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March 2008 Travel Newsletter
For previous editions of this newsletter see below.
Welcome
Well thank Heavens that March is here. What was that winter thing about anyways? I'm not sure myself, but I am happy that it's coming to an end!
In this issue we have a lot of helpful tips and tools to get you ready for the coming spring and summer months where the Vacation Season is always at a high.
IN THIS ISSUE:
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The Monthly Payment Mortgage Calculator
We have been working hard here at HolidayHomes.ca and have created a new tool to help you not work so hard.Calculate your monthly mortgage payments - and do away with complicated math formulas. Enter in the # of years of your mortgage, the interest rate and the principal and then press the calculate button and your monthly payment will be displayed.
You can also add the calculator to your blog, profile or website by copying a piece of code from the page.
Click here to try the Calculator
Featured Rental Properties
 Shore Haven Nova Scotia, Canada |
 Ontario, Canada |
 Oasis Da Taiba Taiba, Brazil |
10 Tips to Avoid Scams
At HolidayHomes.ca we try to provide the safest and most convenient way for property owners to list their properties. That being said doing business on the internet is just like doing business in real life. You will want to educated yourself about potential problems and be able to spot the honest businesses from the not so honest. Here are 10 tips to get you started:- Discuss details of the property by phone in addition to email or online so you speak with the person selling or renting the property.
- Get a landline number for the seller/renter and verify that the phone number given matches the physical location of the property listed.
- Ask for the properties exact location.
- Be more cautious of sellers using free email accounts as these can be used by overseas scam-artists and then discarded as they are reported; Notice poor grammar, lack of knowledge of local geography, incorrect location names, made-up or incorrectly formatted names, and numerically- or otherwise-generated throw-away email addresses as easy but usually correct indications of a scam attempt.
- Use extreme caution when buying/renting a property located a long distance from your location. Since this website is available to people around the world, we allow homes and properties to be listed from around the world. However, buying or renting a home that is located a great distance from you increases the risk to you exponentially. It is never a good idea to buy a home without viewing it in person before any money changes hands.
- After discussing the details, have the home or rental property surveyed before any money changes hands. View the property in person, or at the very least, have a trusted friend view the property on your behalf.
- Never wire funds via western union, moneygram or any other wire service.
- Avoid scams where a seller wants you to pay or overpay any third party where part of the payment will then be rebated to the seller - this would almost always represent a scam.
- Use common sense and your gut instinct - if you think even for a second that something is up, investigate it further.
- Use Google to search the user's email address, name or website to see if anyone on the net has written anything in the past about this person. You can even use some of the text they send you from their ads or email - some scammers just reuse all their text so you may find someone has already put it on the web and pointed it out as a scam.
Are kids real vacation deciders?
So conventional wisdom is wrong: It’s not usually mom who makes the decisions about vacations. It’s kids calling the shots.The “Yes Effect Survey” found that almost two thirds of moms say “yes” to their kids more often while on vacation.
The survey conducted by Synovate was commissioned by the Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau, Inc. It polled hundreds of moms and kids across the country to delve into the power of "yes," uncovering what moms say "yes" to on vacation as compared to topics kids typically get a "no" response to at home.
“Moms also meet some requests with reluctance,” says the survey.
Moms shared that they hesitantly say "yes" to their kids on vacation to certain activities including: staying longer at a venue or attraction (64%); swimming in the pool (44%); riding a roller coaster or another ride (37%); and volunteering for a show or activity (21%).
The most popular requests to receive the positive response include: staying up late (80%); money, so the kids can buy something of their own (61%); eating candy, cookies, ice cream or dessert (49%); more play time (44%); and sleeping in (43%).
"A vacation should be a time when moms relax the rules and give in a little more," said Emily Kaufman, a noted expert on family travel.
Moms’ top reasons for taking their children on vacation included: to provide new experiences (79%); to relax and have fun (66%); to get away from the stress of work, school and home (63%); and to spend one-on-one time with them (44%).
Perhaps not surprising, moms and kids both chose Orlando (56% each) as the vacation destination they would most like to visit followed by a cruise (14% each), and the beach (11% each).
Report by David Wilkening
Feedback/Questions?
We have been working hard to build the number one Vacation Rental Listing and Holiday Homes Website on the internet. If you have any questions, suggestions or would like to submit a story or article you would like us to publish, please feel free to contact us.
Travel Newsletter Archive
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2006 |
2005 |
2004 |
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