5 Helpful Websites To Aid You in House Hunting

The value of real estate is constantly on the rise in many areas, and with it, rents are surging up too. These are some of the factors that make buying a home seem more attractive than ever. In addition to owning a home, there are some extra tax deductions, unlike renting, which are bonuses that wouldn’t hurt, since tax savings mitigate the cost of ownership.

However, buying or selling a home is a big commitment with a process that can be both complicated and a big headache. Although the market is on the rise, mortgage rates still keep fluctuating, making aspiring homeowners a little bit hesitant. Finding a new home can be a tough hurdle that requires a lot of know-how and experience, especially for first time buyers or sellers. This is why you need to do a lot of research and consultation before deciding what kind of home you need.

I recently purchased a home, and it was quite an ordeal. Here are some of the websites my partner and I went through in researching and comparing for the ideal home that would best suit your lifestyle and budget. They were helpful, and I know they can also help you find the perfect home for you.

1. Realtor.com

This list, (just like my home hunt) cannot begin without the mention of Realtor.com. This is one of the biggest real estate websites, with over 900 listing services updated every 15 minutes, with real estate information from all over the country. There are several great features to guide you in your buying and selling, like market summaries, which includes price check, neighborhood insights, and advice articles. Realtor.com is the official website of the National Association of Realtors, and it’s the first place we went when we started our hunt. You can be certain that this is a valuable and credible place to start (and maybe end) your home search.

2. Savills

This site breaks down its listings by unique category, from continent to country, to the type of building and the use of the building, which is quite helpful for home buyers who are not really sure of the specific type of listing they want to pursue. They also have guides and professionals that can give you information and walk you through the process of buying a home step-by-step. I really liked the prompt feedback, so it’s definitely a thumps up for this helpful site.

3. Kutsevich Realty

I stumbled upon this site during my many queries on Google, and it was very helpful. A user-friendly site, it really narrowed down the specifics for me, providing an easy way to search for the basics, such as property type, city, county, etc. In fact, it made things very easy and helpful with capabilities for calculating mortgage rates, and viewing listings on the map. They also provided in-depth market reports of areas. I am sure you would find it helpful too.

4. Sothebys Realty

For the well-loaded aspiring homeowners, this is the marketplace for you. When I came across this site, I couldn’t help it – I had to have a look. This international real estate site lists some very beautiful and luxury destination homes from around the world. If you are looking to buy a luxury home or rent a home for vacation, I really think Sothesby would be the best place for your search. They have listings from all over the world: the Carribeans, Africa, Europe; it’s quite interesting. Most of the listings were above my price range, but they were amazing, and I loved browsing through them. I am sure you would find some amazing homes there if your budget is within their listed price ranges.

5. Christie’s Real Estate

If you thought Sothesby was luxurious, then you need to check Christie’s. I did find Christie’s during my hunt, and even though I found nothing within my price range, I am sure celebrities and other wealthy people reading this would appreciate the heads up. The listings are breathtaking and outstanding. If you are are looking to buy an exclusive and luxury home, then you should head to Christie’s. On this website, you can even buy an island. Yes! – there are islands for sale on the listings. It’s just amazing. You can buy and sell your luxury homes, mansions, estates, and islands on this site.

If you found this list, it means you are probably looking to buy or sell a home, and you need some information. You don’t have to panic, or be frustrated when buying or selling homes. Taking your budget, your lifestyle, and your needs into consideration, all you need is proper research, planning, and the help of a good real estate company or agent, and you can find your dream house. Good luck finding your perfect home!

Featured photo credit: Elle Decor via elledecor.com

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10 WhatsApp Tricks You Never Knew About

WhatsApp, over the years, has grown to be by far the world’s leading mobile messaging app. Today, it boasts well over 1 billion users with new, distinct, and innovative features popping up almost every six months. I think it’s safe to say that no one will be knocking WhatsApp off its throne anytime soon. Even with the fact that most low end Windows Phones and BlackBerries no longer support WhatsApp (you know, because WhatsApp is so good, its developers can afford to be proud and picky), the user base doesn’t seem to be affected one bit, giving the app further credibility and overall appeal.

