Dubai Rental Property

Dubai services millions of visitors every single year! If your after a short constituent rental for a business trip, holiday or meet an extended meet you will find first class wealth property available. If your looking to engage property in metropolis this is also an option, consider a villa, apartment, home or wealth home. The hardest decision you will have to make will be to set your budget and decide exactly what your needs are then making a choice from the panoptic activity of available property. Ongoing new construction effectuation new and exciting options become available on a regular basis, one wealth resort or housing Byzantine is being outdone by the next. The winners here are the people who live and meet in Dubai.

Villa-House in Kissimmee FL, Florida, USA

BellaVida by Park Square Homes is the newest and most luxurious resort community to date.BellaVida, features a collection of inspired single family homes and townhomes enclosed by beautiful conservation areas and community lakes. The barrel-tiled roofs and colorful exteriors module remind you of being in the Mediterranean. An impressive 25 foot waterfall greets you as you arrive finished the gates, and just beyond that is the Italian-inspired Clubhouse.

BellaVida's 6,700 sqft clubhouse features an on-site concierge, fitness center, arcade, cyber café, convenient loaf with televisions, resort pool and spa plus basketball and volleyball courts. If you're looking to enter with nature, a walk finished the nature preserve or around the 10 acre lakes module surely be in order. BellaVida is located just soured US 192 behindhand Medieval Times in the heart of it all… transactions from the many world famous attractions and shopping, yet secluded enough to provide a private shelter you'll love.

Other POOL homes available from us$279k and townhomes from $US $189K
Furniture packages available $15 - $20K - you get to decide your furnishings.!
* Onsite management, provides monthly revenues and expenses
*Gated secure community
*10 mins to DISNEY
*10 mins to outlet shopping
*10 mins to resturants, banking, etc.

Importance of Property tax and its implications

Tax is a financial charge enforced on citizens (individuals, businesses, legal entities) by the state. It is one of the largest sources of Government revenues. Property tax is one of these taxes and is charged from the owners of some real estate properties like land, houses, commercial plazas or any other type of realty (Note that tax levied upon vehicles, bonds or stocks is also called property tax). Property tax is normally calculated as a percentage of the total value of property and property valuation is carried out by appraisers representing taxing authorities. Different countries have different set of rules in accordance with their own needs and objectives, UAE for instance charge no property tax (buyers and sellers have to pay a tax at the time of property transfer though).

Real estate taxes are often enforced on its owners, but property tax can also be imposed on property transfers or income coming from possession of some property. All types of real properties and property ownerships like agriculture, grazing, farm houses, industrial, tenancy, shops, homes and shops have different implications/exemptions jotted down specifically for them. Also, there are tax exemptions for special cases like old citizens or widows in many countries. The ownership tax is normally payable after one year time. Apart from generating revenues, governments may use these property taxes to curb speculative investments in real estate market. However these taxes can have some negative effects as well, for example increasing urban spread out (known as sprawl).

Land Value Tax:

Unlike Property tax that is levied upon the real estate, land value tax is a direct tax on the value of land. At present, it is imposed in Australia, Hong Kong, Denmark, etc. Lots of economists are of the opinion that Land value tax is a better option than property tax, first because it is easy to calculate and second because it can take care of some loopholes in the economic setup (e.g. discouraging land owners to hold the land for no reasons). However, it is hard to implement in countries where it is difficult to ascertain real land owner.

When talking about saving on property taxes, you can’t have a general advice as rules and regulations differ in different countries. However, by reading and understanding your local laws (especially the valuation method) you can save a considerable amount. Many taxpayers often avoid going in details or getting in dispute with taxing authorities, but you’ve got every right to know exactly what are you paying for?

Building a property VS Buying a property

When you are looking to move into a new house, you have got two options to choose from. You can either buy an already completed house or opt to build one. Though, most experts' opinion is inclined towards buying a home when compared to building a new one. Still, going through the demanding chores of construction have its advantages too. Purchasing or building a home is often once in a lifetime decision (unless you are into buying and selling homes as a business). So, you should make a decision in accordance to your requirements and resources after reading the advantages and disadvantages for both of these options.

Buying

Buying an existing home is comparatively less expensive and far more convenient. The biggest advantage of buying when compared to building is the convenience factor, you just need to get in touch with your real estate agent and find the right home at the right location. Finding the right property at the right place is not that difficult as it used to be, after the evolution of the internet. Many property portals now offer comprehensive databases and powerful search features to search properties for sale or rent. Even if you can’t find a property portal that focuses on your desired location, buying a home through other means is still less nuisance than building your home.

Looking at the negative side, when you purchase a newly built house, you may have to deal with low quality material, which the developer has used to keep the cost to bare minimum. If the house is built some years ago, then you may need some maintenance work before you shift. Another minus is the fact that in most cases, you have to make some compromises on features like floor plans or number of bedrooms etc.

Building

It may be a little taxing, it is going to cost more for sure, and it is going to take plenty of time, but once you get over with the construction, the end result (i.e. the completed home) is going to be much more satisfactory and valuable. When going through the construction, you can use the material of your liking; you can plan your house exactly according to your requirements and go for latest home technologies. Apart from the materialistic worth, this home will also provide an emotional value.

