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| 18 Mar 2008 02:25:02 pm |
 Helping Others In Need |
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Tampa, FL - While it is true that many folks are having trouble making their mortgage payments, it is also true that some of these folks are responsible, reasonable people with families, who have been victimized by circumstances well outside their control. These are not the people who bought more home than they could afford with a 'no docs', 100% LTV, adjustable rate mortgage. No, these are people who have had income changes, or who did not account for the 40% increase in the price of gas (who among us could have?) and other price increases, or those who underestimated the increase in payments on their adjustable rate mortgage. Most of these folks cannot easily sell their homes today because the equity they created with their 10 or 20 percent down payment has been completely eroded by a relentlessly falling real estate market.
Given the opportunity, many of these people would love to stay in their homes, but are being forced to short sell, and then leave. We have a unique Win/Win (and we hate that very cliche term) investment strategy to help some of these people stay in their homes, and are looking for investors who are tired of the extreme volatility now standard in today's financial markets. If you are someone who would like to add some stability to your investment portfolio, and will be able to invest for a couple of years, please visit www.PrettyDogRealty.com/invest or contact us at: 813-944-3115 for more information. You can do a good thing for others, while buying property at deep, deep discounts and creating an income stream with good annual returns for yourself, and be in a perfect position ride the wave of appreciation when real estate turns around - and it surely will. |
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Category : Buying A Home
| Posted By : blb111 |  Comments[1] |  Trackbacks [97] |
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| 14 Mar 2008 04:54:27 pm |
| How To Prepare Your House For Sale |
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This article was first published by the lovely Elizabeth Weintraub, in About.com
This is a step-by-step procedure listed rationally and in an easy to follow way.
Prepping and staging a house
Every seller wants her home to sell fast and bring top dollar. Does that sound good to you? Well, it's not luck that makes that happen. It's careful planning and knowing how to professionally spruce up your home that will send home buyers scurrying for their checkbooks. Here is how to prep a house and turn it into an irresistible and marketable home.
Difficulty: Average
Time Required: Seven to 10 Days
Here's How:
1.Disassociate Yourself With Your Home.
- Say to yourself, "This is not my home; it is a house -- a product to be sold much like a box of cereal on the grocery store shelf.
- Make the mental decision to "let go" of your emotions and focus on the fact that soon this house will no longer be yours.
- Picture yourself handing over the keys and envelopes containing appliance warranties to the new owners!
2.De-Personalize.
Pack up those personal photographs and family heirlooms. Buyers can't see past personal artifacts, and you don't want them to be distracted. You want buyers to imagine their own photos on the walls, and they can't do that if yours are there! You don't want to make any buyer ask, "I wonder what kind of people live in this home?" You want buyers to say, "I can see myself living here."
3. De-Clutter!
People collect an amazing quantity of junk. Consider this: if you haven't used it in over a year, you probably don't need it.
- If you don't need it, why not donate it or throw it away?
- Remove all books from bookcases.
- Pack up those knickknacks.
- Clean off everything on kitchen counters.
Put essential items used daily in a small box that can be stored in a closet when not in use.
Think of this process as a head-start on the packing you will eventually need to do anyway.
4.Rearrange Bedroom Closets and Kitchen Cabinets.
Buyers love to snoop and will open closet and cabinet doors. Think of the message it sends if items fall out! Now imagine what a buyer believes about you if she sees everything organized. It says you probably take good care of the rest of the house as well. This means:
- Turn coffee cup handles facing the same way.
- Hang shirts together, buttoned and facing the same direction.
5. Rent a Storage Unit.
Almost every home shows better with less furniture. Remove pieces of furniture that block or hamper paths and walkways and put them in storage. Since your bookcases are now empty, store them. Remove extra leaves from your dining room table to make the room appear larger. Leave just enough furniture in each room to showcase the room's purpose and plenty of room to move around. You don't want buyers scratching their heads and saying, "What is this room used for?"
6. Remove/Replace Favorite Items.
If you want to take window coverings, built-in appliances or fixtures with you, remove them now. If the chandelier in the dining room once belonged to your great grandmother, take it down. If a buyer never sees it, she won't want it. Once you tell a buyer she can't have an item, she will covet it, and it could blow your deal. Pack those items and replace them, if necessary.
7. Make Minor Repairs.
- Replace cracked floor or counter tiles.
- Fix doors that don't close properly and kitchen drawers that jam.
- Consider painting your walls neutral colors, especially if you have grown accustomed to purple or pink walls.
(Don't give buyers any reason to remember your home as "the house with the orange bathroom.")
- Replace burned-out light bulbs.
- If you've considered replacing a worn bedspread, do so now!
8. Make the House Sparkle!
- Wash windows inside and out.
- Rent a pressure washer and spray down sidewalks and exterior.
- Re-caulk tubs, showers and sinks.
- Polish chrome faucets and mirrors.
- Clean out the refrigerator.
- Dust furniture, ceiling fan blades and light fixtures.
- Bathroom towels look great fastened with ribbon and bows.
- Clean and air out any musty smelling areas. Odors are a no-no.
9.Scrutinize.
- Go outside and open your front door. Stand there. Do you want to go inside? Does the house welcome you?
- Linger in the doorway of every single room and imagine how your house will look to a buyer.
- Examine carefully how furniture is arranged and move pieces around until it makes sense.
- Make sure window coverings hang level.
- Tune in to the room's statement and its emotional pull. Does it have impact and pizzazz?
- Does it look like nobody lives in this house? You're almost finished.
10.Check Curb Appeal.
If a buyer won't get out of her agent's car because she doesn't like the exterior of your home, you'll never get her inside.
- Keep the sidewalks cleared.
- Plant yellow flowers or group flower pots together. Yellow evokes a buying emotion. Marigolds are inexpensive.
- Make sure visitors can clearly read your house number.
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Category : General
| Posted By : richardbrazil | Comments[0] | Trackbacks [944] |
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