Will You Add? - Real Estate

Getting Every Penny on the Table
In my younger days I was a member of the Jaycees (Junior Chamber of Commerce). Membership at the time was limited to young men 21-35. In Tacoma, our largest fundraiser was the yearly fireworks stand.Near the end of June we would sign a contract for an order of fireworks based on the previous year's sales. The fireworks company would deliver the modular panels of the fireworks stand to its location (the same street corner each year), and we would screw and wire it together.The fireworks chairman would schedule husbands and wives for their shifts and we would all do our duty. It wasn't hard work. Actually, it was fun. We talked and joked with each other as we waited for customers, just like most businesses. We cleaned up our messes and sometimes like little children we would set off a few fireworks from time to time to alleviate boredom. The last crew would generally close up and then cross the street to the Mountain Tavern for a beer or two and a game of pool.In selling fireworks we would see single adult males, parents, grandparents and children . . . lots of children. The fireworks were labeled "safe and sane" so we could legally sell fireworks to any age. Most of us had grown up playing with fireworks both legal and illegal.It didn't take me long to develop my sales attitude. Having worked at my parents' motel from the seventh grade up to college, I knew about selling to the public. And as the son of small business owners I knew how important each sale was. For the Jaycees this

8 Point Checklist: Evaluating Online Vendors
Here are 8 things to consider, when evaluating lenders online:Website DesignPrivacy PolicyAbout UsPopularityReputationShort FormPoints, Fees, Terms and RatesCommunication1. Website Design:The webpage is, in fact, the storefront of the internet. In the real world, your first impressions make all the difference. Well, it’s no different on the internet.Does the site seem forth-right? Can you glean valuable information immediately, or does it appear that you are being pushed to click here, click there?Does the page load fast, indicative of a reliable server, or does it seem to take forever for everything to be displayed (or worse, are you receiving various error messages).Are there a ridiculous amount of pop-ups, pop-unders, and other in-your-face ad campaigns, or, does the lender simply put it all out there for you to decide?Examine the website design, and trust your first impressions.2. Privacy Policy:You will likely be sharing some personal information, in exchange for loan offers. You shouldn’t be so concerned about this that it limits your ability to reach out to possible lenders. However, use your common sense.Does the website post its privacy policy? If so, take a quick peak at it.Does it seem to make sense, and is it reasonable?Vir

In the North American school system students seeking to be the best strive for an 'A' grade. However, the school system is not the end of the drive to be the best and earn an 'A' grade. Letter grades are used by rating agencies to rank communities in terms of investment risk.

Ostrava, in recent times, received an 'A3' grade from Moody's Investors Service.

What does this mean to you as a potential investor? What are the other indicators which would point to the health and prospects of Ostrava's property market?

What does this rating actually mean?

There are 25 rankings from Moodys in the investor services, an 'A3' is seventh from the top and is defined as an upper-medium grade. A similar grading company, Standard and Poors, also gave Ostrava an 'A' ranking based on their grading system.

What will that mean for the city?

Some investors will only look at cities with 'A' ratings. It is an indicator of the financial and fiscal health of the community.

Since the restructuring of the industry in the 1990s, the economic platform of the city has changed substantially. In fact, most of its incomes are no longer dependant on local economic conditions.

Ostrava, in receiving this rating, achieved the identical level of rating as other mid-sized cities in Central Europe. Brno, for example, also received an 'A3' rating (for a complete discussion of Brno property and economic developments visit our feature on Brno property.)

Let's go through some other indicators as to the investment potential for this Northern Moravian city.

Area: 214 km2
Population (latest data April, 2004): 315 000

Road Distance from important European and Czech cities:

City / kms
Brno / 170
Olomouc / 93
Prague / 360
Vienna / 310
Bratislava / 300
Warsaw / 300
Budapest / 389
Berlin / 540
Paris / 1 500

With the completion of the D-47 highway the infrastructure capacity will greatly increase as well as the ease of travel. Travel time to the Czech capital, Prague, will be shortened to a little over three hours.

Air Transportation:

Ostrava - Mosnov International Airport is located 25 km from the city centre. It is the biggest regional airport in the Czech Republic with a capacity of more than one million passengers per year (current actual figures are just over 200 000 per year and expected to triple next year) and a runway 3500m in length and 63m wide, allowing it to accommodate the world's largest airplanes. Currently it caters to both domestic and international flights.

Although there are currently not any well-known low cost carriers flying into Ostrava we expect it will only be a matter of time.

Average monthly salary for Ostrava region (2004): 18 966 CZK
Average monthly salary for Czech Republic (2004): 18 582 CZK
Average monthly salary for Czech Republic (2005 2nd Q): 18 763 CZK

Education: 16.3% of residents in Ostrava have University level education compared to 9.4% Czech wide.

