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home: Downsizing and Upsizing! - 09/19/07 09:18 PM
While some clients talk about downsizing, they still are wanting the amenities!
As we mature and grow into the years of enjoyment, the thought of downsizing tends to come up as a topic. But downsizing doesn't mean giving up on the amenities of comfort, convenience and class.
So what are some of these amenities your buyer may want in their dream home?
Well, how about a customized exercise room. Use that spare bedroom to place that weight training equipment, the cardio machines, soft mats, surround sound and a HDTV. If you have space, how about an outdoor/indoor lap pool and hot tub, that … (10 comments)
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home: Energy to Spare...? - 09/18/07 10:46 PM
Tips for lowering your energy costs!
With the fall approaching and then winter around the corner, what are you doing to protect your wallet and save the green backs? We could be in for a mild winter, or maybe not. At least it would be a good idea to test your heating system before the cold gets here, you don't want to wait until you need to, then don't have it.
So here are some tips to consider.
Clean your furnace filter - Make sure your furnace filter is clean and replaced with a new one. This is one of the most overlooked and … (12 comments)
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home: Alternative Construction Materials - 09/15/07 11:15 PM
Want to build a high efficiency home, don't know where to begin? How about considering building a home out of ICF's? What are ICF's? Insulated Concrete Forms!
Okay, so what is that? Well, in the basic form it looks like Styrofoam blocks (large Lego blocks) that you put together then pour concrete in the middle. You use rebar and must only pour the concrete four feet high at a time before it needs to set, then you can pour more and so on, until you get to the height you need.
When, I worked on the Habitat for Humanity projects, we used … (10 comments)
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home: Remodeling a Home? - 09/13/07 11:39 PM
New versus Remodeling, some thoughts to consider!
Sometimes you just like the neighborhood you live in, you really like most everything about your home other than you want a sunroom, or an extra bedroom, updated kitchen and bathrooms, etc...
Well when you get the project completed, you might forget about something that could cost you more later, increasing the value of your homeowner's policy.
I'm not any different than anyone else, I don't like paying more than I need to for the insurance on my home, but if you have replacement cost coverage and want to be able to repair you home if … (8 comments)
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home: Common Defects - 07/17/07 01:05 AM
Help your Seller with 10 Common Defects
We all have had those last minute issues pop up just before closing that could cost our seller the sale they so desperately need to make happen. Why is it that so many homeowners are unfamiliar with some of the most common problems that exist with a home?
Okay, the seller lives in their home day in an out and they don't see the little issues that become bigger problems; they just overlook the simple and obvious issues we see. So, here's a third party reference you can use to help your seller close the deal.
The 10 … (29 comments)
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home: Fix It and Flip It! - 06/04/07 10:05 PM
Fix it and Flip it Strategy
As a continuation to my Flipping Houses? post, I wanted to share an article that I think warrants review. Dan Auito, author of "Complete Home Rehab in 10 Days," says that in order to succeed in Fix & Flips, "You must be somewhat of an appraiser and deal finder." For most of us in real estate, it takes time to recruit a team of professionals. If you are like me, you feel you are putting your reputation on the line as well as theirs and you want professionals who will respect you and your clients. You don't have … (29 comments)
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home: Mulch Essential and Simple - 05/17/07 11:53 PM
Mulch, is essential and simple!
I was reading a article about how mulch is an essential part of gardening for your home. The article stated that without mulch in the garden around your home, the garden wouldn't be able to conserve the moisture needed during the hot days of summer. It futher states that mulch insulates the soil from the sun's rays and keeps the soil cooler. And finally, mulch is the best way to control weeds.
Okay, but I think there should be some care in where the mulch is placed, how much mulch is used, what type of mulch is best and contaminates … (6 comments)
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home: Building a New Home: Drive Up not Through! - 04/23/07 11:43 PM
Putting in your driveway. What will it cost you?
You only need 3-4 inches (thickness) of concrete to put in a good driveway at your new home. It's really fairly easy to calculate what is will cost you to put in the driveway. Here's a concrete calculator from concrete.com that will assist you with the amount of yards of concrete you will need. Concrete is sold and figured in yards, not feet, so using this calculator breaks this down for you. For instance, a 9 foot by 9 foot area, 4 inches thick equals 1 yard of concrete. You will need to call the concrete companies in … (6 comments)
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home: Selling your Home: Where do I spend my Money! - 04/23/07 10:20 PM
Curb Appeal - if you can't get buyers in the door, you can't sell a buyer your home!
In the Sunday addition of the Kansas City Star was an article on Improve your home's curb appeal. There were three items mentioned which would provide improvement to your home. I would like to add to my comments to these items based upon comments of home stagers, realtors and landscapers.
Yes, a realtor can provide comparables (even one from Olathe :-)) that will provide information on the highs and lows in your neighborhood and the average days on the market, but that really doesn't tell you the whole story. … (6 comments)
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home: Real Estate Tips: Who wants more Referrals? - 04/23/07 01:05 AM
9 Things to Do for More Referrals
I think we all want to have more quality referrals. Here are a 10 things you can try to put your referral business in a position to attract more high-quality referrals.