Biggest hindrance in building your home is the time factor. Arranging for the material and supervising the contractor is almost a full time job, hence not feasible for majority. Plus, you need to be very good at bargaining or negotiating with the labors, as you will be doing a lot of that. Building a home also needs getting various certificates and license from the regulatory bodies.

Sophia Loren Slept Here

SELLERS: Edoardo Ponti and Sasha Alexander

LOCATION: Chelan Drive, Los Angeles, CA

PRICE: $2,135,000

SIZE: 4 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms

DESCRIPTION: Indoor/Outdoor living at its finest. Beautifully remodeled contemporary 4+4 home with perfect flow for entertaining w/ stainless steel appliances, open living room with Ledger stone fireplace. The master suite includes sitting area, fireplace and features pocket doors that completely open the room the the private pool/spa and expansive views of the canyon.

YOUR MAMAS NOTES: Okay babies, Your Mama confesses that we don't really know if Oscar winning Italian actress and international sex symbol Sophia Loren (Matrimonio all'italiana, La ciociara, Prêt-à-Porter) actually slept in this house in the Outpost Estates area of Los Angeles. What we do know is that the world's sexiest senior citizen's son Edoardo Ponti and his wifey, Sasha Alexander own the house in question and have recently listed it with a price tag of $2,135,000.

Signore Ponti is, of course, the thirty-something year old son of La Loren and legendary Academy Award winning Italian film producer Carlo Ponti (Doctor Zhivago, La Strada). Young Signore Ponti has followed in his papà's footsteps right into the big, bag movie bidness, writing and directing a few films including Between Strangers and another one called Italian Holiday which has yet to be released. Since 2007, Signore Ponti has be betrothed to actress Sasha Alexander who is perhaps best known for her boob-toob roles on the icky-sappy and thankfully erstwhile Dawson's Creek in the late 1990s and on Navy NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service in the mid 2000s. More recently she has wound her way into films like Mission Impossible III, Yes Man, and He's Just Not That Into You.

Some previous reports and records show the property was purchased in 2004. However, that is not, according to our research, correct. Records Your Mama accessed show that Signore Ponti purchased the Chelan Drive domicile in January of 2006–or March depending on where Your Mama looks. The property records Your Mama accessed are vague on the purchase price but with a little assistance from our good buddy Babbling Babette we've managed to suss out a purchase price of $1,745,000. Listing information and public property records agree that there are four bedrooms and four poopers on the property, but when it comes to square footage, there seems to be some discrepancy. Listing information indicates the house measures 2,800 square feet while the tax man shows it covers 2,569 square feet.

Although there is a two car garage under the house and some sort of small, odd attachment on the roof that is accessed via a spiral stair on the pool deck–the Ponti/Alexander residence sits mostly on a single level. Listing information indicates the house was recently renovated but Your Mama happens to know it was not by the current owners. What the current owners are responsible for is the all beige all the time look look that begins with the front facade of beige stucco and beige stacked stone walls and accents. The children will not the amazing banana plants. Love, love, love those nanner plants.

Inside, the sufficiently sized living room has a very high wood ceiling, blond and glossy bamboo wood floors and a monolithic stacked stone wall which has a three sided fireplace at one end. A low, built in bench runs along the length of the stacked stone wall which also has a big black bas relief of the face of Buddha or some other eastern deity tacked up on it. Listing information indicates the fireplace is made of Ledger stone." As best as Your Mama can tell, that means it's a stone veneer hot glued onto a cement wall rather than an actual wall made of stacked stone. The floors switch to travertine in the dining room which has a vaulted wood ceiling, and huge floor to ceiling windows overlooking the back yard and the swimming pool. Although we think the dining room would benefit greatly from some kind of color–say, and an area rug with a deep eggplant colored base–but otherwise we're sorta digging the mixing matchy of the chunky farm table with the antique Louis the Something cane backed chairs and the uber-elaborate, glammy, gilded and–we're gonna say it–gaudy Italian looking mirror with its warts, gew-gaws and gilding mixed with the smooth planes of the banana leaves sticking up all manly-like out of the vase on the table.

The monolithic, stacked stone veneer wall and three sided fireplace that starts in the living room wraps around into the kitchen which is blessed with a wonderfully vaulted wood beamed ceiling and sky lights. The smallish but gore-may kitchen set up has more of the beige travertine floors as in the dining room, honey colored cabinetry, beige and brow flecked granite counter tops and some uppity stainless steel appliances that probably combined cost more than middle class people earn in a damn year.

The honey colored wood floors in the living room continue into the master bedroom which according to listing information has it's own sitting area and fireplace as well as a vaulted wood ceiling and an entire wall of windows that slide open and over look the swimming pool. While we do love this bedroom as covered porch sort of thing, we'd never leave it open unattended because fraidy cats that Your Mama and the Dr. Cooter are, we'd be awfully concerned with coyotes comin' 'round and slipping up onto the bed for a nice soft place to sleep. Don't laugh chickens, just days ago Your Mama watched a kie-ote titter down the street right in front of our damn house probably looking for dinner and a quiet place to sleep. Anyhoo, the master bathroom is slathered in beige travertine and offers a double vanity with dog bowl sinks, a couple of skylights and windows for light and, uh, ventilation, and a jetted tub/shower combination that shares the through the wall fireplace in the sitting area of the master bedroom.

