Kentucky Real Estate Business

Posts Tagged ‘House’

Article by jekky

HistoryShotgun houses spaced tightly together in Louisville, Kentucky. In cities, shotguns were built closely together for a variety of reasons.Shotgun houses were most popular before widespread ownership of the automobile allowed people to live farther from businesses and other destinations. Building lots were kept small out of necessity, 30 feet (9 m) wide at most. An influx of people to cities, both from rural areas in America and from foreign countries, all looking to fill emerging manufacturing jobs, created the high demand for housing in cities. Shotgun houses were thus built to fulfill the same need as rowhouses in Northeastern cities. Several were usually built at a time by a single builder, contributing to their relatively similar appearance.The New Orleans housing taxation structure contributed to the design of the shotgun in its region. The shotgun utilized a minimized lot frontage, when taxes were based on lot frontage, then when that was subverted by untaxable second floor additions of space AKA the “Camelback”, the tax was shifted to number of rooms, which equalized the taxation per square footage within a property. Consequently, neither design contains closets or hallways, which were counted as rooms.Folklorist and professor John Michael Vlach has suggested that the origin of the building style and the name itself may trace back to Haiti and Africa in the 1700s and earlier. The name may have originated from the Africa’s Southern Dahomey Fon area term, to-gun, which means, “place of assembly.” The description, probably used in New Orleans by Afro Haitian slaves, may have been misunderstood and reinterpreted as “Shotgun.” Another, frequently repeated theory suggests that the term “shotgun” is a reference to the idea that if you open all the doors to the house, the pellets fired from a shotgun would fly cleanly from one end to the other (though the origin of this description is unknown). Also a common understanding of the name is that they were built of discarded crates, i.e. shotgun-shell and other crates.The theory behind the earlier African origin is tied to the history of New Orleans. In 1803 there were 1,355 free blacks in the city. By 1810 blacks outnumbered whites 10,500 to 4,500. This caused a housing boom. As many of both the builders and inhabitants were Africans by way of Haiti, historians believe it is only natural they modeled the new homes after ones they left behind in their homeland. Many surviving Haitian dwellings of the period, including about 15 percent of the housing stock of Port-au-Prince, resemble the single shotgun houses of New Orleans. A simpler theory is that is that they are the typical one-room-deep floor plan popular in the rural south, rotated to accommodate narrow city lots.A pair of camelbacks in Louisville’s Original Highlands neighborhoodThe shotgun house was popularized in New Orleans. The style was definitely built there by 1832, though there is evidence that houses sold in the 1830s were built 15 to 20 years earlier. The houses were built throughout hot urban areas in the South, since the style’s length allowed for excellent airflow, while its narrow frontage increased the number of lots that could be fitted along a street. It was used so frequently that some southern cities estimate that, even today, 10% or more of their housing stock is composed of shotgun houses.The earliest known use of “shotgun house” as a name for these dwellings is in a classified advertisement in the Atlanta Journal Constitution, August 30, 1903: “Two 3-room houses near the railroad yards at Simpson st. crossing, rent a month to good tenants who pay in advance; price ,200 on terms or 0 cash, balance a month; a combination of investment and savings bank: these are not shacks, but good shot-gun houses in good repair.” While this advertisement seems to present shotgun houses as a desirable working-class housing alternative, by 1929 a Tennessee court noted that shotgun houses could not be rented to any other than a very poor class of tenants. After the Great Depression, few shotgun houses were built, and existing ones went into decline. By the late 20th century, shotgun houses in some areas were being restored as housing and for other uses.Shotgun houses were often initially built as rental properties, located near manufacturing centers or railroad hubs, to provide housing choices for workers. Owners of factories frequently built the houses to rent specifically to employees, usually for a few dollars a month. By the late 20th century, however, shotguns were often owner-occupied. For example, 85% of the houses (many of them shotgun) in New Orleans’ Lower Ninth Ward were owner-occupied. CharacteristicsFloor plan of a typical single shotgun with bathroomThe rooms of a shotgun house are lined up one behind the other, typically a living room is first, then one or two bedrooms, and finally a kitchen in back. Early shotgun houses were not built with bathrooms, but in later years a bathroom with a small hall was built before the last room of the house, or a side addition was built off the kitchen. Some shotguns may have as few as two rooms.Chimneys tended to be built in the interior, allowing the front and middle rooms to share a chimney with a fireplace opening in each room. The kitchen usually has its own chimney.Other than the basic floor layout, shotgun houses have many standard features in common. The house is almost always close to the street, sometimes with a very short front yard, and no porch. In some cases, the house has no front yard and is actually flush with the sidewalk. The original steps were wood, but were often replaced with permanent concrete steps.Sketch of a typical camelback, or one and a half story, shotgun house, with a detailed sketch of a typical decorative wooden door bracketA sign of its New Orleans heritage, the house is usually raised two to three feet off the ground. There is a single door and window in the front of the house, and often a side door leading into the back room, which is slightly wider than the rest of the house. The front door and window often were originally covered by decorative shutters. Side walls may or may not have windows; rooms not adjoining the front nor back door will generally have at least one window even when the houses are built very close together.Typically, shotgun houses have a wood frame structure and wood siding, although some examples exist in brick and even stone. Many shotguns, especially older or less expensive ones, have flat roofs that end at the front wall of the house. In houses built after 1880, the roof usually overhangs the front wall, and there is usually a gable above the overhang. The overhang is usually supported by decorative wooden brackets, and sometimes contains cast iron ventilators.The rooms are well-sized, and have relatively high ceilings for cooling purposes, as when warm air can rise higher, the lower part of a room tends to be cooler. The lack of hallways allows for efficient cross-ventilation in every room. Rooms usually have some decoration such as moldings, ceiling medallions, and elaborate woodwork. In cities like New Orleans, local industries supplied elaborate but mass-produced brackets and other ornaments for shotgun houses that were accessible even to homeowners of modest means. VariationsA conventional one-story freestanding shotgun house is often called a single shotgun. Many common variations exist in high quantity, and are often actually more common than the single shotgun in cities.A double shotgun structure in the Uptown neighborhood of New Orleans. Double shotgun houses were a form of multiple-family housing, where essentially two conventional shotgun houses shared a central wall.Double Shotgun, also called double-barrel shotgun, essentially two shotgun houses connected to each other and sharing a central wall. They are a form of Semi-detached housing. The double shotgun requires less land per household than the traditional shotgun and was used extensively in poorer areas because it could be built with fewer materials and use less land per occupant. It was first seen in New Orleans in 1854.Camelback house, also called Humpback, a variation of the Shotgun that has a partial second floor over the rear of the house. Camelback houses were built in the later period of shotgun houses. The floor plan