People think about moving to Malta and buying property, for a variety of reasons. So what are the benefits of moving to Malta and equally as important, what should one be aware of? To look at the advantages first of all. These include:

- A slower pace of lifeWarmer all year-round climate
- Low crime (compared to many countries)
- The island style life
- Better education system for their children
- Affordable and rentable properties for sale, which can be rented out year round
- Links to Tunisia, Sicily and mainland Italy by ferry
- Beautiful beaches, history and great food
- Now a member of the E.U. which is likely to result in increased investment in Malta.

These are all valid reasons for moving to Malta. You will be able to be able to get more much for your money in terms of property if moving to Malta and the education is indeed, considered to be better than in the UK. People generally also speak English (although it is advised you make every effort to learn Maltese - so that you will experience more of the local culture).

So what things should you also be careful about before moving to Malta? Consider that:

- It may not be easy for you to get a job in Malta
- Not everyone will speak English
- Malta is very crowded, with this country being the 3rd most populous countries in the world
- Malta is very small. For some people too small.

If you are planning to buy real estate, property or land in Malta, these things should not put you off. But you should be aware of these things. You might also want to consider the news concerning the recent heat wave which has swept Europe and produced one of the hottest summers in history in Europe. It has been so hot that a study says that the heat could actually begin to have a negative impact on tourism in the future; and this could include for Malta.

The recent study, which was created by a joint British & Dutch group, conclude that global warming is creating temperatures that will mean that by 2050, summers such as the heat wave this summer in Europe, will become commonplace. This in turn will mean that people in Malta, and other Mediterranean countries, will start spending holidays in places such as England, so that they can avoid the heat. Tourism in other swords will see Northern European countries become more and more popular.

It doesn’t matter whether you are a seasoned real estate investor or a newbie, you can never learn too much about investing or wealth building. If you haven’t already you need to find your local association or club today. Here’s why:

1.Guidance. Real Estate Associations and Clubs can provide unlimited support and guidance. Members are interested in what your goals are because theirs are the same. They want to make money and build wealth through real investing.

2. Mentors. Find out who has been investing the longest or who has had the most success in the type of investing you are interested in and make contact with them. Learn from someone who is doing, not from someone who is reading or just talking about doing.

3. Deals. If you are seasoned or new, members are always looking to buy or sell something. They know how to help you with the financing and most of the times the deals are geared towards a fast sale.

4. Education. A good Real Estate Association or Club will fill your meeting time with important topics and offer ways to improve your education. Lots of Associations and Clubs also get discounts to national speakers and may even host one at a local meeting or event.

5. Networking. The members of Real Estate Associations and Clubs are often in the real estate business in one-way or another. So imagine being able to build your investment team all in one place. Members often include real estate attorneys, bankers, brokers, contractors and realtors.

You can find a great list of Real Estate Associations and Clubs at the Real Estate Info Network. www.realestateinfonetwork.com

If you can’t find one there you next best bet is to search the internet for real estate forums. These are also filled with likeminded people and often have topics changing every day.

In the words of Thomas Edison, “If there is a way to do it better... find it.”

Low risk investments can yield high returns and here we will outline one that can do so, and has significant income advantages as well.

We all know property is a good low risk investment, but a way to turn into a high yielding investment is to buy in the right location.

Many people are put off property investment, because they think it is to complicated or expensive, however this one is not.

So what is the right location?

Costa Rica, just 3 hours from the US by direct flight has and is, providing stunning gains for savvy investors.

Consider this:

A $30,000 investment in property near the town of Jaco just 14 years ago, is worth up to $800,000 today!

Can your shares mutual funds or even your high risk investments rival this growth rate?

But this investment gets even better..

Not only do you have an asset going up in value. You could also get valuable rental income from the booming rental market, as well a FREE vacation home, to use whenever you want.

RISK

How low risk is this investment?

Well, consider these gains have been ongoing for years and the market has tended to increase in a steady upward curve and it certainly does have low risk, but also fantastic grwoth potential as well.

With investment rising, as overseas investors, buy cheap property in one of the most beautiful and stable countries in the world and the outlook for the future looks good as well.

Consider the above facts and you will see that you can get low risk and high returns from an investment.

Other advantages of this investment include:

It's tax efficient, you get the same rights as residents when buying and finally, there are many experienced realtors to help you select the best properties.

Its all about profit potential

Don’t be put off this investment because you think it is complicated, it is not and if you are interested in building significant profit potential with low risk, you could make gains that will make your present asset manager envious.

Discover this low risk investment for yourself and you may be glad you did.

Buying a home has never been easier for the average American family, despite the fact that housing prices have risen steadily over the last several years (in some areas, nearly doubling in a mere five to ten years). How can this be? Because lenders are now making it so much easier by relaxing their standards for who becomes a borrower and increasing the amount the average person can borrow. In fact, there are now many housing loans that are interest-only, and even buyers with low credit scores can get substantial loans. Adjustable rate mortgages and negotiable terms on low down payments and other unusual programs are increasingly offered to buyers that would once have been considered too high risk. Less documentation and a higher debt-to-income allowance is another reason more people than ever are purchasing homes.

