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Getaways: Hit the Road with Healthy Travel Tips

MSC Marketing — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 15:30:31 +0000

By Nancy Churnin

RISMEDIA, July 16, 2010—(MCT)—From diet-busting menus to life-threatening ailments, summer vacation is filled with hazards to a healthy lifestyle. Fortunately, whether you’re going around the world or making a quick flight to grandmas, there are ways to stay safe and still have fun.

For global travelers
Anyone traveling to a foreign country should consult the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (www.cdc.gov) to find out what vaccinations are necessary for that country, says Dr. Anne Lipton, a neurologist at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas, who has traveled to nearly 20 countries, including China, Malaysia, Botswana, Austria and Sweden. Some, like hepatitis B shots, need to be administered as much as six months in advance.

Travelers on a long plane ride should be aware of “economy class syndrome,” another name for deep-vein thrombosis. It’s a potentially fatal condition where clots can form in your legs. “It happens if you sit in a prolonged position for a long time,” says Lipton. Passengers are particularly vulnerable if they are dehydrated or taking oral contraceptives or diuretics for blood-pressure control.

One way to reduce the risk is to drink water; coffee and alcohol can be dehydrating. Lipton likes to bring empty water bottles to the airport and fill them with water after she passes through security.

Another tip: Get up to walk around whenever possible and do chair exercises. Wear loose-fitting shoes or take them off and rotate your ankles and flex your feet. Moving your legs, arms and shoulders can be helpful, too.

Staying fit while on-the-go
Lipton says it’s also good to keep up the exercise upon arrival. She always wears or packs comfortable shoes so she and her husband can take walking tours.

Dr. Christina Kuo, an internal medicine physician on the medical staff at Baylor Regional Medical Center at Plano, suggests taking advantage of the hotel gym, walking on the beach, hiking or cycling.

Kuo says one of the biggest temptations that derail the best-made plans of vacationers is the complimentary breakfast buffet. All-you-can-eat spreads can lead to overeating bacon, cheese and high-fat pastries. She advises patients to opt for a moderate amount of food and stick with whole-grain cereals, nonfat milk, fruit and eggs.

High-calorie drinks can be another pitfall. Avoid consuming more than two sodas, fruit or sugary drinks each day and drink plenty of water.

There’s nothing wrong with trying local cuisine as long as you practice portion control, Lipton and Kuo agree. In fact, Lipton notes that many cultures offer healthier options and more sensible portions than we do in the United States.

The key, Lipton says, is to “eat a rainbow” and choose local, colorful, fresh fruits and vegetables over processed selections.

Traveling with the kids
Deborah Stern, a registered and licensed dietitian at Children’s Medical Center, says the key to keeping kids healthy is to plan ahead.

-Bring food: Kids love to nibble, and you don’t know if healthy snacks will be available in the airport, on the plane or en route to your destination. Pack healthy snacks such as fiber bars, raw almonds, fresh whole fruit and baby carrots. In the grocery store bulk section, look for rice cracker mix, dried fruit or walnuts. The more variety, the more likely your child will be satisfied.

-Ask for healthy options: Scan restaurant menus ahead of time to view their nutrition information. Request steamed vegetables as a substitute for fries, get grilled meat instead of fried and ask whether the restaurant could use Pam spray instead of oil or butter.

-Look it up: To choose healthier foods at fast-food chains, download an application on your phone to look up nutrition information, or purchase a CalorieKing Book that fits in your purse.

-Plan activities that involve exercise: Kids can have fun while keeping fit if they are swimming, playing beach volleyball, taking walking tours or riding in a kayak or paddle boat.

On-the-road essentials
In addition to sunscreen and water, Lipton also packs the following items when she hits the road:

-Over-the-counter medications: Lipton and her husband once came down with colds in Sweden, only to find that cold remedies were only available by prescription and they could not purchase them.

-List of prescription medications: In case yours are lost or run out.

-Antibacterial cleanser: To kill microbes, most of which are transmitted hand-to-hand.

-Pocket pack of tissues: Can be a hygienic lifesaver if no toilet paper is available.

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

http://rismedia.com/2010-07-15/getaways-hit-the-road-with-healthy-travel-tips/

Investor Interest in Real Estate Triples in 12 Months

MSC Marketing — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 20:08:56 +0000

RISMEDIA, April 16, 2010—According to a new Move, Inc., survey, interest in real estate as an investment has more than tripled in the past year. In fact, 17.2% of potential home buyers today say they plan to purchase a home in the near future as an investment compared to just 5.6% in March 2009.

