Travel Ideas For Small Groups

Moving around a city you aren’t familiar with is easier if you have transportation. Since you will have a busy schedule, getting the right kind of transport is a must. After all, it would be difficult to do a bit of sightseeing just by hailing a cab. The following are a few transportation choices while in Chicago:

Stretch Limo

Typing limo Chicago in our favorite search engine will result to a number of limousine services in the windy city. Whether you’re travelling alone or with a small group, renting a limousine is one of the most comfortable, if not the most comfortable, way of exploring the city.

Limousines offer great comfort for its passengers, much like the ones you see on television, they are equipped with an entertainment system while some of them even have built-in bars.

The good thing about renting a limousine is you’d be travelling in style, and you’d have a chauffeur to drive you around town.

Van

If you’re on a budget and just need transportation that will get you from one place to another, then renting a van is a great idea. You would need to drive it yourself of course or let one of the individuals in your group drive.

Car

If there are only four of you and you are willing to drive, renting a car in Chicago is a fine idea.

Transportation for Large Groups

Travelling with a large group can be problematic especially when it comes to transportation. If you want to travel together to and from your convention or a trade show, you would be needing a vehicle that can accommodate all of you.

Bus

Renting a bus is a good idea. Aside from the fact that it can accommodate a lot of people, it is a good choice for those on a budget. Buses usually come with drivers so this makes renting a bus a viable choice because you won’t have to keep checking your map while driving.

Limo Bus

If you want ultimate comfort, renting a limo bus for you and your group is the best choice. Limo buses are spacious and offers a lot of leg room for its passengers. They are also equipped with nice cushioned seats that will make travelling from one location to the next a more enjoyable activity.

Riding a limo bus is like being in a friend’s house or in your own house where you can just lay on the couch or even sleep.

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A virtual fleet of cars is brought together via a website and subject to screening of potential renters, cars are loaned out for a certain period of time. The renter pays for the period of time they rent the vehicle. It’s a passive income for the car owner and a cheaper way to rent a vehicle. Money is tight for many of us in today’s economic climate and peer-to-peer car sharing is a way of raising some much needed cash. Car sharing also reduces carbon emissions and reduces carbon footprints.

Car sharing in this manner could affect your insurance policy. Car sharing is a grey area with regards to car insurance. Some companies do allow car sharing on a domestic insurance policy providing the car is being used for social and domestic pleasure. If a renter needs to use the car for business purposes, then the insurance policy must be amended to reflect the use of the vehicle.

It is important to note that most domestic insurance policies do have a clause which states that a vehicle must not be used for hire or reward. Cover could become invalidated and it is important to check with your insurance company. As business cover is more expensive, the cost of the insurance premium can be shared accordingly, thus reducing insurance costs.

Peer-to-peer car sharing is increasing in popularity throughout the UK. With an ever-increasing tightening of family budgets, car sharing is a possible solution without the initial outlay of a car. As more and more insurance companies are now tailoring insurance policies to accommodate car sharing schemes, another option is to share the cost of buying a car. While the car can only be registered in one name, the costs of running the vehicle are shared between two or more people.  Car insurance companies will also take into consideration no claims discount on named drivers in respect of future insurance policies and related concessions.

There are many benefits to be had from peer-to-peer car sharing. Rural areas with limited public transport in particular benefit from such schemes. Younger drivers, for whom insurance premiums tend to be high, will benefit from shared costs. Donations from Transport of London have also been awarded to car sharing schemes in the capital. Peer-to-peer car sharing could be the name of the game in the future.

What do you think about peer-to-peer car sharing? Is this a feature we could be seeing more of in the future and who do you think it will appeal to most?

Author: Cailen Mctoldridge – Follow her on Google+.

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What Is a Rent-to-Own Plan?