The backyard of the Ponti/Alexander residence is small, as is expected in these hillside homes and includes a rectangular pool with rounded corners and in-ground spa surrounded by a terrace too slim to do the downward facing dog or put a damn chaise lounge for sunbathing in the newd. If Your Mama is being honest, and we always are, we'd have made the this swimming pool plunge-sized in order to gain a few more square feet of terrace so that we would not have to worry about rounding the corner of the house and falling into the damn pool after a pitcher or two of late afternoon gin and tonics. Around the corner from the pool and up a few steps is a larger courtyard/patio/terrace like space with a built in firepit.

For what it is worth, the house that sexy and balloon breasted actress Salma Hayak called home before she got knocked up by her billionaire baby daddy Francois-Henri Pinault and moved into a behemoth of a mansion on Bel Air Road in Bel Air is just around the corner. As far as we can tell, Missus Pinault still owns the property.

UPDATE: A-Rod

Last October, Your Mama discussed the Coral Gables Crib of professional baseballer Alex "A-Rod" Rodriguez who–at that time–had dumped his wifey Cynthia and taken up with the man-armed and man-eating force of nature known as Madonna Louise Ciccone Penn Ritchie. Since then the Kabbalah Kween has moved on to a Brazilian born male model named Jesus–that's hay-soos, puppies, not gee-zuss–who is sta-acked and about half her damn age, and A-Rod has turned his ladee lovin' attentions to Kate Hudson, another famous man eater who has had at least four boyfriends and two additional flings since splitting from her Black Crows ex-huzband Chris Robinson in 2007.

Mister Rodriguez and Miz Gets Around Hudson seem to have gotten very serious very fast. In fact, they were reported to be house hunting in Pacific Palisades and Malee-boo in late September and in early October the love birds were seen shopping around for new digs in New York City. Lo-ward have mercy. Your Mama just hopes neither of these two are foolish enough to start shacking up together after five months of dating and doing it because–let's be honest children–this story of celebrity love and high profile romance has star crossed lovers painted all over it.

Anyhoo, let's get back to the real estate. Mister Rodriguez, whose team recently won the World Series which really ain't the world series since only team from the U-nited States get to play in it, has also gotten serious about selling his one time happy home in Florida. At the end of October of 2008, the 8,310 square foot water front Mediterranean was listed with an asking price of $14,876,000. Since then, the price tag has plummeted to $9,999,999. As if that nearly five million clam cut doesn't sting quite enough, keep in mind that Mister and Missus ex-A-Rod paid $12,000,000 big ones for the 6 bedroom and 8 terlit mansion on E. Sunrise Avenue back in December of 2004. Oh, ouch. That's gotta hurt the financial pride even if you are A-Rod and bringing home bazillions of dollars every year for swinging a wood stick and catching balls in a leather glove.

Not only has price been chopped, thanks to Lipsmacking Leonard we've also learned that A-Rod has put the property up for auction on the BillionaireXchange with no minimum bid suggested. No minimum bid? Pleeze. Your Mama is not saying Mister A-Rod is getting desperate to sell his Floridian white elephant but it certainly looks like he's had a real estate reality check and realized that he's going to lose several if not many millions of dollars. All the price of celebrity dee-vorce chickens, all the price of celebrity dee-vorce.

As far as we know, Mister A-Rod spends a small fortune leasing an apartment at the over-hyped and insanely high priced 15 Central Park West building in New York City. Miz Gets Around Hudson owns a home in Pacific Palisades, CA where she's lived ever since being married to that Black Crows fellow and she recently vacated–or is soon to vacate–the King Street townhouse she's been leasing in downtown Manhattan.

Jonathan Antin Lists Toluca Lake Ranch House

SELLER: Jonathan Antin

LOCATION: 10049 Toluca Lake Avenue, Toluca Lake, CA

PRICE: $1,999,000

SIZE: 2,859 square feet, 4 bedrooms, 2.75 bathrooms

DESCRIPTION: Single story home in the coveted heart of Toluca Lake near Lakeside Golf Club offers a polished interior in a tranquil setting. An automatice gate opens to a circular driveway enhanced with an ecogrid patterning. Wood floors and expansive molding accents are constant throughout the living and formal dining areas and highlighted by well planned directional recessed lighting. A guest room and full bathroom are located on one side of the home with the remaining bedrooms and the master suite located on the opposite side of the home down a common hallway....

YOUR MAMAS NOTES: Let's all get into Your Mama's gin and tonic fueled time machine and go way back to March of 2007 when we dished and discussed a Bird Street bachelor pad high above Tinseltown's Sunset Strip being sold by Jonathan Antin. Mister Antin is, of course, the L.A. based celebrity beyootishun with the chisel chin and smoldering, come hither eyes who has toiled over the tresses of divas like Madonna, Margaret Cho, Rod Stewart and Ricky Martin.

