Enemies of the First Home Buyer

/image:money.cnn.com/

 

The huge amount of money that can be spent on home repairs was the theme of a very funny 1986 movie starring Tom Hanks and Shelly Long. The title of the film ‘The Money Pit’ says it all. Something for first homebuyers to consider is the fact that the idea for the film originated from the large number of real life tales circulating among the general populace.

Problems with a house may not be obvious to the untrained eye. Faults with foundations, electrical system, plumbing and the roof can be very expensive to remedy. A ‘maintenance free’ home may be one that has not been maintained for 25 years. No need to worry about a newly constructed home though is there? Not true say experts, have any home you are thinking of buying inspected.

And that is the answer – have a fully qualified housing inspector check the house and provide buyers with a detailed report. The average fee Australia wide for this service is $500. Some building inspection services will even check a new house as it goes through the various construction stages so that any faults are found before they are covered up. They will check that the builder is sticking with the approved plans and complying with all of the regulations.

Real estate advisors list quite a number of other potential traps that first home buyers should be alert to:  The naïve assumption that interest rates will not go up. Buyers should factor interest rate rises into their financial situation and be prepared to handle a 3 – 4 % rise.

Failure to be aware of the full costs of home purchase can be another problem. Items such as mortgage insurance, stamp duties, rates and body corporate fees all add to what comes out of the pocket.  At one time the cost of mortgage insurance was added to the loan but this practice has ceased and the buyer must now pay with his / her own money.

Another scary one is what can result from non-payment of the deposit until finance is approved. The deposit is usually required within 3 days of the sale.  Buyers thinking they can reduce their risk by holding off paying the deposit until finance is forthcoming may find themselves in a sticky situation. The standard contract says that if you want to cancel the contract because finance has not been approved you must not be in breach of any other part of the contract. Failing to pay the deposit can be in breach of the contract and therefore you would not be able to cancel the contract

The above are some of the dangers homebuyers need to be aware of. There are many more. Keep your eye out and be through with your research.  Steer clear of deals that look ‘to good to be true’ as you know what, they probably are.

Article by Joel who writes about Real Estate buying, selling and renting tips for companies such as www.Taylors.com.au/.

Read more...

Splashy and Thrilling Moments at Seaworld Orlando

/image:jimhillmedia.com/

Orlando – the tourist hub of Florida! The city of endless eternal beauties . Serene beauties of Orlando can’t be expressed in some mere words! you will have to see it to believe it. I had been there on last summer with my kids and those holidays were the most rejuvenating moments of my life. Fresh breeze of air had been injected to my exhausted nerves and I felt the perfect bliss which I couldn’t ever find elsewhere. Just one post will not be enough to describe the serenity and entertaining aspects of Orlando, so I’m going to tell about the experiences of me and my kids at Seaworld.

On the day of arrival, we planned in the evening about the entire vacation ! We hadn’t visited anywhere on that day as all of us were exhausted. On the next morning, we headed to Seaworld Orlando as both of my kids are really enthusiastic about marine lives and watery rides.

Orlando Seaworld is the 9^th world’s most visited amusement park and few millions of travelers from all across the globe visits of each year. Main entrance of the water themed park consists of lush tropical landscapes and a large artificial fresh water body with the iconic Shamu(the first female killer whale survived in captivity for more than 13 months) themed lighthouse.

Just near the entrance is the most amazing rollercoaster named as Manta! As the train which takes us for a splashy and thrilling ride resembles the shape of a Manta ray. Manta is just not a mere rollercoaster! Its infrastructure resembles a sea side village. Manta is a flying rollercoaster which simulates the sensation of how rays and Mantas fly high as it emerges from the sea and remains afloat in air for certain time span before diving back to water. Trust me, it’s a just spine chilling experience for us! Especially when the rollercoaster reached its zenith, I felt shock waves passing through my spine.