WhatsApp has numerous uses; the ubiquitous messaging, voice calls, and the recently added video calls. However, there are some hidden things that the app is capable of performing; uses that aren’t known to just everyone. Most times, upon getting to know these WhatsApp tricks, people marvel (as if they just discovered fire or something), while other times, the hidden uses seem useless. Nevertheless, here are 10 tricks you can perform on WhatsApp that not everyone knows about.

1. Read messages without the sender knowing

There’s a usual paradigm in messaging that you have to reply to a message once you see it. Ever been in a situation where you want to read a message without having to reply, or without making the sender realize you saw it? Apparently, now you can, if you follow these simple steps:

• Go to your phone network settings and disable your mobile data (or simply turn on flight mode)
• Go back to the message and read it
• Return to your settings and switch your mobile data back on (or in the case of flight mode, switch it off again)

When you do this, blue ticks (which indicate that you’ve read the message) won’t appear, due to lack of internet connection.

2. Operate without a SIM card

This trick is only available for those using tablets to run their WhatsApp account. You can actually run your WhatsApp account seamlessly without using a SIM card. However, you’ll need a nearby functional SIM. Simply install WhatsApp on the tablet, and during the verification process, save the number of the SIM. A message containing your verification code will be sent to that SIM, and you can simply enter the code in where appropriate. Your account is verified and you’re ready to go.

3. Create contact shortcuts

For contacts that you chat with frequently – family, friends, business associates, etc. – you could save yourself the stress of having to sift through your apps, opening WhatsApp, and sifting through chats to get to them. All you have to do is to create a shortcut for their chats on your phone’s homepage. Start by pressing on the contact and holding until a pop-up filled with options appears. Included in that pop-up is the ‘create chat shortcut’ option. Choose that option, and on your home screen, a shortcut for that chat will appear.

4. Extend validity

WhatsApp requires regular updates. If you don’t update your app by yourself, they’ll force you to do so by temporarily cutting you off. Most times, updates contain just little tweaks, and you spend a considerable amount of data and space for almost nothing. The process of extending your WhatsApp validity is quite complex, so follow closely:

• Head into your WhatsApp settings. Go to Account, then click on Change Number
• Enter your number as the old number. If you have a second SIM, put it as your new number
• Do this again, swapping the two numbers as old and new. This means your original number returns to its position
• Bam! Your WhatsApp account’s validity is extended for a whole year.

5. Hide last seen

Your ‘last seen’ feature shows people the last time you were on WhatsApp. If you’re looking to hide that, maybe from stalkers or other weird people, just go to Settings, then Account, and then Privacy. From here, you can change whatever settings you want to change relating to your privacy – your last seen, profile picture, status, etc.

6. Voice control

Voice control means you don’t have to type a single thing. There’s a microphone-shaped icon on your WhatsApp keyboard panel. Speaking clearly and directly into the speakers after pressing this icon will activate voice control, and your words will be typed as said. If you’re on the go and you don’t have the time to type, this feature can be very nifty.

7. Directly reply to messages

Most times, you might wish to reply to people as chats go on, especially in group chats where people speak in droves, and someone else might have taken your turn before you even had the chance to finish typing. If you’re looking to reply to someone, all you have to do is to press their message for about two seconds. An option board will pop up, including the option to reply. Click this, and their message will move on top of the space where your words will appear as they are typed. After you reply, simply post your message and it will be duly shown.

8. Successfully change phone numbers

Changing SIMs often means that you have to start a new WhatsApp experience. However, there’s a way you can continue using your old account with an entirely new SIM card. To migrate, head to Settings, then Account, and finally, Change Number. Once you enter the old and new numbers in their respective spaces, your account will be moved successfully.

9. Send edited texts

Apart from normal texts and fonts, you can make special edits to them. Pay attention:

• To make a text bold, add an asterisk (*) before and after the text (e.g. *asterisk*)
• To put a text in italic form, add an underscore (_) before and after the text (e.g.  _underscore_)
• To strike a text out, add a hyphen (-) before and after the text (e.g  -hyphen-)

10. Camera gimmicks

The new version of WhatsApp comes with two special camera effects. When taking a picture with the WhatsApp camera, you can interchange the front and back cameras by double tapping the screen. You can also zoom in and out of your videos by sliding two fingers up (for zooming in) and down (for zooming out).

