Your practical real estate guide

REAL ESTATE AGENTS

June 10th, 2010 editor

realestateagents3.jpg

Real estate agents can surely help you in finding the right place for you. Just where and how do you find them? Easy. The simplest way to find a credible and efficient real estate agent is through referrals. Being referred to would only mean they are doing a great job. Nowadays, it is also easy to spot them online. In the internet you can find lists of real estate agents where there are even ratings and testimonials so you would really be able to know who’s at the top of their job. If you attend open houses, you could find real estate agents where interacting with them is easy. They would surely be hanging around and that would be the time for you to observe who’s okay and then, select.

BENEFITS OF A HOME WARRANTY

January 10th, 2010 editor

Whether you are a homeowner, buying a new home or maybe planning to sell your home, you would surely encounter stuff about home warranty and maybe would wonder what it is and how it really works and moreover, its benefits. Apparently there are a handful of home warranty benefits.

First of all, it gives you peace of mind; they (the home warranty service provider) would give you no time to worry. With a home warranty, you would be hassle-free from unexpected expenses that could save you from your frustration.
Also, home warranty could be your best security for the unexpected. Whatever happens to your home, you know you are all covered. And of course, home warranty gives you not only budget protection but you can save money as well.

Image From : Ownerbuilderadvice.com

HOUSE STYLING REFERENCE

December 15th, 2009 editor

4.jpgby: Djai Tanji

Choosing a style for your house is not that simple. You can have difficulty in maintaining the image of your dream home in your head and at the same time, considering what other family members want. Good thing there are a lot of house styling references you can choose from.

Most homes have pure Architectural style elements and some may mix a little bit of this and that. Styling could be a lot easier if you have knowledge in roof styles, massing, window positions and sizes and some detailing. Common styling features are Victorian styles, Colonial homes, Eclectic styles (Greek, Italianate, Tudor), Classic styles and of course the modern housing styles.

Refrigerator Art Marketing

November 3rd, 2009 Kurt Wilde

Refrigerator art marketing might sound strange and newfangled but this is just a different twist to an old marketing idea. Advertising on refrigerator doors isn’t a new idea; lots of companies give away advertising magnets to customers and prospective customers.

Refrigerator art marketing is fairly similar to this. Many home buyers bring their kids with them when they look at houses or meet with their real estate agent. The kids tend to be a distraction and keep the transaction from getting done. The trick is to provide them with paper and crayons so the kids would remain distracted throughout the meeting. The marketing part comes in the paper, because it will contain your name, contact details, company information at the bottom of the page. Often the kids’ drawing will end up on the refrigerator door of your client’s home, which is a great place to be seen.

Home Buying for Single Women

October 20th, 2009 Kurt Wilde

According to the US Census Bureau, there are over 14 million women who live alone in big cities.  City planners and buildings are increasing security as they realize that many homes, apartment buildings, condominiums and streets are not designed with women’s safety in mind.  To help women buy a home with safety features, here are some tips:

Buy a home with an attached garage.  During winter, the days are shorter, which means that it’s usually dark by the time you get home from work.  You might feel uncomfortable walking to your house in the dark from a detached garage.

Consider a neighborhood with good lighting.  Brightly lit streets or streets with motion sensor lights give more protection than dark streets.

Get a home with a security system.  Ask the homeowner if the security system is owned or leased and how much it will cost each month.

It’s Better on Paper (Part 2)

September 27th, 2009 editor

For example, a real estate purchase agreement. It binds the buyer and the seller with the conditions they agreed upon. It is always better to have it on paper than by relying on words from the lips of both sides. There is no perfect buyer or seller or contract. Some of the terms and conditions agreed upon in the beginning can be replaced or removed or include new parts to the purchase until the buyer or the seller is contented. It is advisable to have your attorney or a real estate broker to help you around with your sales agreement.

It’s Better on Paper (Part 1)

August 24th, 2009 editor

When you get married, you will have a contract that states the date, the place, the priest and the name of your spouse. When you we’re born, you have your parents’ names, the place of birth, date of birth, and your name of course, your gender and other information that are sometimes thought of unimportant. Anyone who is born or got married would want the said events to be on paper. Your birth certificate officially states you, your parents, place of birth, etc. and your marriage contract verifies that you are married with this person. It’s just the same with when you purchase a property.

Home Prices Rise ever so Slightly

July 11th, 2009 B. Slade

People have been waiting for a sign of recovery so they could sell their homes and with all the waiting comes a lot of false hope. This time round, industry experts are seeing that home prices have stabilized to their lowest levels, rising ever so slightly enough to get people selling. They are still quite low for not much improvement has been seen in the industry as a whole but they have improved a lot compared to the price drops they have seen during the developing recession. People have also been taking notice of the low mortgage rates, taking advantage, they refinance their mortgages in hopes of staving off foreclosure but be forewarned that the new predictions for the end of this crisis are placing it at 2012, a long way off so be sure you keep updated with current economic data to make wise decisions on your real estate.

FBI Warns of More Fradulent Activities

June 11th, 2009 B. Slade

Tis’ the time when fraudsters take advantage of people who are capable of spending, using the identity of others to leach out as much cash they can before abandoning talks resulting in a case of fraud that seems to be on the rise as people get more and more desperate for more cash. Jobs are being lost and the very people who have lost jobs in the housing market who know the system yet have not been able to ride the storm through are turning into crooks. The FBI has already caught and persecuted many of them yet for every one caught, several others get away and people are reeling from their activities who end up not knowing who to trust anymore. Caution is advised when engaging in shady deals for if they sound too good to be true, they probably are.

Alternative Power in Homes Near You

May 9th, 2009 B. Slade

greenpowerGreen power is growing trend being sen on many fronts of the economy, from small homes to bigger companies who are opting to take advantage of the perks being given by the government for such who adopt them early. This is in support of the new Green Revolution which is aimed to lower our dependence on oil and reduce the pollution that comes from its use. From solar power, heat and wind turbines, they all promise free and clean energy for the home and business as we strive to make the earth last a bit longer for our children and many more generations. Read the rest of this entry »