the first time Roche has authorised a partner company to produce and sell Tamiflu not only in its home market but also in other less developed and developing countries. A Roche spokesman said the deal, which initially lasts for two years, will allow Hetero to sell Tamiflu at whatever price it chooses in India and countries where there is no or poor intellectual property protection for the drug. UNI CBoP mulls acquisition Mumbai, December 24 The Centurion Bank of Punjab, the merged entity between the Centurion Bank and the Bank of Punjab, today said it is looking at further acquisition to increase its presence in the domestic market. To fund the acquisition and other expansion plans, the bank would raise up to Rs 416 crore in the overseas or domestic markets. It would also increase its authorised capital to Rs 250 crore from Rs 150 crore by issuing additional 20 crore shares to three private equity investors. Acquisition is part of our strategy. We will grab the opportunity as and when it comes, Banks Chief Executive Officer Shailendra Bhandari told PTI from Goa where the banks board held an extraordinary general meeting. He said the acquisition would aim at increasing the banks presence in the country and would be carried out in such a manner that the branches do not overlap too much. Centurion Bank of Punjab has 240 branches, mainly concentrated in the North and South. It has reasonable presence in the West and limited presence in the East. Asked whether the bank would look at any bank in the East for acquisition, Bhandarai evaded any direct answer. PTI Investor guidance by A.N. Shanbhag NRIs can buy house abroad and claim exemption in India Q: I have sold my house in India and earned some capital gains. Can I claim exemption u/s 54 by purchasing a house abroad? Vinayak A: Sec. 54 and 54F give exemptions from tax on long-term capital gains arising out of sale (or transfer) of a long-term asset, provided the assessee has purchased within one year before or two years after the date of sale or has constructed within three years after that date, a residential house. Now comes the amusing part. An NRI (and in some special conditions, even residents) can buy a house abroad and claim the exemption legitimately. The legislation has not added the words in India! Yet another case for CBDT. 1-by-6 category Q: Is 1-by-6 category for filing returns applicable to NRIs? Bhoumik A: Notification 10674, dated August 20, 1998 has exempted NRIs from the 1-by-6 category. It has also exempted senior citizens having no business or professional income even if they possess an immovable property. Also foreign travel to certain countries like Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka or pilgrimages to Saudi Arabia or to China organised by Ministry of External Affairs does not fall under the 1-by-6 category. Income from NSC Q: I have purchased NSCs, which mature after six years. My question is regarding taxation thereof. Do I have to pay the tax at the time of maturity when I receive the money? That would mean a heavy burden on me and may take me to the next tax bracket also. Is there any way out? Subhash A: The income from NSC is chargeable to tax on accrual basis. It accrues only at the end of each year. The year-end is computed from the date of purchase and is not related to the end of the financial year. However, if you have failed to do so in earlier years, you may pay the tax at the end of the term (on receipt basis) but you will lose all benefit of deductions on annual interests. Section 80C Q: I invested in the Tax Saving ELSS mutual fund scheme in the month of August/ September, 2005, opting for Systematic Investment Plan (SIP). I invested an amount of Rs 5,000 per month and would thus invest a sum of Rs.35,000 by March 31, 2006. I also intend to deposit an amount of Rs.70,000 in my existing PPF account before March 31, 2006. Can you kindly let me know: 1) Whether I will be eligible to get deduction of Rs.1 lakh from my taxable income u/s 80C for A.Y. 2006-07; 2) Whether the above mentioned investments, both in ELSS as well as PPF would qualify for EEE or EET method on withdrawal (ELSS investments will remain locked in for 3 years hence attracting long term capital gains upon withdrawal after three years and PPF account completes 15 years this year hence eligible for total withdrawal of balance and closure next year). 3) I have some earned interest on my investment in NSC in previous years and will pay LIC premium on my 12-year-old insurance policy and will continue to earn interest on existing NSC and pay premium on the insurance policy in future also. So what treatment would they get in subsequent assessment years EEE or EET? If I will need to claim deduction u/s 80C for the same. Sumeet A: Yes, you are entitled to claim the benefit u/s 80C for the FY 05-06 for both ELSS and PPF investments. EET has not yet become a law and it is strongly felt that if and when it is enacted, it will not be with retrospective effect. Therefore, at least for FY 05-06 the old EEE system will apply. The answer to this question is similar to point 2 above. For FY 05-06, it will be EEE and for subsequent years, it will depend upon when and in what manner the law is enacted. Demat charges Q: I read your article on Dividends - Look before you strip, was informative for layman . Sometimes the accountants who file our returns are not aware of all these lT rules (IT laws). I have a small doubt in stocks / equity shares, while considering capital gain/loss, can we factor in CDSL or demat charges ? What about STT? Vinod Argekar, Muscat A: The Continent Deferred Sales Load or CDSL is reduced by the MF from the repurchase NAV and the investor gets