Filed under: Estates

This much rustic will cost you a pretty penny. Today’s home was built in the 1990s but has a classic look with plenty of stone and rough wood. The estate is approximately 289 acres straddling the New York and Connecticut border (150 acres in Connecticut, 239 acres in New York). The beautiful views over rolling mountains and hills seems to stretch for miles. The property is home to a heated Gunite pool and spa, pool home, tennis court, barns, and trout pond. The home itself has five bedrooms, a fantasy-inducing country kitchen, beamed living room, porches and decks to take in the view, and a cozy wood-paneled library with a fireplace to hang out in during the winter months. This property is listed at $13.95 million.

Experience more lush living in luxury homes and mansions or see the stars living big with celebrity homes galleries at AOL Real Estate.

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Continue reading Stone Acres, Estate of the Day

Stone Acres, Estate of the Day originally appeared on Luxist on Fri, 31 Oct 2008 13:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hiring your kids is a good way to help your Baby Boomer business:

• You can get some needed part-time jobs done that it would be difficult to hire someone else to do
• You can save on taxes
• Your child can spend the money or build up money in a college fund.

If you’ve kids between 7 and 18, you can hire them to do necessary and useful work in your business and you can save money on business and personal taxes.  Notice I highlighted “necessary and useful.”  The work they do has to be of benefit to your business and it has to be part of the normal business operations.  You can’t pay them for vacuuming the floor or dusting; it has to be business-related.  You also must keep very good business records, including giving them a real paycheck from the business.

Your child can deposit the paycheck into a savings account (unless you can find a bank that grants children to have checking accounts).  Your child can take out money to pay for school supplies, or spending money.  You can also leave the money in the account or take some out for a college savings account.

Here is how you can save on taxes by paying your kids:

• You don’t have to withhold FICA taxes (Social Security/Medicare) from your child’s paycheck (if he/she is under 18), and
• The payments are deductible business expenses.

The main things to remember, if you want to save on the taxes:

• Keep everything business-like, with a “paper trail” and real paychecks, etc.
• Make sure the work your child is doing is “necessary and useful.”

If  you are interested in learning more about the tax benefits of hiring your kids, read this post in my About.com blog (U.S. Business Law and Taxes).

Image source: Newscom

Tags: baby boomer businesses, business taxes, college education funds

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My best friend just got back from China.  She walked the Great Wall, up many steps, and she was able to keep up when other younger people weren’t.  She has a regular vigorous walking routine, she lifts weights, swims with a Master’s group, and does yoga.  She is in great shape! And new information shows that being in shape physically can help keep you mentally fit too.

A recent study funded by the National Institutes of Health (and published in September in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society) shows that older women who are active do better on cognitive (knowledge) tests and multitasking than women who are not as active.  I guess it’s not a large surprise, but it does show the importance of staying active as baby boomers, so you can live longer and stay healthier.

The study was done on women older than baby boomers (their average age was 83); they wore something called an actigraph, which measured their physical movements over 3 days.  Then they were given standard cognitive tests and compared the results with the activity levels.

“More daytime movement was especially associated with superior executive function, which is the ability to plan and execute daily tasks,” stated lead author Deborah E. Barnes, PhD, MPH, a mental health researcher at SFVAMC and an assistant professor of psychiatry at UCSF. “The particular measure we used focused on being able to shift your attention back and forth – kind of like multitasking in daily life.”

The next phase of the study is going to focus on older people with memory problems; the researchers are getting them more active and they’re hoping to see more improvement in memory from the increased physical activity.  I’m betting they find it.

So, I’m going to quit blogging for this day and go take a walk.  The sun is shining, and here in Iowa there may not be many more opportunities to walk outside until spring.

I’m planning to wear out rather than rust out. 

How about you?

Image source: Jean Murray

Tags: baby boomer women, Great Wall of China, health and fitness

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Filed under: Estates

The price was the reason I decided to cover this home. I’ve seen some high-priced homes in the Sun Valley, Idaho area. After all, it is a popular place for the wealthy to get away from it all, but a $22 million price tag strains even the large budget. The home does come with 77 acres of land which includes almost a mile of Large Wood River frontage. The property has a barn, greenhouse and four separate fenced and irrigated pastures around a central pond. Privacy is assured and the main home is accessed via a private bridge. The home itself has three bedrooms and is around 4,000 square feet. It’s a charming country home with beamed ceilings and brick fireplaces on pristine land but $22 million still seems a bit steep.