If you opt for a rent-to-own home, this means that you are renting a property with an option to buy it once your lease expires. At the end of your lease, if you are planning to travel or to try your luck in another state, you can opt to move out instead of purchase the property. Also, the price of the house is already determined before the lease ends, which means that the price is set even before you make up your mind about buying the place or not. So, it can be a loss in case property values go down when your lease expires.

Pros versus Cons of Rent-to-Own

As with most choices, there’s a good side and a bad side of a rent-to-own plan. Below are a few issues that you should thoroughly consider.

1. Pro — Knowing the House

A renter will live in the house that he might consider buying. Because of this, he’ll be able to truly understand the environment and the property. In other words, he’ll be able to get a feel of the house and the neighborhood, which will help him to see if he can have a family and grow old in that place. Unlike home buyers that only get to see a property for sale during open houses, a renter will spend a long time in the dwelling. So, he’ll know if the water supply is good, if the basement is leaking, or if there are molds. In case he finds something unfavorable, he can pass up the chance of buying the property.

2. Pros and Cons of Related Cost

– Down Payment versus Option Fee

Down payment for a new home can be pretty expensive for most, and this can deter people from buying a home. Choosing a rent-to-own plan can benefit those who do not have enough money for down payment. But still, they have to collect a significant amount so that they can first pay for the option fee, which will go to the down payment in case they do decide to purchase the house when the lease expires.

– Improve Credit Score

For those who have been denied mortgage due to low credit scores, a rent-to-own plan can benefit them too. During the time that they’re renting a place, they can work on improving their credit score as well.

– Rent Credit

Then, there’s also the issue about the rent credit. In rent-to-own agreements, the rent credit becomes void if the lessee fails to pay rent on time. This can be a significant loss if, say, the rent credit is $500 and the lessee is a day late in paying his rent three times during the lease period. That’s equal to a loss of $1,500.

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Although villas can potentially afford you the accouterments of home living, if not researched properly your vacation could be disastrous. Before renting a vacation villa, there are essential things you must consider.

Choose your villa wisely

There are tons of rental possibilities on websites advertised by rental agents, but it is likely that these agents may not even visit the villas.

Vacation villas often go by different names, as they are often represented by several agencies. Insist that your agent give you the real name of the villa so that you may research the best price possible.

Know exactly what you are paying for by asking about detailed amenities lists, staffing information and any taxes or surcharges.

Ask specific questions like whether a particular property’s style resonates the signature style of the area. Also, demand to know the good and the bad details.

Know your agent

Perhaps the most important thing of all is to know your villa rental agent. Should an unforeseen problem arise during your stay, how accessible will your agent be?

Oftentimes, the agent is not the owner of the property. In these cases, make sure that the agent and the owner have a sound and communicative relationship. 

If your rental agent does not initially ask you specific questions concerning your rental expectations, that’s a very bad sign. It is to your benefit that your villa agent speaks the language of the area and is extremely familiar with his or her properties. Find a trustworthy broker who is willing to disclose the lowdown on the pitfalls.

Enjoy your stay

Once you finally arrive to your destination, expect to spend time learning basic living protocol if you are a stranger to the region. This cuts in on your vacation time, so try to do as much research on the area as possible before you arrive. 

Your agent should serve as your information ambassador, making house books, Web resources and brochures readily available to you. This information should detail exactly what your travel package includes.

Image source:http://mashable.com

Expect the unexpected

Do not take expected luxuries for granted and have a firm idea of what to expect. Some properties come with animals, the owner or live-in employees.

There also may be basic things that you might expect but that are not readily available, like cleaning supplies and certain appliances. Additionally, common comforts may not be so accessible either. There may be a limited water supply, little to no Internet access or poor electricity (or none at all).

There is a possibility that not every bedroom will have a bathroom, and not every villa may have a bathroom. Outhouses are not all that rare in some areas of the world.

Plan in advance

You don’t want to travel halfway around the world to a place like Southeast Asia, for example, just to discover that you’ll need to hire out a philippines investigation unit to find the nearest market that sells your beloved hamburger meat.

