BY Shahnawaz AlamMar 1, 2024

In today's world, where wanderlust meets savvy investment strategies, there's a growing trend among travelers and investors alike: vacation properties. This unique approach not only satisfies the urge to explore new destinations but also presents a prudent financial investment through the acquisition of real estate. Here's how blending the love for travel with the intricacies of mortgages can create a rewarding venture. Why Consider Vacation Properties? Vacation properties serve dual purposes; they are a getaway retreat for you and your family and a potential source of income through rental. In picturesque locales, from the sandy beaches of Bali to the quaint villages of Tuscany, these properties beckon with the promise of adventure and the allure of financial returns. Investing in a vacation property has a lot of benefits. The first thing is, as mentioned above, it is an amazing source of passive income. When you rent out the property, you get back substantial returns, especially during the peak seasons. Moreover, vacation rentals have higher rental rates as compared to long-term rentals, which gives you more revenue. Along with the financial benefits, when you own a vacation rental property, you get to spend a lot of time enjoying your personal vacations as well. You can spend a lot of time on your own property when the place is vacant. You get to enjoy all the amenities you have set for others.it is a perfect relationship between investment and vacation home. Understanding the Mortgage Process for Vacation Homes Investing in a vacation property often involves navigating the mortgage landscape, which can be daunting for both seasoned investors and first-time buyers. The process entails several unique considerations: Interest Rates and Terms: Mortgage loans for vacation homes may come with different interest rates and terms compared to primary residences. Lenders often view these properties as higher risk, which can influence the loan conditions. Down Payment Requirements: Typically, vacation homes require a larger down payment, sometimes as much as 20-30% of the purchase price, reflecting their status as luxury or non-essential purchases. Rental Income Consideration: If you plan to rent out your vacation home, lenders might take potential rental income into account, which can aid in qualifying for a mortgage. However, this requires thorough documentation and, sometimes, previous landlord experience. The Joy of Travel and the Wisdom of Investment Owning a vacation property allows you to immerse yourself in your favorite destinations. Whether it's a ski lodge in the Rockies or a beachfront villa in the Caribbean, these homes offer a personal escape with the warmth and comfort of your own space. Beyond personal enjoyment, these properties can be rented out to vacationers, providing a steady income stream that can offset mortgage payments and maintenance costs. Navigating Challenges and Rewards The journey of buying and owning a vacation property is not without its challenges. From managing the property remotely to understanding local real estate laws, it requires diligence and research. Yet, the rewards can be substantial. Not only do you enjoy personal retreats in beloved locales, but you also stand to gain from property appreciation and rental income. A Call to Adventure and Investment As we navigate our world, the concept of investing in vacation properties presents a compelling blend of adventure and financial prudence. It embodies a spirit of exploration, not just in the sense of travel but in the realm of financial growth and stability. For those bitten by the travel bug and those seeking to expand their investment portfolio, vacation homes offer a horizon worth exploring. Factors you should consider while choosing the location of the property Picking the correct location for your vacation rental property is essential. Here are some of the crucial factors that you should consider: Factors you should consider while choosing the location of the property Picking the correct location for your vacation rental property is important. Here are some of the important factors that you should consider: Local attractions and tourism demand How successful your vacation rental property is going to be depends on the demand of the place. Before you invest, check for the popularity of the place among travelers. Identify the local attractions that are drawing the visitors to itself. Consider the things that are making the place popular. Whether it is their cultural heritage, its natural beauty, or how close the place is to the popular destinations. Properties that are close to tourist spots or close to vacation destinations have a tendency to attract more renters. You can choose coastal destinations, urban hotspots, ski resorts, historical and cultural sites, and some emerging destinations. Along with the well-established vacation sports, the emerging destinations are a good investment.  