If you’ve purchased land so that you can build a “dream” house from the ground up, then you can apply Feng Shui design techniques in the layout of the home. Note that you may need to find an architect who is amenable to working with Feng Shui concepts, but that shouldn’t be hard. This represents a fast growing sector in home building because of increasing consumer demand for this philosophical application of the “art of placement.”

Land Selection:

Feng Shui recommends having a parcel of land that has some type of protection in the rear, and openness in the front. If the back of the land is higher than the front, that’s even better. If there’s water near your land, you’ll want to keep that to the front of the house (but not directly pointing AT the house).

Design basics

The entrance to your home is very important. It should be a single door easily seen and free of clutter. Avoid having a stairway directly beyond the entry way if possible (that deters getting Chi into the main level of the house). In your layout, long hallways can be problematic too (particularly one from the front to the back door – you can usher in good chi and have it go right back out again!).

This welcomes positive energy (Chi) into your home. The path leading to your door shouldn’t be too straight, and include some live plants along the way. This guides both the eye and good vibrations where you want them. This improves the overall hospitable feel in your new home.

Ceilings & Windows

Light and air are key to positive Chi. You want mid-height ceilings (a balance between masculine and feminine energy) so the area feels open yet cozy. Good sized windows that let in natural light also strongly affect your home’s ambiance. The more natural light you can use, the less you have to depend on electrical lamps, that don’t do much to improve moods. Adding ceiling lights to your home building plans give you the best of both worlds!

Doors and Edges

While doors are necessary to home construction, having too many can block Chi and even cause tension in a home. The same holds true with having too many sharp corners (think – flow).

Room by Room:

In laying out the interior of your home with an archetect there are areas that will complement specific areas of your life based on Feng Shui principles. For your main bedroom, look to an area of the home that’s Northward. This direction is associated with passion and also relaxation. If you’re planning on an office, workout room, or a study space for students, then North East is the best choice. This is the center for clarity and focus, along with a good amount of energy for manifesting goals.

Moving to the East of the home you’ll find your center for positive thoughts and overall happiness. This makes the Eastern portion of your home ideal for the kitchen, or maybe for a “me” room (a place where you get to play). In the South East you move into your money center and an area that inspires creativity. So this would be an alternative area for that home office, or just a spot where you balance your checkbook!

For your dining room consider the Southern part of your building plan. This area symbolizes your social interaction. The alternative would be to use this region for a living room if that’s where you do most of your entertaining. 

Family rooms work well in the Southwestern area of a home as this region focuses on sustaining healthy relationships. For a couple, this might be a good spot for a bedroom too.

Turning Westward we meet the area of a house associated with family, love, commitment, and prosperity. That makes the west good for many rooms from a small office to a family room, bedroom for children, or dining room.

Put your pantry or cleaning room in the Northwest of the home – this helps you stay organized and on task.

And what about the center of the home? This is where all the Chi mixes and mingles to perfection. That means keeping this region clear of clutter is very important. The center of your home should be designed to be as open as possible with no major obstructions to deter the good Chi you’ve worked so hard to achieve.

Summary:

By applying these basic Feng Shui Home Building tips you will find that the final design and presentation of your home is open, uncluttered and very welcoming. Many architects are ready and willing to work with you on creating a space that's uniquely yours and that will welcome the best energies into your home.

People looking into apartments and condos may find it very difficult to uncover pet friendly buildings. Thankfully there are online services now that will help you network within communities to find that perfect place for you and spot. Additionally there are things you can do to improve your chances of obtaining pet friendly housing.

For one, if you read an exciting ad but it doesn’t specify a pet policy, ask immediately. If the owner indicates that the building is a pet-free zone, then don’t try to sneak your Mr. snuggles in. You could end up evicted and having to pay a penalty besides. Overall its easier to find cat housing than dog housing (eh hem... you cannot say your "cat" learned to bark).

On the other hand some owners will bend the rules, or may not openly advertise that they have pet allowances. When you find such a landlord, please treat him or her with kindness and be a responsible pet owner. So doing will make it easier for other furry-friend owners to rent in the future. How? Make sure you keep the rental free of animal smells or stains, for one. Also know your pet. If your dog tends to be aggressive, then walk him when you know the halls are clear of other renters.

If you do find a complex that allows pets, make sure that includes YOUR type of pet. Don’t just assume. For example, we once lived in a place in Boston that allowed pets but not rabbits. In fact, inside city limits rabbits were illegal because they’re a type of rodent. We ended up miserable and having to find a home for fuzzbucket before our landlord turned him into Hasenpfeffer. This is just one example. Other building regulations may limit the size of a pet (in pounds), or the breed of pet (like pit bulls). Get your specifications, and get them in writing.