The housing boom means that real estate investing has great potential, but it also means that it also has greater potential risks. Protecting your real estate investments can be done with foresight and the right type of insurance so that you don't run the risk of losing out because of a risky sale or purchase.

Most real estate specialists will recommend that you get both title insurance and liability insurance any time that you're purchasing real estate. Title insurance protects you in the event that any lapses in the title are found before you close on the sale. All property sales include a title search that will make sure there aren't any outstanding liens on the property or legal disputes involving the land or house that could cause problems or question ownership rights. On rare occasions, even a professional title company will miss something - title insurance covers this eventuality. If something is missed, the insurance will cover any liability that could fall on you from missed liens, property line disputes or other unexpected problems that might arise at the last moment.

Liability insurance is exactly what it sounds like - it protects you from liability when someone else is injured while on your real estate property. We've all heard about people being sued because someone tripped on a cracked sidewalk while delivering pizza or broke their arm because a chair broke underneath them in your home. Liability insurance generally covers medical costs, rehabilitation, in some cases lost wages and any damages the injured party might sue for. There are limits to these kinds of policies, so be sure to determine how much coverage you need and how much you can afford.

Additional Coverage's

There are several other types of insurance you can get as well to cover against other unexpected events, including Hazard Insurance to cover what are termed as "Acts of God" that aren't usually covered under standard property owner's insurance. These include everything from Hurricanes to frozen pipes. You can also get insurance to cover losses because of power outages, vandalism and a host of other events.

If your real estate is rental property, you should protect yourself against tenant problems such as property damage by tenants, renters who flee without paying, and tenant disputes.

Any of these policies will have a range of prices depending on how much coverage you get and what kind of deductible you choose. Cost will also vary depending on the value of the property and what part of the country it's located in.

There is one other type of required insurance that you'll have to pay for, but not for your own benefit. If you have a mortgage on your property, the lending institution will insist that you get mortgage insurance to protect their investment. This way, if you default on the loan, they get their money.

When considering buying a home you have to follow a check list of all the things you need to do in order to avoid any further issues. One line in your check list should be to have the home, you planned to purchase, inspected. Why is it so important? Buying a home will be one of the most important purchases you will make in your lifetime, so you should be sure that the home you want to buy is in good condition. And it will reveal defects before you close the deal.

A home inspection is an evaluation of a home’s condition by a trained expert. During a home inspection, a qualified inspector is supposed to take an in-depth and impartial look at the property you plan to buy. The inspector will first evaluate the physical condition in terms of the structure, construction and mechanical systems; second identify items that should be repaired or replaced; and eventually estimate the remaining useful life of the major systems (such as electrical, plumbing, heating, air conditioning), equipment, structure and finishes. After the completion of the inspection, you will receive a written report of the findings from the home inspector, usually within five to seven days.

But beware the home inspector will not estimate the value of the house. The report you will receive is not a property appraisal is a document that provides an estimate of a property’s market value. The appraisal of a property, required for lenders prior to loan approval to ensure that the mortgage loan amount is not more than the value of the property. Don’t mix up home inspection, which is meant for buyer, and home appraisal, for lenders.

If you are a homebuyer, it is your responsibility to carefully select a qualified inspector and pay for the inspection. Your real estate agent may recommend you some inspectors home inspectors or you can find licensed inspector towards professional or state organizations.

Bubble diagrams are a useful tool in the beginning stages of designing your home. Before you can begin defining the spaces with walls on the floor plan, you need to understand the relationships between the spaces as you picture them in your mind.

Architects begin with a bubble diagram. The Bubbles represent interior spaces and their importance and relationship to each other. You can do simple ones with your Open Office Draw tool (free download) or the Microsoft Paint program on your Windows computer. These will be easier to change and manipulate, but you can do them with plain old pencil and paper also.

Larger bubbles mean larger rooms, overlapping bubbles are spaces that are accessible from another space. You can also let every bubble float free and draw connecting lines to indicate access and flow. As you plan the spaces with bubbles, you will begin to get a better feel for the spaces you want and how they should relate. It is easier to do this with the abstract tool of a bubble rather that try to sit down and begin defining spaces with walls and the technical relationships between rooms, access and flow. This exercise will save you time and money later if you are drafting your own plans or paying a designer to do them. You will also see errors in your judgement by conceptualizing what was a thought into concrete relationship on paper. This process is critical and precedes formal space-planning and is reiterative ( it is cheaper to make mistakes here) but it will help you clarify how you want the space to relate and flow and will be very helpful when floor plans are drawn.

Commonly, the standard term is considered to be 25 years. However you may choose a different term if it suits you and the lender agrees that you can afford it. You have to keep in mind that with a shorter term, you will have higher monthly payments but pay less in total. While with a longer term, you will pay less each month but more in total.