only the net proceeds in hand. Hence, it gets automatically factored in. STT cannot be claimed by an investor as a deduction. However, if you are a trader, you can set-off the STT against your tax on trading profits. Demat charges are of two types, one charge is for dematting the particular scrip whereas the other charge is the general holding charge. The first charge can be directly associated with the scrip and hence you can claim it. The other charge needs to be apportioned over the entire portfolio and hence is that much more difficult to claim. If it is significant then the apportionment exercise may be carried on. However, if it is minimal then the means wont justify the end. Trust this meets your requirements. The author may be contacted at wonderlandconsultants@yahoo.com Aviation Notes by K.R. Wadhwaney Tourism to figure in Punjabi Parvasi Divas meet Aviation and tourism are among a few vital areas for development and expansion through non-resident Indians (NRIs) in Punjab in particular and country in general. This all-important topic will be discussed threadbare at the two-day international convention, organised by the Punjabi Parvasi Divas at Chandigarh on January 14 and 15, 2006. Many renowned aviators and tourism personalities are expected to provide wide-range data for expeditious progress. Aviation analysts are of firm belief that speedy progress is possible only when infrastructure is developed at different airports. The fact of the matter is that many more planes are criss-crossing domestic skies than before but there is not even marginal development at airports, which are the gateways of the country. Existing climate is conductive as common people have realised that time saved is money saved. No wonder more persons are flying through no-frills airlines. Apart from Indian, which has been a key player for decades, five private carriers Spicejet, Air Deccan, Kingfisher, Sahara and Jet Airways have been flying high. While India continues to have major market share, these private operators have been offering razor-sharp competition to each other. In a free for all, more private operators are about to join as the new year unfolds. The analysts feel that the competition will become more combative which new promotions and schemes being floated by innovative players. Imagine, Air Deccan is even eyeing for flying on NE routes to capture the market. The fares are lower but we have no problem to make the most of it, said airline officials. This is however one version of the airline industry. The other is that there are more players in the vexed airline trade than there is room for. They predict at least 50 per cent will fold or merge with each other before 2006 closes. This observation is not improbable because airline trade is a rough industry. Recently, Kingfisher Airlines has introduced special fares for the Indian armed forces, government employees and public sector personnel. Analysts says it is surprising that no carrier is offering similar kind of facilities to mediapersons. Media is a huge market now. There is indeed a boom as far as airlines are concerned. But despite new operators and routes being connected with each other, the ground situation in airports remain static. The congestion has increased manifolds and pre-flying and after flying continues to be irksome to passengers. If the passenger has to reach airport about two hours before scheduled departure, he has to wait for long to get his baggage. In all, flying is not as much comfortable as it ought to be. Flights are often delayed and then there are instances when flights are cancelled without any prior notice to passengers. Some operators are hell-bent on taking passengers for granted. 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Las Vegas real estate
Real estate investors cast watchful eye on Las Vegas' high stakes housing game SFGate Home Business Sports Entertainment Travel Jobs Real Estate Autos SFGate News Web by Real estate investors cast watchful eye on Las Vegas' high stakes housing game Kelly Zito, Chronicle Staff Writer Monday, March 7, 2005 now part of stylesheet -- More... Printable Version Email This Article Las Vegas' lucky number last year was 52 -- as in 52 percent. That's how much real estate prices jumped in the nation's fastest-growing city in one year, as a housing shortage set off a wave of speculation by investors from California and other states. But as any gambler knows, Lady Luck eventually turns a cold shoulder. Las Vegans wanted to cash in, too, and so many put their houses up for sale that they flooded the market. By the end of the year, some homebuilders were slashing prices. For investors from states like California where prices seem to move in only one direction -- up -- it was a stark example of a deflating bubble. "When you lose money in real estate, you really feel it,'' said Igor Doncov, a software engineer in Half Moon Bay who bought two new houses in Las Vegas early in 2004 but sold them at a loss after his builder, Pulte Homes, cut prices on its new models by $180,000. "I thought I couldn't lose," he said in a telephone interview. "But it turned into a total disaster." Housing analysts don't think Las Vegas' slowdown is a sign that prices will soften soon in other fast-appreciating regions. But they say it is a warning of what could happen in the Bay Area as interest rates go up -- particularly for people trying to "flip" houses for a quick profit. "Everyone is watching Las Vegas with its price appreciation and flipping," said John Karevoll, an analyst at DataQuick, the La Jolla real estate research firm. "If something weird happens, it'll happen there first." For years, Las Vegas real estate was