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Continue reading Mid-Valley, Idaho, Estate of the Day

Mid-Valley, Idaho, Estate of the Day originally appeared on Luxist on 2008-10-30T13:02:00 00:00. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Over at Home Biz Notes, Mary Emma Allen speaks about a business Baby Boomers might enjoy having: Pet Sitting and Dog Walking.  If you’re an animal lover like me, this would be a great idea for a business.  I agree with the the comment, though, that walking dogs in Iowa in the winter might not be a lot of fun, but you never know.

Here are some considerations for starting a pet sitting/dog walking business:

You can set up this type of business simply, as a sole proprietorship.  Then all you need to do is get a business license and a business checking account, and you can start advertising and taking clients.  You don’t need to be a corporation to avoid liability, but you might think about setting up as a limited liability company (LLC).

You don’t need a lot of money to start this business, which you can work from your home.  Your biggest expenses will be (1) gas and auto expenses, and (2) advertising, both of which are deductible.   You probably don’t need a bank loan, if you can afford to print out your advertising flyers or brochures yourself.

Advertising and marketing are local.  Determine what area you want to serve, draw a circle around it on a map, and consider how you will reach these people to let them know of your service.  You might want to put up a flyer at your local grocery store, or go to the veterinarians in the area and ask if you can put brochures in their waiting room.

If you’re really serious about this new business (and you should be), consider becoming an  “accredited” pet sitter.  Go to the website of Pet Sitters International and learn more about being accredited.  This accreditation will give you more credibility with your clients and you will learn about the responsibilities of this new business. (They also offer business liability insurance for pet sitter businesses.)

One question that might have crossed your mind relates to liability insurance, in case one of your clients files a liability claim against you.  You might want to consider joining the Pet Sitters Associates, LLC, which offers what looks like business liability insurance coverage for a reasonable amount.

One more Pet Sitter organization to look in to:  the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters.   They also offer bonding and liability insurance, as well as networking opportunities with other business owners.

Figuring out what to charge is difficult - not so little that you don’t get a reasonable return for your time, but not so much as to turn people off.  Check the three organizations above to see if they’ve recommendations, and search out other pet sitters in your area.

The biggest drawback (other than walking dogs in the winter in Iowa) will be, of course, the clients. You’ll be working with some great people and some not-so-great ones.  Same with the pets.  Some you will love, some not.  But you’ll probably have to keep working with them, to pay the bills.  But this is true in any service business.

If you decide to get into pet-sitting, let me know.  I would be happy to help you with questions and give you marketing/advertising ideas.

Image source: PicApp

Tags: baby boomers, baby boomers in business, national association of professional pet sitters, pet sitters international

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I decided to retire over a year ago.  Now I’m reconsidering. I’m still leaving my former employer, but I’m looking for other job opportunities.  No sense sitting around watching the market; I need to get out there and make some money.

If you’ve decided to go back to work or begin a new company, you’ll need to flex your networking muscles and re-establish networking contacts with people who can help you or with potential customers.  Here are some recommendations to help you get re-energized with the networking game:

1. If you’re looking for a job, try one of the online job sites, like Workforce50 or RetireeJobs.  Monster.com and other traditional job sites are also possibilities.

2.  If you are looking for a local job or considering starting a local business, here are some suggestions for networking:

• Join a business networking group, like Business Networking International (BNI).  Or join/re-join Toastmasters, the public speaking organization.  Not only will your membership in Toastmasters gain you valuable speaking opportunities, it will give you some great networking possibilities.  My Toastmasters membership has helped me meet people who are involved in the local business community and I’m developing a network of contacts on whom I have the ability to call to discuss writing work.
• Go to church, join a social group or a hobby group.  In other words, get out there and meet people. You can’t network if you just sit at home.
• Re-connect with old business contacts.  Dig out that business phone book that you almost threw away, or pull out your old Rolodex(R) and call people.  Invite them to lunch.

Tomorrow, I will speak about turning network contacts into business or job leads.

Image source: PicApp

Tags: baby boomers, finding a job, starting a business

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Filed under: Next large thing, Small business

If you look at top websites — like Wikipedia and craigslist — a common theme is user participation. It certainly can be a powerful thing.

Well, this is what Glassdoor.com is trying to do. Actually, this week the company announced a $6.5 million venture capital round (the total amount raised since its founding is $9.5 million). The investors include: Sutter Hill Ventures and Benchmark Capital.

So far, Glassdoor.com has attracted 115,000 contributions from its user base (the site launched in June). Basically, they’ve provided information about their employers, such as on salaries, culture and so on. There are even ratings of company CEOs.

All in all, it’s a neat idea. After all, making the decision on a new job is critical — but often fraught with uncertainty. So why now grant the community to help out?