and construction is very similar to the traditional shotgun house, except there are stairs in the back room leading up the second floor. The second floor, or “hump”, contains one to four rooms. Because it was only a partial second story, most cities only taxed it as a single-story house – in fact this was a key reason for their construction.Double Width Shotgun, is where an extra large and wide shotgun house would be built on two lots instead of one. These were typically built one to a block in locations where a single person would first buy the entire city block during development, then build themselves a double sized home and then subdivide the rest of the block with single lot homes.”North shore” houses, shotgun houses with wide verandas on three sides. They were so named because most were built on the north shore of New Orleans’ Lake Pontchartrain as summer homes for wealthy whites.The term may also refer to a different structure, common in rural areas and small towns, which takes the form of a small, long, free-standing house, generally made of wood, with no hallways. Unlike the larger terraced version, this is generally a single-storied dwelling, but it was still associated with poverty and popular partially because of its ability to make hot weather more comfortable. It was most prevalent along waterways and bayous in rural Louisiana.A combination, the Double Camelback shotgun, also exists. A minor variation is a side door allowing access to the kitchen, or a porch along the side extending almost the length of the house.A classic camelback shotgun house in Uptown New Orleans Decline and legacyThe construction of shotgun houses slowed and eventually stopped during the early 20th century. The affordability of two technological innovations, the car and consumer air conditioning units, made the key advantages of the shotgun house obsolete to home buyers. After World War II, shotgun houses had very little appeal to those building or buying new houses, as car-oriented modern suburbs were built en masse. Few shotgun houses have been built in America since the war, although the concept of a simple, single-level floor plan lived on in ranch-style houses.The surviving urban shotgun houses suffered problems related to those typically facing the inner city neighborhoods in which they were located. The flight of affluent residents to the suburbs, absentee owners, and a shortage of mortgage lenders for inner city residents led to the deterioration of shotgun houses in the mid and late 20th century. Confusing ownership, passed down within a family over several generations, also contributed to many houses sitting vacant for years.Though shotguns are sometimes perceived as being housing prevalent in poor African American neighborhoods, many were originally built heavily in segregated white neighborhoods. Many of these neighborhoods became predominantly black during the 1950s and 1960s, but many others did not and remain predominantly white.Regardless of who was living in them, from World War II until the 1980s, shotguns came to be widely viewed as substandard housing and a symbol of poverty, and they were demolished by many urban renewal projects. This thinking is no longer so prevalent, with cities such as Houston and Charlotte establishing “Shotgun Historic Districts”. Shotgun houses have even been praised as quality and cost-effective cultural assets that promote a distinctive urban life. Other cities, such as Macon, Georgia, experimented with renovating shotgun houses for low-income residents, but found that it is cheaper and more effective to tear them down and build new housing.A camelback house in Louisville’s Paristown neighborhood. The perpendicular section makes it not a shotgun.There are many large neighborhoods in older American cities of the south which still contain a high concentration of shotgun houses today. Examples include Bywater in New Orleans; Portland, Butchertown, and Germantown in Louisville; and Cabbagetown in Atlanta. Their role in the history of the south has become recognized; for example, Rice University recently sponsored an exhibition called “Shotguns 2001″, which featured artistic paintings of the houses and lectures, in a neighborhood of restored shotguns.In some shotgun-dominated neighborhoods, property value has become quite high, leading to gentrification. Sometimes, a new owner will buy both homes of a double-barreled shotgun structure, and combine them to form a relatively large single house. Shotguns are also often combined to renovate them into office or storage space. Southern cultureThe shotgun house plays a role in the folklore and culture of the south. Superstition holds that ghosts and spirits are attracted to shotgun houses because they may pass straight through them, and that some houses were built with doors intentionally misaligned to deter these spirits. They also often serve as a convenient symbol of life in the south. Elvis Presley was born in a shotgun house, the Neville Brothers grew up in one, and Robert Johnson is said to have died in one. Shortly before his death in May 1997, Jeff Buckley rented a shotgun house in Memphis and was so enamoured with it he contacted the owner about the possibility of buying it. Dream Brother, David Browne’s biography on Jeff and Tim Buckley, opens with a description of this shotgun house and Jeff’s fondness of it. See alsoCulture of the Southern United StatesList of house typesMobile homeRailroad apartmentTerraced house References^ a b McAlester, Virginia & Lee (1997). A Field Guide to American Houses. New York: Knopf. p. 90. ISBN 0394739698. ^ a b c “Southeast Shotguns”. http://www.victoriansecrets.net/shotgun.html. Retrieved 2006-05-16. ^ “The Shotgun House: An African Architectural Legacy”. Pioneer America 8: 4756. 1976. ^ a b c d e f g h The Shotgun house: urban housing opportunities. Preservation Alliance of Louisville and Jefferson Co.. 1980. ^ a b c d e Vlach, J: “Shotgun houses”, pages 5157. Natural History 86, 1977).^ Burns, Richard Allen. The Shotgun Houses of Trumann, Arkansas, Arkansas Review, (April 2002), Vol. 33, Issue 1^ Moore v. Minnis, 11 Tenn.App. 88 (Tenn. App. 1929).^ a b c d Starr, S. Frederick. The New Orleans Shotgun: Down but Not Out. New York Times. Sep 22, 2005. pg. F.7^ Marling, Karal Ann (1996). Graceland. Harvard University Press. http://www.hup.harvard.edu/features/margra/shotgun.html. ^ Shotgun Houses on Architectural Patrimony. Accessed April 4, 2006.^ a b Holl, Steven. Rural and Urban House Types in North America, Princeton Architectural Press (1990) p.3439^ Kniffen, Fred B. (1936). “Louisiana House Types”. Annals of the Association of American Geographers 26 (4): 179193. doi:10.2307/2569532. ^ Duncan, S. Heather. Rehab or replace? The case for and against shotgun houses. The Macon Telegraph. 6 March 2006. pg. 1^ Roney, Marty (July 2, 2005). “Old shotgun homes given new purpose”. Montgomery Advertiser. p. 1. ^ Karal Ann Marling, Elvis Presley’s Graceland, or the Aesthetic of Rock ‘n’ Roll Heaven, American Art, Vol. 7, No. 4 (Autumn, 1993), pp. 72105^ Arroyo, Raymond. The Devotion of Aaron Neville. Crisis Magazine, September 2001.^ Trail of the Hellhound: Delta Sites, Retrieved April 4, 2006^ Browne, David. Dream Brother: The Lives and Music of Jeff and Tim Buckley. HarperEntertainment. January, 2001. pg 1 External linksWikimedia Commons has media related to: Shotgun housesShotgun Houses on Architectural Patrimony (includes many example photos)Shotgun House Project for New Orleans Discussion of appropriateness of new shotguns for rebuilding NOLAA New Orleans shotgun converted into a two-story three-bedroom house (the Spring 2008 This Old House project)Description on Great Buildings OnlineShotgun Homes and porchesProject Row Houses is an example of art and social activism, based on 22 shotgun houses rescued and renovated in Houston’s Third Ward. Categories: American architectural styles | Vernacular architecture | House styles | House types | Southern United StatesHidden categories: Featured articles

http://goarticles.com/article/Shotgun-house-China-Corrugation-texture-Marble-texture/3725601/

Article by Paul Smiths

A real estate agent has many tasks to play. First, he can help a buyer find a good home. But of course, he can help a seller market a property. So, if you’re planning to make use of one in selling your home, you should entrust some parts of the process to him.