cheap. Myrna Kingham, president of the Greater Las Vegas Association of Realtors, remembers not-so-distant days of driving around in a pickup wearing high heels and showing clients dusty 5-acre parcels listed for $20,000. But as the population of Las Vegas and surrounding Clark County grew 81 percent in the 1990s, adding 621,160 people, housing prices caught up, matching the national median of $145,000 in 2001. Then last year, the market caught fire, boosted by healthy job gains, a growing stream of retirees, Californians drawn to lower home prices and an influx of investor money. Builders, faced with a shortage of workers, had trouble keeping up. Add rock-bottom interest rates, and the scene resembled the go-go days of the Bay Area's tech boom. Hundreds of would-be buyers descended on open houses, and home prices seemed to increase as quickly as the progressive jackpots in the slot machines on the Strip. Record appreciation In the spring of 2004, the median price for a single-family house was $269,000, 52 percent higher than the year before -- a national record for appreciation, according to the National Association of Realtors. "The market was hotter than blazes," Kingham said. "People were looking for affordability -- they wanted a nice home in an area with nice weather that they could buy for $200,000." Californians, who pay some of the highest home prices in the nation, took notice. Golden State residents have snapped up nearly 27,000 Las Vegas properties since 2000, according to DataQuick. In 2004 alone, California residents bought 11,600 homes -- 12 percent of the transactions in Clark County for the year. Bay Area residents bought nearly 7,800 Las Vegas properties over the past five years. In the second quarter of 2004 alone, the number who bought Las Vegas property doubled from the same quarter the year before, to more than 800,surpassing investment in Sacramento, the Tahoe region and Palm Springs for the seventh straight quarter. But in less time than it takes to build a single house, the market changed. Egged on by the stratospheric prices their neighbors were asking -- and getting -- homeowners in Las Vegas flooded the market with "for sale" signs. The number of existing houses posted for sale on the Multiple Listing Service ballooned from about 1,400 in February to more than 16,000 by October. Among them were never-lived-in homes offered by investors who had bought them only months before from national homebuilders -- who were selling their own brand-new houses literally across the street. In early fall one of those builders, Pulte Homes, took the extraordinary step of slashing prices by $25,000 to $180,000 on more than 20 of its Las Vegas-area developments. The move sent shock waves through the Las Vegas building industry and angered investors like Igor Doncov. Doncov, a 57-year-old engineer who was a victim of the technology flame-out, was one of thousands of investors who hoped to turn a quick profit by buying and selling Las Vegas property within a few months. Early last year he bought two new houses from Pulte Homes for $515,000 each. By the end of the summer, he said, the houses were worth well over $600,000, based on Pulte's prices for the same models. Then Pulte cut the price by about $180,000. Doncov sold the two properties in December and January for $480,000 and $490,000; after closing costs and sales fees, he estimates he lost $100,000. He is working with a lawyer to try to recoup the losses from Pulte, on the grounds Pulte misled investors by systematically raising new home prices, then abruptly lowering them. Many people in Las Vegas shrug at tales like Doncov's, saying any plan to get rich quick is fraught with risk. "There are people who come here and lose all kinds of money on the card table," said Keith Schwer, an economist at the University of Nevada at Las Vegas. By December, it was clear the peak of the frenzy had passed. Residential building permits that month were 34 percent below the previous December's, as measured by the Center for Business and Economic Research, which Schwer directs. And 15 percent fewer people were moving to Las Vegas -- some undoubtedly spooked by the region's steep jump in home prices. Pulte officials would not comment on the price reductions. In the wake of Pulte's move, other builders also cut prices but made no formal announcements. KB Home, the region's largest home builder, didn't cut prices but did tighten its policies on sales to investors. Contracts now stipulate, that, barring the loss of a job or other major problem, those who resell their properties within a year have to give KB Home the profit. Despite the builders' moves, Schwer and other experts say the Las Vegas market remains healthy. In recent months, they say, the number of homes for sale has declined and homes are selling faster. In January, however, there were still 13,800 homes for sale. Though the median price for a new home climbed 6 percent to $307,500, the median for an existing home -- $251,000 - was up only one half of one percent from a year before, according to Schwer. Over the long term, the area's job growth -- including a new 8,000-employee casino opening in April -- warm climate, entertainment options and well-equipped airport will continue to draw buyers, Schwer said. On a Friday morning in February, Bill Jeffers, who owns Valley Furniture in Livermore, toured a $731,000 home in a subdivision called Inverness. By buying a home in Las Vegas, Jeffers, who has lived on Maui for several years, will shorten his twice-monthly commute to the store and put his grandchildren into strong school systems. "I tried to get in last year, but there were just too many other buyers," said Jeffers, a