Finding a decent place to live is like winning the lottery nowadays. with so many options available to choose from, and attractive pricing for that matter, finding your dream house can be quite a challenging task. There are a number of factors to be considered, even before you start weighing the pros and cons. For starters, houses are classified according to type and category for one thing. You can choose to live in a single-family home which may be a one bedroom or a two bedroom, or you can opt for a condominium is you are planning to share the apartment with a couple of your college buds or office colleagues. Townhouse are a rage since they feature both a condo and a single-family home. Here is a list of pros and cons you can consider to differentiate between the various types of homes. Single family home: since they are built solely to accommodate one family, you won’t have to compromise on privacy. These homes will have their very own parking, front yard and some even backyards. But the maintenance for this property will be a lot more compared to other residential lots. But this type of a home will give you the freedom to express your won’t living style, without having to compromised on the things which you like. Condos: Condos can be found in densely populated areas, and generally consist of a number of ingle unit flats in a building or community or homeowner’s association, where the rent is to be paid on a monthly basis. However, condos being a part of the association, the resident has nothing to worry about in terms of maintenance and upkeep. The downside however is the shared accommodation, even if there are walls separating the occupants. Townhouse: The townhouse is a cross combination between a condo and a single family home, thus featuring both pros and cons. On one hand a townhouse will offer more privacy compared to condos, but they don’t usually feature the shared amenities that condominiums do. In case of a town house, there will be joint maintenance agreements to share upkeep costs and are more affordable than single family homes. When it comes to weighing in our options to decide on a place to live, you have to take into account one main factor that is how much are you willing to compromise on comfort and privacy so as to afford that place near your work, or are you willing to commute from the suburbs where you will have all the privacy you will ever need. Deciding on this will enable you to then narrow down options according to your budget to look for residential homes available on rent from the owner.

House hunting can take a toll on you, especially if your are new to the city and the neighborhood for that matter. You don’t just go and move in the first place you see, that is not how it works. There are a number of factors to consider and options to weigh in even before you can think of moving in. Here are a few factors to consider before signing in that lease deed. Legal system: There are specific tenant laws which govern the agreement, which will also differ according to location. You may find homes which are available for rent directly by the owner, but this is where those owner tenant laws come into play. Understand the laws which govern that particular are in order to make sure the owner is not taking you for a ride and that everything he says pertains to the generally accepted norms. Property inspection: Whether you go through an agent or find listings for homes for rent by owners directly, you still have to ensure that a thorough inception is conducted by an expert. If you do find anything that needs repairing or needs replacement in the apartment, do not hesitate to contact the owner. Generally, your landlord will be responsible for home maintenance and must ensure that periodic renovations are carried out. Lease terms and agreement: After everything is said and done, comes the lease agreement. This is a binding contract between you and the owner, so read the terms and conditions very carefully before committing. Have an attorney or a legal expert go through the lease once, the lease should be such that it benefits both parties and not just the owner. Types of homes available for rent: Single family homes: These are ideal for families giving you all the privacy you will ever need, with your own parking and garden. But such homes are a little high on the maintenance and ha to be taken care by the owner. Condominiums: These are mostly single units which are designed to accommodate a number of occupants in the same building unlike single family homes. The privacy is not compromised much, but you will still feel the changes I occupancy every time someone changes or moves. However, in case of condos, the maintenance and upkeep is taken care of by the home owners association which is formed for that particular building. There are many others like townhouses, multifamily rentals and more, information about which can be found online on major real estate websites and through known agents and brokers. You can also find listing directly by owners for rent, cheap homes for rent online and more.

There are a number of options when it comes to renting a place, ranging from single bedroom apartments, to duplex, to condos, to townhouses and more. but with so many options available at attractive prices, it just might become a bit difficult to choose from. Here are a few reasons why a duplex should be preferred over renting other residential properties. Work from home: Duplex homes are designed in such a way that you can easily create a separate office space for yourself. Apart from spacious living spaces and communal spaces, duplex offer the flexible option to people who work from their homes or have a job that requires them to commute only a couple of times to office in any given week. The layout of a duplex helps balance both your work life and home life, keeping them separate at all times. Rent out the extra space: If you just happen to own a duplex, you can let out he additional portion of the house for travelers and tourists searching for vacation homes. Vacation rentals are generally for a shorter duration and the occupants keep on changing, but you are free to charge good rates and people will generally prefer a full apartment to rent instead of jus renting out a single room. Shared backyard or garden: Nowadays it is impossible to find a decent space in the city which also happens to have a decent backyard or small garden. But duplex are designed by default to have a garden space which is of course shared with your neighbor next door. This is any day better than having no garden at all, for a number of reasons. The occasional breath of fresh air, and a nice little garden for you kids to play will be a good change form the over polluted and crowded parks and so called recreation facilities in the city. No matter how well they are maintained, public parks will always be over crowded on a nice warm sunny weekend where you kids have to wait for their turn to get on the slide. Build a small one in your backyard with a nice porch swing to go with where you can relax and have all the privacy you need, provided there is a wall which splits the shared backyard space. Plenty of space: Compared to renting two bedroom apartments or even a nice condo in the city, duplex will always feature more space and all the power outlets you can install to make sure there is enough for the number of appliance and kitchen utilities you can install. The living space and communal areas will also be spaced out to maximize comfort and promote a cozy living.

