The Bad: St. Louis made the list for a variety of reasons: Unemployment remains near 10 percent, it has one of the highest crime rates in the nation and it is prone to natural disasters.

The Good: St. Louis was named one of America’s “Most Livable” communities by Partners for Livable Communities. It’s highly walkable, with a lot of cultural institutions and is one of the best sports cities in the U.S. with the St. Louis Cardinals (baseball), St. Louis Rams (football) and St. Louis Blues (hockey). “It’s a civilized Midwest oasis,” Sperling said.

The Recovery: The city has taken revitalization seriously, offering businesses and developers tax credits for moving in downtown. And in 2006, it received the World Leadership Award for urban renewal.

Qatar, an emirate that is slightly smaller in land size than Connecticut, has leapt onto the global economic scene with its vast natural resources, wealth, and relative stability. Ruled by Emir Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani since 1996, it’s one of the fastest growing economies in the world, growing by 19.4% in 2010 alone.

Executives from several of Qatar’s major corporations as well as government leaders will convene at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City April 6-7, 2011, for the Business & Investment in Qatar Forum to discuss development and investment opportunities in the fast-growing country.

So, what should you know about Qatar, and what are some of its key economic characteristics? Click ahead for an economic tour.

Have you always dreamed of having that perfect vacation spot but have never had the money to get one? If you and a few other families that you know or just know of that want to buy a vacation house, you could get a timeshare. Timeshare rentals allow for you to buy a home together and set a certain time to each rent it out. For example, one family might have it for two weeks and then the other family might get it for the next two weeks and so on. This may be a great idea for some who will make good use out of it, but if you really do not have the money for it and you are only planning to use it for a few weeks out of the year, it is probably not the best option for you.

These shared vacation spots are not always necessarily houses; they could be apartments, condos, and even hotel rooms. Either way, they take a lot of work. The work load may be split between the two or three families, but it needs to get done either way. When you own a home, you have to make sure that the grass is cut, the kitchen is clean, and there is just a lot of maintenance. Of course, if you are not living in that home all year-long, it does not take as much, but you cannot just leave it alone and expect it to be perfect when you come back to it.

Sometimes it is just a lot easier to either rent vacation spots for weeks at a time when you will be using them. You will not have to burden of a second mortgage or paying the utilities either. You can simply pack up your belongings, you have a fun week on the beach or wherever you want to go, and come home without worrying about closing up. Check out your options, do a search online for vacation home rentals. Read the rest of this entry »