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New York has begun doing what any major city does when it runs out of real estate, but with great success. It has started increasing the rent for up to $5000 for a single bedroom apartment, not a better deal for an average family earning $100K a year. And to date there are no witnesses of slowing in the growth of the rental prices in this city.

The ever-taller high rises, extremely profitable to the owners relative to the forecasted construction costs, provide homes for escalating population. While single family homes that are put up for rent are typically larger, with private yards, the condos are barely 1000 sq. ft. but with views of the city and scenery to die for. Extra features such as gym, playgrounds, club house and concierges provide an interesting alternative to living here.

A two bedroom single family home in the heart of the city can cost around $6000 and as low as $750 in a suburban area outside the city, almost double the cost of what it was two decades ago. The downtown part has a rent of anywhere from $1500 to $2200 for a studio, and $3000 for a 2 bedroom, while upper east side-the affluent area where most skyscrapers are-can go as high as $10,000. Although the outskirts have seen a slight decrease in the influx of people after the recession, the very wealthy area have done very well in maintaining this price over the last ten years.

Reasons for Rent Increases :
There are various theories behind what is really causing the rental prices to increase in New York. And most prices are driven by owners and their agents convincing people to rent while justifying that they are seeing a completely rational price in comparison with the cost of owning a home. One can note that the recent rental boom has not been limited to New York but has been in full swing in other states such as California, Washington and North Carolina. The wealthiest cities and neighborhoods have experienced the greatest home appreciation recently, and these increases have outstripped rental growth in such markets.

Let us look at some of the theories that is driving the rental price here:

Theory 1: Demand and Supply:
People who are on an edge of buying houses in NY are seeing that housing and mortgage markets are imperfect, with real estate agents not representing the buyers interest and appraisers being paid to justify exorbitant prices. They are realizing that homes under this scenario are not worth what they were worth previously. Land is scarcer in the most exclusive communities and people renting would pay large premium for living in such communities.

Theory 2: Renting is Cheaper than Owning:
Renting is one way of showing that home prices cannot escape the fundamental forces that drive them in the long term-income. The housing prices have grown exponentially with respect to renting, and in this massive economy people are unable to pay large portion of their paycheck toward their house. People fearing the real trouble meeting their obligations in the future such as divorce, job loss and medical emergencies, want to post-phone buying and just rent for a while.

Theory 3: Population Growth and Immigration:

Probably the most popular reason as to why rent prices has seen an increase in recent years. Most new immigrants are renters and prefer to rent as long as they could save money to buy a home, resulting in more demand for rental properties.

Theory 4: Escalating Construction Cost:
Even though home builders are on the sell side of the market, they are unable to fair given the high cost of construction, compelling them to increase the price of houses to a level not reachable by an average middle class family- another economic reason that people are renting rather than buying. More so, builders claim that it is the zoning and building restrictions that are the culprit in higher rental prices.

Where The Current Rental Market is Heading:
Even homeowners with less leverage in their homes are now feeling relatively safe renting the houses given the current trend. Considering the shaky economy and no real income growth, people are beginning to dedicate their resources and attention to rent in an attempt to avert a real disaster from buying a house.

David Haynes is a writer who searched for the Lettings Bristol had to offer when choosing his home.

There are many benefits to save money while traveling. Among them, people can often go on trips that otherwise would strain the budget, by reducing the trip’s cost. Here are seven strategies to save money on travel.

Go Off-season

Most travel destinations have two distinct seasons: the peak season and the offseason. During a destination’s peak season, prices everywhere will be much higher than the rest of the year. Hotel rates can double, even triple. Many restaurants will require reservations, and deals will be hard to find. By traveling during the off season, people will face much smaller crowds and lower costs. Prices across the board will be lower. Yet, these savings do have a cost. During the offseason, weather conditions might be harsh or major attractions might be absent.

Some people do not want to travel during the offseason, but would like to save money while traveling. For this demographic, the shoulder season can be perfect. The shoulder season is just before and after the peak season. During it, crowds start to dwindle. Prices reflect the reduced demand. At the same time, most businesses are still open during this period. The shoulder season typically lasts for a couple weeks, but varies by destination

Pack Light

Packing light, especially when flying, is essential. Airlines are continually raising rates for checked bags on both domestic and international flights. To avoid these fees, try to bring only carry-ons along for the trip. Reducing your luggage by a single checked bag will save you at least $50.00, in most cases.

While travelers who are flying will save the most by packing light, everyone will save a little money. Extra luggage in cars will reduce gas mileage. The added cost at the pump likely will not be $50.00, unless you are going on a cross-country road trip. Yet, every little bit saved helps.

Leave Room

Leaving room in your luggage for purchases will save you money on the return journey. Anything bought or received as a gift will have to come home, somehow. These items can either be added to the luggage or shipped. Whether bringing an extra suitcase along for souvenirs and gifts, or shipping everything back in a box is cheaper, varies. If there is room in a suitcase, the most cost-effective way is to pack purchases in a suitcase that needed to be brought anyway.