Modular homes as the names suggest are prefabricated living spaces designed on a specific theme or as requested by the client. Home companies are now following this method to manufacture all the structure components off site and then simply assemble them on site, to build a beautiful living space for you and your family. This process is more cost effective and efficient, not to mention time saving since prefabricated structures are easy to manufacture and mass produce. Modular homes are fabricated in sections and then assembled together like a big toy set. They are real houses which are eligible for all the particulars of any other type of residential property. This property will depreciate over time just like any other normal property, and the fact that they are nothing more than pieces of house put together doesn’t affect its treatment. One of the companies amongst many other who specialize in modular homes is Clayton. Clayton is a big strong team with over 13400 members who have helped families build their dream homes for over 60 years now. Clayton has been providing affordable home and quality living spaces since 1956 with projects ranging from traditional site built homes, modular homes, manufactures homes, college dormitories, apartments and even military barracks. Clayton features Energy shared certified homes, which boasts a number of benefits. Energy star homes by Clayton are less expensive compared to your standard homes, because of low utility costs. Energy efficiency also ensures more comfortable and quieter homes. Effective insulation ensures you stay warm during the winters and enjoy a cool breeze with energy efficient cooling, not having to worry about the electricity bill. These home are built with attention to detail which helps eliminate drafts, moisture, dust, petals, pests and pollen. This also improves the quality of air inside and ensures an overall healthy living. Modular homes may be constructed in a different way, but they are not so different than regular housing.

Looking for an apartment to rent is one of the major challenges you face when you are new to the city. Apartment prices will depend on a number of factors like area, the neighborhoods around, construction and more. but not all apartments prices are sky high, in fact here are five cities where you can rent apartments starting at just under $550 on an average monthly basis. Detroit, Michigan: Apart from the cost of making some minor changes and renovations to the apartment you are trying to rent, Detroit homes can certainly be rented for cheap. The monthly median rent ranges on an average between $550 to $560. Apartments are cheap and affordable according to the cost of cost of living standards of the city, even cheap to purchase at just an average of under $43000. Shreveport, Louisiana: Probably one of the cheapest cities in the State of Louisiana, since it offers the lowest real estate tax rates in the country. The cost of purchasing a home is very expensive here, but the average monthly home rent is just under $578 with a cost of living standard which is a little less than that of Detroit. Akron, Ohio: The city which his also know as the rubber capital on account of the rubber tire industry which manufactured most of the country’s stock. Akron boats a number of research and development facilities, even after most of its rubber factories were shutdown. The real estate is also right on point with an average median rent of just $541 per month. Birmingham, Alabama: The largest city in Alabama, but houses only 60% of the population compared to what the number was back in the day. This has helped boost real estate where the demand is low and thus prices are within budget, for both purchasing and renting for that matter. The monthly median rent is just under $520 which makes it a cheap place to live. Buffalo, New York: In New York city, you might just get a decent apartment for an average of $1000 a month. But here in Buffalo, you can easily afford a decent place for almost half the price. The cost of living standard is right around that of Shreveport, but that doesn’t majorly affect the price of renting apartments and the median range is right around $512. There a number of cities where you can rent a decent apartment for less than $550 dollars.

Maintaining a low cholesterol diet can be a challenge, especially if it means cutting down on your favorite food. However, if you have set your mind to nourish a healthy heart, there are many alternatives, which can delight your taste buds and cut down the level of LDL or bad cholesterol in your body. And remember, you do not need a doctor’s prescription to switch over to a low-cholesterol diet. Planning and maintaining a healthy diet will eliminate the need for extreme measures or visits to the doctor. Control portion size Overeating can cause an increase in your cholesterol level. It’s all about the proportion. Also, a lot of people each more to finish off their leftover food or whatever extra lying on the table. Not wasting food is a good idea; however, in such cases, one should distribute it to the needy. Once you learn when to stop eating, you can be assured of good heart health as well. Limit your intake of saturated fats Although there is no conclusive proof that intake of saturated fats can lead to heart disease, they do push up the level of bad cholesterol. On the flip side, they also contribute to the good cholesterol and cut down the level of triglycerides. The bottom line here is to reduce the intake of saturated fats including meat, milk, and cheese. You can replace them with low-fat alternatives or stick to minimum weekly intake in case of meats. Get rid of trans fat Your body can certainly do without trans fat in any form. They clog the arteries, push up the levels of triglycerides and can add to your weight. Trans fats including hydrogenated oils, processed food, bakery products, chips and other similar snacks, and carbonated drinks might be good to taste but not for health. Include fresh fruits Any healthy diet plan should include at least five servings of fruit per day. Whole fruits are much more nutritious than fruit juices. You can eat them as such or mix up a salad of three or more. Save this healthy snack for your mid-morning hunger pang. Add soluble fiber to your diet Fiber can help you to cut down the bad cholesterol in your body. Our body cannot digest these fibers but as they care eliminated from the body they carry toxic wastes along with them. You can include fiber in the form of oats, brown bread, brown rice, barley and whole fruits. Beans and lentils are also a good soluble fiber and are good for the heart. Include seafood in your diet Omega-3 fatty acids found in sardines, herrings, and Salmons can bring down the levels of bad cholesterol in your blood. Replace red meat with healthier alternatives Protein is essential for our bodies, animal protein, especially red meat can cause more harm than good. You should look for alternatives like skinless chicken and fish. Drink plenty of water Water is functioning of the various organs in our body. It aids digestion, boosts our metabolism and helps in functioning of the heart. Adopt healthy snacks Nuts are excellent for your overall health. They fill you up while lowering your cholesterol. So, make sure to include a handful of nuts in your diet like walnuts, almonds and cashew nuts are all good for your heart. Cut down on salt and sugars Cutting down on these white foods promote a healthy body. Lowering the level of salt controls your blood pressure and controlling sugar intake guards you against Type-2 diabetes.