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5 Ways to Choose A Professional Photographer For Your Event

Nowadays you need to hire a professional photographer for specific events like weddings, a child’s birthday, fashion photography, sports photography, street photography, and concerts. Due to images, you can remember your past events in the future, and your photographer is responsible for creating these memories. If you start an online business, then you need to hire the best photographer so that you can easily show your products with images. If an image’s quality is better, then your clients may be impressed easily, so it is important to hire the right photographer.

Here are five different ways to identify the right professional photographer for your event.

1. Do initial interviews

Before hiring the best photographer you should ask the photographer different questions so that you learn their abilities, and determine how you can take advantage of their abilities. It’s important to know their experience, because your business depends on the photographer’ results, so you should ask plenty of questions before hiring.

Some popular interview questions are given below:

• Are you properly insured?
• Do you require a written contract?
• What is your experience level?
• What kind of equipment do you use?
• What is your photographic style?

2. Think of portfolios as guides

When you want to hire a professional photographer, then you should check the following two things about the photographer: the quality of bith their work, and their service. After taking the interview, you should thoroughly view the portfolio of the photographer; every photographer will always have a portfolio from which you can easily check their previous work. You can also check their previous work on social media, which can also provide people’s reviews about their previous work. Portfolios can help you to make the right decision about the selection of a photographer. If their reviews are good about their portfolio, then they can also help you to make an informed decision.

3. Discuss the specifics

As there are different professional photographers, some photographers take pictures of people, and some take the pictures of nature, etc. If you need a photographer for a product then you should hire the photographer who specializes in product photography. You can also hire a photographer for any event. To make the final decision, you need to know the about the services of the professional photographer. Though many photographers can cover all kinds of events, questions may differ depending on the events. For example, if you are hiring a child’s birthday photographer then you should ask the photographer:

• How many people do you have on your team?
• What will be the delivery time?
• What happens if you get sick?

4. Be open with your budget

Different photographers have different budgets for events. Before hiring a photographer you should ask them about their budget. It’s best that you hire the photographer that works under your budget. If you can’t afford the fees of a very costly photographer, then you should hire a photographer according to your budget. The budget of a photographer depends on several factors such as travel, equipment, retouching, and day-rate. The price of hiring a photographer also depends on where you live; for example, the cost is $300 per hour in the south. If you want to hire a photographer for a wedding ceremony, then the cost of a photographer varies from photographer to photographer, and from city to city, based on experience.

5. Get to know the photographer

Before the final decision, you should check the photographer’s background in photography. A good way to get to know about a photographer is by inviting them for coffee at any place.

If you are satisfied that a photographer is best for you, and the photographer can successfully shoot your event, then you can hire them without any doubt.

Featured photo credit: marksusspiske via pixabay.com

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The Top 5 Happiest Countries In The World

I think it’s quite safe to say that 2016 wasn’t the best year ever. For many, it was strange and frightening. For others, it was even worse than that. Our immediate future doesn’t look all that great based on what we saw this year, but there are some places on earth where happiness reigns.

2017 could be the perfect time for a trip to one or more of the happiest countries on earth. Who knows, perhaps by paying them a visit, we’ll all feel a bit happier again.

1. Finland

We can see a familiar pattern start to form when it comes to the world’s happiest countries. Three of the top five countries are located in Scandinavia, which should probably tell us that they are really doing something right.

Finland is renowned for its excellent education system, low levels of corruption, very high literacy rates, and a relatively small income gap from top to bottom. Factor in a long life expectancy and a great work-life balance and it’s not difficult to see why Finland is one of the happiest countries in the world.

If the city isn’t your thing, tourists may also quite enjoy some of the stunning Nordic country scenery that Finland is known for.

2. Norway

In recent years the Norwegian government made a real push to advertise this amazing country to the rest of the world. The pictures spoke for themselves and this is now one of the most popular tourist destinations in Scandinavia. It might not be the cheapest holiday vacation in the world, but you can’t really put a price on happiness.