According to the Glassdoor blog:

“Now more than ever, people want to know what it’s really like inside a company and more and more employees are sharing details about their jobs and work environments. With increased resources, employees and employers can improve upon the decisions they make for their career and for their company. In this environment, in particular, we think this investment sends a strong signal about the value of the information available on Glassdoor.com to people around the globe.”

Tom Taulli is the author of various books, including The Complete M&A Handbook and The Streetsmart Guide to Short Selling: Techniques the Pros Use to Profit in Any Market. He’s also the founder of BizEquity, a valuation website.

Glassdoor.com gets a $6.5 million payday originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 29 Oct 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Estates, Celebrity Shopping

You may not know the name Oren Koules but if you checked out the latest “Saw” movie recently (the fifth installment opened last weekend), you’ve Koules to thank for your chills. Koules has been the producer on the “Saw” motion picture franchise and even a couple of romantic comedies and served as an ex-executive producer of TV’s “Two and a Half Men.”

As the LA TImes Hot Property column shows us though, his home though, is no fright. Koules has a stunning modern home in the Trousdale Estates are of Beverly Hills. The contemporary estate has four bedrooms, an open floorplan and a cushy home theater (the listing shows a still from “Saw” on the screen in one of the pictures).

It’s a tiny cold and clinical as some modern homes can be and you’d be afraid to leave your shoes out but the details, from the wood celings to the skylighted bathrooms, are just flawless here. The outdoor space is pretty nice too offering an outdoor cooking and dining area as well as a pool and spa. This home is listed at $12.5 million.

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Continue reading Oren Koules In Beverly Hills, Estate of the Day

Oren Koules In Beverly Hills, Estate of the Day originally appeared on Luxist on 2008-10-29T13:01:00 00:00. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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One result of the credit/banking crisis has been a new wave of lenders who can help you get loans for your small business when other traditional lenders cannot.  A recent Wall Street Journal article detailed one such lender, On Deck Capital.  Instead of requiring you to put up assets for more traditional types of loans, On Deck lets you leverage your cash flow for loans up to $100,000.

If you’re like a lot of other small business owners, you might be finding it difficult to get a traditional loan.  On Deck  says that 65 percent of small businesses seeking loans don’t qualify, so you’re not alone.

The On Deck criteria:

• You’ve a business checking account;
• You must have been in business at least one year;
• You must process at least $3,000 in credit card transactions every month

If you don’t accept credit cards, you should have been open at least two years and have an average business bank account balance of at least $3,000 a month.

To apply for a loan from On Deck, you’ll need credit card statements and bank account statements, to prove your cash flow. I didn’t see any requirement that you have a business plan.

You can receive approval within 2 days, and your loan can be funded within 7 days; that’s great if you need money quickly.   The typical term of the loans is 1 year.

The other unusual thing about On Deck is that you pay off the loan each day; they take the money directly from your business bank account in what they call “micro-payments.”  So rather than having to come up with a big amount of cash every month, you can pay off your loan a little at a time.  This might be a problem if your business cash flow is cyclical, so if you get a loan from On Deck, you’ll have to watch to make sure you’ve enough in your account every day.

Their interest rate is high (18% to 36%) but the short term of the loan means you don’t have that long to pay, and this is basically an unsecured loan, with no assets pledged except the cash flow of your business.

I’m not advocating for or against this source of financing.  Do your homework and think about it if you need funds and you can’t get them from other more traditional sources.

To learn more about On Deck, go to their website, and look at the press releases and other information.  You might also want to ask for references from other borrowers.  Getting good information before you make a decision to borrow money is always a good idea.

Tags: baby boomers, cash flow, financing, small business loans, small businesses

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Filed under: Estates

Here’s a sign of a slumping real estate market, even historic castles in Ireland are getting the price chop. A listing for Kinnitty Castle in Offaly, Ireland touts its $9 million price cut. The castle’s historic roots date back to the 10th century. it is located on an ancient druidic ceremonial ground and the castle went through several different building stages. It was burned down in 1922 but rebuilt in 1928. It was sold to The Say in 1951 but then the Ryan family bought it in 1994 and turned it into a hotel. Kinnitty Castle has been restored with three reception rooms, grand drawing room, huge library and 37 bedrooms. It has been used for weddings and events (over 1400 couples have married here in the past 14 years) but could also be converted back into a private residence. It is being sold fully furnished. The 61 acre grounds include gardens, stables, paddocks forests and a river. Yours for $18 million.

Ireland’s Kinnitty Castle For Sale originally appeared on Luxist on 2008-10-29T08:02:00 00:00. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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