A few months later, in May of 2007, we heard from our informant John Doe who tattled that the comely coiffeur and his baby momma turned wifey Sescie were hightailing it out of the Hollywood Hills for the more family friendly 'hood of Toluca Lake. Property records do indeed reveal that in April of 2007 Mister and Missus Antin paid $1,980,000 for a single story house on Toluca Lake Avenue that sits right up next door to the beast built and occupied by original Beverly Hills 90210 star Jennie Garth and her actor huzband Peter Facinelli who not only plays a boobie grabbing doctor on the fab Showtime program Nurse Jackie but also plays a doctor in the uber-successful vampire film phenomena that is Twilight. Mister Antin, who makes Foneesha–the gal who works the hair washing station at the salon where Your Mama's locks get worked–go wild with desire, is no stranger to appearing on the boob-toob. Not only did he star in Bravo TV reality program Blow Out, he pushes his own hair car product line on the QVC.

Your Mama was sitting around the other morning chomping saltines in order to soak up the booze and we received an unexpected and covert communique from a Toluca Lake resident we'll call Gladiss Kravitz, who should not to be confused with Gladys Kravitz from Bewitched. Our Missus Kravitz conspiratorially whispered in Your Mama's big ear that after only owning the house for just 2.5 years, Mister and Missus Antin have listed their Toluca Lake property with an asking price $1,999,000. A few flicks of the well worn beads on Your Mama's bejeweled abacus shows that Mister Antin is neither just a pretty face nor a hair-brained hairdresser because he rather wisely priced his house just $19,000 more than he paid for the place 2.5 years ago when the real estate market in Los Angeles was still raging like a wildfire out of control. We're not saying the Antins will get $19,000 more than they paid, but at least they didn't up-price their property a million bucks over what they paid for it at the tippy-top of the real estate bubble like so many other rich and famous people have been doing.

Of course, Your Mama don't know a cup of coffee from a dump truck but it looks to us like the Mister and Missus Antin may have already moved from this house. Or maybe the Staging Lady in a Pink Toyota has already been up in the house clearing out all their personal effects? Or maybe the couple and their two young children simply don't like their house cluttered up with a bunch of knick-knacks and paddy-whacks? Whatever the case, listing information indicates the barely decorated, single story, hip roof ranch measures 2,859 square feet and includes 4 bedrooms and 2.75 poopers. An automatic gate opens to a large circular drive with a cross-hatched pattern of concrete squares and grass strips that listing information calls an "ecogrid."

The front foyer leads to the living room which has hardwood floors, a corner fireplace, a wall mounted flat screen tee-vee, French doors that open to the back yard, and a bunch of furniture that looks like it was ordered out one of those Pottery Barn catalogs that get delivered to Your Mama's house every damn day. While there's really nothing special about this room that we can see, we do like the blue and lighter blue striped rug and imagine it might look mighty fine in our upstairs office. The wood floors continue into the dining room which has corner windows covered by plantation shutters, more French doors and one of those unfortunate candle chandeliers hanging over the farmhouse table. Listen children, we know these candle things probably give off nice and romantic light, and we would certainly never recommend a klieg-like lighting solution for a dining room, but the five puny candles that make up this paltry chandelier probably wouldn't light up a damn closet let alone provide enough light in the damn dining room to see what you're putting in your mouth.

The eat-in kitchen is all country style with knotty pine cabinetry, a cross-hatch pattern tile floor with wood inlay that unhappily mirrors the "ecogrid" on the driveway, and eggshell-colored tile counter tops with a very upsetting flowery detail on the edge. Listing information indicates the appliances are all high grade, that there is a prep sink, a pantry, a separate office area/work station, and an indoor grilling hearth because, you know, it's not so easy to barbecue outside with all the inclement weather in Los Angeles. The children will note that the dishwasher has been raised up so that Cho-Cho the dish dude won't bust up his back bending over while loading and unloading the fine china.

According to listing information, there is a guest bedroom and pooper on one side of the house and the home's other three bedrooms are located on the other. The master bedroom appears to have chocolate brown carpeting which might be good for hiding dirt and doggy doo stains, but otherwise Your Mama can't see any sufficient reason for installing chocolate brown wall to wall carpeting. Overall Your Mama does not care for the lackluster day-core in the Antin house, but we are coveting that pair of wood benches at the foot of the bed. The master pooper is home to about 49 different types and colors of tile and a commodious shower that listing information says has a "plethora of shower heads" which is a lovely feature if you like to have your choo-choo sprayed clean at the same time you're washing your hair.

Several sets of French doors and French door-like sliding doors open to a covered brick terrace that runs along the backside of the house. Listing information indicates the flat and grassy backyard is "thoughtfully landscaped," and while large enough, does not currently have a swimming pool. It does, however, have a dog run, which is nice if you have dogs but not so much if you don't.

In addition to Jenny Garth and Peter Facinelli, the Antin's nearby neighbors also include High School Musical's Ashley Tisdale and former Baywatch babe Brooke Burns who was once married to not afraid to bare his booty on national tee-vee Nip/Tuck hottie Julian McMahon.