Average temperature in January: - 2°C to -4°C
Average temperature in July: 15°C to 19°C
(hey, some investors want to know this....)

Economy:

Industrial production has always had a strong factor in the economy of the Ostrava region. Mainly its been based on the excavation and processing of coal and on related branches - metallurgy, the coking industry, the chemical industry, electric power generation, civil engineering and heavy engineering. Metallurgy and heavy engineering remain the largest employers in the City.

Some of the Largest Employers in Ostrava

Employer / Business / Activity / Employees (Jan. 2004)

Mittal Steel Ostrava a.s. / Metallurgical production, manufacture of metallurgical and engineering final products / 10 968
Faculty Hospital / Healthcare / 3 180
Czech Railways / Transportation and communication / 3 075
Vitkovice Machining / Machining and Metallurgy / 2 697
Vitkovice Steel / Metal production, processing / 1 682
Ostrava Blast Furnace / Metals and coking-chemical production / 1 305

Crafting A Stellar Career Summary For Your Resume
Are you a career changer? Or, are you satisfied with your stable career but interested in updating your resume? Are you a professional who has tried different things but are still searching for the kind of work that best suits you? Whatever your career situation, what your resume most needs is a stellar career summary. What difference can a career summary make for you? Here are 4 reasons why you need one in your resume: 1.) A career summary communicates more about you and does so more powerfully than an objective statement. 2.) Employers love career summaries and use them to preview your resume. If they like your summary, they’re more likely to read your whole resume. 3.) A summary does a superlative job of masking weaknesses in your work history (too much experience, too little, too many different kinds of jobs, gaps in employment, ineffectual titles, and everything else you can think of) 4.) A career summary tells the employer what you most want them to know, up front. It therefore sells you well and sets you up to be asked the kinds of interview questions you really want to be asked. All right, so a career summary is a good thing. What does it look like? A summary can be a short paragraph of 2-4 sentences or a brief phrase or sentence introducing a series of 4-8 bullets, depending on the communications style you prefer. It can be preceded by a job title or list of specialty areas that you wish to highlight. The summary alw

t mean for the city?

Some investors will only look at cities with 'A' ratings. It is an indicator of the financial and fiscal health of the community.

Since the restructuring of the industry in the 1990s, the economic platform of the city has changed substantially. In fact, most of its incomes are no longer dependant on local economic conditions.

Ostrava, in receiving this rating, achieved the identical level of rating as other mid-sized cities in Central Europe. Brno, for example, also received an 'A3' rating (for a complete discussion of Brno property and economic developments visit our feature on Brno property.)

Let's go through some other indicators as to the investment potential for this Northern Moravian city.

Area: 214 km2
Population (latest data April, 2004): 315 000

Do It Yourself Bankruptcy - Some Things to Know First
Bankruptcy, although necessary for many individuals, should be utilized as a last resort once all other options have been reviewed first. One of the first things that a person can do is review their own spending patterns or habits before seeking help. If acted upon before the problem reaches the point of no return it is conceivable that there may be no need for outside intervention.There are several resources available online that are designed to help an individual create a household budget without any cost. Also most credit counseling agencies should be able to provide you with a household budget at no cost. There are also bankruptcy attorneys that will assist in this as well, however it is paramount that these services remain free of cost. Be leery of Credit Counselors or Bankruptcy Attorneys that charge upfront for assisting in the creation of a household budget, as it seems to me that if someone is willing to charge you in order to help you get out of debt on your own then it might be that there intentions go beyond wanting to help you and fall more in line with wanting to help themselves. Now don’t get me wrong, if there is a continual service that they provide then by all means there should be some fee charged.So before attempting a “Do it yourself bankruptcy” you may want to seek advice from an actual Bankruptcy Attorney or a certified Credit Counseling Agency first. Just be sure that the initial advice is provided at no cost. Also if continual assistance is needed remember to shop aroun

Distance from important European and Czech cities:

City / kms
Brno / 170
Olomouc / 93
Prague / 360
Vienna / 310
Bratislava / 300
Warsaw / 300
Budapest / 389
Berlin / 540
Paris / 1 500

With the completion of the D-47 highway the infrastructure capacity will greatly increase as well as the ease of travel. Travel time to the Czech capital, Prague, will be shortened to a little over three hours.

Air Transportation:

Ostrava - Mosnov International Airport is located 25 km from the city centre. It is the biggest regional airport in the Czech Republic with a capacity of more than one million passengers per year (current actual figures are just over 200 000 per year and expected to triple next year) and a runway 3500m in length and 63m wide, allowing it to accommodate the world's largest airplanes. Currently it caters to both domestic and international flights.

Although there are currently not any well-known low cost carriers flying into Ostrava we expect it will only be a matter of time.

