travel map

Since your vacation includes a few rounds at the golf course, you may want to use your own set of golf clubs. You can rent them at most resorts but they may not be as comfortable as your own set and may even hinder your game. Once you’ve decided to bring your own equipment, there are several things to consider. If you are concerned about protecting your golf clubs from damage during flight, here are a few tips and tricks which should help ensure that they arrive safely.

Clean out your golf bag and get rid of any old items you won’t be using. Refresh with new towels, balls, tees, gloves and so on.

If you don’t already have a golf travel bag or case, then you’ll need to invest in one. There are basically two types of golf travel bags, soft and hard.

The soft golf cases are less expensive and will not adequately protect your paraphernalia against rough handling unless you pack right, and even then there’s a chance of damage to your golf clubs. If you opt for a soft travel case, it’s best to wrap the club heads with a cover and keep them in your regular golf bag. Put that inside the travel case along with some clothing and/or shoes. You can also pack sunscreen lotion, extra balls, tees, gloves, markers and any other accessories you may need on the course, thereby keeping everything in one place.

The hard golf cases are practically indestructible. These bags will set you back a few hundred dollars but they are what the professionals use when they travel and will definitely protect against damage. Although it is said that they will survive a 30,000 foot fall out of an airplane, I haven’t personally tried to put one through a tree shredder but be that as it may, they are the best choice if you own an expensive set of clubs.

If you own a deluxe set of golf clubs, you may want to check with your homeowner’s insurance beforehand to get extra coverage. Airlines may not cover the entire amount in case of loss or damage.

Don’t miss your flight! Get to the airport early enough so that your bags can be properly checked. Be sure to allow extra time just in case your golf bag has to be searched.

Sometimes, even with the best preparation, things do happen. It’s wise to plan for potential mishaps by bringing enough money to pay for golf club rentals just in case the airline does lose your bag.

Before you list your property it’s important to consider asking price and who will market your property. You should also determine how and where to market your commercial property before making any decisions or signing any contracts. Here are some things to consider as you get your commercial property ready to sell.Initially, many commercial property owners think selling their property by owner will save them the commission expense. Unfortunately, selling your commercial property by owner may not get you the highest possible purchase price because you are limiting the ways in which you can market your property. Many property owners selling by owner may place a “For Sale” sign on their property and list it on a few online listing services. But had they listed it with an agent, the owner could have taken advantage of the number of other paid listing services only agents have access to as well as organizations real estate agents have memberships, giving them contacts that increase the commercial property owners possibility of a sale. When your commercial property has more exposure, it will not only sell faster but has a better chance of selling for a higher price.Another benefit of hiring an agent is that they field phone calls from potential buyers who may or may not be qualified to buy your commercial property. Real Estate agents can screen pre-qualified buyers and market your property. Agents are also a great buffer during the due diligence period and the time leading up to closing. They ease the burden on the commercial property owner by communicating on their behalf with the purchaser, lender, title company and attorney.When it comes to commission, agents are typically paid a percentage (between 3% and 10%) of the selling price. Before you sign a listing agreement it’s important to know that all commissions are negotiable. The type of property, its location and how sellable it is all play a role in determining commission percentage. For example, a strip mall that’s mostly empty in an economically depressed part of town would be considered hard to sell. So a higher commission on such a property provides the agent a better incentive. The higher the commission, the more favorably a real estate agent will present it to potential buyers.When you get ready to hire a real estate broker to represent your commercial property, it’s essential that you hire a commercial real estate agent rather than a residential agent as commercial and residential properties are two totally different products requiring different approaches to marketing. Good commercial real estate agents know the current market trends and use this to market your property to the most suitable clients. Commercial properties need multi-page marketing brochures that provide buyers with pricing, demographics, NOI calculations, CAP rates, rent rolls, traffic counts, income & expense statements, topography maps, site plans, property and aerial pictures, PIP lists and other items. With such precise information, potential buyers are more likely to make an offer. Knowing how to calculate an appropriate asking price for your commercial property based on its location, current economy and market trends is very important and is a good commercial real estate agent’s area of expertise. Experienced commercial real estate agents protect the interests of the party they represent when closing commercial real estate transactions which are much more in-depth and challenging than residential transactions. Finally, experienced commercial real estate agents have established contacts in commercial lending that can help speed along the closing process.

Almost any business these days has a Facebook or a Twitter account, and the public is accustomed to accessing information just about anyone or anything, including businesses, through their social media accounts. But with the advantages of social media also come disadvantages –this is particularly true in the case of making investment decisions.In a recent Reuters interview, the FBI expressed its concern with fraudulent stockbroker’s use of social media to attract potential investment victims. Like a business or person tweets or gives status updates, it provides the platform for fraudulent stockbrokers to taut the high earnings and low risk of their investment opportunities. While these tweets or updates can be completely false, the savvy way that the stockbrokers use social media helps provide an official front to the investment scam. And the constant reminders of how good an investment opportunity is and how much other people “like” it (including other involved in the scam who leave false positive feedback about the scam) can eventually mount the pressure on a potential investor to take the plunge.Investors should be wary of following investment trends on Facebook and Twitter, especially if the one tweeting is an investment professional. Integrity Research Associates reports that half of surveyed investment advisement firms who are registered with the SEC have established written policies that forbid their advisors from using social media for business purposes. While other firms have increased their use of social media, investors should still not make investment decisions based on information gathered from it.The high pressure, immediate need to invest created by social media is usually bad news for investors, and can be a sign of potential investment fraud. Investors should always take their time when deciding how to invest their money.There are several overall tips to safe investing when it comes to social media:• Don’t fall for hype. Just because an investment is widely talked about or liked doesn’t mean it’s a good investment for you. The hype surrounding an investment might also make you feel pressured to invest quickly, but the life of your investment will outlast how popular it is one day on twitter. Take your time deciding on how to invest your money.• Don’t be wooed by an online investment advisor. Even the most simply investments take some time for potential investors to understand and for advisors to explain. This explanation is best done in person, so that you can review terms together and ask questions. Questions the advisor can’t help you with should be reviewed with your lawyer or other investment professional.• Know that online credentials can be faked. While an investment professional may have an active and legitimate looking firm online, the reality may be much different. The best way to know if your investment advisor is a good fit for you is to check their professional credentials. You can do this on FINRA’s BrokerCheck, available for free on their website. BrokerCheck will let you know if and how your advisor is accredited, and if they are in good standing with regulatory boards.While investments touted on social media may seem like good options for your investment portfolio, investments should always be carefully researched to ensure you don’t give over your hard-earned money to an investment scam.