So in this situation, quite often interesting question arises, whether to rent the apartment, or to buy one?

I will overview this situation from the bank loan view for the apartment buying, that would be much interesting, and i think, more close to reality.

Prices

I live in Estonia. All operations will be in US dollars, but converted from prices in Estonia.
$1 ~ 10 EEK

The average 2- 3 room apartment (50 -70 square meters) costs now around or $100 000.

The average rent for the same flat is around $400 in a month.

Bank Loan

Loan interest= 5%

The interest is dynamically calculated, depending on economics and the sum you still need to pay back. The longer the period- the bigger the sum will be, that you pay back.

For example:

If you take a loan where interest is 5%. And we need $100 000.

It is easily to notice, how much the interest is getting bigger, depending on for how long you have taken the loan.

Bank loan VS rent

So, the interesting part. I will assume the bank loan will be taken for 20 years. I must explain. In Estonia an average salary per person was around $1200 in a month. Now it is much smaller, because of the world financial crisis. If family has 2 adults, so they can manage to live nicely, paying the loan.

Conclusion

My personal opinion is. Buy a flat.

If you are not planing to go back to you parents home and have enough money, or wherever, but the apartment, or house. If you look at those tables, you can see how much money you will simply give away to somebody. It is like buying air balloons- they are nice, but useless.

The rented apartment does not belong to you, the owner can decide to throw you out (yes, and sometimes they give few days only to pack your stuff). You can not do anything inside (for example drilling a hole in a wall to hang a picture), and so on…

But when having a loan, you are the owner! You can do anything to you place, and this will be something like investing (7 years ago it was called an investment- to buy a flat).

And look around, the world financial crisis has dropped the prices way down!

What do you think?

But what is the price for all that ‘perfect’ services? Our privacy!

The search results are perfect to your taste . The advertisement is perfectly matching your interests? Isn’t that good? No!

We all know that Google is monitoring and saving our activities on the Web. It analyzes out habits, tastes, interests. Our personality is analyzed and used as information, what can be also used against us. For example Gmail. The advertisement depends on mail you write/ receive. This means Gmail is reading our mail. If there was information what you would not like to share?

Google Docs.  Sharing our documents. Remember some time ago when documents, what were not allowed to be viewed for users who were removed from the sharing list, were viewed by them? If those documents were important, like company plans for future? You could think that this is insane, who will share so important documents online? But it is true.

Google Maps, Google Earth. Now even simple citizens can easily find where military bases are, for example. It was quite interesting, viewing the Area- 51 from Google Earth, while it was told not to be existing…

Conclusion.

Google is doing a great job. But we must be aware also. Google knows what we are searching, what to we like, what we are posting, writing, sharing, viewing. You like Google reading your mail to create ads? No spot on the planet is not covered with Google satellite. And now Google is picturing the streets everywhere. You like to be accidentally pictured half- naked in your personal swimming pool? I think not.

I am not against Google at all. I just want to mark at my Google accaount ‘Do not save any information from this person’.

But wait, is everything really so bad? I don’t think so.

I would like to devote this article for those, who do not own businesses (here really not everything is good), but for everybody else. Who goes to work, who has dreams and family.

Look around! Because of the crisis:

• Prices for cars went down a lot! If you were planning to but a car, now is this moment to to that. Not only the buying will be cheaper, there will be some extras included (for example, alloy wheels, or xenon lights). In Estonia, the car dealers have a lot of offers. For example, if you would buy a Toyota Land Cruiser, you will receive small Toyota Yaris for free!

• Real estate. Prices down also. In Estonia, around 20%. Thinking about new flat, get one! But the banks will like to have 20%, 30% from price to be payed at once…

• Cheaper holidays! But we aware, it could be that in final destination you will stay for longer that you planned…

• But shares of good companies for really cheap price! I think this is the greatest possibility.

• Cheaper electronics, goods, furniture, and so on.