Whilst you are busy looking for a real estate agent, you should also be prepared about some criteria you will set in picking one. You may have your own guidelines in making a search. If you want, you may also list down some questions you will ask him later on.

Questions to ask your real estate agent

Below are some of the questions you may ask a potential real estate agent. Scrutinise how well he answers the question to gauge if you’re finding a good realtor:

1. “What strategies will you use to sell my house?” In line with this, other questions may arise such as: “What types of ads are you going to use?” and “Where will you find a good market for my property?” Once you’ve raised these questions, the real estate agent must be able to present you a good marketing plan without even thinking twice about it. Give him the chance to provide you a list of contacts that he has in the real estate world.

2. “Do you have an experience selling a home like mine?” Good real estate agents must have the skills to sell any type of home. He must not say that you’re house is different from others he had marketed in the past and he might have a hard time selling your home.

3. “Are you affiliated with any real estate organisation?” If he says he is, then ask for proof. Check the validity of the organisation he is linked with. It is best to use this as a gauge if he passed the standards required from a real estate agent.

4. “How long have you been in this business?” Experience wise, those who have been in the real estate business for a long time may have the edge over others. They won’t hesitate selling any type of home no matter how varied one property is from that of the other. But you may also give a newbie a chance provided he is able to answer the other questions found in this page.

5. “Will I be able to negotiate with you when it comes to your commission?” There are standards followed in the real estate business. Part of that is the commission of a real estate agent. For instance, if you’re using a full time realtor, you have to pay around 6% to 7% commission from your home’s selling price. Whilst you want to haggle with the price, be wary when a realtor promises very low commission.

Finding a good real estate agent is critical to selling your home. So better raise all your queries to the expert before even closing a deal with him. You don’t have to rush when doing this. It is best to do things slowly but surely.

http://goarticles.com/article/Real-Estate-Agent-5-Questions-You-May-Ask-Him-When-Selling-a-House/2790200/

Article by Lia Contesso

Vittorio Veneto is a small city in the northern part of the province of Treviso; elegant and calm, it’s ideal for those who love to live in a quiet environment, though rich of things to do.Having a look at the houses in Vittorio Veneto in one of the real estate agencies of the city is an idea which could occur to quietness lovers who look for a beautiful scene and a culturally stimulating environment.When you choose to rent or buy a house, villa or apartment in Vittorio Veneto, you enter into a small city with an important role in its area. Just think, for example, Lorenzo da Ponte, famous for being Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s librettist, was from Vittorio Veneto; in fact the city’s theatre, which has recently been renovated, is named after him.Those who wish to open a shop in Vittorio Veneto or to manage their office there as well can find a lively and positive environment for their business, with the right combination of inhabitants and people who spend some periods of the year in their second home there.And if at the centre of the town of Vittorio Veneto there’s the theatre, in the surroundings you will find unmissable natural and historical beauties; some examples? Valdobbiadene, unquestioned homeland of the prosecco wine, or Cison di Valmarino, a calm town near the mountains overlooked by its Castelbrando, which dominates the town beneath. A perfect area to spend time in tranquillity immerged in a natural environment which doesn’t lack of a part of social life, thanks to the quiet day to day life and the various events organized in the town during the year.Living in Vittorio Veneto or in the surroundings, or choosing to have a second home there, gives you the chance to know the history of the place, which had a fundamental role in events like the First World War. The city of Vittorio Veneto was born on the 27th September 1866 from the union of Ceneda and Serravalle, two neighbouring towns with distinct and separated historical roots (they still keep their individualities, though agglomerated), and was named so after Vittorio Emanuele II; some decades after the town has been theatre of the battle which stated the end of the First World War, being the area on the Ital-Austrian side.Many houses in the area are “country homes”, which many people who live in the cities keep to spend some days far from the city as soon as they have some days of freedom; a real estate investment in the area of Vittorio Veneto could be profitable and very pleasant, thanks to the beauty of the area and to its natural and artistic richness.Summing up, a walk in Vittorio Veneto and surroundings could make you fall in love with the area, and if your idea was that of making a real estate investment, then you could find yourself entering into a real estate agency to see the best offers for you. You will have the chance to discover a territory rich in nature, history and culture, feeling welcomed in that which could become your new home.

http://goarticles.com/article/Buying-a-House-in-Vittorio-Veneto/3332512/

Average Cost Of Real Estate Agent

Some of the benefits of selling your property to a real estate agent are that they can tell you how much your property is worth (retail value) and sell it close to that price. Unfortunately for most sellers, their houses are typically worth a lot less today than they would like. Neither an investor nor a real estate agent will be able to be help much with this aspect of home selling because a seller’s house is worth what the market is willing to pay. To find out what the market is willing to pay for your house a real estate agent uses comparable sales. “Comparable sales” is a real estate term for nearby, similar houses that have sold recently. Anyone can now check the value of their house based on comparable sales with websites such as CyberHomes.com and Eppraisal.com.

You can find the value of your property through an agent but now through the internet, you can also figure out the value yourself.

Can a real estate agent sell your house close to your house’s actual value or greater? In my local area most houses are selling for about 90% of their value. Subtract the 6% real estate fee and most home sellers are getting 84% of the value for their house. On RealEstate.AOL.com you can check the average house value and average house sale prices for your local market – right now you will find a discrepancy with the sale price being a lot lower than the value. Average Cost Of Real Estate Agent

However, the higher the price your house sells for, the more money your agent will make, so therefore an agent has more motivation to sell your house quickly, right? Consider this, the average home sale price (in my local market) is about 0,000.