Fly Weekdays

Airfare is one of the major costs of many trips. It also has one of the greatest opportunities to save money. Airfares differ greatly. Some factors that determine their prices are subject to when the ticket is purchased, when the flight is and the cities being flowing between. Generally, purchasing tickets in advance and flying during the off-season will save people money.

Travelers will find that the lowest airfares are often on weekdays, specifically Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. By flying on these days, people can save anywhere from a few dollars to hundreds. The exception to this rule is holidays. When flying for a holiday, typically the holiday itself is cheapest. Outside of that, airfares will be oriented around when the holiday occurs in the week.

Call the Hotel

By calling hotels individually, people can often get the best rates on hotel rooms. These rates often beat any deals found online, and they certainly will be lower than those offered by the reservations line. Call specific hotels and ask to make a reservation with them. If you are referred to a reservations line, call the hotel back and talk with an employee of that hotel again.

Eat In

Eating out becomes expensive very quickly. The solution is simple: eat in while traveling. Sometimes, purchasing an upgraded room, which has a kitchenette, will pay for itself. The easiest meal to eat in is breakfast. Look for accommodations that offer a free breakfast. If you cannot find any with breakfast included, stop by the local grocery store for a pack of muffins or donuts.

Public Transportation

Renting a car is not always wise. In large cities, it can become a burden to find parking, and drivers can get lost easily. In addition to the rental costs, you must pay for fuel and parking. In big cities, relying on public transit can save travelers money. Become familiar with the public transportation system, before departing.

There are many ways to save money while traveling. A savvy traveler can save hundreds or thousands, depending on the extravagance of the trip, with these tips.

Author Bio: Zach Daniel writes for Morocco Tours, a travel company that provides private Morocco tours that allow people to fully experience Morocco.

When you are in the market for a new loan, there are a number of things you need to take into consideration when making your comparisons. With so many different lenders and loan products however, this comparison can be stressful, time consuming and confusing – but unfortunately it needs to be done because a loan is definitely not a financial product you want to get wrong. The wrong loan can be costly, it can be frustrating, it can put your security at risk and you can be stuck with it for many years.

Fortunately there is a way to make all of these comparisons a little easier. You can’t and shouldn’t avoid spending the time comparing loans, but what you can do is make the comparisons you need to with your current bank, and save yourself some time and save your sanity.

1 – Type of loan

Each lender will offer a number of different loans, but most lenders will specialise in a certain type of loan. Whether a lender is a small business specialist, a teacher’s credit union or a financial institution which specialises in bad credit cases, they will have these specialities to allow them to better understand and cater to their particular client, and offer more comprehensive services for their target customer.

If you can find a lender who specialises in your type of loan, then you will save yourself time in the approvals process because you won’t apply to a high profile lender when you need a bad credit specialist for example, who can offer you alternative verification procedures. Similarly, if you are a small business owner, you want to be dealing with a lender who is a specialist in low doc loans.

Therefore, when you first applied for your current loan, transaction or savings account you should have sought out a lender based on your needs and the type of product you were after, as well as the type of person you are. As a result, your current bank should already be perfectly matched to your needs and situation, and should therefore be the perfect financial institution to tailor a loan to your needs.

2 – Staff

When there is a problem with your account or you have a question you don’t want to be endlessly on hold and you want to speak to someone who will listen and be able to help you. If you already have a number of accounts with a certain lender you will know the level of customer service you receive and whether your questions are answered promptly and easily.

It is also important for a bank to have a well qualified loan officer on their staff who is able to look at your situation and tell you upfront whether you will qualify for a loan, and whether there is anything you can do to improve your chances of approval. If you already have a loan with your current bank then you will have dealt with the loan officer previously, and they will know your financial history in detail. This can help reduce the perceived risk to the bank of lending you more money, as they can see the intricate details of your loan history and how reliable you are with your repayments.

Going back to the small business example, if your current bank is a small business specialist, they will also likely have a small business advisor as part of their staff. Having specialist staff to meet your needs means you can discuss exactly why you need the loan, and your goals for your business, to make sure that a loan is the right option.

3 – Access

Successfully managing your finances means always knowing what is going on with your accounts. Therefore, whether you prefer to check your balances online, on your smart phone, by calling the phone banking number of popping into a branch on your way to work, you will have established routines with your current accounts. This not only means you can stay on top of your accounts, but it also means you know the best ways to avoid unnecessary fees.

Even if you are getting a loan with your existing bank you will likely have to go into the branch to complete the paper work, and this gives you a chance to discuss your loan needs. However, there is no doubt that online banking is much faster and convenient than a branch visit could ever be, and by applying for a new loan with your current lender you don’t need to learn any new online banking systems, or remember any new online banking passwords, because you can access all of your banking products in the one place.