Look for places that are rapidly developing; they have high potential for getting you a high rental return. Rental and seasonality demand Having a good understanding of the tourist season in the place is important. Research about the holidays, special events, and the peak tourist seasons that will take the rental demand to the next level. If the location is such, which has a year-round demand, it is going to get you a consistent source of income. But if the property is in a seasonal location, then you might get fluctuations in the rental bookings. Regulatory environment Before you get a vacation rental property, it is important to know the regulatory environment of the location. Some countries and cities have specific rules and regulations regarding short-term rentals. Get yourself familiar with the restrictions and local laws to make sure you abide by all the regulations. Try not to ignore the legal aspects, as that could land you with a penalty or even cause your rental business to close. Amenities and infrastructure Think about the accessibility and proximity of the essential infrastructure as well as the amenities. Choose an area that has good transportation links, restaurants, shopping centers, and entertainment options. Guests always prefer properties that are convenient and have easy access to the services and local attractions.  Final Thoughts Before embarking on this journey, it's crucial to conduct thorough research, consult with real estate and financial professionals, and consider all aspects of the investment, including the potential need for a mortgage. With the right preparation and mindset, owning a vacation property can be an enriching experience that combines the joys of travel with the benefits of real estate investment. ADDITIONAL READING: A Guide To Planning Your First Family Ski Trip The Ultimate Business Traveler’s Guide To Bangkok From Britain To Australia: A Guide For Brits Making The Move Down Under

BY Barsha BhattacharyaApr 21, 2023

Who does not want to obtain the best prices on an airline? While most of us enjoy a crazy deal, finding the right one takes plenty of effort and time. You might subscribe to the basic idea that it is considered affordable to fly on specific weekdays. Or the fact that you can track multiple travel websites and applications to get alerted when prices change - enters Hopper flights! What if we tell you there’s one app that can accurately predict when to buy any particular ticket? This question led to the creation of the Hopper platform, a travel application that provides timely insights about booking flights at the best rates with the help of artificial intelligence - that way, you know when to spend your money and when not to do so. Here’s a deeper look at the platform and how finding cheap flights have become an easy affair. Exploring Hopper Flights: All That You Need To Know! Image Source While Hopper flights can prove to be a great help, the best part about the platform is it also enables users to find details about Car Rentals and Hotels, a little like Flightscanner. And today, we will talk about the Hopper platform in detail. So without wasting any time, scroll down and read about Hopper. The app is considered one of the best when it comes to finding affordable flights and hotels. As their mission statement goes, "spend less, travel better"! So when it comes to predicting prices and fares, the application is the best! People traveling on a budget will find this application quite efficient. Frederic Lalonde was responsible for creating the airlines in 2015 with the ex-vice president. You can download the application on both Android and iOS mobile devices. For a budget-friendly traveler, this application helps in booking within their expenses. What Is Hopper? Before you can google ‘Hopper cheap flights,’ let’s talk about what is Hopper. If you have traveled in the past, you will know that making advance reservations in advance can help you keep your costs down - but finding out when is the optimal time for booking a ticket is always a challenge. This is where Hopper flights come into the scene. Launched in 2009 with the primary focus of basically predicting the optimal time for booking the cheapest airlines for any specific trip. You will just need to put in your timing and location details - the app will simply provide information on the best time to book. Additionally, it will also let you know the waiting time, shares update via push notifications, and ultimately helps you to plan specific trips. But before you can google ‘flights Hopper’ and start planning the next trip, let’s find out how Hopper flights, or rather, the Hopper platform, does it. Hopper uses AI programming and proprietary algorithms for making price predictions for an entire year. The platform claims that its predictions have a 95% accuracy rate. Once you are ready to make reservations on the Hopper app, you can do it through its secure payment portal. Simply put, you can even add as well as save your credit cards and also track booking details with the help of the trips feature. In case you don’t want to book your Hopper flights then and there, you can always set up the watch. The watch keeps tans on your most searched flights and subsequently sends different notifications when rates change. How To Use Hopper? Image Source The Hopper flights review will be incomplete if we don’t explain how you can use Hopper. The app is available, fortunately, for both iOS and Android. Follow the steps mentioned below to find out how to use the Hopper app. Visit your Play Store or App Store and look for ‘Hopper.’ When you find the app, just click on ‘Install’ to first download and then subsequently install the application on your device. Once you have installed the application, you will find the Hopper app on your device. Open the app - when you will open the app, you will be asked either to create your account or log in. If you already have a Hopper account, then log in and start using the platform. However, if you don’t have an account, you will have to create one - you will have to follow the prompts for creating an account. Once you sign in, you can look for plenty of flight information. You can begin with the departing airport, the number of people who will travel, and destinations. Once you set the destination, you will obtain the calendar listing different color-coded fares - while green stands for the least expensive, orange for the next, and red for the most expensive. The Hopper Flights Review: Is Hopper App Legit? So, now you are probably wondering, ‘is hopper legit for flights?’ - you won’t find out until you try it out. But still, before you can book Hopper flights, stay tuned and check out some of the top user reviews of the same we found online. The application does help in predicting the prices of rentals, stays and flight deals. Overall, it is quite efficient with regard to covering the booking functionalities. the brand is competitive with other apps such as Skyscanner.com, and thriftytravele.com, justfly.com, and others. The application is legit, especially with the wide variety of services such as flexible travel services, price freeze, accurate price predictions and standalone trip protection. Further, you can access discount codes and coupons. The reason why I am saying the service is legit is because the business was founded by Frederic Lalondea. Goldman Sachs and CapitalOne back the business. Review By Eddie Duran: “First time using Hopper. It has been a good experience so far, flight rebooking because of a cancellation. The customer assistance was very helpful, except for constantly changing the representative. It took longer than expected. The new rep had to research the problem all over again. I chatted with 3-4 reps before finally getting rebooked. Other than that, each one was very helpful.” Review By Tebaliah Blackwell: “This app is very easy to use! My experience with this app has been less than amazing. They did not provide services after I paid for them, and when I eventually got "support," they just said it could not be refunded. I would recommend going directly through websites for flights or hotels or if you want to pay for "insurance" ????‍????” Review By Jennifer Coulson: “I had a reservation, and when I got to the place, they had no rooms available Hopper customer service was very helpful and understanding, and although it took over 24 hours to have everything taken care of, they booked me another reservation at a different motel and didn't charge me anything extra, and so I wanna say again thank you all at hopper for everything!! The only thing I definitely recommend is getting a 24-hour emergency contact number because it would be so much easier for your customers!!!” Pros And Cons Of Hopper Flights! The application is quite easy to use, be it in the form of a website or app! When booking hotels and flights, the process on this application is quite easy. The information is quite relevant and when you put the dates of your travel, you will find affordable prices and accordingly browse. On average, when you book the flights you can save up to 40% on each booking. When using the app, you will find that the application is quite accurate when predicting the rates of the flights. Monitoring the prices of the flights, sending insider tips and predicting airfare rates are quite easy to do! When you find the travel rates low, you can freeze the option, which is another benefit for the application. Later when you finally decide you can make the bookings and pay the freeze amount. One of the major complaints against Hopper flights especially when it comes to refund issues. The company tries to pay the refund via Carrot Cash instead of a direct refund. At times, customers have complained that the customer service has been hard-to-reach, non-responsive and poor! The issues arise from calls being not picked or responded to! The flights are at times unconfirmed leading to further issues. And It’s A Wrap! And that’s a wrap on Hopper flights. Of course, you can use Hoppe for booking your accommodation and car rentals - Hopper car rental or hotels is ideal for planning a round trip. So, what are your thoughts on using Hopper? And if you have already used the application, feel free to share your experiences of using the app in the comments below. Read Also: Aainflight Review- Login, Services And Travel Experiences Myenvoyair Review – Registration, Login And Benefits In 2023 Using Google Flights To Find Cheap Flights In 2023? All That You Need To Know!

