http://youtu.be/w0o8j6t8Ke0

STYLESPA brings smart designs for kids room

Stylespa Interiors, an Adventz Group company and Indian’s largest furniture brand which specializes in optimization of spaces and modular furniture, brings bunk beds and kid’s storage cum Study Table to optimize, organise and create functional spaces for a kid’s room.

To solve greater space issues, twin beds and bunk beds are the best option for two kids sharing the same room be it a boy or a girl, two boys or two girls. Bunk beds are always very interesting for kids as they offer great fun; Kids love to climb up and down the stairs and when are placed near the window, kids tend to fall asleep with the natural view of moon and stars rather than having them in the ceiling. Priced strategically for a price sensitive customer, this Bunk bed ensures good move around space which is much needed in a kid’s room. It’s intelligently designed in such a way that there is no need of a new investment when your kid grows up. This can be made as two separate beds and placed beside each other and the longevity is best ensured with its solid wood construction. Price: Rs. 30,445/-

The offering is a highly usable kid’s storage cum Study Table that has appropriate shelves and drawer which comes with a compact design. It’s designed in such a way that it can be easily accessed by a kid. It has got a flap which can be stowed up when not in use, that ensures neatness and space to keep the books and notes pinned up. Your child will definitely have fun and would learn to become more structured and organized with these new offerings from Stylespa. Price: Rs. 8,290/-.

Unlock the Locks’ World with 9 Mantras

1. Non-duplication of the key

Just in case you lose your key, it is all the more difficult for someone to duplicate it if it is made with a higher technology. Godrej Ultra, Godrej Ultra EXS, Godrej EWA and Godrej I-Secure series of locks have a high degree of non-duplicability.

"Higher the technology, greater is the possibility of non duplication of your key."

2. Unpickability of a lock

Unpickability means:-
a. The lock cannot be opened using any foreign material.
b. Duplicate key cannot be made without the original key.
Godrej Ultra, Godrej EXS, Godrej EWA and Godrej l-Button series of locks are very difficult to pick.

"Higher the technology, greater is the Unpickability of the lock."

3. Key Combination and Inter-changeability

Key combination stands for how unique your key is and the number of times the same key is repeated for another lock. Godrej Ultra, Godrej Ultra EXS, Godrej EWA and Godrej I-Secure series of locks have one of the highest key combinations in India.

"Higher the key combination, safer is your home."

4. Brand

A good and trustworthy brand makes all the difference.

5. Warranty / Guarantee

This shows the company's confidence in its product and gives you the trust to buy it. Godrej is the first company in India to give 15 years guarantee for Godrej Ultra locks.

6. Master Keying Ability

Lock made using this technology allow the user to have a single key for a maximum set of locks used, provided the locks are of the same technology level.

"Higher the technology, larger is the set of locks that can have one master key."

7. Strength of the Lock Body

When an intruder is not able to pick any lock, he uses force to break or damage the lock to gain entry. A good, sturdy lock will always prevent forced entry. All Godrej locks undergo thorough & rigorous life cycle tests, as well as load-bearing tests to prove their strength before they reach to you.

8. Value for money

Value for money should be judged by the life cycle of the lock. The price you pay for the lock should not only benefit you but also your generations.

9. Service

Always select the lock of a company that provides you with good, after sales service such as:-

Installation.

Emergency opening.

Key duplication.

Repair.

Godrej provides you with all of the above services.

US Apartment Construction Hits 25-Year High

H4E News: Apartment construction in July hit a 25-year high, fueling the month’s pickup in housing while single-family home construction increased modestly. U.S. home construction, typically volatile month to month, increased 15.7 percent last month, the fastest pace since November after declines of 4 percent in June and 7.4 percent in May, the Commerce Department said on 19^th August 2014.

And while single-family building permits increased just 0.8 percent in July versus the year-earlier period, apartment permits increased 17.5 percent over the same period, according to Commerce Department data.

The surge in apartment construction fuels less economic growth nationally than a comparable rise in single-family homes because single-family housing multiplies consumer spending and job growth more, according to Diane Swonk, Chief Economist of Mesirow Financial.

“We tend to see more employment and spillover spending from owner than renters, but it is still a move in the right direction,” she blogged on 19^th August 2014.

Home owners tend to buy more furniture and home improvement products than apartment renters, for example. So the overall gain in construction, a sector the Federal Reserve keeps a close eye on as an indicator of the economy’s health, will impact spending, production and employment less than in the past.

The apartment surge is still a positive sign for job growth, but economists hope more renters will save enough for down payments or qualify for mortgages to buy homes.

Indian Developer Launches 'Child-Centric' Homes

H4E News: A company in India is building residential property developments with a focus on nurturing children's abilities and talents, offering special facilities and celebrity-coaching on site in activities ranging from tennis to personality and leadership skills.

The concept, called "Child Centric Homes", has been launched by a Gera Developments, an Indian developer.
 
The Indian property market has suffered a slowdown in demand over the past two years amid a decline in the country's economic growth and high interest rates, prompting developers to come up with innovative ways of attracting buyers.
 
"Along with an array of amenities that ensure the child's holistic development, it is a never before seen proposition in the residential real estate space," said Rohit Gera, the managing director of Gera Developments. "It creates more time for children by eliminating travel time to and from various classes and helps reduce the stress in the lives of the parents and allays child safety concerns since facilities are available on campus. There's this whole new aspirational young India."
     