Your agent will make 6% of the sell price or ,800. This commission is shared between the listing agent and the selling agent. So now, your agent will get ,400 for your house. However, the real estate agent needs an agency since it is illegal for a real estate agent to represent buyers or sellers in a real estate transaction without first signing with a broker’s agency. Each agency requires different commission splits from a 50/50 split with a novice agent to an 80/20 split with an experienced agent. So now the agent has ,700. The agent is taxed on their income rate plus 15.3% in “self-employment income.” That may be 30% + 15.3% taxes on the ,700. ,700 – 45.3% is about ,500 leftover. So for your 0,000 house a real estate agent will make probably a little more than ,500. Let’s say that he or she works very hard to market your property and gets you an extra ,000. The agent will only earn (,000 x.06 – 50% (list agent and buyers agent) – 50%+ (agency) – 45.3% (taxes)). How likely is it than an agent will do the work required to bring you ,000 and then get paid for their efforts? The chance of this happening is nil.

However, if a real estate agent lists your house lower, it will sell quicker. If your house sells quicker the agent can sell more properties and earn money faster then they can by negotiating a high sale price on fewer properties. Average Cost Of Real Estate Agent

http://business.ezinemark.com/average-cost-of-real-estate-agent-will-a-real-estate-agent-sell-my-house-for-top-dollar-169c1a1adfe.html

Article by jekky

BuildingThe building is situated on 6.7 acres (27,000 m) of land on top of Beacon Hill in Boston. It was built on land once owned by John Hancock, Massachusetts’s first elected governor.Before the current State House was completed in 1798, Massachusetts’s government sat in the Old State House on Court Street. In his design for the building, architect Charles Bulfinch was inspired by two London buildings: William Chambers’s Somerset House, and James Wyatt’s Pantheon.A major expansion of the original building was done in 1898. The architect for the annex was Bostonian Charles Brigham. DomeThe original wood dome, which leaked, was covered with copper in 1802 by Paul Revere’s company. (Paul Revere was the first American to successfully roll copper into sheets in a commercially viable manner.)The dome was first painted gray and then light yellow before being gilded with gold leaf in 1874. During WWII, the dome was once again painted, this time black or gray (depending on the source), to prevent reflections during blackouts and to protect the city and building from bombing attacks. In 1997, at a cost of more than 0,000, the dome was re-gilded, in 23k gold.The dome is topped with a pine cone, symbolizing both the importance of Boston’s lumber industry in the early colonial days and of the state of Maine, which was a district of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts when the Bulfinch section of the building was completed. StatuaryIn front of the building is an equestrian statue of General Joseph Hooker. Other statues in front of the building include Daniel Webster, educator Horace Mann, and former US President John F. Kennedy. The statues of Anne Hutchinson and Mary Dyer are located on the lawns below the east and west wings. Inside the buildingThe original red-brick Bulfinch building contains the Governor’s offices (on the west end) with the Massachusetts Senate occupying the former House of Representatives Chamber under the dome. The Massachusetts House of Representatives occupies a chamber on the west side of the Brigham addition. Hanging over this chamber is the Sacred Cod, which was given to the House of Representatives in 1784 by a Boston merchant. The Sacred Cod symbolizes the importance of the fishing industry to the early Massachusetts economy.The second floor under the dome is decorated by murals painted by artist Edward Brodney. Brodney won a competition to paint the first mural in a contest sponsored by the Works Progress Administration in 1936. It is entitled “Columbia Knighting Her World War Disabled.” Brodney couldn’t afford to pay models, and friends and family posed. The model for Columbia was Brodney’s sister Norma Brodney Cohen, and the model for the soldier on one knee in the foreground was his brother Fred Brodney. In 1938, he painted a second mural under the dome called “World War Mothers.” The models were again primarily friends and family members, with sister Norma sitting beside their mother Sarah Brodney. The New York Times notes that the murals are relatively rare examples of military art with women as their subjects.A staircase in front of the Bulfinch building leads from Beacon Street to Doric Hall inside the building. The large main doors inside Doric Hall are only opened on three occasions:When the President of the United States or foreign head of state visits.When the Governor exits the building on his last day in office. This tradition is known as the Long Walk and begins when the Governor, alone, exits the Executive Chamber, walks down to the 2nd floor, through Doric Hall and out the main doors. He then descends the staircase, crosses the street and enters Boston Common, symbolically rejoining the people of Massachusetts as a private citizen. The tradition has since been broken in recent years. Governor William Weld descended the staircase on his last day in office July 29, 1997, meeting his successor then-Lt.Governor A. Paul Cellucci on the stairs. Four years later, then-Governor Cellucci was deprived of his symbolic chance to descend the State House steps because of ongoing renovations to the front of the building. Acting Governor Jane Swift elected to walk down the stairs with her family before departing for the Berkshires. On January 4, 2007, Deval Patrick chose to be sworn in on the staircase and give his inaugural address there, forcing outgoing Governor Mitt Romney to take the Long Walk the day before his last in office.When a regimental flag returns from battle. In literatureOne of Boston’s most enduring nicknames, “The Hub of the Universe”, comes from a remark by Oliver Wendell Holmes from his 1858 book The Autocrat of the Breakfast-Table in which he mentions the State House (emphasis added):A jaunty-looking person… said there was one more wise man’s saying that he had heard; it was about our placeut he didn’t know who said it…. ‘Boston State-House is the Hub of the Solar System. You couldn’t pry that out of a Boston man if you had the tire of all creation straightened out for a crow-bar.’ In filmIn The Verdict, the State House interior is used as both a court house and hospital.The producers of Amistad used several interior shots of the State House. One scene included the House of Representatives Chamber, which was briefly seen as a stand-in for the U.S. House of Representatives Chamber.The State House is featured prominently in The Departed as a symbol of the antagonist, Colin Sullivan’s, ambition. References^ “National Register Information System”. National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2006-03-15. http://www.nr.nps.gov/. ^ “Massachusetts Statehouse”. National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=580&ResourceType=Building. Retrieved 2008-07-06. ^ Shand-Tucci, Douglass. Built in Boston: City and Suburb, 1800-2000, p. 6. University of Massachusetts Press, Amherst, 1999. ISBN 1558492011.^ Whiffen, Marcus, and Koeper, Frederick. American Architecture, 1607-1976. Routledge (1981), p. 110. ISBN 0710008139.^ Massachusetts State House, via cityofboston.gov^ “Edward Brodney, 92, Who Painted War Scenes”. The New York Times. 08-19-2002. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9501E2D9103DF93AA2575BC0A9649C8B63. Retrieved 2008-10-21. ^ “Boston Women’s Heritage Trail”. http://bwht.org/tours/downtown. Retrieved 2009-11-26. ^ “Patric Vows Inclusion in Inaugural Address”. The Boston Globe. January 5, 2007. http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/01/05/patrick_vows_inclusion_in_inaugural_address. ^ Boston’s nicknames: Beantown, Hub, the Walking City – Boston.com^ Holmes, Oliver Wendell (1858). The Autocrat of the Breakfast-Table. Phillips, Sampson and Company. ; Holmes, Oliver Wendell (1891). The Autocrat of the Breakfast-Table. Houghton, Mifflin and Company.  p. 172Cupolas of Capitalism – State Capitol Building Histories (L-ME) (1998-2005). Cupola.com. May 17, 2005.The Evolution of the State House (2005). Interactive State House. Mass.gov. May 17, 2005. Further readingHarold Kirker. Architecture of Charles Bulfinch. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1969. External linksWikimedia Commons has media related to: Massachusetts State HouseA Tour of the Massachusetts State HouseBoston National Historical Park Official Website Image galleryDedication of Daniel Webster statue, 1859. Photo by Deloss BarnumState House, 19th c.1892ca.1895Preceded byBoston CommonLocations along Boston’s Freedom TrailMassachusetts State HouseSucceeded byPark Street Churchv  d  e Commonwealth of MassachusettsBoston (capital)TopicsAdministrative divisions  Congressional districts  Culture  Demographics  Economy  Education  Elections  Geography  Government  History  Images  People  Politics  Sports  State symbols  Transportation  Villages  Visitor Attractions  WindmillsRegionsThe Berkshires  Blackstone Valley  Cape Ann  Cape Cod  Central Massachusetts  Greater Boston  The Islands  Merrimack Valley  MetroWest  Montachusett-North County  North Shore  Pioneer Valley  Quabbin Valley  Southeastern Massachusetts  South Coast  South County  South Shore  Western MassachusettsCountiesBarnstable  Berkshire  Bristol  Dukes  Essex  Franklin  Hampden  Hampshire  Middlesex  Nantucket  Norfolk  Plymouth  Suffolk  WorcesterCities(See allmunicipalities)Agawam  Amesbury  Attleboro  Barnstable  Beverly  Boston  Braintree  Brockton  Cambridge  Chelsea  Chicopee  Easthampton  Everett  Fall River  Fitchburg  Franklin  Gardner  Gloucester  Greenfield  Haverhill  Holyoke  Lawrence  Leominster  Lowell  Lynn  Malden  Marlborough  Medford  Melrose  Methuen  New Bedford  Newburyport  Newton  North Adams  Northampton  Palmer  Peabody  Pittsfield  Quincy  Randolph  Revere  Salem  Somerville  Southbridge  Springfield  Taunton  Waltham  Watertown  Westfield  West Springfield  Weymouth  Winthrop  Woburn  WorcesterNote: Municipalities not listed above have a town meeting form of government. 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Article by Kevin

