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The Costa Rican real estate market is now flooded with fully furnished American-style homes. Six years ago that was not the case.

Six years ago, Costa Rica had an intense real estate market that did not have many American-style homes already constructed for sale at a reasonable price. There were plenty of Tico-style homes for sale; however, many American expats learned that while the Tico homes were in the price range they wanted, these homes did not really meet their lifestyle preferences.

Tico homes tended to run smaller and did not always include certain amenities Americans expected, such as a dryer hook-up in the laundry room, hot water in the shower or an open floor plan. Expats were left with the choice of building their ideal home in paradise from scratch, or spending an exorbitant amount for one of the few American-style homes available.

Fast forward to today and a search of real estate listings shows a new trend. There are American-style homes for sale at reasonable prices and they are being sold fully furnished. Many of these homes served as rental properties and the owners do not wish to deal with the logistics of moving, selling, or getting rid of the furnishings involved.

The advantages to purchasing a fully furnished home for the buyer are:

• They do not have to outfit the home from scratch. The buyer can walk through the home and pick and choose what furniture and appliances they wish to keep, and what they wish to replace.

• They do not have to ship down a whole household from the States. Everything that comes into Costa Rica has to go through customs and gets assessed a duty tax (even used items). The buyer of a fully furnished home could choose to only ship a few key items, saving a great deal on shipping costs and duty fees.

• They have time to ship and/or replace items. The buyer of a fully furnished home could prioritize the items they want to replace and plan strategically how they will do so. They can choose whether or not it is an item that they need to import from the U.S. or whether it can be purchased in country. There is more flexibility because the home is usable as is.

• They may move - in or rent the home immediately. If the home is a primary residence, the home buyer could choose to move-in immediately and slowly renovate as they wish. If the home is intended as a rental, the buyer can almost immediately turn around and rent it out.

It appears that this trend of selling fully furnished homes has become a major selling point in Costa Rica’s buyer’s market as property owners and real estate agents try to get the sale. Nearly half of the constructed homes for sale are listed with the option of purchasing it fully furnished.

The Ackerman’s relocated to Costa Rica a number of years ago and now sharetheir experiences and other tips regarding Costa Rica in hopes of helping others contemplating a similar move. If you are interested in subscribing to their blog or to keep up to date on the property listings, including those available fully-furnished, please sign up at http://ackermanrealtyinternational.com/subscribe-today/.

Some examples of fully furnished properties that are currently for sale are:

• Villa la Costa. This estate is a blend of modern and traditional elements and was featured in “Estilos y Casas”. The main house involves 2,450 square feet of living space, 3 bedrooms, and 3 ½ bathrooms. The guest house has a bedroom and bath, plus a living room and fully equipped kitchen. The property has been designed to blend indoor and outdoor living. It comes with a large terrace, private pool, and views of the beach just beyond the backyard. It comes fully furnished, including some modern art pieces created by local Costa Rican artists. The asking price for this house is $1.1 million dollars. (http://ackermanrealtyinternational.com/properties/villa-la-costa/)

• Casa Exotica. Located in Esterillos Este this home is situated between major tourist attractions. It’s equipped to sleep 10 people with 4 bedrooms and 4 ½ bathrooms. Fully furnished, in this case, means the house comes with kitchen and laundry appliances, furniture in every room, and entertainment items (i.e. ping pong table, books, games, TVs, DVD player, etc.). It is satellite and internet ready. It has a garden and pool. The fully furnished home is on the market for $800,000. (http://ackermanrealtyinternational.com/properties/casa-exotica/)

• Casa de Vista. If you’d rather, up in the mountains of Costa Rica is a 7-acre property that overlooks the Orosi Valley. The open floor plan offers panoramic views with access to wrap-around balconies and decks. The main floor consists of a well-designed kitchen and great room divided into living spaces with the furniture. A master suite takes full advantage of the views. Below the main floor is a separate, fully equipped, one bedroom apartment. On the property is a caretaker’s house. You can purchase this property fully furnished for $550,000. (http://ackermanrealtyinternational.com/properties/casa-ackerman-2/)