Gale Harold Lists Los Feliz Doo-plex Digs

SELLER: Gale Harold

LOCATION: Arbolada Road, Los Angeles, CA

PRICE: $1,300,000

SIZE: 2,566 square feet, 4 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms

DESCRIPTION: Updated mid-century duplex. Unit #1 3BR, 2 BA, Unit #2, 2BR, 2BA. High end kitchen and baths in owner's unit, 2nd unit in good condition w/ some upgrades. HUGE lot that is your own private oasis with meandering paths through native trees and plants.

YOUR MAMAS NOTES: The other day Your Mama received a covert communique from Lovely Leslie in Los Feliz who whispered in our ear that an actor named Gale Harold III had listed his mid-century doo-plex on Arbolada Road with an asking price of $1,300,000. Your Mama said, "Gale what? Harold who? Arbo- where?"

So, like we usually do when confused and confronted with a celebrity name we do not immediately recognize, we fired up our trusty laptop and started clicking and clacking on the keyboard. It was only a matter of minutes before we were able to put a familiar face to Gale Harold's unfamiliar name. Many of the children will know handsome Mister Harold as that dumb ass Susan Mayer's rebound boyfriend on the last season of Desperate Housewives. Mister Harold's stint on that program was cut short when he was injured in pretty serious motorcycle accident in the fall of 2008. Prior to that, his most notable and recognizable role would surely be as the libidinous and narcissistic ur-homosexual Brian Kinny on Queer as Folk. Some in the Lesbian Gay Bi and Transgender community whined that his role as excessively vain and hyper-horny only perpetuated negative stereotypes of a gay men. Others found the portrayal refreshingly transgressive and liberating and still others, those without sexual hang ups or a political axe to grind, just thought Mister Harold as Brian Kinney was nothing more than nine kinds of hot and sexy.

According to his resume on the IMDB, Mister Harold calls the pretty city of Toronto, Canada home, which is where Queer as Folk filmed back when it was still being filmed. However, according to property records–and Lovely Leslie in Los Feliz–Mister Harold owns a doo-plex property on a curvy cul-de-sac at the eastern edge of Los Feliz that he bought in March of 2005 for $794,500. The tri-level doo-plex is painted in two shades of baby poop, has a three car garage at street level and, according to property records and listing information, the two units combined measure 2,566 square feet.

Listing information barely describes the smaller, 2 bedroom and 2 pooper unit but does state it is in "good" condition with "some upgrades." Listen chickens, whenever Your Mama sees this kind of lackluster listing language we can't help but think that it's just real estate speak meant to downplay that the place is a hot mess with a dirty tenant. It's like all those naughty real estate brokers in Manhattan who use the word "cozy" when describing an apartment that has just one window that opens into an air shaft and is too damn small to stand in let alone live. Of course, we're not saying there's anything wrong with the second unit of Mister Harold's doo-plex because Your Mama don't know nuthin' from a mohair sweater. We're just saying you might want to throw your hazmat suit in the trunk iffin you go looking at this part of the doo-plex, just in case.

The larger of the two units, the "owner's unit," is a compact, single level set up with 3 bedrooms and 2 poopers. The front door opens directly into the living room which has wood floors, a fireplace, a wall mounted flat screen tee-vee and a bunch of furniture that looks like it came from one of the better Salvation Army thrift stores around town. While there are a few nice things in here–like the credenza under the window and the satellite light fixture above the dining room table–it's obvious Mister Harold did not consult a nice gay decorator on the day-core.

The kitchen and bathrooms have been given the once over by someone who appears to have some idea of what they're doing. The small kitchen has flat fronted cherry cabinetry–at least it looks like cherry–and all stainless steel appliances. The hall bathroom is wrapped in a dark colored square glass tile with a white grout and has a tub/shower combination with a large frosted window and a glossy, wood plank counter top with a shallow, white and box-like sink sitting on top. Normally Your Mama does not care for this trend towards dog-bowl like bathroom sinks, but this is about as good as it can be done as far as we're concerned.

Mister Harold made a half-assed attempt to modernize the master bedroom buy removing the original closet doors and replacing them with sliding frosted glass numbers. While the thought is good, there's something decidedly and disturbingly off-kilter in the final product. The other two wee-sized and wood floored bedrooms are even more visually distressing with their cacophony of mis-matched carpets. One includes a very messy desk and bookshelves and some kind of chair with hideously scrolled arms and the other a bunch of work out equipment that Your Mama can't identify because we don't bother with that nonsense. Of course these things are removed once the property sells. We can only hope Mister Harold thinks twice about moving all that college boy crap to his new crib.

All three bedrooms open to the back yard through sliding glass doors, which we like. The rustic back yard climbs up the hillside with a series of terraces, stacked stone walls and meandering pathways. After a booty busting climb through the native plants, one is high enough to look over the doo-plex roof and towards Glendale. Not the most inspiring view maybe, but it's really better than no view at all isn't it? Your Mama would suggest putting a hammock up at the top of the property which would be wonderful for settling into a long afternoon of reading and gin and tonics.