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Cash in on the Demand for Rental Property

If you have the means to invest in a second property, it can be an excellent way of boosting your income.  Buying a property for cash is obviously the preferred option, but as long as you have sufficient savings for a deposit, you should be able to find a buy to let mortgage from one of the big high street lenders.  However, it is important to remember that there are lots of rules and regulations to adhere to as a landlord, most of which are related to health and safety issues, but as long as you do everything by the book, you will soon have a regular income to look forward to.

Pros of Investing in Buy To Let Properties

• The average return on an investment property is around 8%, which is a lot higher than any return you can expect to see from a savings account.
• Once you have a reliable tenant in the property, you can enjoy a hassle-free regular income.
• If at any point you need to release some capital, you can sell the property.
• An investment property can provide a good nest egg for retirement purposes.
• Property normally appreciates in value over time, so the longer you hold on to the property, the greater your profit will be.

Cons of Investing in Buy To Let Properties

• You may have to spend money on your properties to make them suitable for letting purposes, which could involve taking out cash loans to pay for the work.
• There are a lot of regulations involved in letting put properties and if you don’t abide by the law, you may end up being prosecuted, fined, or even imprisoned.
• Not all tenants are pleasant members of the community – some deliberately damage their rental homes and cause conflict in the local neighbourhood through criminal activity, which can cause untold headaches for a landlord.
• Void periods (when a property is empty) can cause cash flow problems for landlords, especially if you have a mortgage to pay.
• There are a lot of extra costs involved when you are a landlord – appliances have to be serviced regularly and repairs must be taken care even if you can’t afford the expense, which could necessitate borrowing money via cash loans.

How to Manage Your Cash Flow

In theory, investing in buy to let properties should give you a regular income, but with the economy the way it is, a lot of tenants are finding it hard to pay the rent each month.  As such, you may find your tenants are sometime late with their rent cheque, which could leave you with cash flow problems.  If this happens and you are certain the money is on its way soon, temporary cash loans may be enough to tide you over until you have the money in your bank account.  But whatever the situation, it is always wise to discuss the matter with your tenants and if necessary, try and help them out with a discount on the rent until they get back on their feet.

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The use of short stay apartments by businesses is undertaken for a number of reasons. Commonly, a business may choose to put its employees up in a serviced apartment rather than in a hotel once the length of their trip exceeds a few days. At this point, the benefits of hotel living begin to pall: and the costs of hotel living begin to exert an unwelcome influence on the company`s bank accounts.

For short term business trips of just a few days, an hotel is an ideal location. At this length of time, all attention is theoretically focused on work: meaning that the employee or employees neither have nor want time to themselves. Eating is done as a matter of convenience, or as extensions of the business related nature of the trip.

In circumstances like this, eating in hotel restaurants or going out to eat is all part of the natural order of things. It is both convenient and a good place in which to knock up contracts or digest, with a team, the events of  a training day.

Longer term, though, the hotel restaurant becomes an inconvenience. Where a team is staying in the same place for a week or two, dressing and going down for dinner at specified times, often to eat from the same menu, can become quite depressing – and of course  a depressed employee is not an employee likely to be putting in her or his best work.

Essentially, the switch from short stays in hotels to longer stays in short stay apartments happens when the convenience of hotel living becomes inconvenient – and when the comforts of a homely surrounding become more important.

It is impossible and impractical for anyone to maintain a hotel living lifestyle indefinitely, unless he or she is of a very specific temperament: everyone needs a space in which he or she can genuinely relax. Without it, longer term good business becomes shabby.

Cooking your own food is one of the key differences between living in a hotel and living in short stay apartments. It is also one of the key benchmarks by which the average person measures his or her access to a comforting environment.

There are two reasons for this – first, because he or she is then able to consume the food that makes him or her happy and healthy; and second, because he or she is able to do this at a time that suits him or her, and in clothes that he or she feels comfortable wearing.

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