Note that pet-friendly housing often comes at a price. It’s not unusual to have a $300+ security deposit (sometimes nonrefundable) for the privilege of keeping your pet with you. Beyond that, some buildings charge an extra monthly fee on top of your rent. No, you’re not allowed to shave the cat and call it a baby.

When you’re shopping around for pet-friendly apartments, be prepared ahead of time. Get copies of your pet’s shot history from your veterinarian and have proof if your pet is spayed or neutered. This will speed the process for renting your new space.

On average in areas where apartments and condos are fairly populated it can take 6 months to find a space for you and your pet, so plan accordingly.

     When I am elected president one of the things I will be changing is the current welfare system. As a landlord I can tell you first hand about all the money the government wastes on section 8 low income housing. This is my favorite way to rent a property. Why, do you ask? Well, for one thing I get a check in the mail on the first of every month. Also, I get above market rent. Now, I am not complaining from a landlords point of view. However, I do know first hand about all the money the government is wasting by paying for people to be lazy, not to go to work, and just hang around the house all day smoking and drinking.

     So, I was on vacation recently sitting on the beach relaxing when a couple of hoodrats (women that live in the hood, take advantage of the welfare system, and have multiple children from multiple dads) sat down in beach chairs close enough for me to overhear their conversation. They immediately began talking about having more kids so they could get more money from the government. So, apparently there is a strategic plan throughout the hood to live for free, do nothing, and contribute nothing to society except more children. Yes, this is real... & yes, this is happening everyday.

     How would I solve the massive welfare fraud among hoodrats & ho's in our country? First, without a doubt, I would mandate drug testing for all welfare recipients. If the government is giving you enough money for drugs & to party we are simply just giving out too much money. I would move all hoodrats in each area into central housing projects. I would then make everyone living in our project go out and work on a government sponsored project such as a road crew. I would pay each of these hood rats less that minimum wage as a welfare payout & make them pay for housing. They would rotate with the other women in project between working and watching the children. Everyone living in the project would be encouraged to go out and find other work so they can provide a better life for their children. Working long hours for low pay should be enough encouragement for them to go out and find a job. The government would save millions of dollars in welfare & also gain a productive workforce.

     OK, let me start by saying that I am a passionate & patriotic red blooded American & fully support our fine country, the good ole US of A. However, I do have many ideas which I consider progressive that I think could help our country. We have been at war (which many say is a war we can't win) for the better part of the last 10 years. I very rarely hear any good news about this war and our media continuously reports on soldiers getting hurt or killed overseas. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate everything our military forces have done for us...it just saddens me each time I hear of our young soldiers getting killed. As a result, I would like to propose a way to end this war.

     If I were President I would propose an immediate withdrawal of all US troops from overseas. I would then offer all inmates who wanted to get released early from prison a full pardon and a plane ride over to the middle east. The plan would be to just drop them off & let them fend for themselves. We would give them a list of terrorists to kill & any prisoner that retrieves the head of a terrorist would get, say, maybe $100,000 to start their new lives (in the middle east of course). So, let's see...from where I stand this would put an end to prison overcrowding, the high costs of a prison, and also the high cost of running the war. So....whadda ya think? Makes sense to me.

Hi and welcome to the Big Hairy Ape!  We are proud to announce the 'ribbon cutting' of our new website!

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While home sales are on the rise, luxury homes have remained nearly stationery; until now!  The low interest rates, government programs and the amount of foreclosures are helping reduce the real estate inventory; however a majority of the homes that are selling are priced on the lower end of the market. In Brevard County alone, out of the 800 homes that sold during the month of June, only 20% of them were priced over $500,000 and 150 of the homes were priced under $50,000!

Real estate professionals in the Brevard County area, and nationally, are seeing signs of movement in the luxury homes department!  According to the Institute for Luxury Homes Marketing located in Dallas Texas, homes for sale that are priced over $500,000 has risen over 20%!

Just another sign that the time to purchase real estate is now, before the home prices start to rise again.

Wall street is looking for more good news from companys reporting their earnings this week.New home sales will be coming out in Aug and resales also. It was a great week at the board with all the different classes they had for agents and on saturday all day for the public,I understand they had a nice turn out all week. I think by now everyone understands the problems with the housing market and until we can reduce the inventory on people who are losing the homes through no fault of the own we will be hearing how closings are falling apart .I also feel for the people who are renting a home and find out the have to be out because the payments are not being made and they can do nothing about it but move. I understand congress is aware of the problem and is trying to do something about it.lets make sure we keep all our elected officials aware of what is going on in the field if they don't already know.