Perhaps the best thing Your Mama can say about this doo-plex is that if you're gonna live in a doo-plex this is the sort of doo-plex you want to live because the two units do not appear to share any common walls, floors or ceilings. This separation promotes privacy, peace and quiet. No one needs to listen to to their neighbors fight and fornicate through paper thin walls.

Of course, Your Mama hasn't any idea why Mister Harold would want to sell his doo-plex in a down market. But he his. Maybe he's moving his rust colored velour sofa and gym equipment to a single family home? That would be our guess, but again, Your Mama don't know a bowl of cereal from table lamp so the truth is we don't know nuthin' about Mister Harold's next real estate move. Whatever it may be we wish him luck and we wish he'd do it shirtless. Oh! Did we say that out loud?

Christina Ricci Lists in Los Feliz at a Loss

SELLER: Christina Ricci

LOCATION: Los Feliz, Los Angeles, CA

PRICE: $1,250,000

SIZE: 1,891 square feet, 2 bedrooms, 1.75 bathrooms

DESCRIPTION: Sophisticated traditional. Recent renovations further improved w/ custom finishes & detailing. Property features master suite w/ formidable dressing rm (office/nursery), chef's kitchen w/ top top-of-the-line appliances, ample den, newer skylights, gorgeous pool + spa, ample access to outdoor spaces, all on a generous 12,000 sqft parcel. Updated systems and many more amenities.

YOUR MAMAS NOTES: Although Christina Ricci and her former fiance Owen Benjamin have reportedly gone their separate ways, it would appear that all those real estate rumors from back in March of 2009 about the art house actress house hunting in the Silver Lake section of Los Angeles must have some truth to them because she recently listed her current home in the celeb-friendly Oaks neighborhood in Los Feliz for $1,250,000.

Itty-bitty Miss Ricci got her start in Tinseltown at a very young age, appearing in Mermaids with La Cher and later in the Addams Family film franchise. She went on to quirky and often dark roles in movies like The Ice Storm, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, and The Opposite of Sex. Her more recent professional activities include a few turns on the boob-toob (Saving Grace), an unfortunate role in the major flop Speed Racer and a role in New York, I Love You opposite Orlando Bloom.

Property records show that Miss Ricci purchased her residence on Red Oak Drive in December of 2005 for $1,505,000. Unfortunately for her this was just about the very apex of the now popped southern California real estate bubble. It only takes a few flicks of the well worn beads on Your Mama's beloved and bejeweled abacus to see that even if Miss Ricci and her real estate peeps manage to get a full price sale–which is certainly possible but unlikely in this era of bargain hunters and bottom feeders–she's looking at a stomach churning $255,000 loss. And that's on top of whatever fat fees and charges she'll be required to pay the real estate folks for their time and efforts.

Listing information shows the modest, Mellenthin-style ranch house measures 1,891 square feet and includes 2 bedrooms and 1.75 poopers. Presumably, only about 4 of the children know what a Mellenthin style house is so let Your Mama provide a wee bit of schooling on the matter. Starting in the 1930s, the Mellenthin Company built hundreds of homes in Los Angeles, mainly in the Sherman Oaks and Valley Village areas of the San Fernando Valley. Mellenthin homes are characterized by by a vague and idealized rusticity, small front porches, diamond paned windows and pine paneled kitchens. They are, some might argue, the architectural epitome of the real estate dreams of a typical 1950s suburban Los Angeles nuclear family: hard working daddy, stay at home mommy, a couple of kids, a Lassie and two boat-sized cars in the driveway. Some people love Mellenthins for their nostalgic charm and others write them off as uninspired tract houses with difficult to clean windows and cramped, country style kitchens.

Anyhoo, Miss Ricci's house may or may not be a Mellenthin House–and more than likely it is not–but it does bear some of the Mellenthin hallmarks including a low-rise hip roof, a teeny-tiny front porch and large diamond paned windows. The traditional exterior belies the in interior spaces which have been given a modern make-over with ashy, chocolate brown wood floors, boldly printed wallpaper in several of the rooms and more damn animal skin rugs than Your Mama cares to count. Miss Ricci's formal living room has a lovely wood burning fireplace and has been furnished in a casually eclectic hipster with some money manner with a sharp lined, deep sea foam green sofa, an upright piano for Saturday night sing-a-longs, an organically shaped glass coffee table, a dramatically long mid-century modern credenza and a glittery and glammy tubular chandelier.

Beyond the dining room, which orbits around a gorgeous and lavishly glossy Parsons style table sitting atop a deep cocoa colored animal skin rug, is a cozy, skylight lit den/family room. The children will note that the mantel and surround of the corner fireplace is pleasingly identical to the one in the living room. This kind of uniformity appeals to and soothes the constant chaos that infects Your Mama's mind. Furnished sparingly with little more than a beige sofa with a chaise kick out, a wee coffee table and a wall mounted flat screen television. Listen chickens, these wall mounted tee-vees that every Tom, Dick and Sally have nowadays can be a bit difficult to successfully incorporate into day-core unless the rooms entire focus is devoted to the damn tee-vee. However, here Your Mama thinks Miss Ricci–or her nice, gay decorator–has managed to minimized the tee-vee by making it appear to be part of a mis-matched collection and differently sized artworks. We're certain some of you neatniks will whine and complain about the cable box and all the exposed wire on the floor below the television. However, a far bigger concern for Your Mama is the lack of a rug. We happen to think something like this from Angela Adams might go beautifully in the Miss Ricci's den/family room, but our suggestion is really neither here not there since she's soon moving on to a new house.