Average monthly salary for Ostrava region (2004): 18 966 CZK
Average monthly salary for Czech Republic (2004): 18 582 CZK
Average monthly salary for Czech Republic (2005 2nd Q): 18 763 CZK

Education: 16.3% of residents in Ostrava have University level education compared to 9.4% Czech wide.

Average temperature in January: - 2°C to -4°C
Average temperature in July: 15°C to 19°C
(hey, some investors want to know this....)

Economy:

Industrial production has always had a strong factor in the economy of the Ostrava region. Mainly its been based on the excavation and processing of coal and on related branches - metallurgy, the coking industry, the chemical industry, electric power generation, civil engineering and heavy engineering. Metallurgy and heavy engineering remain the largest employers in the City.

Some of the Largest Employers in Ostrava

Employer / Business / Activity / Employees (Jan. 2004)

Mittal Steel Ostrava a.s. / Metallurgical production, manufacture of metallurgical and engineering final products / 10 968
Faculty Hospital / Healthcare / 3 180
Czech Railways / Transportation and communication / 3 075
Vitkovice Machining / Machining and Metallurgy / 2 697
Vitkovice Steel / Metal production, processing / 1 682
Ostrava Blast Furnace / Metals and coking-chemical production / 1 305

Writing Killer Sales Letter
Everyday, you want to sell your products as quickly as possible. But how can you do this? Through sales letters - an effective sales tool that not every one can take advantage of. Those who can use it successfully can earn cash whether they sell their own products or someone else’s.To write a killer sales letter you have to bear in mind some basic concepts that come along with your success.The first concept is “Being an AUTHORITY”. No one will listen to you or buy your products once they know that they are talking to an amateur in that field. Your knowledge and experience are essential factors in helping you appear as an expert, or actually you are an expert. Show them that you really are and can help them out with all problems. For instance, you can write “Hi, my name is xxx, and I am in charge of the Sales & Marketing Department. I am very glad to introduce you a new product that can bring you much joy this holiday season…” Your creditability can also help you further gain their trust in case you are already well-known.The second one is “Causing an URGENT APPEAL”. This element can help your offer being responded to more quickly and may lead to a sale. Normally customers are not aware of the time until they are told. A sales letter addressing “Hurry up, there are only 7 days left for buying AV Voice Changer Software Gold or you will regret later on…” can attract customer’s attention quickly. Just create a sense of urgency as real as possible, I guarantee you that no

accommodate the world's largest airplanes. Currently it caters to both domestic and international flights.

Although there are currently not any well-known low cost carriers flying into Ostrava we expect it will only be a matter of time.

Average monthly salary for Ostrava region (2004): 18 966 CZK
Average monthly salary for Czech Republic (2004): 18 582 CZK
Average monthly salary for Czech Republic (2005 2nd Q): 18 763 CZK

Education: 16.3% of residents in Ostrava have University level education compared to 9.4% Czech wide.

Average temperature in January: - 2°C to -4°C
Average temperature in July: 15°C to 19°C
(hey, some investors want to know this....)

Economy:

Industrial production has always had a strong factor in the economy of the Ostrava region. Mainly its been based on the excavation and processing of coal and on related branches - metallurgy, the coking industry, the chemical industry, electric power generation, civil engineering and heavy engineering. Metallurgy and heavy engineering remain the largest employers in the City.

Some of the Largest Employers in Ostrava

Employer / Business / Activity / Employees (Jan. 2004)

Mittal Steel Ostrava a.s. / Metallurgical production, manufacture of metallurgical and engineering final products / 10 968
Faculty Hospital / Healthcare / 3 180
Czech Railways / Transportation and communication / 3 075
Vitkovice Machining / Machining and Metallurgy / 2 697
Vitkovice Steel / Metal production, processing / 1 682
Ostrava Blast Furnace / Metals and coking-chemical production / 1 305

Closing A Sale: Promise and Deliver!
One of the chief complaints from customers about the way business is conducted these days centers on customer service. Either the service aspect is completely lacking or what has been promised to the customer hasn’t been kept. Dealing with the latter category, it is easy to see why customers are disappointed: sales people routinely over promise and then fail to deliver.A disappointed customer is not only unhappy with your services, but they won’t recommend you to their friends. Even worse, an unsatisfied customer may tell their friends to simply not do business with you! Read on for some tips on how you can deliver right on time, every time and leave your customers satisfied and recommending you to their friends.Successful sales people thrive by getting referrals from satisfied customers. You not only have a satisfied customer, but the opportunity for receiving highly recommended future prospects increases as well.Here are a few things you should keep in mind when working with any client:Keep your promises. If you tell your customer that you will provide x, y, z then you must deliver on x, y, z. Delivering anything less than what you promise makes you look like every other guy out there: a liar…at least in your customers’ eyes!Do not over promise. Likely, your intentions are to come through to your customers as planned. However, are you tempted to give them the shortest possible turn around time just to close a sale? Don’t do that! Instead, build in some buffer time to all

ainly its been based on the excavation and processing of coal and on related branches - metallurgy, the coking industry, the chemical industry, electric power generation, civil engineering and heavy engineering. Metallurgy and heavy engineering remain the largest employers in the City.