http://goarticles.com/article/Stellenbosch-Guest-House-Accommodation-Bonne-Esperance/4486036/

After reading this if you still don’t believe in demonic possession… Well, please read..

Cleveland Ohio is the talk of the town with al the neighbors. What are they taking about? Well, there happened to be a serial killer right in their midst for years and they had no clue. Or did they? The neighbors said there was an unbearable stinch coming from a certain part of town. That disgusting stinch happened to be coming from the home of a convicted rapist and sex offender. What the police discovered in that home was not only absolutely vile but extremely disturbing. The convicted rapist had raped more woman and murdered them.. and kept the dead bodies in his home! This man (if you want to call him that) is pure evil and totally possessed with demons as far as I’m concerned. Anyone who does not believe in demonic forces really should take a look at this shocking story. How could anyone murder these woman let alone keep the bodies in their home? This person is not only a monster but has to be under demonic possession.

How sad for the families that are living in the area and told a family member is among the dead. Horrifying! Hopefully, this person will never be let out of jail. The most unforturnate part of this story is that some of those murders may have been avoided. People called the police about the stinch and even others complained about this man. Why did it take so long for the police to finally investigate the home where such a disgusting stinch would penetrate the area? I’m sure this is not the end of the story.

http://www.bukisa.com/articles/186416_cleveland-house-of-horrors-is-this-proof-that-demons-exist

Many first-time homeowners fall in love with a particular kitchen. Or they feel that a family room they’ve seen will be ideal for entertaining. Or a master suite is simply to die for.

But the city, suburb, neighborhood, village or subdivision within which your first new house is situated may have the greatest influence on whether it truly becomes your dream home. Here are some things you should consider when you start selecting a community.

First, does the community offer the diversity, type and class of neighboring population with which you will become comfortable? Will your starter family fit into a neighborhood of less-than-active seniors or empty nesters? Will the cost and stress of keeping up with the Smiths and the Joneses flanking you strain your household? Will you feel awkward under your rebuilt Harley, as your neighbor glides by in his detailed luxury sedan? Change and adaptation are good things, but you don’t want to place an extreme additional burden of fitting in onto the already taxing process of establishing a new home.

Second, is your potential homestead within reasonable proximity of your jobs? Family? Friends? Schools? Resources, like parks, shopping, entertainment, medical care, libraries, banks, expressways? Many first-time homebuyers ‘drive to qualify’ — meaning they travel farther and farther into exurban and rural areas, where home prices are generally lower and property taxes diminished, until they can suitably qualify for mortgage lending. Don’t make the mistake of ranging so far that, thereafter, every daily activity becomes a commuting nightmare.

Third, if you have or are planning a family, be sure to check out the school system. Good education is crucial to a vibrant community and prospering families. The quality of a community’s schools is often a baseline influence on the value of its homes. There are many school system ratings — most quite detailed — available to the public.

Fourth, investigate your likely real estate property taxes — and the payback on those taxes, in the form of the community services of police, fire, emergency services, trash collection, street maintenance, local community center, recreation department, and any social assistance services, etc. Information should be readily available to you through city, town or village officials, or third-party reviews and/or ratings in periodicals and online.

Fifth, what utilities will be available to you? City water or well? Sanitary sewers or septic system (and, if septic system, what is its condition?)? Natural gas or propane or heating oil? Electric? Phone? Cable or dish? If you are not familiar with any of your likely utilities, investigate their continuing costs of supply and maintenance, and factor those costs into your buying decision.

Sixth, does the community have paved sidewalks and streetlights, conducive to toddlers on tricycles or middle-schoolers walking to a school bus stop? Or are streets dark at night, with merely a ragged roadside berm? Are streets equipped with piped storm sewers? Or will you be tending an overgrown drainage swale?

