Real Estate

Successful Chapter 13 Preparation

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A successful Chapter 13 requires hard work from both the attorney and their client. Clients should prepare by reading as much information as possible before their first meeting with the attorney. There is an application and forms to be filled out and signed. Clients must gather all financial documentation. Will need:

3 year tax returns;

6 month bank statements (checking, savings, money market, etc.);

6 months of pay notices (how you get paid, usually by pay stub, but you can have direct deposit or self-employment, so you must show how much you earn and how you get paid);

All your bills;

Copies of any lawsuits against you;

Any financial instrument, including promissory notes, mortgages, property titles;

Tax returns, recent appraisals, and mortgage statements on your home(s);

Account statements for all deposit, investment, and retirement accounts, including stocks, bonds, etc.;

A list of assets sold or transferred in the last year;

Any lease or installment agreement;

Any documents you have about your debts;

Any lawsuit against you: divorce, lawsuits, foreclosures, liens, etc.

Any insurance policy.

When you meet with the attorney, bring your driver’s license and social security card with you. A copy of these will be kept in your file. If you are not going to meet with your attorney in person, DO NOT MAIL these documents! Your entire financial identity is there. Use a tracking method, FedEx, UPS or certified mail is better. Be sure to notify the attorney of anything that may be financially important to you. Not all creditors will appear on your credit reports, so it’s important to let your attorney know about any potential creditors. Medical providers generally do not report outstanding bills on their report. If you were involved in an accident or have other legal issues that may affect you financially, be sure to mention them in your conversation with your attorney and include them on your application!

If you need to file quickly, make sure you’ve taken the pre-filing course and have your certificate ready. You may be able to get the application in advance and fill it out as well.

Have a list of questions ready for your attorney. Your meeting will be more fruitful and you will leave with a greater understanding of your particular problems. The success of your case depends largely on your ability to comply with the provisions of the chapter 13 requirements and the terms of your specific plan. Thorough, complete, and accurate preparation of the forms, application, and documents related to your individual circumstances is essential to that success.

Shopping Product Reviews

Guide to dog-friendly hotels for the pampered pooch

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In France, small dogs have always been pampered and accepted just about anywhere their owner goes. That can now be extended to cities around the world and is especially true for hotels at the higher end of the market.

There are two main reasons for this. More and more customers want to have their dog with them to maximize the pleasure of the holidays. This is a huge market: About 62 million people in the United States have dogs, and 29 million of them take their dogs with them when they travel. The other factor is that many owners feel guilty about putting their dog in kennels. All of this reflects the way that dogs are now seen much more as part of the family, rather than a mother pet.

CALCULATING NUMBERS

A survey on behalf of a hotel chain turned up some surprising findings. 76% of respondents said they would show more loyalty to a hotel chain that was prepared to house their dogs, even if they weren’t bringing their dog on vacation! 16% admitted that, at one time or another, they had smuggled their dog into a hotel that didn’t accept pets!

WHAT CAN MY DOG EXPECT FROM A HOTEL?

Most dog-friendly hotels offer basic services like food and water. Others add nice touches like a gift on arrival and personalized name tags. The more expensive the hotel, the more luxuries your dog can enjoy. You will be provided with toys, leashes and collars, poop scoops, and even videos for your dog to watch.

Dogs can now get organic rotisserie chicken and Aberdeen Angus steaks from room service. Some hotels offer dog foods that have been developed with the help of a veterinarian, especially to help your dog deal with the stress of travel! The hotel concierge will arrange dog walkers and a pet sitter, if you plan to spend some time away from your dog. One of the most amazing things offered in a pampered dog package is the use of a “dog translator” so guests can better communicate with their canines!

DOGS LOVE GROOMING!

If you opt for a relaxing pedicure, your dog can lie down next to you and have one too. Beauty salons in hotels are becoming more and more popular. Why not treat your pampered pooch with some highlights, lowlights, or French braids? Dental cleaning and massages are also offered.

THE TOP TEN DOG-FRIENDLY CITIES IN THE US AND CANADA ARE:

1. Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

2. San Francisco, Calif.

3. Chicago, Illinois

4.Boston, MA

5.Austin, Texas

6. Seattle, Washington

7. New York City

8. Long Beach, Los Angeles

9. St. Louis, Missouri

10. Northern Virginia – Washington DC Area

THE SKY IS THE LIMIT

Here’s a quick rundown of what your dog could get in a luxury hotel stay in the Big Apple:

* Personalized 22 karat gold plated dog tag

* Spritz treatments for the dog’s coat in a selection of aromatherapy fragrances

*Deluxe bone dog pillow

* Homemade dog biscuits and treats

* 300 thread count sheets on a special mattress for dogs

* Room service for dogs offering appetizers, entrees and desserts

Hotels can’t control the weather, but they can make life more bearable for your dog with the loan of a trench coat (raincoat, of course!), a leather jacket or, if it’s cold, a cashmere sweater. It’s a dog’s life…

Sports

Major League Baseball Tickets – 5 Reasons Why You Should Reserve Yours

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Since the day in 1846 when the first baseball game was held between the Knickerbockers and the New York Baseball Club, the game has come a long way.