• Rio Tranquilo Home. On the Osa Peninsula just outside of Puerto Jimenez, lies a boutique development that technically does not fall into the "move-in ready" category. However, it is investment-ready. It has already been subdivided into lots. Amenities have been brought to the property. There is a caretaker on the grounds. One lot has been developed with a home and garden. Another lot has young teak trees that will be ready to harvest in a short while. The asking prices for these lots range from $85,000 to $175,000. (http://ackermanrealtyinternational.com/properties/rio-tranquilo-lots/)

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Media Contact:
Margo Ackerman
Ackerman Realty International
US 678-799-9209 or CR 011-506-8-910-2904
margo@ackermanrealtyinternational.com
http://ackermanrealtyinternational.com/

“The Sifu: Kung Fu Redemption will be an action-packed reality series that showcases individuals redeemed and transformed through the way of Kung Fu,” stated Baron.

“Viewers will be able to follow and become inspired by the transformational journeys of our students, who come to us from all walks of life in order to traverse the path from a hurting individual (regardless of what that “hurt” is) to a centered, confident, balanced individual who will be able to meet life’s constant challenges with the calmness and confidence of a warrior,” said Baron.

Trailer and Kickstarter Videos: http://youtu.be/8HVvWnG7deg
The website for this reality series is kungfuredemption.com.

Sifu Baron teaches kung fu at the Kung Fu Power Little Nine Heaven Temple of Kung Fu and Tai Chi studio located outside Chicago in Deerfield, Illinois. His students have included professional soldiers, elite martial artists, former gang members, CEOs, rock stars, and elite professionals.

Today, crowdfunding allows the funding of creative projects quickly and easily and Kickstarter is the most well-known crowdfunding website.

The Kickstarter campaign for The Sifu: Kung Fu Redemption will run for 33 days. A link to the page can be found on kungfuredemption.com.

About Temple of Kung Fu and Kung Fu Power
Our school offers both live-in and daily Kung Fu and Tai Chi Training. Sifu Richard Baron has studied martial arts for 30 years. Since 1997 Sifu Baron began training exclusively with Lao Tzu James W. McNeil living with him at the Little Nine Heaven Retreat Center, living the lifestyle of a Taoist Monk. In 1998, Sifu Baron founded the Little Nine Heaven Internal Kung FU and Tai Chi School (also known as Kung Fu Power) in Highland Park, IL. Since July 1st 2014, the school has been located in Deerfield, IL and we have begun to offer our live-in Temple of Kung Fu instructor training and vacation programs.

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San Francicsco, CA – Spooky Hotel W San Francisco Halloween 2014 – Who’s looking for the hottest Halloween haunt? Embrace your alter ego, don your most stylish costume and head to W San Francisco’s “sinister chic” Halloween Happening. Celebrate Halloween in Style at the Haunted W San Francisco located at 181 Third Street, San Francisco, CA 94103 - 9pm.

W San Francisco turns into a hotel-wide haunted house, featuring Skam Artist deejay Nathan Scott along with San Francisco’s hottest deejays spinning Top 40, Hip Hop, EDM and more. Put on your most creative costume and head to the W San Francisco to party all night. Act fast and purchase Halloween tickets for Halloween 2014 Friday, October 31st at the W Hotel San Francisco.

More information is readily available online at www.whatshappeninghalloween.com, or call 310-749-9029. Advance discounted tickets now available online at www.wsfhalloween2014.eventbrite.com

About W San Francisco Hotel

Located in the heart of the SoMA district, W San Francisco is the ultimate urban oasis, with panoramic views of the city's skyline and a breathtaking view of the Bay Bridge. W San Francisco's contemporary style mixes local influences inspired by the city's diverse neighborhoods with the W brand's New York-inspired DNA. The Living Room and meeting rooms include sleek metro sleeping pods and a glowing fireplace, a perfect gathering spot for cocktails or an energizing place to work. Premier attractions include TRACE, the hotel's new farm-to-urban-table restaurant that captures the vibrant, local personality of the Bay Area along with a dedication to socially responsible eating. W San Francisco is a home away from home for international jet-setters and the place to be for in-the-know locals.