Every segments of the roller coaster is highly stylized resembling the wings of rays and comfortable and its main front resembles the head of a manta. The rollercoaster passes extremely close to the water and its wings appear to skim the surface. Water jets in the main laggon create splashy effects as the rollercoaster passes on. I felt like we are travelling on the wings of a giant manta.

First 4 acres of acquired land consists of 10 aquariums with 184,000 gallons of water consisting of 300 species of rays and 60 species of other sea creatures. Floor to ceiling Plexiglas window with 225 sq feet overhead tunnel prompted me to felt like a sea diver watching those remarkable creatures.

Key West Is designed to resemble the architecture of Key West Florida. It’s the zone where we snapped pictures of some rare green sea turtles! We also fed the string ray under the supervision of the trainers. Waterfront is the newest themed park which exhibits a pearl diving event! Me and my kids gladly participated in this event. We dived into a moderately deep fresh water body and found lots of artificial oysters under the stern guidance of professional underwater swimmers.

Sky tower ride is the most thrilling joyride but it wasn’t recommended for those who has phobia of heights. Water front resembles a Mediterranean village with some shops and restaurants. Kids had the most enjoyable moments while feeding small fishes to the Bottlenose dolphins at the dolphin cove and touched their noses! It made me to felt that dolphins are the cutest creatures of ocean and their noise and serene eyes reflects their playful nature. Adjoined dolphin nursery was the most lovable zone for us! It’s a covered exhibit where new born dolphins inhabit.

My younger daughter told me that whether she can have one such pet in her aquarium? Tenderness of her question had really left me in the state of dilemma between reality and fascination. Other than Manta, another exciting rollercoaster ride is Kraken which is a floorless rollercoaster and there is a terrifying tale of Kraken(ancient sea monsters) behind the name of the joyride.

Stringray Lagoon is a covered exhibit where we touched stringrays and it’s where my younger daughter again asked that are they aliens? I didn’t knew what to reply. Shark encounter zone left us in the state of awe! It’s an underwater tunnel consisting of wide varieties of sharks and barracuda. It was an awesome experience while eating some ethnic delicacies of sea foods and seeing movement of sharks simultaneously! My younger ones just sat staring at the baby sharks with spoon in her mouth. After the lunch, we left for our hotel and my kids were overjoyed as they saw those fantastic inhabitants of sea physically, which they only had saw in their life-science books before.

It was an amazing and rejuvenating experience for us! I can still feel the goosebumps while recapitulating the ride at Manta. I don’t know when shall I be able to visit there again, but I shall surely like to visit for at least once before departing from beautiful earth.

Author Bio:- Henry Watkins is a real estate expert by profession and a traveler by passion. In his leisure moments he prefers to write about his traveling experiences. He mentioned in one his written article on Orlando about fascinating orlando airport transportation facilities. He appreciated the fact that favorable orlando transportation services adds more sparks to the entertainment hub of Florida.

Read more...

It is Easy to Play Ben 10 Games Online

Ben 10 games are so easy to play and come in a variety to suit everyone’s gaming preferences. Everyone can play Ben 10 games online absolutely free so whether you’re the number one fan or just a keen gamer; you can enjoy some awesome games and adventures.

So, where did Ben 10 come from? Ben 10 was produced by Cartoon Network all the way back in 2005 when they piloted it for the first time. Since then there have been three amazing, fun filled series and one ready and waiting to air in September 2012.

Ben 10 began his life as a normal boy doing the things that normal boys do. It wasn’t until he was 10 years old that all things changed dramatically, spiralling him into a world of the unknown. When his grandfather, Max, whisked him away for some summer fun, he came across an alien device in the woods. The device looked harmless enough, kind of like a watch, but little did he know that this watch would change his life forever. The watch was in fact the Omnitrix which gives the wearer the ability to morph into 10 different aliens. The intended use was so the Omnitrix to help give an understanding of other species and ultimately bring peace to the universe. This, as you can imagine, attracts a bit of unwanted attention and means Ben and his friends are no strangers to battling with the evilest of aliens out there in a bid to save the world.