Seventh, research any local zoning rules or restrictions that might limit your use or enjoyment of your house or yard. Many communities enforce particular rules on pets, fences, tree removal and/or planting, home-based businesses, accessory structures (like sheds, greenhouses, large play equipment or  treehouses), fire pits, turnaround drives, and parked vehicles (especially large trucks, boats and motor homes).

Eighth, determine if your new community or development enforces any design restrictions, on such matters as building materials, roof slopes, side-facing garages, home additions, decks, accessory structures, play equipment, fire pits, on-property parking, etc.

The more you research and understand all of the facets of potential communities, the easier it will become to narrow your search to your true dream home.

http://www.bukisa.com/articles/365621_buying-your-first-house-start-with-community

House Fire

Many years ago, in the mountains of the Northwest, I had a catastrophe. I was sitting in the kitchen (the only really warm room in the house) about 8 o’clock in the morning. I saw a very thin wisp of smoke coming from the furnace grate in the living room. I said to myself “That is not supposed to happen”. I went into the basement, where the Beast was located. The Beast was a wood-burning furnace that ate a cord of wood a week. The fire had burned down to just ashes, but it was still hot.

I went up the stairs from the basement and back into the house (basement entrance was outside). I went to check the second floor. I got halfway up the stairs and came back down. I told my wife, who was in her housecoat, “Get your clothes on. The house is burning down.” She got dressed while I moved the car away from the house. The house was more than 80 years old, and it burned like a box of matches. We saved a couple of handfuls of stuff and the rest burned. I saved one book out of about 3,000. Everything I had ever written burned.

We saved one photo album and lost the rest. The kids were in school, and I am thankful for that. If the fire had happened at night, like they usually do, it would have been grim. Both of their bedrooms were upstairs and I think there would have been no way to save them.

We met them when the school bus dropped them off that afternoon and took them to see what had happened. So there we were, four of us standing in the snow, at a temperature of about 10 degrees, with virtually nothing. My job was shut down until the spring so we had no money. We had the clothes we were wearing. I could not write anyone a letter because I had no paper to write on, I had no pen to write with, I had no envelope to put it in, I had no stamps and no money to buy any, and my address book had burned, so I would not have known where to send it, anyway.

We had no kitchen utensils of any kind, no towels, no soap or toothpaste, no toothbrushes or hairbrushes, nothing. The local community really pitched in to help us out. Some very sweet ladies took us to the local second-hand store, opened the door and said “Help yourselves”. We got emergency food stamps (it took about 30 minutes) so we could eat. They said they would find us shelter of some sort for the winter, until I could go to work. I thanked them and told them to hold off on that, because I thought we would try to head south, where I could go to work right away. That is what we did. You do not realize how much stuff you have until it is all gone and you have nothing.

The local people were wonderful. The Red Cross had a different attitude. We called them to see if they could do something for us. They said that since it was just one house and just one family they would do nothing. If it had been a whole town they would have come in to help. In other words, if it had been a big enough disaster to give them some publicity they wanted to be there. Otherwise, for just one family standing in the snow in January with literally nothing, they could not be bothered. I used to make contributions to the Red Cross, but since then I have not given them one dime. Even after 9-11, I checked before I made any contributions to make sure my money would not be funneled to or through the Red Cross. They can vanish from the planet for all I care.

http://www.bukisa.com/articles/422439_house-fire

If you are traveling in or throughout Thailand, Hua Hin, you may need to stop at a guest house. Hua Hin is basically a small beach resort but popular Thai town so how can you find Cha Am guest property hua hin for rent that meet your needs and your budget? Downtown Hua Hin is an exquisite urban development with lots of tall office buildings, shopping centers, and hotels of all types. Other parts of Hua Hin are equally grand with the prestigious guest houses as well as the sheer number of property hua hin for rent options available to every tourist. But with all these choices, it can seem a bit overwhelming to find a place.

If you are looking for a with pool then you are probably in the west part of this grand city. There are many amazing guest house and rental resorts for you to choose from here in this part of the city and you can even find extended stay resorts and the surrounding areas have to offer if you know you will be more than just a couple of days. These extended rentals are basically like renting an apartment but for a shorter time. It is cheaper than a hotel room for many days and you avoid any lease issues that come with renting.

If you are looking for great Guest house Hua Hin has to offer, the Boutique Guest house at Hua Hin is a high-class rental guest house that is located in Takia area, a place well worth to stay. This rental guest house covers an area of 280 sqm. and includes spacious 4 guestroom, 1 pent house with seaview, 7 bathrooms, 1 maidroom, swimming pool and lobby.

Perhaps you are planning a family trip to Hua Hin and you need to know about the for rent here catering to families. If you have never been to this well-known Thai town before, you may want to choose your guest house beforehand and then get directions from the part of the town you will be entering at, directly to your property hua hin for rent so you do not get lost. This will be much easier and convenient than driving around all over the town trying to find the right rental for you.

Perhaps you need to know about rental house in downtown Hua Hin because that is the location of the town you will be staying in. The best thing you can do is find out ahead of time when and where you will be staying at Hua Hin, especially if you are going here for the first time otherwise, it can be very overwhelming once you arrive to try to find one location.

http://www.articlesbase.com/real-estate-articles/cha-am-guest-house-will-suit-your-needs-perfectly-throughout-your-stay-5215685.html

Anyone who publishes a list, for example a Top 10 list,, should answer a couple of good questions: why that number and why those items were chosen.In this case, answering the first question is easy. Obviously the choice of a number is always arbitrary and ten is a very small number for a task like this, but it is so well referenced from so remote time, that I can go straight to use it. On the contrary, the second question deserves some more explanation. All the places below have been chosen thinking about a foreigner who wants to find a home for leisure in Italy. I cared to avoid cities. I also avoided places so famous to be almost impossible, such as Cortina d’Ampezzo, Portofino, Chianti region, Amalfi, Capri and so on. Everyone already knows these places, so adding them to the list would be of no help to the reader. I have selected the ten places below having in mind these two simple objectives: they had to be affordable (no stellar prices) and, on the whole, representative of the most typical aspects of Italian territory. I hope to have accomplished this task at least in part. My true opinion is that every selection of this kind should be taken with a bit of scepticism. Far from being definitive, it is just intended to arouse interest and stimulate further exploration.

 Finally, here is the list of the sites. The indications of price you find in each description are dated 1st half 2010. 