4 – Reputation and relationship

The reason word of mouth advertising is so successful is because it is devoid of any marketing hype or spin, and simply tells the true story of a real personal experience with a service provider. When you are shopping around for anything new, chances are you’ve asked your friends and family which product or service they use, and whether they are happy, to help you narrow down your search and choose a reputable and reliable product. However, the danger when relying too heavily on word of mouth advertising when it comes to banking products lies in how different your financial situation is to that of your friends and family.

There is usually a lot more going on with other people’s finances than they’ll let on, so one person’s experience with a bank may not necessarily reflect another’s. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t rely on word of mouth advertising at all when looking for a lender, because you can ask yourself about your experiences with your current bank, and receive an honest and relevant answer. Ask yourself whether you are happy with the service, whether it is easy to do your banking with your current bank, and whether the products are reasonably priced and fully featured. This will give you a good indication of whether it is worth you taking out a new loan product with your current bank – whom you already know everything about.

Plus, when you have an existing relationship with your bank, it is often possible to have loan application fees waived, and you may even be able to negotiate on any ongoing fees, or qualify for a lower interest rate because you are known to the lender.

Alban has been blogging about personal loans for the last 3 years. He has also contributed several articles on savings accounts and credit cards.

The average household would probably say that food is the biggest expense they have.  This is why you have enter the grocery store with a plan.  The advice below will put you well on your way to saving big and spending less!

1. Create a List
Many people mess up by not creating a list.  They may have a couple of things in mind, but they really may not know where all of this stuff is located.  This means they have to go down aisle after aisle looking for what they need, picking up more along the way. Another, even safer, form of insurance is sticking to a budget. And I don’t mean “I’m only going to spend $50.” I mean only taking $50 in cash and leaving your wallet in the car. Or better yet, at home!

2. (Double) Coupons
Many stores offer double coupon discounts (usually during the middle of the week) on their products.  Please don’t let this opportunity pass you by.  A store that offers double coupon discounts can help you cut your grocery bill literally in half. There are all types coupons, which you can find in newspapers and on the internet.  Do a google search for anything and everything + the word “coupon” “deal” “promo” or “discount.”

3.  Brands
There’s no need to spend all your money on name brands.  Generic brands of many products are very similar.  Sometimes you won’t even know the difference.  The only difference is that the name brand might look a little fancier. Don’t get caught up in the pretty packaging though!

4. Sales
Don’t overlook sales! You may be missing out if you are totally in your own world and never branch out.  Sometimes a bigger box of cereal may cost less than the smaller box that you usually buy, and who knows, you might like it more too! It’s hard to explain why sales like this exist, but forget about the rationale behind this.  Just buy it! But don’t also buy the product you normally buy, or that’ll defeat the whole purpose.

5, Stay Strong
Many people have heard of impulse buys at the checkout lane. This includes things like magazines, gum and candy bars.  Consumers should avoid these, but they are not the only things that throw your grocery store budget off track.  There are many things throughout the grocery store that can make you spend much more than you anticipated. To avoid this, stay out of places like the snack aisles or the bakery, unless you need something specific from there.

6. Try a New Item
New items pop up all the time.  Companies make it their business to drive consumers towards these products with discounts.  Take advantage of it.  They may cost much more once they have become established items, but for now,  ride the wave and get them while they are cheap.  You don’t always have to buy the same beverage or brand of chicken!

Interest rates continue to fall and have entered all-time low territory. So why is there is no jubilation and lines of people at the banks trying to buy homes or refinance existing loans?

Low Interest Rates Fail To Stimulate Housing

Despite the cheap money, it is still challenging for many homeowners who are underwater on their existing loans and who may have other credit blemishes due to job loss, job change or inconsistent income. Certainly, there are some people who are able to take advantage of the cheap money but not the massive numbers that we saw in boom years long past. Government stimulated initiatives continue to roll out which incentivize banks to refinance struggling homeowners into lower rate loans.

Retirees Suffer From Prolonged Low Interest Rates

There is a scary flip side to the interest rate environment. Pension funds which rely heavily on bonds and other interest rate based securities to generate sufficient invest returns to pay retirees are suddenly not making enough to cover their obligations. Compound that with retirees trying to living off their life savings which barely generates 1% return and you can begin to see the potential epidemic.

Perfect Storm Endangers Pension Funding

The longer we endure this type of interest rate environment, the wider the funding gap of pension plans. This will put pressure on stocks if companies are forced to close pension gaps with current earnings. When you also consider that 1) our massive Baby Boomer generation is retiring right now and 2) the longer life expectancies of Americans due to better health care, you can see how there are several layers creating a perfect storm of massive pension underfundings.

Good News, Bad News Economy

Most subjects dealing with the economy and finances have a pro and con. Just like when you buy and sell stocks, there is a winner and a loser. With economics, there are two sides to every coin. For example, low interest rates help homebuyers but hurt people living on fixed incomes. When interest rates rise, many investors will benefit, but people with adjustable rates on credit cards and other debt will have to pay more interest. Even if you do not understand all the details, as a consumer, it is wise to stay aware that good news in one sector means the potential for bad news elsewhere.