BY Sarmind SafiDec 1, 2023

Exeter is Devon's capital and a small, historic university town. It is one of the oldest settlements in all of England because of its rich history. Therefore this also means that there are lots of enjoyable and thrilling activities available for all age groups and price ranges. This is your comprehensive guide to Exeter's top attractions. If you want to know about the things to do in Exeter, we have a guide. Exeter is an ideal weekend getaway because it offers a wealth of history to discover, a fantastic food scene that is inspired by the local produce made in the South West, and a convenient gateway to the rest of Devon. There's always something going on in Exeter throughout the year, whether you want to stay for a week or just a weekend. Thing To Do In Exeter Image Source Exeter is a great city to explore because there are a ton of interesting hidden spots to discover. These are a few of our favorites that will entice you to travel to Exeter by coach and find some hidden treasures of your own. The most well-known features of Exeter, the county seat of Devon, are its stunning canal that leads to the sea and its Gothic-styled Norman Cathedral. Exeter is renowned for its extensive history, which predates the Romans. The city is still filled with historical artifacts from the past, such as numerous Roman and medieval structures. Food And Cuisine Image Source Naturally, the first thing that everyone needs to know is where to get the best food and drink. Thus, why not address both at one location? The Fat Pig is a classic, welcoming pub with a rotating menu of seasonal specialties and gastropub favorites. And if that wasn't enough, you can pair your meal with an enormous selection of beers, spirits, and anything else that piques your interest! Foodies will love it together. On the other hand, Rendezvous Wine Bar provides a delectable assortment of wines from around the world, all unified by a rustic yet elegant look and feel, if you're searching for a quiet place to end your evening. A perfect place to spend time with loved ones, friends, or for a late-night drink. You'll need to rest your legs after all that walking, and where better to do so than at one of Exeter's best-kept secrets? Bright and airy, Caffe Espresso offers a wide selection of mouthwatering pastries, mouthwatering lunch options, and of course, excellent coffee. But what makes it unique is a specific table upstairs by the window with a view of Exeter Castle. It's a great place to talk over a plate of something delicious and a steaming mug. Witness The Inspiration Behind Harry Potter Image Source Since J.K. Rowling attended Exeter University as an undergraduate, her novels have been influenced by the city, which is evident in many parts of the city. This is quite possibly the best thing to do in Exeter for a Harry Potter fan. For instance, Gandy Street is definitely worth exploring because it's home to many interesting and quirky stores and is rumored to have served as the model for Diagon Alley in the Harry Potter novels. Somewhere in the city, a door on Cathedral Green is believed to have served as the model for the Room of Requirement Door, and the Firehouse across town might have served as the model for the fictional "Leakey Cauldron." In any case, you can count on the greatest (and biggest) pizzas in Devon when you visit the Firehouse! Shopping Image Source Ultimately, you must do a little souvenir shopping before leaving Exeter, right? The city is full of fantastic independent stores that offer a wide variety of one-of-a-kind goods for you to purchase. Shopping is undoubtedly the best thing to do in Exeter. Pretty gift and home decor shop Georgie & Flo has a great selection of jewelry, candles, ceramics, and other items. Till your next visit, Roly's Fudge, a wonderful family-run fudge company, and Exeter Gin, the city's premium gin manufacturer, should satisfy your taste buds. Go For A Walk Image Source Spend a tranquil afternoon strolling along the River Exe and discovering your own little treasures. Belle Isle Park and other more serene spots are located downstream from the bustling Exeter Quay area, which serves as a starting point. Not in the mood to go it alone? Exeter actually offers 16 free walking tours, which few people are aware of. Red Coat Guided Tours are an excellent way to discover the culture of the city, including stops at odd locations, historical sites, maritime areas, and more. Visit The Exeter Quay Image Source Known as "Exeter quayside," Exeter Quay was originally utilized as a port in prehistoric times. Located next to the River Exe, the waterway that gives Exeter its name, rail had largely replaced commercial shipping here by the 19th century. One of the last of its kind to remain in service in the UK to this day is the hand-operated "Butts Ferry." The historic quayside is now only ten minutes' walk downhill from the city center. If you are into ferrying, add this to your list of things to do in Exeter. Once you arrive, you'll think you've completely left the city behind and are in a serene haven full of quirky cafés and antique stores. When night falls, the area is bustling with nightclubs and bars, making it the ideal spot to have dinner by the water with friends. There are also canoe and dragon boat races held here on occasion throughout the year. Strolling alongside the lovely river, which eventually meanders out to sea, is one of the most tranquil activities Exeter has to offer. Wrapping Up Naturally, the first thing that everyone needs to know is where to get the best food and drink. Thus, why not address both at one location? The Fat Pig is a classic, cozy pub with a rotating menu of seasonal specialties and gastro-pub favorites. And if that wasn't enough, you can pair your meal with an enormous selection of beers, spirits, and anything else that piques your interest in flavor! Foodies will love it together. On the other hand, Rendezvous Wine Bar provides a delectable assortment of wines from around the world, all unified by a rustic yet elegant look and feel, if you're searching for a quiet place to end your evening. A perfect place to spend time with loved ones, friends, or for a late-night drink. If you have thoughts to share or question to ask about things to do in Exeter, please leave a comment below. We would love to hear from you! Read Also: Things To Do In Leeds: Dive Into The Dynamic Heart Of Yorkshire Hidden Gems: Unearthing The Best Things To Do In Nottingham Unforgettable Island Adventures: Things To Do In Tenerife