For its full-time residents, Norway is one of the happiest countries in the world thanks to its prosperity and a sense of satisfaction with the standard of living. Not to mention the fact that three-quarters of people report that, in general, positive days far outweigh the negative ones.

3. Iceland

Iceland is a great example for every country out there. Given its recent troubled history, it is amazing that Iceland is now considered one of the happiest countries in the world. It’s placing here just shows you how much positivity can be drawn from what seem to be the most challenging of times.

The massive economic recession of 2008 served to bring communities within Iceland together. In doing so they have turned their country around. The true root of happiness may be a more complex topic to understand, but this beautiful place will bring a smile to the face of any visitor.

With active volcanoes, pristine beaches, lovely towns and cities, an amazing loop road around the whole country for road trip lovers, and just the most incredible natural beauty available in all directions, it’s easy to see why Iceland is one of the happiest countries on earth.

4. Switzerland

Switzerland breaks up the Scandinavian monopoly on the world’s happiest countries with its appearance here. Its inclusion is also a little surprising as Switzerland might seem to be the opposite in many ways from the other happy countries. This is a country which includes one of the most expensive cities in the world and has long been renowned for drawing in the world’s jet-setters to its ski slopes and numerous fancy boutiques.

What it certainly does have in common with the other happiest countries on the list is an abundance of natural beauty. The Alps, mountain lakes, picturesque towns, and villages that serve hearty, local food, it’s a haven for adventure and sports’ lovers. Switzerland is fully deserving on the list of the world’s happiest countries.

5. Denmark

Denmark is officially the happiest country in the world. A lot of people have become aware of this fact over the last few years. In fact, the Danish word, hygee, as come to define this uniquely high-level of happiness.

Hygee can loosely be translated to coziness, but there is also an emphasis on how the Danes just seem to take real pleasure in simple things. When you think about it, it is strange that Scandinavia with so much cold weather and darkness should be such a happy place. The people here are obviously able to innately draw on some inner resilience to see the light in things.

For happiness-tourists, Denmark is an excellent stop. For all of us, it should be observed and studied rather than simply enjoyed. If whole parts of the world can be genuinely happy as a collective, there’s no reason why the rest of us can’t join in too.

Additional photo credits:  Markus Trienke, Moyan Brenn, John Anes.

Featured photo credit: Candida.Performa/It’s all about love via flic.kr

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The Body Builder: 5 Ways To Monetize Your Physique

Here are 5 different techniques you can employ to monetize your physique, using real-life examples.

1. Become A Model

Although the modeling industry is dominated by women, there is still a thriving niche for men with the ‘right physique.’ In this niche, your job responsibility would be modelling clothing items, jewelry and other commercial goods for public consumption.

The first step to take is setting up a profile on a modeling and/or body-building platform that outsources body builders to companies who require such services. (Bodybuilders.com is a good place to start.) As your profile increases, your ability to earn increases as well.

2. Compete In Bodybuilding Contests

Body building contests are a great way for you to put your name out there in order to garner some publicity, which in turn will boost your earning potential. A good example is the Arnold Schwarzenegger’s rise to fame, from a simple body builder to competing in and wining both the Mr. Universe and Mr. Olympia trophies. Competing in these contests paved the way for his career in Hollywood. So why not take the right steps to bulking up with the aim of winning your state’s local body building contest?

3. Create A Fitness Blog

A fact most body builders know is that the art of bulking up is always a personal journey, which everybody must experience for his or herself. If you fall into the category of people who have achieved their personal body-building goal, provide some expert tips by creating a personal blog for people to read about your experience. It’s a great way to monetize your body building experience. Make sure the tips you provide speak directly about your experience. This is due to the fact that a generic blog on bodybuilding is not likely to generate much interest. An example of a good personal blog is Strength Trainer, Mike Mahler’s. In his blog, he covers unique training issues, personal diet and bodybuilding techniques, which you can use as inspiration for your personal blog.

4. Kick-Start A Career As A Personal Trainer

Having a good physique ultimately means that you have developed healthy eating  and training habits over an extended period of time. As the saying goes; anyone who has spent 10,000 hours working on a craft is a professional. If you have achieved the proverbial 10,000 hours or have met your own personal goals, the next step may be teaching other people.