Val Aurina – Alto Adige
Cannobio – Lake Maggiore, Piedmont
Riviera del Brenta – Veneto
Varigotti – West Liguria Riviera
Suvereto – Tuscany
Todi – Umbria
Nemi – Castelli Romani, Lazio
Castellaneta Marina  – Puglia
Cabras – Sardinia
Pantelleria – Sicily

Alto Adige (or South Tyrol), the region of the Dolomite mountains, has belonged to Italy since 1919, after the end of World War I. Most of the people speak German, and a small minority speak the traditional language called Ladino. They are , the most ancient inhabitants of the valleys around the Sella Group,Val Aurina is the most northern valley in Italy: it begins in Campo Tures and expands to the borders with Austria. It is not as famous as Gardena and Badia Valleys and perhaps it does not welcome visitors with equally breathtaking scenery, but it offers a good advantage: moderate prices combined with full year touristic facilities. In the winter, you can enjoy two well- equipped areas for alpine skiing and two wonderful plateaus for cross-country skiing. In the summer, there are a wide range of walks and trips of varying difficulty. The landscape is a never- ending green expansion of meadows dotted with yellow and lilac alpine flowers and rows of towering conifers. In Campo Tures, the most popular and expensive site in the valley, prices are usually lower than 4.000 euro / sqm.  It is important to keep in mind that in Alto Adige real estate market is subject to a special regulation which favours residential buyers: there are few houses for not residents so you must be patient and quick to make a decision when a property is available. If you are thinking about purchasing a  country house or a maso (a traditional farm surrounded by trees and pasture) be ready to face a nearly impossible mission.

Situated on the Piedmont side in the high part of Lake Maggiore, Cannobio is the last Italian city before the Swiss border. On the road from Vernabia to Cannobio, the charm of the lake constantly merges with the alpine landscape: you can see peacks higher than 3,000 meters literally rising from the water (Monte Rosa is no more than 50 km far away). On the left side of the road, the valleys degrading to the lake hide small villages keeping their traditions untouched. The original core of Cannobio, today called the “Borgo”, is made of narrow streets surrounded by tall buildings, with the purpose to make it easier to defend the city from the enemies coming from the lake. The walk on the lakefront from the southern point called “Amore” (Love) towards the beach (“Lido”), provides a view on the multicoloured row of buildings overlooking the lake; most of them date back to 18th and 19th century. The porticos are home to little shops and cafés. In the summer, the beach is crowded with people sunbathing or swimming in the chilly waters of the lake. The inland Cannobina valley, populated by characteristic villages offers enjoyable trips towards the Val Grande National Park, the largest wild area in Central Europe. The medieval hamlet of Carmime Superiore is remarkable with its gem of 14th century, the church of San Gottardo The price of a home ranges from 3,000 to 4,000 euros /sqm depending on the status and the position (the Borgo and lake-front are the most expensive zones). The prices for a country house in Cannobina valley are lower.

The Brenta Riviera is the area between Padua and Venice along river Brenta. This area is strongly characterized by the course of the river: from 16th to 18th century the rich Venetians were competing to build the most luxurious villas on the green banks of the Brenta. The classic forms of villa Foscari, in Malcontenta – designed by Palladio – and villa Soranzo in Fiesso, the baroque style villa Widmann in Mira and villa Pisani in Stra – sumptuous residence of the powerful Pisani family – are only some examples of the many magnificent buildings of that golden age. The best Venetian sculptors and painters were called to decorate the villas and the gardens. The proximity to Venice and Padua and the transport facility provided by the river, joined with the beauty of landscape and relaxing quiet of the rural environment, made this land eligible both for commerce and leisure. These special features are substantially lasting even today. The ten little towns overlooking the Brenta Riviera (the larger Mira, Dolo, Stra as the smaller Fossò, Vigonovo, Fiesso) provide good services and speedy links to Venice and Padua and are surrounded by the greenery of a gentle landscape. You can find terraced or independent houses with a garden as well as country houses: the prices are around 2.000 euros per sqm. Demanding people can look for an ancient home or a “barchessa”, a historical Venetian rural building annexed to the villa. Not easy, not cheap, but not an impossible wish.

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Varigotti is a small village in the municipality of Finale Ligure, 40 km west of Savona, on the West Riviera (“Riviera Ligure di Ponente”). It is not famous as its renowned counterparts on the East Riviera: sites as Portofino, Santa Margherita, Tellaro. However it lies on one of the most pristine stretch of the Liguria coast. Saraceni Bay, the beach east of Varigotti, dominated by the rocks, away from any building, is among the most beautiful in Italy. The strategic and repaired position of the site was appreciated from an ancient time.Probably, before year 1000 the Turkish (called Saraceni in the local language) established here a fixed base, taking advantage of the natural harbour of the bay. The influence of Arabic architecture can still be gathered in some houses of the old hamlet, showing details unusual to Liguria buildings. The old hamlet is located between the Aurelia road and the beach and it is doubtless the most valuable part of Varigotti. The houses in front of the sea (once upon owned by the fishermen) form a coloured curtain on the sand beach and often the sea water comes to lap the walls. The overlooking Punta Crena hill, with the ancient watchtower, dominates the village as a big cetacean. The inland consists of wild highlands covered by typical Mediterranean greenery and steep rock peaks, appreciated by climbers for training.A house in the old hamlet will cost no less than 7,000 Euros / sqm, even more if it is located on the sea-front. On the interior, good solutions can be found at a much lower price, often with spectacular views. Just take into consideration the difficulty of parking on the coast during the summer season.

The hill where the medieval village of Suvereto lies, in Cornia Valley, half a way between the two cities of Livorno and Grosseto at the border with the vast plain of Maremma, is dotted by cork oaks woods (here called “suvere”, from which the name of “Suvereto”). Around Suvereto, the corks oaks are mixed with olives and vines, the typical trees of Mediterranean landscape and along the slopes of the hill you find everywhere small producers of oil and wine. The typical wine produced is a quality red wine made from blending of the local Sangiovese grapes with international Cabernet, Merlot and Syrah. Don’t forget we are next to the vineyards of Bolgheri, wich offer their internationally renowned wines such as Sassicaia and Ornellaia. The climate is mild, you can walk through the corks and spy the deep blue of the wonderful Baratti Gulf. As many Italian villages set on the hills, Suvereto has mostly retained its medieval appearance. Inside the ancient walls, the narrow streets paved with stones describe a circular path around the old 13th Century castle (now being restored), on the top of the hill. Half of the 3,000 residents live in the village, the remaining part live in farmhouses or in the other small villages of the municipality (San Lorenzo, Montioni, Forni, Prata, Belvedere). The price for a terraced house in Suvereto goes from 2,000 to 3,000 Euros / sqm. There is a good selection of farmhouses (here called “casali”), with more or less large extension of around land: in this case, expect paying a minimum of 500,000 euros.