The survey also found just over ten percent (12.3%) of Americans planning to purchase investment property in the near future say they will pay for the property using 100% cash, and 12.8% will use cash for more than 50% of the purchase price and finance the rest. Almost half (49.2%) say they will buy the property with less than 50% cash down and finance the remainder. The U.S. Census Bureau reported that one in three U.S. homes are owned free and clear, without a mortgage.

Nearly half of these potential real estate investors (46.5%) say they plan to own the property for six or more years, 16% expect to hold the property between two and five years, while 10.6% plan to own the property between six and 24 months.

While interest by potential home buyers in purchasing a foreclosure to live in themselves has dropped 31.1% in the past five months to 26.5%, this newest Move survey found interest in purchasing a foreclosure as an investment is on the rise. In fact, interest in purchasing a foreclosure as an investment to fix it up and resell it rose from 11.3% in October 2009 to 16% in March 2010, a 42% increase.

Economy and lifestyle needs to trigger transactions with buyers and sellers
The Move Homeownership survey also found approximately half (49%) of all homeowners would buy another home today if they could sell their current home for what they paid for it or more. This is especially true for homeowners ages 25 to 34 (68.2%).

Some of the most important reasons influencing homeowners’ decisions to sell their current home with the intention of purchasing another include the need to lower monthly expenses because of financial hard times (25.4%), their growing family needs more space (20%), or the desire for their children to attend a better school (14.1%). Moving closer to important daily conveniences (12.3%) or work (10.9%) and the desire to improve their lifestyle by purchasing a nicer or larger home because they’re doing well (10%) were also among the most important reasons homeowners would purchase a different house once they sell their current home.

“Real estate and housing today face many of the same challenges other major industries are experiencing as a result of our national economy,” says Move Chief Revenue Officer, Errol Samuelson. “Concerns around employment and their overall economic situation are causing many people to wait until the economy improves before they commit to one of the largest purchases they’ll most likely make in their lives. The findings of this newest survey make it clear the desire and motivation to be a homeowner remains strong, and as the economy continues to strengthen and improve, so will the housing market.”

Perceptions on affordability improve, first-time buyers prepare to buy
Despite today’s challenging economy, demand for homeownership remains strong and first-time buyers make up a significant number of all potential buyers. One in five consumers (21%) report they plan to purchase a home in the next 12 months to five years, with 7.9% planning to purchase in the next two years. Of those planning to purchase a home in the near future, half (50.7%) are first-time buyers, with men (55%) somewhat more interested in entering the housing market as a first-time buyer than women (45%).

The survey also found that while housing has become more affordable in the past nine months, most Americans are still unaware of how affordable homes are today. Based on survey results, 41.5% of Americans think a family making the median income of $52,029 can afford nearly half (45.7%) of all the available homes for sale in their area. In June 2009, more than three-quarters (76.4%) of Americans said they thought a family earning the national median income could afford 50% or fewer of the homes for sale in their area.

In fact, a median income family today can afford approximately 70% of the homes for sale on the Move Network, a leader in online real estate.

Dreams delayed not lost
According to this newest survey, the economy has forced some homeowners to make serious sacrifices or changes to their lifestyle as they wait for conditions to improve. Just over two-thirds (69.1%) of homeowners who have delayed selling their home reduced their daily living expenses in order to pay their mortgage, 35.4% have downsized to a smaller home, and 33.5% have delayed expanding their family as planned.

Approximately one-third (36%) of homeowners not in a position to sell their home and purchase a home that better fits their needs, report they couldn’t purchase a different home in a more upscale neighborhood as a result. This was especially true for women (45.1%) compared to men (27.2%). In addition, 24% of homeowners say they’ve not been able to move closer to work or a desired school (21.9%), purchase a second vacation home or retirement home (21.9%), or buy a rental property as an investment (21.5%) as a result of their current situation.

Real estate remains high on consumer radar
Real estate remains top of mind with Americans as more than half (55.1%) say they’re paying more attention to home values today as compared to a year ago. Only 10.8% say they’re paying less attention to home values this year. In the past year, monthly unique visitors on the Move Network, a leader in online real estate, have increased by 7.6% percent from 7.8 million in February 2009 to 8.4 million in February 2010. In February 2010, the top ten most popularly searched MSAs on the Move Network in order of popularity were Chicago, Los Angeles-Long Beach, Detroit, Dallas, Philadelphia, Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Phoenix-Mesa, Boston, Atlanta, and Las Vegas.