To become a personal trainer, some education courses and certification may be required. Also, your interpersonal skills and the ability to teach will play a huge role in determining your success rate in the long run. Simply put, one must put in considerable effort in learning how to become a personal trainer. This effort may end up being lucrative once you start building a loyal client base.

5. Start Your Own Supplement Company

Most body builders make use of food and health supplements throughout their careers in the body building industry. If you fall under this category, provide help for future body builders on the right supplements they can use. You’ll be helping others and germinating income.

There are a couple of ways to do this: you could sell supplements to a a third-party retailer, large corporations, or develop your own line/company. To do this right, you must invest your money and other resources for a lengthy period of time.

Now that you know these tips, get started! Take the right steps at the turn of the New Year to increase your earning power through something you love: bodybuilding.

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Image Credits:

Woman doing abs over a ball , Woman with dumbbells in a shopping center Via Freepik

Featured photo credit: pressfoto / Freepik via freepik.com

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Make Money Online In 2017 With Facebook And Google

The United States currently has the largest number of freelancers in the world, with almost 30% of its workforce engaged in some form of freelance work. The population of US-based freelancers grew slightly, rising 2% from 54 million in 2015 to reach 55 million in 2016. Their earnings, on the other hand, rose by 35% to reach US$ 1 trillion in 2016, compared to the US$ 715 billion they earned in 2015. These trends indicate that skilled freelancers are earning more with each passing year without large changes in their numbers.

But how long will this rise in income last? The population of freelancers, gig artists and digital nomads is set to increase exponentially over the next two decades and is expected to attain the incredible figure of 1 billion by 2035. That means increased competition is on the way from low-income countries like India, Bangladesh, and China, whose populations of freelancers are set to explode.

Freelancing, which was once the preserve of the white middle class in the US, is going to witness fierce competition from teenagers in third world countries who first logged on to the Web only after 2010. Those freelancers who are in their mid-20s and early 30s now will be close to 50 when these changes fully play out.

Will you be affected by these trends?

Making money online in 2017 will see disruptions that few of us can imagine. The answer to the above question is both “yes” and “no.” Low-skilled jobs might become uneconomical for Americans to work in because of the fierce pricing power that people from countries with low costs of living have. Highly skilled work will always command a premium. Gaining and honing the right skillset takes years, and if you ensure that you upgrade your skills at regular intervals, you can future-proof your income from any black swan events that might hit the freelancing world. Hitching your career to niche, high-paying jobs will ensure that your earnings do not disappear overnight.

Follow The Leaders

Google and Facebook will remain big in 2017, so gaining mastery over them is one of the key factors that could contribute to your online success. While anybody can use Google’s products and sign up on Facebook to use their services, mastery over these domains takes years. Today is a good time to embark on the journey towards becoming a Google and Facebook certified expert.

Why Get Online Certification?

Google.com has an estimated 2.2 billion active users, while Facebook.com has 1.8 billion monthly active users. Marketers around the globe spend billions of dollars trying to reach these active users. Yet there are only a few thousand certified experts across the globe who know how to target this demographic segment.

Google continues to see enormous growth, and it earned a profit of US$ 46 billion in 2015. A large part of its profits come from small webmasters and freelancers like us who use AdSense and AdWords. So, gaining mastery over these two products could supplement your income disproportionately by helping you gain premium pricing for your services.

Moreover, getting certified is free and only requires effort and time. Look at the free certification programs from these two tech giants below:
· Sign Up To Become A Facebook Certified Professional.
· Free Training Modules For Your Facebook Certification.
· Become A Google Certified Digital Marketer. Take the Online Marketing Challenge.
· Gain a Google Certified Developer Accreditation.
· Get AdWords Certification.

Some freelancers who successfully obtained certifications reported an almost 200% increase in their annual incomes during 2016. Having these certificates on your digital resume can boost your appeal to prospective online employers in 2017. Sign up today to future-proof your online career!
Let us know if there are any other certifications that you feel freelancers should opt for in the comments below.

