St. Stanislaus School benefit, 9 to 4 in Kolbe Hall, Adams. Bake sale, snack bar, games, Chinese auctions, money raffle, crafts, and pierogi.
Blackinton Union Church, 1373 Massachusetts Ave., North Adams; 10 to 2. Crafts table, bake sale, Chinese auction, the Christmas table, and kid's grab bag. Lunch $4, $2 kids.
First Congregational Church, North Adams, 9-2.
Nov. 28 Becket Federated Church, Route 8, holiday bazaar from 9-3. Lunch, crafts, baked goods, holiday and other items. Information: Mary Peltier, Parish House, 413-623-5217.
Dec. 5
Holiday Fair at First Congregational Church, 25 Park Place, Lee, from 10 to 3; handcrafted items, raffles, children's shop, bake sale, cut Christmas trees and lunch from 11 to 1. Includes angel-themed goods from SERRV. Information, 413-243-1033 or www.ucc-lee.org.
Dec. 12-13
North Adams Country Club, crafts 9-4; food from That's a Wrap from 11-2. Information: Sheryl Morehouse at 413-822-3329.
Planning a bazaar this season? Submit information to info@iberkshires.com to have it listed here.
We're trying out blogs to offer shorter, easy-to-find news. Let us know what you think.
Send press releases and announcements to info@iberkshires.com. Need to contact someone at iBerkshires? Here's how.
Mammography Dispute The government's issued controversial new guidelines stating that women shouldn't get annual mammograms until age 50, rather than age 40.
iBerkshires will be meeting with local medical experts Monday. Have a question you'd like answered on this issue? Send it info@iberkshires.com with "mammogram" in the subject line.
Time Share: A Great Vacation Opportunity for the Family
01:49PM / Thursday, May 15, 2008
“Where are we going this year?’, Photo Courtesy of Photolibrary
With a busy family, hectic work schedule and decisions to be made daily on a variety of topics and issues, one thing the average person does not want to struggle over is where to vacation to get some rest. For many, time share real estate offers a convenience that takes the edge off of the question, “Where are we going this year?’
Time share real estate is a deeded property that a person or family has the right to use one week a year at their convenience. The average person does not start out looking for a time share, it is often property that is stumbled upon from a variety of unassuming sources.
Real estate or management companies utilize crafty methods of introducing their product to potential buyers. Sometimes they receive a notice in the mail informing them they have won a prize and must go to a certain location to hear a presentation to receive their prize. The presentation is of course on the time share available for purchase.
Robert Lindquist, professor of business at Argosy University, Orange County advises potential owners to choose the location of the time share property carefully. “One thing to consider is whether there is a downside to selecting a location that has seasonal limitations such as ski resorts.” Lindquist says. He emphasizes it is important to select a location that will be attractive when trading for a new vacation spot when the family wants to make a change.
Lindquist sites several advantages to owning a time share:
* If this is a second home, the time share can be considered a second home and may be eligible as a tax write off.
* The time share guarantees the family a vacation spot one week out of the year in the original location or it can be traded for another site.
* The property can be maintained and kept until it is paid off or the family can choose to sell it.
* Time share resales are available.
For those who feel the cost of a full time share property is prohibitive, there is an option to buy the real estate in an every-other-year-arrangement for half the cost. This provides a reduced cost and still provides a family vacation site.
“Time shares provide stability within the family regarding travel, but they should never be looked at as an economical investment,” Lindquist says.
