Below follows are some steps vacation-home owners have taken to make the rental season last well beyond the peaks, increasing their income and lightening their mortgage loads.

If business is slow, owners might also consider calling or emailing repeat guests with discounted "VIP" off-season stays. These could be customized as celebratory weekend specials if an owner knows the regulars have a birthday or anniversary coming up.

Ownership of condominium units is a popular move by buyers in the US.  It seemed that condo developments are a win-win situation for everybody.  For builders, they can represent a strong return on investment. 

Condominiums come in all shapes and flavors. The newest breed is found in the urban areas. This is partly due to the trend towards urban renewal and redevelopment that is found in many portions of this country.

The Atelier, developed by The Moinian Group is the first project in the country to allow purchasers to put their down payments on a credit card. But American Express told Realty Times last week that "plastic" down payments may become a lot more commonplace for high-end condo buyers. The company confirms that it is in active discussions with realty developers in several other cities to offer similar Amex down payment programs.

A new sales contract form became available for use by agents in Washington. This was effective September 1 of this year.   The form, which was entitled Regional Sales Contract was promulgated by the Greater Capital Area Association of Realtors.  This is an association representing real estate agent and brokers in the area.  Basically, the new form tracks the old. However, there are some significant changes.

The most significant change is that the new form is five pages longer. The main reason for this new length is that the form is in larger font, making it much easier to read. This is important for potential homebuyers and sellers; quite often, changes are made in pen directly on the form contract, and the larger type makes any additions and cross-offs easier to accomplish and read.