The developer has signed up an array of celebrities to provide coaching. These include Shankar Mahadevan, who is an award-winning Indian singer and composer, and Viswanathan Anand, a former world chess champion, and Mahesh Bhupati, a professional Indian tennis player and the first Indian to win a Grand Slam tournament. Training will also be offered in dance and arts, among other activities, while personality development will take place under the Dale Carnegie brand.
 
The first projects under the initiative are being built in the Indian cities of Pune and Bangalore. Gera is also aiming to have a development under this scheme in Goa.

The first development is expected to be completed and up and running in two years. 

Cost Inflation Index and its Relevance

     What is Cost Inflation Index ?

The rising cost of all articles, popularly known as inflation, has its impact on every investor.  An index which accounts for annual inflation can be called cost inflation index.   In layman's language we can say that it is tool used to measure the rate of inflation in an economy.  Such an index is used for various purposes, including in income tax.  In India,  Section 48 of the Income Tax Act defines the index as what is notified by the Central Government every year, having regard to 75% of average rise in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for urban non manual employees for the immediate preceding year.    The table given at the end of this article gives these figures since 1981.

     How cost inflation index is useful in reducing income tax in India?

We know that indexation of  the cost of asset  allows the investors to save a substantial amount of income tax on his long term capital gains arising out of selling of movable / immovable properties, if he takes the advantage of the cost of inflation index allowed under IT Act.   However, this indexation is available only on fulfilling certain criteria.  

     Let us go through some of the basic rules for this indexation :

(a) Cost of acquisition of the asset whether movable or immovable is first to be multiplied by the cost of inflation of the year in which the asset is being transferred.

(b) The resultant figure obtained as above under (a) will then be divided by the cost of inflation index for the year in which the asset was acquired. 

(c) The cost of inflation for various years since 1981 is given below.   In case the asset was purchased before 1st April, 1981, the cost inflation index for the purpose of acquisition is to be taken as the one on 1st April, 1981

(d) The costs incurred on the improvement of the said asset are to be similarly adjusted with the help of the cost of inflation index i.e. by multiplying the cost inflation index for the year in which the improvements to the said asset were done.

PS : It should be noted that the benefit of cost inflation index is not available for short term capital gain or losses.   This means that the sale of the assets if acquired within a period of less than three years (36 months) from the date of purchases, will be treated as short term capital gains or losses.  In such cases, the benefit of indexation can not be availed.   Moreover, this benefit is also not available to Non Resident Indians.

In nut shell, we can say that investors can pay much less tax for the assets held by them for over 3 years by taking advantage of the indexation.

Assessment Year (AY)	Financial Year (FY)	Cost Inflation Index (CII)
2014-15	2014-15	1025
2014-15	2013-14	939
2013-14	2012-13	852
2012-13	2011-12	785
2011-12	2010-11	711
2010-11	2009-10	632
2009-10	2008-09	582
2008-09	2007-08	551
2007-08	2006-07	519
2006-07	2005-06	497
2005-06	2004-05	480
2004-05	2003-04	463
2003-04	2002-03	447
2002-03	2001-02	426
2001-02	2000-01	406
2000-01	1999-2000	389
1999-2000	1998-99	351
1998-99	1997-98	331
1997-98	1996-97	305
1996-97	1995-96	281
1995-96	1994-95	259
1994-95	1993-94	244
1993-94	1992-93	223
1992-93	1991-92	199
1991-92	1990-91	182
1990-91	1989-90	172
1989-90	1988-89	161
1988-89	1987-88	150
1987-88	1986-87	140
1986-87	1985-86	133
1985-86	1984-85	125
1984-85	1983-84	116
1983-84	1982-83	109
1982-83	1981-82	100

                                                                                                                           Source: Allbankingsolutions

Ireland Home Prices increases by 14% in 2014

Ireland: According to the Q3, 2014 House Price Report released in the second week by Ireland property portal Daft.ie, the average asking price for a house in Ireland has risen by 14% over the past year, led by an average rise of 25% in Dublin. The average asking price nationwide is now €195,000 ($248,000), compared to €170,000 ($216,000) a year ago, and €380,000 ($483,000) at the peak.

Prices in Dublin have experienced annual rises of between 18% in North County Dublin and 29% in Dublin's city centre. There were also significant double digit increases recorded in all of Dublin's surrounding counties; Louth 14%, Meath 15%, Kildare 19% and Wicklow 20%.

Cork and Galway cities saw prices rise 11% and 13% respectively over the course of a year, while Waterford city centre experienced a 3% climb. Limerick city asking prices continued to fall over the same period by 4%.

The report also surveys the sentiment and expectation of over 1,000 potential home buyers across the country, with respondents in Dublin stating that they expected prices to continue rising over the next twelve months by an average of 12%. This is the largest expected price rise recorded since the survey began in 2011. Outside of Dublin, respondents' expectations have also heated up; they expect prices to rise by an average of 6%.

Daft.ie economist Ronan Lyons commented, "The total number of properties on the market on October 1st was just over 30,000, the lowest figure since March 2007. Across Leinster, and in Dublin in particular, supply shortages remain and this has helped push up values by a third in Dublin in just two years. The concern is that this supply shortage is now feeding into expectations. While price rises driven by shortages can be stopped by increasing supply, tackling price rises driven by expectations is significantly trickier."