A galley kitchen connects the dining room and the breakfast room where Miss Ricci has placed an Isamu Noguchi Cyclone table surrounded with four Eames Eiffel Tower wire base chairs. Gold and brown flecked granite counter tops sit on flat fronted white cabinets. The kitchen is outfitted with the sort of high grade, stainless steel appliances one can expect in a million dollar house, but those beige tile floors set on a 45-degree angle have got to go.

The modestly sized house has a surprisingly massive, three-room master bedroom with a sitting area, bedroom and one of the more decadent dressing rooms Your Mama has seen in a long time. The blood red dressing room, furnished with rose colored couch, a mammoth mirror propped up in one corner and another damn animal skin rug, is a shoe fetishist's wet dream. One entire wall has been fitted with custom, floor to ceiling shelves where Miss Ricci keeps and displays her extensive and enviable footwear collection. Given the graphic nature of the master bedroom's black and blood red wallpaper treatment, the master bathroom is surprisingly, uhm, let's be nice and say neutral. Twin pedestal sinks with small round mirrors flank the large window which allows for proper ventilation, and a sky-lit walk-in shower is constructed of frameless glass panels and sand colored stone tile.

A large covered terrace on the back of the house, accessible through the kitchen, the family room and Miss Ricci's dee-voon dressing room looks out on the swimming pool and spa which have been tiled in different colors. To be honest chickens, it would never have occurred to Your Mama to have the pool and spa reflect different colors but we rather love it. We also love the lights strung across the pool, a decorative outdoor lighting drama that we've always liked.

The bummer about this house, clearly, is that there are just two bedrooms which will undoubtedly turn off a lot of potential buyers. Even still, if Your Mama had to predict, we'd guess this house will get snatched up quick by a young, childless couple or a couple of queens who will pee their pants with glee when they see the dressing room. We shall see.

Not only is this not the first house Miss Ricci has owned in the star-studded Oaks neighborhood in Los Feliz–she owned a house up on Park Oak Drive which she sold in 2004–it's also not the first time she's taken a significant financial hit on a house in the Oaks. In June of 2006 the diminutive indie-film favorite sold the speck-tac-u-ler Lloyd Wright-designed Samuel-Novarro House on Verde Oak Drive for about $150,000 less than she paid for it just a year earlier in June of 2005. Here's hoping that Miss Ricci does better on her next real estate transaction.

The Oaks is also home to a number of other big name Hollywood types including musician Adam Levine and Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. It's also home to Flipping Out's Jeff Lewis who occupies a house he was hoping to flip for a major profit but failed to do so due to the collapsing real estate market.

Affordable Second Homes in Devon

Firstly, there is a shortage of properties available for sale and secondly, house prices in Devon have soared with the increases being among the highest in the country.

To make matters worse there is a lot of anger amongst local residents of Devon because high demand and high prices of those properties that are available to buy are pricing them out of the market. In parts of North Devon, more than four in every ten properties is a second home, with many being owned by people living in other parts of the country, particularly London and the South East.

For those interested in buying either Devon holiday homes, or second homes in Devon, but are struggling to find available properties within their budget, then an alternative would be to consider luxury lodge. There are a lot of advantages to choosing Devon lodges including the affordable price tag, the high quality finish and luxury furnishings.

These days holiday lodges come with better specifications than a lot of houses with broadband, sky TV, spacious plots, large decked areas, paved courtyards and all year round holiday use. Better still on some of the top Devon resorts you will also be able to make use of the onsite facilities such as heated indoor swimming pools, golf courses and equestrian centres.

You will also have peace of mind about the security of your home as the resort will provide a range of security and maintenance services including a private access controlled entrance to ensure your investment is protected all year round. In keeping with such a luxury investment, you will not be responsible for chores such as grass cutting and ground care around your lodge. These tasks will all be taken care of for you so that you are free to relax and make the best of your holiday time.

By :  Jenny Hicks

Affordable Oceanfront Homes in the US

No bank property on the oceanfront is the most desirable of all waterfront properties. No bank oceanfront is also the most scarce type of property in world, which is why it is the most expensive. Sandy Point near Bellingham, WA is the some of the most affordable oceanfront in the US.

Sandy Point is technically part of the Lummi Native American Reservation. Most people shy away from reservation land because it is often leased from the Native American tribes. Sandy Point is different because the ownership is fee simple. This means that you can own the land with the same rights as you would anywhere else in the US.

Sandy Point is a beach community located about 30 minutes west of Bellingham, WA. There is a homeowners association in Sandy Point and the community amenities include tennis courts, swimming pool, par three golf course, and community club house. Most of the homes at Sandy Point are connected to sewer, however, there are some homes near the end of the point that are still on individual septic systems.