Some of the Largest Employers in Ostrava

Employer / Business / Activity / Employees (Jan. 2004)

Mittal Steel Ostrava a.s. / Metallurgical production, manufacture of metallurgical and engineering final products / 10 968
Faculty Hospital / Healthcare / 3 180
Czech Railways / Transportation and communication / 3 075
Vitkovice Machining / Machining and Metallurgy / 2 697
Vitkovice Steel / Metal production, processing / 1 682
Ostrava Blast Furnace / Metals and coking-chemical production / 1 305

Foreign Investors in Ostrava
(by no means comprehensive, only a sampling)

Investor (Country) / Business Activity / Employees (Jan. 2004)

Mittal Steel Ostrava a.s. (UK) / Metallurgical production, manufacture of metallurgical and engineering final products / 10 968
Vitkovice Tube Mill, a.s. (Cypress) / Steel tube production / 932
Dalkia Ceska republika, a.s.(France) / Heating and Electrical Production / 697
BorsodChem MCHZ, s.r.o. (Hungary) / Chemical production / 623
Tesco Stores CR a.s. (UK) / Retail / 580
Ahold Czech Republic, a.s. (Holland) / Retail / 529
Hayes Lemmerz Autokola, a.s. (USA) / Production of car wheels and automobile parts / 410
Ostrava Water and Sewage, a.s. (France) / Production and delivery of drinking water, removal and cleaning of waste water / 382
Trefil a Schomberg, s.r.o. (Germany) / Plastics production / 339
Hayes Lemmerz Alukola, s.r.o. (Italy) / Automobile parts manufacturing / 310
Connex Morava a.s. (Czech Republic/France) / Road transportation / 212

Other Investment News

US based Roper Industries Inc. has decided to invest 24 mil. CZK over the next five years into a new technology centre in Ostrava where it will create 18 highly qualified jobs.

“In Ostrava we will be focusing on projects for the development and innovation of our laboratory instruments. The Ostrava centre will supplement the technology centres of our existing Instrumentation Segment operations located in the U.S., Denmark, Germany and France employing in total almost 1000 people,” commented Will Crocker, Roper’s Vice President and Group Executive for the Instrumentation Segment. “The laboratory instruments produced from the design work there will serve foremost our materialography and physical property testing markets. The results from the product development in Ostrava will be utilized by our segment’s production plants abroad where they will produce the final products.”

The new customer support centre of GE Money Multiservis for Czech and Slovak clients, a subsidiary of one of the largest and most renowned American companies will be located in Ostrava (Moravia-Silesia region) and will provide work for up to 500 qualified staff members. The total investment exceeds three million euro.

"Our primary reason for opening the new centre is the growth of GE Money in the Czech Republic,“ says Jiri Pathy, Chairman of the Board and General Director of GE Money Multiservis, the company in charge of developing the new centre within GE Money group. "In order to maintain a high standard of services, we will gradually increase the number of staff who are responsible for operating GE Money group and caring for its customers. The new customer service centre allows us to continue to fully meet our customers‘ needs,“ adds Jiri Pathy.

Taiwan-based ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. is in the process of constructing a new plant and repair center in Ostrava. Investment into the facilities will reach 20 million EUR and eventually at least 1300 employees will work be employed. The centre should produce up to 200 thousand personal computers per month and the capacity of the repair centre should reach 50 thousand computers per month.

“The important factors in deciding on the location of this plant were mainly the preparedness of

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Stock markets love a consensus, but the oil market is one where consensus is very hard to achieve. There is much battle going about oil stocks. Some expect them to keep rising. Some expect them to peak soon. Others expect them to go down in the not-so near future, but down nevertheless. So, who to listen to?

There's a significant negative correlation between tax morale and the perceived size of corruption. An increase in the corruption scale by one unit increases the share of subjects indicating the highest tax morale by more than 1.7 percentage points.

If you have ever tried to conduct any form of real estate transaction, you know that the forms involved can be compared to a middle school student trying to understand a doctoral dissertation. Not only are many of the forms hard to understand and interpret, there are some forms that have to be filed legally in the courts and completed properly and notarized before they are valid. In some of the most basic functions, standardized forms that can normally be pulled from the internet will suffice, but at other times it is best to leave the paperwork to a professional.

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Will You Add? - Investing in the Czech Republic - Outside of Prague - Part 3: Ostrava Property

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