About MADE Nightlife

Let MADE Entertainment transform your day into an extraordinary affair celebrating all that is important in your life. We will take you there. From steaming Bali nights to winter white wonderlands, MADE Entertainment will transport 25-2500 of your closest guests to the destination of your choice. Providing high-end corporate, entertainment, sporting and social events planned from event concept to contract negotiations, vendor relations, event management, marketing and promotions. MADE Entertainment will handle it all. So go ahead, have yourselves a ball.

If you would like more information about this topic, please contact Jamie Barren at 1-310-749-9029 or email at jb@madenightlife.com

Contact:
Jamie Barren
Telephone: 1-310-749-9029
Email: jb@madenightlife.com
Website: www.whatshappeninghalloween.com

Barry, reflective of the styles of DJ Jerry Carroll and Early “Madman” Muntz, needed no inspiration to play such a high octane character, because he is naturally full of energy and has always talked abnormally fast. His resume includes playing an auctioneer for all three television networks as well as feature films, and he has actually been an auctioneer and a pitchman for infomercials.

“When I first auditioned for the character, I actually had to tone it down. In the first take I submitted, I was putting my pants on my head and screaming that the prices at Maxon were so low, they were Insane!. To get the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of such iconic talents, was a challenge that I could not pass it up. I am most thankful to MIke Ciasulli, the owner and operator of Maxon Hyndai, Maxon Mazda, and Maxon preowned vehicles for his support and passion for this ongoing campaign, as well as John Giovatto at Giovatto Advertising for their amazing script and production work.”

Michael Ciasulli chose Barry as the face of his dealership and the ads because his dynamic and animated enthusiasm. “These ads are meant to be nostalgic, comedic, and powerfully modern at the same time” says Mike. “Barry is the only actor we looked at with the ability to deliver every word of the overall message, is such a clear, concise, and unbelievably fun way. It is exactly the tone and message we want to share with our customers. Maxon is focused on giving our customers the best in every category, but more than that, we know how to laugh at ourselves.”

Barry just completed two feature films set for release next year, “Loomis Fargo” with Owen Wilson, Kristen Wiig, and Zach Galifianakis, and the Nicholas Sparks film by 20^th Century Fox “The Longest Ride”, due out next April.

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Media Contact:
Monarch Talent
704-905-6324
luanne@monarchtalentagency.com
http://www.imdb.me/barryratcliffe

ATLANTA — Expected End Entertainment, LLC, and EX3 Books announced today that a portion of first week sales (Oct. 25-Nov. 1) from The Hair Commandments: Shalls and Shall Nots of Wigs, Weaves, and Natural Hair (ISBN978-0-9885545-5-9) will benefit cancer patients and cancer survivors through The Bald Movement.

“Our goal for The Hair Commandments is to help people with their hair issues so they can ultimately feel better about themselves,” said LaToya Johnson-Rainey, co-author of The Hair Commandments and owner of A Hair Boutique, a high-end wig store in Pittsburgh. “Partnering with The Bald Movement is a great way for us to give back and further our mission. They are doing a phenomenal job of touching the lives of cancer patients.”

The Bald Movement is an organization led by New York City model Nell Coleman that helps people without hair or losing hair appreciate their uniqueness. Programs include teaching cancer patients how to apply make-up and tie head scarves; self-confidence seminars; and donations of beanies with the word “Baldie” on it to help people embrace their baldness. Coleman said the organization will use the money to bring awareness to the millions of cancer patients without hair who need help regaining their confidence and to provide Baldie beanies to hundreds of young cancer patients across the country.