For more information, visit http://www.move.com.

http://rismedia.com/2010-04-15/investor-interest-in-real-estate-triples-in-12-months/

Survey Reveals One-Third of Boomers Plan to Move in Retirement

MSC Marketing — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 13:25:46 +0000

RISMEDIA, April 15, 2010—Whether it’s in the Sunbelt or the Rustbelt, a move across the street or across the nation, Baby Boomers are still willing to move to a new place when they retire, according to the 2010 Del Webb Baby Boomer Survey.

Del Webb is America’s largest builder of active adult communities. Targeted to those ages 55 and older, its 50+ communities are currently open for new home sales in 21 states. Del Webb has conducted 10 Baby Boomer surveys since 1996 seeking to better understand the attitudes and opinions of this generation–the current and future customers of Del Webb communities.

“Retirement marks a new phase in a Baby Boomer’s life, and it only seems natural to relocate or move to a new home when they transition away from their primary career, or from the day-to-day rearing of school-aged children,” said Deborah Blake, Del Webb creative director. “After all, when Boomers went off to college, they lived in a new place–a dorm or an apartment. When they married, they lived in a new home—most likely moving several times to different states for a job. Today, Baby Boomers are even purchasing their home before they actually retire.

Whether staying close to home or moving across the country, there are many options for them as they plan their future home in retirement,” added Blake.

According to the Del Webb survey, nearly a third of older Baby Boomers plan to move in retirement, with more than 50% planning to move to a different state, about 25% of them planning to move to a different city within the same state, and less than 20% of older Boomers planning to move within the same city.

Additionally, the desire to move during retirement is on the rise among today’s younger Boomers surveyed, with 42% of those turning 50 in 2010 planning to do so, as compared to 36% among 50 year-olds in 1996.

Where are Baby Boomers Planning to Move?

For today’s 80 million Boomers, the choices vary on where to spend their retirement years. During its 50-year history, Del Webb has found that some consumers choose to retire in place, in the city where they currently live and, potentially, near family and grandchildren. Alternatively, some consumers seek warmer climates such as those found in Arizona and Florida.

According to the 2010 Del Webb Baby Boomer Survey, the Carolinas have emerged as the preferred destination for retirement, while perennial favorites, Florida and Arizona, remain top contenders. Both younger and older Baby Boomers ranked either North or South Carolina first as their preferred location in retirement—with the other Carolina ranking as their second choice. Del Webb currently has six communities in the Carolinas, with five of them opening since 2006 to address this interest in the region as a growing retirement destination.

“There is a huge opportunity to serve this demographic not only in destination locations, but in their own backyard,” said Steve Petruska, chief operating officer of PulteGroup, Inc. (Del Webb is a brand of PulteGroup). “While many of them look for a highly amenitized community, some consumers want to be close to urban amenities. These consumers want their community to be located near shopping/retail, restaurants and cultural amenities in the area, or near their family, church and friends. With Del Webb’s diverse product offerings and community locations, we are poised to capture this growing demographic.”

Factors in Moving

Among Baby Boomers looking to move, the most important factors in deciding where to relocate weighed heavily toward an area’s cost of living and access to preferred healthcare programs, 81% and 66% for the younger Boomers. Surprisingly, cultural and recreational amenities, as well as a more favorable climate, ranked higher than being close to family members, including parents, children and/or grandchildren.

For current Del Webb residents, those who plan to move again consider both access to healthcare and cultural/recreational amenities as the most important factors at 71%, with the cost of living a concern among 70% of these respondents. Being close to their grandchildren ranked second to last in consideration at 44%.

According to Blake, this survey confirms that Baby Boomers want, need and do lead an active social life. “Their day planners are more scheduled today than ever before and they would have it no other way,” she said. “They want to take their hard-earned money and stretch those dollars in a community that gives them confidence, not only in the stability of the market, but also a vibrant life. It’s great if that community is near their children or grandchildren. But, if it’s not, that’s okay, too.”

http://rismedia.com/2010-04-14/survey-reveals-one-third-of-boomers-plan-to-move-in-retirement/