Your Landlord, Your Headache

The landlord claimed he needed to demolish the apartment flooring, the kitchen, and the bathroom for upgrades and structural damage. Of course, it also happened to be a rent-controlled apartment that, if the current tenants were to leave, would likely net the owners thousands of dollars more a year from a pricier lease.

Lawsuits have ensued over such shenanigans in New York.

Management that once allowed pets might change their minds and demand the vanquishing of your beloved pet. In many places, landlords can’t just change their minds after agreeing to allow a tenant’s beloved terrier, any more than they can rip out the faucets and call the unit an undefined renovation project.

Lease vs. Rental Agreement: Which to Choose?

If you've been a landlord for more than a year, you've probably noticed that not all renters desire the same type of arrangement.

Some renters may just be in-between the buying/selling process, awaiting a job relocation, or even remodeling.

Although most renters are used to 12-month leases, landlords may want to consider other options depending on the needs of the unit, timing, and audience.

So, your situation may behoove you to know the difference between a lease and a rental agreement.

How to Make Your Home Ready to Face Ice Storms during Winter

Winter is here, so winter storms cannot be far behind. These storms can wreak havoc with your home if you do not take adequate measures to protect it. Snow and ice can make outdoor surfaces slippery, turning them into potential fall traps that could grievously injure you or your loved ones, result in blocked pipes and cause damage to your roof.

image by chefranden

If you know how to storm-proof your home, you can have an enjoyable winter without worrying about winter storms.

'Ghost town' in East Haddam sells for $1.9 million

Courtesy: Auction.com

Abandoned for 20 years, the Village of Johnsonville in East Haddam now has a new, unidentified owner, who placed a winning bid Thursday of $1.9 million at Auction.com.

Competition between six registered bidders lead to a winning offer of $1.9 million during a commercial property auction that ended at about 1:20 p.m. on Thursday.

Bidding opened at $800,000, and jumped from $1.2 million to the top bid during the last half hour of the auction.

Confidentiality agreements may keep hidden the identity of the owner, along with any intentions for the parcel, until after the closing is complete.

Haunted houses: buy your own ghost town for $800,000

The spooky abandoned village of Johnsonville is about to be sold, ghosts and all. We investigate the ruins

New lease of life: the pretty town in Connecticut is awaiting a new owner to restore it

It's no accident that the village of Johnsonville, Connecticut, is going up for sale over Hallowe'en. The place is a ghost town.

Of course, it wasn't always so. Back in the 1830s, this was a thriving little hamlet. It was home to the Neptune Twine Company, who harnessed the water power of the Moodus River to produce rope for the US fishing industry.

Gradually, though, demand for Neptune products slowly ebbed away. By the Sixties, the entire population had moved out, and the once-busy town had become a dried-up, abandoned shell.

5 Ways to Know If You Have Picked a Safe Neighborhood

When you are buying a home, you have to do all you can to ensure that your neighborhood is safe. After all, you are going to be living here for a long time. In order for the neighborhood to be considered safe, it needs to have low crime rates. This means there shouldn't be too many instances of robbery, theft, kidnapping, shootings, etc. Here are some methods you can use in order to determine how safe your neighborhood is.

image by Photo Dean

1. Visit the neighborhood and talk to neighbors

You have probably visited the neighborhood a number of times, to check the house. You should visit a few more times, with the sole intention of checking out the place and talking to the neighbors. When you visit the house, it might be best for you to stay overnight, so you can check out how the place is during the night time. Keep a look out for any strayers. Check if there are any lights on even in the night, and if there are people around. This will determine how safe it will be for you to get back home late at night, or even go out for a post-dinner snack.

Top 10 Most Futuristic Buildings in the World

Have you ever looked at science fiction movies and wondered about all the futuristic designs? Futuristic technology portrayed in Hollywood movies leave us in awe and we wonder if such structures and designs might ever be real? But look around you, science and technology has advanced so much in the last decade that space travel is common, possible and dare I say, civilian space travel might be a very frequent thing in the future. Talking about technology, futuristic buildings and architecture has improved by leaps and bounds and we have seen some of the coolest and magnificent structure's pop up all over the world. They are visually arresting, ultra-modern, sleek and smooth; having an appearance of space age we usually see in comics and books and look almost as if they have burst out of a science fiction movie. A lot of these buildings have boosted the tourism industry of a country, for example, Dubai where towers and skyscrapers have increased in the last couple of years, making it a hotspot destination. These buildings show us what is in store for our future. There are literally hundreds of such futuristic buildings all over the world, but this is a selective list and I've put together a few of these cool structures.

10. Galaxy Soho Building, China

Architect - Zaha Hadid

Designed by Iraqi British architect Zaha Hadid, this cool building was launched in 2012 in Beijing, China. It is a huge development spreading over 328,204 square meters consisting of office and retail space. Standing at a height of 60 meters, this compelling urban structure comprises of 12 office floors and 3 retail floors. The building consists of four domes connected with each other by sky bridges and platforms which have been made with aluminum, stone, glass and stainless steel. It has a fluidity of curves which has been inspired by nature. Considering China's ancient heritage, this building is a stark reminder of its ceaseless growth.