There are a lot of other examples. The crisis is a normal happening, and a great possibility. You should always look around the corner and act otherwise as the crowd. But do not forget to use your head, please.

Marketing is all about selling. This area of activity starts to work when consumer starts to think about new buying.
All the process can be easily divided into 5 parts. I have described each one a little bit.

1. Recognition of a problem
Reason for getting new stuff always differs, but the result is one- buying something, whether you need a new sofa (old one broke) or want to impress your neighbors.
Example. You have hammer in garage, simple, with rubberized handle. Then you notice an advertisement about new patented hummer with titanium handle and with super fit. You can would like to buy it, but to you really need?

2. Information search
I think biggest part of humanity think before buy, at least I hope so. So they are reading reviews, asking friends, colleagues. Person want to know maximum about product. Is it good, what about the quality and so on.
Example. You TV is getting old? Our new Super- Plasma ultra- thin TV gives you superb quality and immense sound. Sounds familiar to you, right?

3. Viewing alternatives
After product is selected, consumers start to search for alternatives. For example, if there is any other HD TV with similar specs but cheaper?
Example. Looking for a new car? Check grand new Kia SuperPricless. Engine 1,4 liters, interior from unique blue plastic, and car wheels included in price!

4. Deciding
Here consumers decide, do they really need this product or not. Maybe all that was emotions, and the do not need a new Lambo in the garage, because they already have Veyron.
Example. You still thinking about new house? Do not think, just buy! Our well trained brokers will suck out all money what you own. And the loan interest is only 25%!

5. Bought stuff appraisement
The product is in your hands, time has come enjoy it fully. Did it suit you, or there are some things you would like to change?
Example. Not satisfied with your new buying? We will buy it back and make some discount personally for YOU in our store.

Those 5 topics describe all the way it takes consumer to buy something. And everywhere the marketing can be applied. I will not write how to act exactly in every situation, because it is so unique, and you all can make it yourself.

DreamBank
When the dreams come true



How often do we receive the ‘unwanted’ gifts? I think quite rapidly, but why would all your friends, relatives, co- workers just make some kind of a big fund and ask you, what do you really want? That is DreamBank about. The system is quite simple. You just register and put up you dream, for example, ‘Trip to see the Northern Lights’ or ‘Run the Vancouver Marathon for Charity’. Post your dream and how much will it cost, after what all people could help you, in getting closer to your dream. It could take days, or even years, until the fund is completely filled. But when it is, you can go, and fulfill your dream.

Podioboooks
Free serialized audio books, delivered on your schedule.



Project is concentrated on downloading from the site separate book chapters, what are not protected by the DRM. The podcast are sent by RSS feed, or can be downloaded as mp3 and then listened almost anywhere.
Podiobooks.com publishes only those books, whose author and publishers allowed that, and authors receive 75% of all the proceeds from the donations from listeners.

What do publishers have from that? It is better to say, that they are loosing nothing, but perhaps, you would like to buy the book instead of listening to 3 954 part of it…

Clip2net
Share yourself to the Internet



Simple web- publishing site. Upload photos, files…
But it is really simple, now you do not have to log in to page, then upload any files manually. With the program running, you can easily drag any files to Clip2net shortcut, and they will be automatically uploaded. Same goes to screenshots and desktop captures.

At the moment applications is still in beta- testing, but I think sooner or later if will be complete.

BlogoWar
Declaring war



BlogoWar is not another blog rating page, it is a game!

Main idea is receiving maximum ‘Unts ‘ (something like a rating). Standard blog rating is measured by traffic received. In BlogoWar, the rating is based on live traffic. This means that first place can become last one, in few minutes. This is good opportunity for novice.

How it works.
You write a post. Make link for another blog. BlogoWar finds your RSS- feed , after what your ‘Unts’ is growing, but the ‘Unts’ of a blog you have in link is falling. As any online game, it also has experience, money (for money you could buy weapons, and kick down other rivals).

Place where you can not only enjoy ‘playing’ but get some traffic to.