So, now we know where Ben 10 came from, how do you play Ben 10 games online? Cartoon Network has a wide range of games and plenty of Ben 10 games to choose from. Not matter what you prefer; you can be sure to find an awesome game that really suits your gaming needs. From puzzles to shooting aliens from the sky; there is something for all fans to enjoy. You can take over the spaceships as Ben or even become one of the many aliens he is able to morph into. If you want to morph as the best alien, choose which one is your favourite using the online profile Cartoon Network has provided! There are so many amazing adventures to be had.

Play Upgrade Space Battle to venture across the galaxy and defeat Ben’s ultimate enemy. Vilgax is out to get the Omnitrix so he can form his own super army and is one that needs to be destroyed in order to save the universe. Platform games aplenty, you can find a game that challenges you as a gamer, or a fan with the knowledge of the aliens and their abilities giving you an added advantage.

Find the games you like and ‘rate’ them with Cartoon Network’s rating system. By choosing the number of starts you think a game deserves, you are helping other gamers choose which games to go for. A beginner to Ben 10 games online can benefit from these as well; know which games are the most popular by the number of stars they have. A gaming experience to be beaten…

Author bio:

Lisa is an avid gamer. When she’s not conquering the world or relaxing with a game of online chess, she enjoys playing ben 10 games online.

Read more...

How Important is Vitamin D?

Vitamin D is different from most other vitamins because our bodies can make most of the vitamin D we need.  Some foods are fortified with vitamin D (such as milk), but vitamin D mostly comes from the sun. The skin makes vitamin D from cholesterol when it is directly exposed to 10-20 minutes of sunlight, especially in the summer months.  So if your body can make its own vitamin D, why are so many people deficient?

Certain population groups are more prone to vitamin D deficiency.  People with darker skin do not absorb the vitamin as well as those with lighter skin.  Also, people who live in colder climates, who have illnesses that prevent proper absorption of nutrients, and breastfed children who do not receive supplemental vitamin D, are all at risk for developing a deficiency. The elderly are at high risk due to time spent indoors and the fact that the skin no longer absorbs vitamin D as efficiently as we age.  

Why is vitamin D important?

The major role of vitamin D is to help with the absorption of calcium and is vital to maintain bone health. Vitamin D also plays a role in muscle movement and helps the immune system fight bacteria and viruses.  There has been research linking too low of levels of vitamin D to certain cancers like thyroid, prostate, and breast cancer.  Research has shown that vitamin D may play a role in the prevention of diabetes and hypertension, although the exact mechanism has not been discovered. Vitamin D can also be related to difficulty losing weight. People who are obese tend to have lower levels of vitamin D, as vitamin D is fat soluble and gets trapped in the body’s fat cells.

How do I know if I am deficient and what should I do?

Vitamin D deficiency can be determined via a simple blood test ordered by your doctor. If you are deficient, a doctor may prescribe up to 10,000 IU of the vitamin for a short time to help improve your levels.  Most over-the-counter multivitamins contain about 600-800 IU of vitamin D which is enough to maintain normal blood levels. Be careful to check the total amount of vitamin D you are getting if you are taking a calcium supplement (with vitamin D) in addition to your regular multivitamin. The total for the day should not exceed 1000 IU from supplements. In most commercial vitamins, vitamin D is found in either the D2 (ergocalciferol) form or D3 (cholecalciferol).  Many experts believe that D2 is not well absorbed or utilized because it comes from plants and not an animal source. Vitamin D3 more closely matches the type vitamin D found in the body; therefore it is the preferred form for supplementation.  Do not worry about getting too much vitamin D from the sun, so get out there and enjoy the sunshine!

References

1.http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/about-vitamin-d/vitamin-d-deficiency/what-is-vitamin-d-deficiency/

2.   http://www.niams.nih.gov/health_info/bone/bone_health/nutrition/

3.   http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/4464.php

4.   http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21177785

5.   http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-HealthProfessional/

Guest article by Julie Masci for NLN, Diet and Nutrition specialists from Brisbane, Australia.

Read more...