Above all beware of making financial commitments that continue past your retirement age unless you are sure you will be able to afford the payments. You should think twice, or even more, before taking out a 40-year loan to buy a house. With the skyrocketing price of properties many middle class family are attracted by this kind of mortgage deals. But the extra 10 or 20 years won't reduce the monthly payments all that much. And you will pay so much interest to the bank. Eventually your equity will grow so slowly, that your home will never be a good investment, helping you to save and build wealth.

There are many personal and emotional reasons instigating one’s family to buy or build a house. But financial considerations also play a big part in the decision, too. A home should become your foundation for building wealth. As you are progressively paying back your mortgage, your home should quickly become one of the most valuable things you own. Besides the equity you create by paying off the loan is a type of savings that you can use to send your kids to college or ensure a comfortable retirement. But if you have a 40- and 50-year loans. You don't build wealth because you have to give really too much of what should be your money to the bank.

In the case of an offset mortgage, your main bank current account and/or savings accounts are linked to your mortgage. Each month, the amount you owe on your mortgage is reduced by the amount in these accounts before working out the interest due on the loan. For instance, if you have an interest-only mortgage of $100,000 and have savings in your offset account of $25,000, you will pay interest only on $75,000. As a consequence, when your current account and savings balances go up, you pay less on your mortgage. As they go down, you pay more.

This type of mortgage can also be tax-efficient if you pay tax on your savings. This is because you do not earn any interest on your savings and so don’t pay any tax on them. Instead you pay less interest on your mortgage. Finally, depending on your lender, the savings accounts of family members can be combined to offset against one person’s mortgage. This could be useful if, say, you want to help your child buy their first home.

Second, a current account mortgage is almost identical to an offset mortgage in that it offsets the balance of your savings against your mortgage. However in this case, both accounts are usually combined into one account.

The mortgage lender will plan with you the minimum amount you should leave in your account each month to pay back your mortgage according to the agreed mortgage term. If you leave more than this in your account then you pay less interest and may pay your mortgage off early but if you leave less in your account each month, you will end up paying more for your mortgage. Should you choose current account or offset mortgages? Probably yes, if you are a higher rate taxpayer and have substantial savings to offset. The answer is negative if you don’t have much left in savings after paying your deposit and other mortgages may be cheaper for you.

Wake County has been voted one of the best places to live and work in North Carolina. This is largely because of all the things there are to do in and around Wake County. Wake County is even home to Raleigh, the capital of North Carolina. This is a very large city and can be considered the center of activity for North Carolina.

Raleigh has proved to be a very desirable city to live in. The government has taken steps to bring in business and help keep the city in good condition. They even passed a large recycling bill to help keep things clean.

The nicest thing about Raleigh and Wake County in general is the abundance of wildlife. The area hasn’t been urbanized like a lot of counties across the U.S. While there are still a lot of houses, streets, and city blocks there are trees and parks all around. You can still find beautiful neighborhoods where you can sit on the porch and listen to the birds sing.

The reason for all this wildlife is because of urban forestry. This is a fancy way of saying the government helps plant trees and takes care of wildlife in general. It helps to keep the area looking good and healthy.

Wake County also offers an abundance of recreation to people seeking a little fun. There are a lot of golf courses scattered throughout Wake County and the surrounding cities. There are also local school games for people who enjoy watching sports.

There is even an abundance of arts and museums in and around Wake County and especially in the Raleigh area. This has helped attract people who enjoy relaxing and learning the history of the region.

Wake County has proved to be a good all around place. It attracts some people for its abundant business and good job opportunities and other people because of the relaxed lifestyle that can be had. If you need a good all around place to move then you should really consider Wake County.

Durham offers a lot of activities for visitors and residents to do. There are about a quarter of a million people who currently reside in Durham with around 5 million people who visit annually. Currently Durham is considered one of the centers for learning in North Carolina.

Durham has very good colleges which take up residence there. Currently Duke University takes up residence in Durham. This college is known throughout the world and is considered a very good college. This helps attract a younger crowd to Durham and helps bring arts and culture to the community. It also brings about a good education and keeps a lot of the kids in town.

The other college in Durham is the North Carolina Central University. This isn’t as world renowned as Duke but it does provide a good education and helps bring more jobs and culture to the community.

Both colleges have their own art museums. They both have reasonable admissions fees and can help you experience some of the culture that is located inside Durham.

There is an abundant supply of sports to choose from in Durham. You can go watch a local football, baseball, or basketball game at one of the colleges when they are playing or visit some of the local golf courses for some fun on the green.

Parks can be found where you can go to throw a frisbee or just let the kids play. This allows you to have a nice relaxing evening and get out of the house. There are also trails and nature walks in and around Durham for people who wish to explore nature.

Durham is a great city for any tourist or resident who wishes to have some fun with their life. There is a lot that is offered to all types of people and you can never run out of things to do. So, if you’re seeking a great place to live, check out Durham and what it has to offer.