How affordable are oceanfront homes in Sandy Point?

There are three different types of waterfront at Sandy Point. There are homes located on the west side of the point facing the ocean, homes on the inside of the point along the canal, and homes on the east side of the point on the tidelands with views of Mt Baker. The least expensive homes are along the tidelands. The shores are very shallow on the east side, but one could easily launch a small boat when the tide is up. Homes on the east side of Sandy Point can be purchased as low as $300,000.

Homes that are located along the canal are the second least expensive properties at Sandy Point. The canal is directly connected to ocean and most of the homes have docks. The canal is not very deep and impossible to navigate at low tide, but yachts as large as 50’ can be moored on the docks as long as they are brought in and out during high tides. Homes on the Sandy Point canal are offered as low as $325,000.

The most popular properties on Sandy Point are the homes along the western shores of Sucia Dr. The Sucia beach consists of light gravel and sand. All of the homes along the Sucia shores have no bank and are located very close to the water. While there is an outside risk of Tsunamis in the area, the larger risk of living on the Sucia side of Sandy Point is driftwood coming ashore during winter storms. Homes on the Sucia side of Sandy Point can be purchased as low as $400,000.

By :  Ryan Martin

7 Great Spots for a BC Vacation Home

Now more than ever, the dream of owning a vacation home in British Columbia is more attainable. With low interest rates and declining house prices, this is truly a buyer's market. In fact, the most difficult part of taking this step, is deciding where to buy your second home. With so many gorgeous locations available to you, it can be hard to choose. Here is a sampling of a few B.C. vacation home spots and why they are special.

1. Big White

For those looking for an exceptional ski-getaway, Big White is an excellent choice. Great for families and singles, this is the largest ski-in/ski-out resort village in Canada. The resort boasts 15 lifts to access 2,765 acres of prime skiing, with the longest run being 7.2 km.

Big White is located 56 km south east of Kelowna, just off Highway 33 in the Okanagan Valley.

2. Golden

A home in this town will likely boast views of the snowy peaks of the Purcell and Rocky Mountains. In the summer, hiking in this fresh mountain air is sure rejuvenate you on weekend stays. Stroll downtown in the evening and grab a quick bite, or take in free street entertainment at the Fountain Plaza. The nearby Kicking Horse Resort offers world-class skiing, cross-country, and snowboarding in the winter, and mountain biking and hiking in the summer. The Kicking Horse River boasts some of the world's best whitewater rafting and flyfishing.

Golden is located at Highway 95 and Highway 1, 281 km north east of Cranbrook.

3. Kelowna

For relaxing lake country living in the heart of the Okanagan, Kelowna is the choice for many. In fact, this place is so hard to leave that many who started out with a vacation home have become permanent residents. Built around Lake Okanagan, it's easy to find a place with a gorgeous view. For those who enjoy water sports, this is the place. Kelowna is known for it's wakeboarding, boating, swimming and fishing. The town is full of charming shops and restaurants and free summer entertainment is available in City park and Waterfront Park.

Kelowna is located at the junction of Highway 97 and Highway 33 – 395 km northeast of Vancouver.

4. Radium Hot Springs

Tucked between the Purcell and the Rocky Mountain ranges, Radium Hot Springs is the perfect vacation home location especially for the outdoor enthusiast. Hiking, rock climbing, birding, and of course relaxing in warm, mineral hot springs after a long day are popular activities in this scenic area.

Radium Hot Springs is located 143 km north of Cranbrook, at the junction of Highway 93 and 95.

5. Revelstoke

Revelstoke is being hailed as the next "Whistler". Real estate opportunities here range from scenic properties bordering meadows and forest to lake front and mountainside villages. Located between the Monashee and Selkirk Mountains, this is considered the "Gateway to Mountain Adventure and National Parks". Local attractions include Revelstoke Glacier National Park (home to over 400 glaciers), BC Hydro Revelstoke Dam and Generation Station, world class skiing, hiking and opportunities for wilderness photography.

Revelstoke sits at the junction of Highway 1 and Highway 23; 565 km northeast of Vancouver, and 192 km northeast of Kelowna.

6. Salmon Beach, Tofino

The lots at Salmon Beach offer seasonal cottage living in a remote area on the west coast, bordering Barkley Sound. Residents have access to a community beach and provides a perfect water access for endless hours of kayaking, fishing or prawning. Visit this area on a warm sunny day and you'll never want to leave.

Salmon Beach is located halfway between Ucluelet and Toquart Bay, off of Highway 4.

7. Ucluelet

For those looking for the rugged shoreline of the west coast, but with more amenities than can be had at Salmon Beach, a vacation home in Ucluelet could fit the bill. With stunning ocean views and access to hiking on the Wild Pacific Trail, luxury resorts such as Oceanwest or Black Rock provide year round getaways with gourmet restaurants, lounges, spa and fitness facilities. A Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course is currently under construction and located minutes away.

Ucluelet is located 8 km south west of Highway 4 and the Pacific Rim Highway junction.

By : Mike Andruff