Today the rules of major league baseball, and how! If you are a fan of trueblue baseball, you need cheap baseball tickets, as you really want to see as many games as you can, without paying the earth for it. Here are my five reasons why you should book your tickets to this season’s baseball games early:

1. Chicago baseball fans have special reasons to follow the game, which is as quintessentially American as the city itself. The Chicago Baseball Museum was established to ensure that we never forget the city’s contribution to baseball. (Though forgetting it is practically impossible, with names like Carlos Zambrano, Minnie Miñoso, Ernie Banks and Paul Konerko lighting up the game’s history.)

The city is the only one with two sanctioned Major League Baseball teams: the Chicago White Sox in the American League and the Chicago Cubs in the National League. The Chicago Cubs, in particular, deserve a mention for their spectacular performance in the National League this year.

2. The Los Angeles Dodgers’ 8-2 win over the Rockies on June 2, 2008 was a reminder of the powerful presence the Dodgers have had in baseball over the years. Currently second in the NL West table and very close to the leaders’ path, the Dodgers are a great prospect to relish. In 2004, when they won the Western Division title, they revived hopes of repeating their best year, 1988. That was the year the Dodgers won the National League pennant AND the World Series.

3. New Yorkers, in particular, will never want to stop watching the Yankees break records. It would not be an exaggeration to describe the Yankees as the most prolific in American baseball history. With 39 wins in the American League and 26 in the World Series, the Yankees will be itching to win the Eastern Division title this year after losing it for the first time in 10 years in 2007.

4. The Washington Nationals baseball team is a relative newcomer to the league, having transferred from Montreal in 2005. While the team’s progress in the league might have been more impressive than it has been, the 2007- 2008 saw two exciting new faces, Elijah Dukes and Lastings Milledge, join the team. These young players are expected to drive the team tremendously over the next two seasons. With their stated goal of making Washington the capital of baseball, the Nationals have secured themselves a great deal of curious attention from baseball fans.

5. This year’s Baseball World Series is just a few months away. You don’t want to be caught napping without tickets when the best-of-seven playoffs begin in October. Especially if your favorite team is one of the teams in the fray.

You don’t have to leave your house this year to get the baseball tickets you want. You can buy them all, online, for every home and away game, whether it’s regular season or postseason.

Tours Travel

My first impressions of Cyprus

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The first time I visited Cyprus, I immediately fell in love with the place. It was a summer vacation and the fabulous weather coupled with the warm and inviting waters of the Mediterranean instantly captivated. There is also a close connection between Britain and the Greek part of Cyprus, so it also feels more like home than other Mediterranean destinations.

We arrived at Larnaca International Airport, which is fairly well connected to various UK airports. From there, our waiting taxi took us east to our hotel in the popular tourist hub of Ayia Napa. It has a well deserved reputation as a party place, especially during the summer months, but we had booked a hotel about 2km from the center at Nissi Beach.

Our hotel was the Aeneas Hotel which is a very good 5 star hotel located across the street from Nissi beach. The hotel is set in beautiful gardens and the main pool is the largest single pool I have ever seen in a hotel. We stayed in a standard room which was clean, modern and comfortable with some of the superior room types opening directly onto the main pool. During the day, the pool, or rather a section of it, was central to the excellent entertainment team who worked around the clock to keep guests entertained.

Breakfast at the hotel was a choice of traditional English or continental breakfasts. There was a good selection of good as well as lots of fresh fruit which is always a welcome sight on vacation. In the evenings we always ate out of the hotel as there was a great selection of bars, cafes and restaurants within walking distance or a short taxi ride into the heart of Ayia Napa. There is a wide variety of dining options in and around the Ayia Napa resort. One night we even tried crocodile meat.

While in Ayia Napa I also spent a couple of days diving with a dive center at the resort. The water was warm and clear, but unfortunately, there is not the same level of marine life that I was used to in Egypt. We also made a couple of visits to the nearby Waterworld water park which is a great day out for kids of all ages.

Another place to visit is near Protaras. The Ocean Aquarium Park has over 400 species of marine life on display and outside in the gardens there are also enclosed ponds where you can see turtles and crocodiles.

However, this Cyprus holiday was primarily a beach holiday and we spent many hours of the day either across the road from the Aeneas Hotel on Nissi Beach or in and around the hotel’s huge swimming pool. We were not able to explore all of Cyprus during our stay. That will have to wait until we come back next time.