“When you’re diagnosed with cancer and have to do the chemo treatment, your hair falls out. You’re not feeling good, the medicine has you down, and it has you weak,” Coleman said. “So what I try to tell people is that during that process a lot of women can lose their identity because they are losing their hair… I try to teach them to just have a positive mindset because a negative mindset can make them sicker. The way you think of yourself manifests into the universe so the goal is to stay positive and have people around you that support you, like The Bald Movement.”

The Hair Commandments, co-written by bestselling author C. Nathaniel Brown, is a reference of dos and donts of wigs, weaves, and natural hair from the combined view of hair stylists, dermatologists, beauty suppliers, distributors, and the consumer. It provides answers to the most commonly asked hair care questions, helps women save time and money, and ultimately have better hair experiences.Covered topics include:

• How to shop for your wigs
• Differentiation between weave textures
• Tips to help transition to natural hair
• Hair growth techniques
• And much more

The book will be available beginning Oct. 25 at www.Amazon.com and www.EX3ent.com.

LaToya Johnson-Raineyworked in her family’s beauty supply business prior to starting A Hair Boutique in Pittsburgh, where she sells high-end wigs and hair products. She is quickly becoming one of the foremost experts in the ever-growing hair and hair care industry and is the featured speaker for Just Be Beautiful seminars at various organizations.

C. Nathaniel Brown spent 20 years as a newspaper and magazine journalist. He is a bestselling author with six published books and serves asa writing coach and publishing consultant, motivational speaker, and philanthropist in Atlanta.

For more information about The Hair Commandments, the authors, or The Bald Movement, or to schedule interviews, contact Expected End Entertainment at (678) 744-4646, email ExpectedEndEntertainment@gmail.com, or visit www.Amazon.com.

About Expected End Entertainment, LLC: Expected End Entertainment (EX3) is an Atlanta-based, full-service media and entertainment company that provides content for film, television, radio and the internet. Its book publishing division, EX3 Books, specializes in nonfiction publications and includes writing, editing, and publishing services among other resources for writers.

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There is a new symbiotic relationship forming at the KeyCorp Executive Offices in West Palm Beach between KeyCorp and Palm Beach Angels. Palm Beach Angels just moved in and aim to be instrumental in the support and development of local start-ups. Palm Beach Angels is a group dedicated to providing mentorship and seed money to early-stage businesses. KeyCorp is perfectly suited to their mission because:

• The KeyCorp Executive Suites are conveniently located. The offices are located in downtown West Palm Beach, only 12 minutes from the airport.

• KeyCorp is uniquely equipped to customize office space and services to start-ups. Operating an office is expensive and complicated. Many start-ups do not need a full-office to begin with, but do need a physical address. They can start with a virtual office with KeyCorp, move in to a shared office space (Kowerk), and possibly graduate up to an office suite as their business expands. Palm Beach Angels will have the ability to direct entrepreneurs to KeyCorp if they’d benefit from this service.

• KeyCorp offers conference rooms and meeting facilities.Entrepreneurs will be able to come in on Tuesdays (by appointment) and receive free mentoring on a number of different start-up aspects. The Palm Beach Angels founders will also be able to meet with other investors and investor groups. Also, there is plenty of space for conference meetingsor other special events as needed.

• KeyCorp offers a spirit of community in the business world. Palm Beach Angels is a perfect addition to KeyCorp. Both businesses believe in collaboration and community support. Palm Beach Angels shows that by offering free mentoring sessions for regional entrepreneurs. KeyCorp brings together and promotes leveraging the different services of their office residents. KeyCorp also works hard to supply a warm, inviting, and comfortable workplace for all.

KeyCorp Executive Offices welcomes Palm Beach Angels and looks forward to being of service in their mission to support early-stage businesses get on their feet. For more information about Palm Beach Angels visit their website at http://www.palm-beach-angels.com/. For information on how KeyCorp may serve you and your business, visit www.officespaceinwestpalmbeach.com or call (561) 721-3700.

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For further information, contact:
Alberto Siblesz
KeyCorp Executive Suites
(561) 721-3700
asiblesz@keycorpexecutive.com
http://www.officespaceinwestpalmbeach.com/