Todi enjoyed its moment of fame in 1992, when University of Kentucky professor Richard S. Levine chose it as the model sustainable city. Then, it was considered “the world’s most livable city”. Really, if you come here and walk around the city or travel the road to Orvieto through the green gentle slopes, you get the impression that things and nature have a harmonious balance. It is the same harmony that Bramante infused in the volumes of “Santa Maria della Consolazione” church, outside the walls, or that you can find at the heart of the city, on “Piazza del Popolo” (People Square), bounded at the opposite sides by the medieval buildings of the Cathedral and the Priori Palace. Todi was founded in 8th century BC with the name of “Tutere” (Border) because it was at the border with the Etruscan kingdom. In 18th century a historian counted 365 castles, villas and fortified places in its municipality, so he wrote that Todi could boast to have one different castle for every day of the year. Nowadays, the 37 remaining castles spread on the hills constitute the villages of Todi municipality, one of the largest in Umbria. The prices for a whole farmhouse on the hills or a flat inside the Todi walls or in a restored cottage are quite appealing (from 1,000 to 2,000 euros / sqm) and good solutions are not lacking.

Castelli Romani (literally: Roman Castles) are the historical villages on the slopes of Alban Hills (Colli Albani), a few kilometres south-east of Rome and Fiumicino airport. The volcanic origin of Colli Albani is testified by the two big craters on the top of the hills, now home to two picturesque lakes (Lago Albano and Lago Nemi). During the centuries, Colli Albani have always been a peaceful retreat for Rome rich residents (for example, Castelgandolfo hosts a magnificent papal residence): many of their ancient villas and palaces can still be admired all around the area. Nowadays, Castelli Romani are a favourite destination for the Sunday trips of Rome inhabitants, and are well-known for their genuine products, such as white wines (Frascati is the most famous), strawberries, peaches and fish from the lakes. Nemi, hidden on the top of the hill, overlooking the lake, is the smallest of Castelli Romani and goes famous for its delicious strawberries. The village is dominated by the big tower of Ruspoli Palace. The legend says that here is the root of the Roman Empire: Romolo, the first Roman King, is the son of a Vestal Priestess, Rea Silva, probably resident in Nemus Arcinum, the village which today is Nemi. Flats and country houses are on sale at about 3.000 euro/sqm.

The village of Castellaneta Marina, in the municipality of Castellaneta, was founded in  the 60s after the drainage of the area, with a purely touristic purpose. In fact, it is mostly composed by villas fully immersed in the pinewood. It is curious that the names of the streets mention the Moon geography and the American and Russian spacemen, recalling the space voyages from the period of its foundation. The dunes behind the beach (more and more rare on the Italian coast due to urbanization) are covered by a typical low shrubbery. Despite the strong tourism, the long sandy coast is still largely uncontaminated and the sea is warm and clean. Behind the beach and the pinewood the vast Metaponto Plane lies, home to ancient colonies of Magna Graecia (the archaeological area is near Metaponto, where Greek philosopher Pythagoras is said to have lived). On the coast, residences, resorts and sea establishments alternate with stretches of public sea (the nearby Riva dei Tessali hosts one of the best golf courses in Italy). On the interior, distant about 20 km away, the city of Castellaneta, perched on the crest of a mountain, overlooks a spectacular canyon more than 100 meters high. With the old white town and the baroque buildings, this gem well worth a visit. You can find a good house surrounded by the aromas of Castellaneta Marina pinewood at a not daunting price: 2,000 – 3,000 Euros / sqm.

Far from the splendor of luxurious Costa Smeralda, on the Sardinia west coast, Sinis peninsula and Oristano Gulf are an area of great natural and scenic interest, already known by Punic and Phoenician many centuries BC. Punic probably founded the village of Tharros, in the southern promontory of Sinis peninsula, before 1000 BC, and exploited the fertile ground and the sheltered bay. Cabras was founded in 12th century by the residents of Tharros who were escaping from North-African pirates invasions. It lies on the shore of the largest pool of brackish water in Italy (“Stagno di Cabras”) one of the largest in Europe, natural habitat of pink flamingos and other typical water birds. The coast of Sinis peninsula is uninhabited for large stretches and it is home to beaches of great beauty, quiet and not crowded. The most famous, “Is Arutas” beach, several hundred meters long, looks white shining because of the sand consisting of small white and pink rounded quartz grains. “San Giovanni di Sinis” beach, next to Tahrros ruins, overlooked by an ancient watchtower, is long four km and is characterized by the high accumulations of sand caused by the west wind. From Capo Mannu, on the northern side of the peninsula, you can reach the uninhabited “Mal di Ventre” Island (literally: stomach ache, but the Italian name is a corruption of local name Maluentu, i.e. bad wind), a flat extension of Mediterranean vegetation and charming coves. The Sinis peninsula has not yet had a full tourist development and house prices in Cabras are low (from 1,000 to 1,500 Euros / sqm), but the most interesting solutions are outside the town, and prices increase with proximity to sea.

Half way between Sicily and Africa coast, Pantelleria Island is one of the most southern spot of Italy. It is the largest of minor Sicily islands, with a population of about 7,000. Here, the Mediterranean reveals its strongest colours and its harshest nature: the strong character of the island has fascinated celebrities such as Sting and Madonna. The coasts of lava rock are high and jagged (a trip by boat is mandatory): the famous elephant trunk – an arch of rock ending in the sea – is the symbol of the island. The inland is characterized by a variety of wild caper (fragrant Pantelleria Capers, now mainly cultivated) and vineyards of Muscat and “Zibibbo” grapes which give the fine delicious “Passito di Pantelleria”. Citrus trees were imported by Arabs, who carefully protected them from winds by high drywalls. The island, known as “Child of Wind” by the ancient Arabic inhabitants, is the residual of a big volcanic crater surrounded by 24 smaller ones. Their activity is still visible in the many thermal sources, natural saunas and steam flowing from the stones, which are a kind of free open SPA. The “Specchio di Venere” (Venus Mirror) is a small lake springing from an underground sulphurous source, where you can take a regenerating bath. Because of the dry climate and volcanic origin, drinking water is a rare good on the whole island: it is distributed weekly by trucks bringing it to the various districts. The typical house of Pantelleria is called “Dammuso” and has an Arabic origin. It is a cubic farm building made of lava stones with round arch openings to counter the heat and a white dome roof to collect the rainwater. Dammusos are the most requested and most expensive homes on the island. You can find a Dammuso (even ancient) in an idyllic position, with a garden enclosed by high circular drywalls at the starting price of 4,000 euros / sqm. For a terraced house, the price is about 2,500 euros / sqm.

http://www.articlesbase.com/real-estate-articles/ten-beautiful-places-to-buy-or-rent-a-house-in-italy-3751760.html