50 Vacation Homes

Celebrates the holiday home, featuring projects from luxurious, sleek beach villas to isolated wooden cabins, a book that may be enjoyed again and again.

Discover the huge possibilities of a small house! Whether you’re building from scratch or retrofitting an existing structure, these 50 innovative floor plans will show you how to make the most of houses measuring 1,400 square feet or less. Gerald Rowan presents creative and efficient layouts that use every inch of space, with tips on fully maximizing closets, porches, bathrooms, attics, and basements. From reorganizing a small storage area to building a brand-new home, you’ll find a detailed design to fit your family’s needs.

Calling for the unification of retirees, "50+" is an uplifting and inspirational rallying cry for Americans age 50 and over by the head of the AARP.

50+ is a call to arms. It's a groundbreaking look at the revolution that's going on right now among seventy-eight million American baby boomers. From age 50+ on up, Americans are refusing to rock away their retirement. They're starting new careers, rallying for causes close to their hearts, raising grandchildren, becoming more active in their communities, and, above all else, changing the face of aging in America. Bill Novelli, CEO of AARP, knows that with the largest generation of Americans ever recorded nearing traditional retirement age, this revolution is changing the way 50+ Americans live their lives. The boomers have vast technological expertise, are actively involved in maintaining a healthy lifestyle, have been politically active throughout their lives, and are comfortable managing their own finances. They're no strangers to the gym, the voting booth, online investing sites, or the day-to-day management of their 401(k)s, and they're joining an already active and savvy group of Americans 50+ and beyond who are determined to leave their mark on the world. Novelli knows that there's strength in numbers and that 50+ Americans can seize the day by: --Working to transform health care not only by demanding quality care and lower pharmaceutical costs, but also by engaging in healthy lifestyles and preventive care --Creating a secure retirement by planning personal finances well in advance and working to make Social Security solvent for all Americans --Revolutionizing the workplace so those of us who want or need to continue working can do so in a way that benefits everyone. --Building livable communities with improved housing, transportation, and services, allowing all Americans to age in place. --Changing the marketplace by driving the development of innovative products and services that add value to 50+ lives, and using collective purchasing power to make them affordable --Advocating for causes that will really make a difference --Creating a lasting legacy so we can leave the world a better place than we found it. By discovering the possibilities that lie within all of us, we can ignite a twenty-first-century revolution to make America better and stronger. If you're 50+, Bill Novelli has a message for you: The best is yet to come.

Looks at personal finance for middle aged persons covering such topics as choosing a financial advisor, investments, college costs, real estate, and estate planning.

You've worked hard, lived carefully, and saved diligently. You've reached major milestones and accumulated more assets than you dreamed possible, and yet you hesitate. ""Can I retire?"" This book will help answer that question by showing you.... The tools you need to live a secure and independent retirement, without worrying about money What you must know before leaving a career behind How much it will cost you to live in retirement, and how to manage your cash flow The current choices for retirement health care, including lesser-known but effective options The threat from inflation: two secrets that politicians and bankers will never admit A realistic assessment of the impact that income taxes will have on your retirement Social Security's role in your retirement: when you should claim and how much it's worth to you How to construct and manage an investment portfolio for income and growth in retirement About immediate annuities and why you need multiple sources of retirement income The key variables and unknowns in your retirement withdrawal equation Reviews of the best retirement calculators, and tips for how to use them accurately Beyond the simplistic 4% Rule to the latest research on safe withdrawal rates Realistic bracketing of your retirement savings needs, without over caution or overconfidence The history of economic cycles and the related asset classes for optimal retirement security A survey of strategies plus original research for how to orchestrate your retirement distributions A practical "retirement fuel gauge" alerting you to problems while you still have time to act Backup plans: the "lifeboat strategies" for ensuring you'll never be without essential income The 6 crucial questions to answer before you can retire The one, simple, powerful, non-financial reason that you can and should retire earlier than later

What is a bird? Parrots, bluebirds, ostriches, and many other creatures are all birds!

Are You Missing the Real Estate Boom? author David Lereah, chief economist for the National Association of Realtors, asks. We are experiencing a historic wealth-building opportunity. To ensure that your don’t miss out, Lereah provides the tools, information, and analysis you need to become a savvy real estate investor. And he shows how to integrate real estate into your overall investment strategies and financial planning goals. Among the information you’ll find in the book: How to become a master at dealing with real estate agents, brokers, and lenders. Which home improvements will result in the greatest long-term gains. How to identify the vacation homes and regions that will increase the most in value. How to finance a first-time home—with or without a big down payment. Why will the real estate boom continue into the next decade? Low interest rates are part of the story. Although mortgage rates have notched up slightly over the last year, they still remain historically very low. Technological advances from online real estate listings to automated underwriting to an explosion of financing options have reduced home ownership costs and simplified the process of buying and selling. Continued high demand from baby-boomers buying larger homes, second homes, and retirement homes, and a new wave of immigrants and “echo” boomers buying first homes, ensure that the boom will continue into the next decade. The long-term fundamentals for housing remain strong into the foreseeable future, claims Lereah. Far from a real estate “bubble,” what we are experiencing today is a phenomenon that takes place only once every other generation: a long-term real estate market expansion. Isn’t it time you started taking advantage of it today? Are you missing the real estate boom? Can you increase your wealth from it? For most people—including current homeowners—the answer is a resounding yes. But it’s not too late to increase your stake in the greatest real estate boom of our generation. Whether you are a first-time buyer or already own your home, Are You Missing the Real Estate Boom? will show you how you can dramatically increase your overall wealth. Author David Lereah, chief economist for the National Association of Realtors, shows why the real estate market is poised to climb higher over the next decade—and explains what you can do to profit from it. Lereah calls today’s market a “once-in-every-other generation opportunity.” Today's boom is not just driven by low interest rates—there are a host of demographic and economic reasons why real estate will continue to outpace other investments, from the growing needs of the baby-boomer generation and the rise of the “echo” boomer generation to the new ways real estate is marketed and sold. Are you a first-time buyer? A current homeowner considering whether or not to trade up? There has never been a better time to do so, Lereah convincingly claims. In Are You Missing the Real Estate Boom?, Lereah explains what to look for when you’re buying a home; which improvements add the most value to your current home; what to consider when purchasing rental properties; how to evaluate real estate investment trusts (or REITs); and the pros and cons of second homes. Full of detailed information on how to work with a real estate agent and a mortgage lender, how to analyze local markets and regional fluctuations, and how to best finance your investment, Are You Missing the Real Estate Boom? offers readers the seasoned advice they need to invest with confidence and reap outsized rewards.

We are experiencing a historic wealth-building opportunity, says David Lereah, chief economist for the National Association of Realtors. As Lereah has predicted, the double-digit appreciation boom–far from a real estate “bubble”–is winding down to a healthy real estate expansion that will keep the long-term fundamentals for housing strong into the foreseeable future. To ensure that you don’t miss out, Lereah provides the tools, information, and analysis you need to become a savvy real estate investor.