Livermore native. Some making profits And some investors who bought wisely are making profits. Stephanie Wedge, a San Jose real estate agent who also brokers property in Las Vegas, bought a house for $625,000 last May. She put the 5-year-old home on the market on Feb. 23 for $775,000, and she expected to get an offer the following week. "That's a really good turnaround," said Wedge, who also has reserved a condo in a yet-to-be built high-rise. "I think it depends on where the property is -- and this is in a gated, country club community." The continued pace of construction serves as an outward sign of the region's confidence. On a stretch of freeway south of the Strip, a sign reads "KB Home, Next 5 Exits." Adding more houses to a market already flush with them would seem to only exacerbate any stagnation in the market. But Dennis Smith, president of Las Vegas' Homebuilders Research Inc. pointed out the vast majority of new homes are presold. The market "is still in correction mode because of the high inventory in the resale segment,'' he said. "It will probably take at least six months for that to end." So, will what happened in Vegas, stay in Vegas? Schwer doubts Las Vegas' deceleration will bleed into the Golden State -- or any other state -- in part because Las Vegas growth rates were so far above the norm. Others say the arc of Las Vegas' recent experience may contain a hint of the Bay Area's future. While the nine-county region saw much lower price appreciation last year than Las Vegas -- an increase of about 17 percent -- Ed Leamer, a UCLA economist, contends that both regions are enveloped in a speculative frenzy. In Las Vegas, an oversupply of homes relative to demand may spell price declines. Back in the Bay Area, Leamer thinks rising interest rates will take some of the air out of the market as fewer people qualify to buy expensive properties -- though any correction would be far less dramatic than Las Vegas'. "Because the market has cracked in Las Vegas doesn't mean it's imminent in other areas," Leamer said. "But it gives you a sense of what may happen in these areas in the face of rising interest rates." E-mail Kelly Zito at kzito@sfchronicle.com . Page A - 1 Get up to 50% off home delivery of the Chronicle for 12 weeks! MARKETING Compelling writer? Action 36 Cable 6 (KICU-TV) MECHANIC SF tugboat co POKER Expert poker player needed REAL ESTATE Sales *FREE TRAINING! Prudential CA Realty SALES Can you sell the President? IPA SALES Benefit package AGI Publishing SALES $125K PLUS In-Home Kitchen Kitchenworks, Inc. 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Sell House Home Sell a Home Buy a Home Services Mortgages City Profiles Appraisals -- Why sell your home by owner? Less hassle and frustration: When selling a home by owner, you don't have to leave the house because a Real Estate Agent wants to show it, or clean it every morning before leaving "just in case". You know when potential home buyers are coming, and can therefore prepare accordingly. And when a home buyer makes an offer, there's not all that frustrating back-and-forth telephone tag between real estate agents to reach an agreement. It can be done in minutes, and end with a friendly handshake and smile between the buyer and seller. "You can "sell your home" better than anyone else: You know your house best. The schools, the neighborhood, what is special about the area and the home, as well as other details about the house. A well-maintained, fairly priced home can virtually sell itself; your role is to simply provide additional information. Sell for a price on your terms; You're in control: Nobody is going to tell you what to sell for. You can advertise where and how you want to (not sit by in frustration because "they're not doing enough"), schedule showings when it's convenient for you, talk directly with prospective home buyers at your leisure, even take your home off the market for awhile if you can't find the right house for you. You aren't obligated to a 3, 6, or 12 month contract... you make your own rules. More $$$ in your pocket: Calculate 6-7% of what you think your house is worth, then ask yourself: is it worth paying this much to have someone else show my property, act as a go-between to negotiate the sale and coordinate the home's closing schedules with the lender, lawyer or titles company (dependent upon your area of the country). Sell your home fast: If you list your home with a real estate agent, you'll probably inflate the house's asking price to cover the cost of the commission. Two to four months later you'll come to the painful realization that no one is going to buy your home at that price, and you'll likely end up reducing the price (or accepting an offer) equal to the original amount you would have asked if selling on your own. Do it right the first time, and avoid taking the loss. Less uncertainty: Because you meet the prospective home buyers, you have a much better idea how interested people are, what they like about the house, how serious they are about buying and what their timeframe and situation is. The direct feedback is easier to live with than wondering how things are going, or worse, why no one has made an offer yet. It's easy: If you can sell your own car, you can sell your own home... it's that simple" said one of our home sellers. And he's right, once you find a buyer, lenders, lawyers or title companies take over (depending on your area of the country). And For Sale By Owner websites are now your best advertising resource for commission free home selling. Privacy & Disclaimer Partner With Us Career Opportunities Press Room Contact Us Terms and Conditions © 1997-2005 For Sale By Owner.com Site Map