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Be Careful What You Wish For

What you think, you become. Your thoughts create your reality. What you believe, you will achieve. We have all heard of these famous quotes at some point in our lives, and some of us may be aware of the “Law of Attraction.”

I for one am a firm believer. Even though we may be aware of these ideas, life can get tough and things can happen outside of our control. It can be hard to always stay positive, especially during the rough times.

Not long ago, something happened to me that was actually a blessing in disguise. It was the universe giving me a slap in the face, telling me to snap out of it and get my life together. As small as it may seem to some, this experience was actually quite significant to me, and I wanted to share the story.

Manifestation

It was 7 am, and I was walking back to my apartment after an intense gym session. I felt great after my workout, but I was dreading having to go to work. I really didn’t want to go. There were so many other things I would rather be doing. As I was walking, I started thinking up excuses for why I didn’t have to go. “Maybe I could call in sick? No, that’s going to be so obvious, seeing as we just had a break from work and the weekend has just ended. What else can I say?”

As I was pondering and contemplating what I could tell my boss, a thought came into my head. “What if I said my bank cards got compromised, and that now I have no way to get to work because I don’t have access to money?” I thought about it for a while, and then I started imagining all of the things I would be able to get done if I didn’t have to go to work. I imagined taking my time to shower, have breakfast and get ready, instead of rushing every morning after the gym to be on time as I usually do. I started visualizing how good it would feel to be able to do things at my own pace.

Then I started writing a checklist of all of the things I could accomplish in my day. “I could get the next couple of modules done with my online course. I could start developing my landing pages and click funnels for my online business. I could also work on my social media pages and my blog page.” The things I could accomplish in those 8 hours!

After a bit of daydreaming, I decided I just couldn’t call my boss and lie to him, so I started getting ready for work and went on with my day. I was doing my usual routine, eating breakfast while I checked my emails and notifications. I then saw an email from PayPal stating that a transaction had been approved. I looked back at the email and immediately knew that I had not made any recent purchases for that amount and then proceeded to the “dispute this payment” button.

Our Thoughts Become Our Reality

I won’t get into the finer details of this dilemma, but long story short, my accounts were actually compromised and I had to cancel all of my cards. I then had to let my boss know that I couldn’t come to work because I was dealing with my accounts being hacked. I spent all morning on the phone dealing with the changes of passwords, automatic payments that were due that week, and just the headache of making sure all loose ends were tied up.

It wasn’t until I could finally breathe and process what had just happened that I realised that I had manifested this. I thought this up, and the universe conspired to make it happen. I know this because the universe has also helped me in so many ways in the past by conspiring to make great things happen to me. My thoughts literally brought this to life.

I thought of what I wanted and I actually envisioned myself achieving what I wanted and how I would feel. “Ask and you shall receive.” In all fairness, I did get all of the things I had planned done and it did turn out to be quite a productive day. In a roundabout way, I really did get what I wanted and I didn’t have to lie because it was actually the truth!

This is when I realised that I was off balance. I knew the “Law of Attraction” worked and I simply just forgot to be aware of my thoughts. Instead of dreading going to work and thinking up silly things like getting my account compromised, I realized I should be looking at things from another perspective. I should start to imagine the things I do want and only focus on that.

Be Mindful

The universe is a funny place, and our thoughts really do create our reality. So why was I thinking of the things I didn’t want and bringing things upon myself that are less than ideal? I took that minor setback as a blessing in disguise. The universe was gently reminding me that I needed to be conscious of my thoughts.

We need to nurture our minds. They are extremely powerful. We need to feed our minds good thoughts and push away the negative feelings of doubt and insecurity. We all have them, we just need to choose whether we want to entertain them. There is a reason why so many successful people talk about the law of attraction. It’s a universal law. We create our realities, so why not make yours a great one?

When you start to think about the things in your life, take a second and evaluate whether what you are thinking is really what you want. Is this thought productive? Is it hurting anyone? Do I really want this to happen? Is this thought necessary? The universe has mysterious ways of delivering. It can be a magical place if you let it. It can also go the other way if you allow it. At the end of the day, it is really up to us. We have a choice. Be careful what you wish for.

Featured photo credit: Lupine Photography via facebook.com

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