Silver Crosshair

There are a lot of people in the real estate investing “expert” business, but none of them have the depth of knowledge about the economy and political issues as the infamous Bryan Ellis.

Over and over again, Bryan’s name was mentioned to me due to his unusual mix of expertise in the areas I’m specifically interested in: Real Estate, the Economy and Politics. With yesterday’s elections, I had to seek out his thoughts about the immediate future of the real estate industry.

Question: How will Barack Obama’s ascension to the White House change the U.S. real estate market?

Bryan Ellis: My hope is for a minimal effect, but my brain doesn’t expect that to happen. Obama has raised taxes at every opportunity he’s had, and he’s already promised to double capital gains tax rates. None of these are good for the real estate market.

Question: How quickly will these changes have actual ramifications in the real estate market?

Bryan Ellis: Look for increased real estate sales in the waning weeks of this year as investors sell off their assets in anticipation of an Obama tax penalty against successful real estate investors.

Question: That’s an incredibly immediate effect!

Bryan Ellis: It’s pure math. With his promise to double capital gains taxes, Obama is giving strong incentive to investors to unload their assets right now. This will, of course, further depress real estate prices.

More of this interview with Bryan Ellis in the next installment. Check out Bryan Ellis’ videos at http://www.youtube.com/BryanEllisVideos

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Want to save money for your wedding? Here are some ideas for a cheap wedding.

If you hire an event coordinator for your wedding planning and execution, you will save time and thus money by selecting from his/her recommendations of experienced vendors and ways to save. Most specialize in cutting costs.

Learn how to do your make-up well in advance of the event date and complete your own prior to putting on your gown.

If you select “in-season” flowers for your bouquets and décor, you can save a third of the costs.

Let the bridesmaids carry one long-stemmed flower keyed into your wedding bouquet.

If you use mirror rounds under the flowers, you’ll expand their appearance on tables. Expand the flowers for your table décor with 2/3 greenery to 1/3 flowers.

Purchase a cheap or less expensive plain white dress and buy the applicas at a yardage shop by the yard to enhance the dress with simple stitches. This can change a $400. dress into a $4,000. dress quickly.

If you want to save on event location fees, you can hold your event mid-week or on a Friday or Sunday instead of Saturday. You can save money by taking advantage of wine sales the months prior to the wedding day.

There are some tux formalwear companies that give the tux free for the groom when they bring four or more men in to be fitted for a wedding. Try to find such a company.

Go to discount houses and see if you can find decent wedding and attendant dresses. You can save much money this way.

If you let the photographer shoot only the formal shots and have a qualified friend take the rest of the day with a high resolution camera, you can save money.

A Band or a DJ is often countered with “a D.J. is only one or two meals extra, but a band can be 5 or 10 meals.” Negotiate to not feed the band a full meal, but a nice boxed lunch. Maybe they’ll agree so that you can save money.

If possible, shop for a specific price per slice on your cake. This can range from $3. to $9. per slice.

Don’t pay money for everything. When evaluating the funds available for the wedding and reception, take into consideration the people in your circle of family and friends who can do the vendor work as part of their gift to you.

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While they may not enjoy the glamorous reputation of the wedding dress or the beauty of the wedding flower, the invitations you choose for your wedding are among the most important elements of planning a successful wedding. After all, without the winter wedding invitations, no one will know when or where the ceremony is taking place.

==Start Shopping For Your Winter Wedding Invitations Before It Gets Too Cold==

With the many different types of wedding invitations on the market, it can be difficult to choose only one style, and that is one reason it is so important to shop around carefully. It may take some time to find the winter wedding invitations that are perfect for you, so be sure to start shopping long before the weather has turned cold.

==Shop At Different Places To Help You Choose Your Invitations==

It is important to shop for your wedding invitations at a number of different sources. There are many types of vendors who can create stunning winter wedding invitations, from local print shops to office supply stores to the internet. Only by shopping at all these sources can you be sure that you have found the best wedding invitations at the best price.

==View Sample Invitations Before You Make Your Final Choice==

Most suppliers of winter wedding invitations will have a book you can flip through which shows the different styles of invitations that are available. Chances are the printer will also have a number of actual wedding invitations you can look at. It is important to carefully examine each of the winter wedding invitations you are considering, and to be sure that they are right for you.

==Allow Plenty Of Time For Your Invitations To Get Delivered==

When shopping on the internet, it is important to pay careful attention to the delivery time. It is vital that the winter wedding invitations you order online be delivered in plenty of time for you to address and mail them. It is also important to allow plenty of time for your guests to respond. Having an accurate count of the number of wedding guests you can expect is vital to proper wedding planning, and the wedding invitations are your key to getting this valuable information.

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One of the questions most often asked in the wedding world is “how to go about planning a beach wedding”. Although beach weddings involve different details, settings and attire than traditional-set weddings, the fundamental planning details are the same and if you follow the theme plan, all should go well.

Most often beach theme weddings take place in warm, or hot and sunny locales for obvious reasons. Although public beaches are great and are very popular amongst the bride and groom, private beaches offer an entirely special and unique slant on the affair. Public areas are often loud, and are subject to high traffic from people in the area. Very often they can be messy, with litter. Other times they can be simply beautiful. The best bet is to look for a locale long in advance of the event. Take a stroll through the area if possible. Ask the local tourism board what the traffic and parking is like during the wedding date you have set. Check for aspects such as - paid or free parking, security for guests, length of walk to the beach, accessibility (if you might have physically handicapped guests or small children)

In terms of the beach wedding theme, there are a myriad of options. Think Bermuda, and warm places. The musical background can easily consist of steel drums, calypso rhythms, even authentic Caribbean grooves complete with steel pans! Shell wind chimes can complete the musical ambience well when hung from a gazebo or awning structure at a recreational area.

For the beach themed wedding attire, nothing works better than sandals or even bare feet, bright colored ankle-high khakis and a wicker hat. Ask your guests to dress for warm weather in a beach party theme ad see what surprises they offer! Using tiki torches (if allowed - many public beaches do not allow open fires) can really light up a sunset beach wedding.

If your location is right on the ocean, this opens up many other possibilities that are only limited by your imagination. Additional ideas might be:

Sandcastle sculptures, either professional or otherwise Using seashells to print the bride and grooms names in the sand before the event begins Saying ‘I do” on a float boat docked just offshore. Beach favors

Using your imagination and pushing the limits of what you think is possible between you and your spouse will lead you down creative paths and make your beach wedding planning a success.

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Chamonix ski resort is a unique holiday destination with the towering Monte Bianco as well as tumbling glaciers. My friends love to go walking or even visiting the Aiguille du Midi. I invariably travel from Plains and stay at a Chamonix hotel during my holiday.

My family and I used to visited Crowne Plaza Downtown unfortunately it sometimes didn’t meet the standards of its description: Located in the heart of downtown St. Louis, adjacent to the Gateway Arch, the 440-room Crowne Plaza Downtown is just blocks from Busch Stadium, President’s Casino and the historic Laclede’s Landing entertainment district. The hotel’s Union Grill features three walls of floor-to-ceiling windows that overlook a garden patio and the riverfront. The three-story atrium lobby lounge features overstuffed sofas, game tables, a piano and two televisions for entertainment.Facilities and services include a rooftop pool and sun deck, business center, room service, guest laundry, valet service, in room high speed internet access and express checkout. Complimentary passes to the nearby YMCA are available prior to the completion of the on-site exercise facility.The hotel has completed a multi-million dollar renovation of the lobby, restaurant, elevators, and some guest rooms. The balance of the guest rooms and the meeting space are scheduled to start renovations this fall. Please note that there is a $10 per day self-parking fee for hotel guests with cars. Valet parking is $15 per day. Guests must be 21 years old to check-in.

On the other hand in Chamonix village the catered chalet is always brilliant. Even dining out in my families’ favorite cafe, Elliot’s Deli, scoffing los sombreros fresh corn tamales is a pleasure. Chamonix France is a large enough place to insure that there is lots for the holiday maker to do. With a beauty salon and a weekly market with fresh local produce, Chamonix offers a choice of walking, alpine charm and sightseeing which not many French ski resorts can hope to rival.

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