1. Earn the RIGHT to get referrals. Bring high value quickly to every buyer or seller and exceed your clients' expectations. Focus on the "process" not "product." Putting your buyer or seller first in the process will get them to think about the "big picture" and allow you to be referrable.
2. Focus on a client-service model. When it comes to staying in touch with your clients, don't just wing it. Have a plan you consistently use. … (4 comments)
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home: Real Estate Tips: Stop the Confusion - 04/10/07 12:21 AM
Control vs Confusion
How many times have you taken a buyer to multiple showings and by the time you are finished, the buyer was so confused they couldn't remember what they saw? Many of you may already practice this, however, for those that want to help the buyer and allow you to stay in control of the real estate process, try this.
Once you have shown three listings, ask this question. "Now which one of these homes (or real estate properites) would be your first choice"? Then rate the properties (write it down on the listings).
When you get to the next home, you would ask, "Now considering the home … (4 comments)
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home: Real Estate Strategies: Motivating Buyers - 04/01/07 02:24 AM
Interested in motivating Buyers to take action? Buyers are motivated by different things in different locations. So learn to identify the factors that will motivate buyers to action and build your marketing around the specific target audience. Here are 10 questions to ask yourself about real estate buyers.
The Ideal Buyer Work Sheet
What demographic age group does your ideal buyer fall into? Are the buyers married? Do they have children? What income bracket does the buyer fall in? What is the buyers educational background? Have your buyers bought or sold a home before? What kind of occupation(s) does your buyer have? What is your buyer's … (5 comments)
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home: Real Estate Tips: A House or a Home? - 03/30/07 12:10 AM
5 Tips on Selling a Vacant House
Generally speaking a vacant house takes twice as long to sell. Here are five tips on making a vacant house a home.
1. People Buy Homes, not Houses A buyer purchases a home because it "feels like home." They need to see themselves in the home you are selling. Is it warm and inviting? The buyer must feel an emotional connection in the purchase of a home. An empty room is sterile, cold and uninviting. Shouldn't it be warm and inviting?2. There Is No Frame Of Reference without Furniture Without furniture it's difficult for buyers to get the feel for the size of a room they … (7 comments)
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home: Real Estate Investments: In or Out of Town? - 03/28/07 11:36 PM
Real Estate Investment:
Ever take a vacation and visit a timeshare (RCI or Interval International affiliates)? They put you up in either a hotel or if they are good at what they do, they put you in one of their development condos. Your obligation is to take their 90 minute tour (it's never 90 minutes) visiting their facilities, condos, amenities, etc... hoping you will like what you see and be a buyer while your emotions are high.
My wife and I have taken quite a few of these tours, she dislikes them with a passion and I just can't seem to ignore them. I like to see other communities and visit areas … (4 comments)
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home: New Home Considerations... - 03/18/07 11:12 PM
Considerations when building a new home should be carefully thought out. Whether you design it and become the general contractor or you find a builder that is building in a development, these are things to consider when building a new home.
Build for future needs. Remember, builders create homes with defined demographic groups in mind, sometimes known as first-time buyers, move-ups, empty-nesters and retirees. Developers create new communities based upon timing and marketing conditions for the phases represented above. Two story homes have been the market for the past few years, but there seems to be a shift in the market toward single or reverse 1 1/2 … (0 comments)
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home: Real Estate Strategies: Stop Calling Ads! (Strategy 5) - 03/14/07 12:49 AM
5. STOP CALLING ADS!Whether you decide to work with me or not, pick an agent you feel comfortable with and stay with that agent if he or she is doing the job. Agents work on commission and are paid by the seller, NOT THE BUYER! I charge NOTHING for my time when I work for you. To get 100% effort from me, I have to know that you value and appreciate my work on your behalf. Get your own personal representation by using a Buyers Brokers Agreement. It is your right to have your own representation when buying a home. You … (0 comments)
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home: Real Estate Strategies: Play the Game of the Nines! (Strategy 3) - 03/14/07 12:45 AM
3. PLAY THE GAME OF NINES.Before house hunting, make a list of nine things you want in the new place. Then make a list of the nine things you don't want. I call this "NINE OF THIS & NONE OF THAT". You can use this list as a scorecard to rate each property that you see. The one with the biggest score wins! This helps avoid confusion and keeps things in perspective when you're comparing dozens of homes.When house hunting, keep in mind the difference between "SKIN & BONES". The BONES are things that cannot be changed such as the location, … (0 comments)
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home: Real Estate Strategies: Don't Buy on Credit! (Strategy 2) - 03/14/07 12:43 AM
2. DON'T BUY ANYTHING ON CREDIT!Please check with your lender before you buy anything on credit or apply for ANY credit. In most cases you can buy the same car, furniture, vacation, etc. after you buy your home. BUT, if you buy it before the close of escrow you may significantly impact your ability to buy your new home.At today's interest rates, a new monthly debt of $70 could reduce your purchase price by $10,000. A new lease on a car for $350 per month could drop your buying power by $50,000. Depending on your price point, that could be a … (1 comments)
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home: Real Estate Related items: Facts about Radon - 03/14/07 12:31 AM
Breathing Easy: What Home Buyers and Sellers Should Know About Radon
This video below is provided by from the EPA web site and satisfies a long-standing need for a short visual educational tool on how to best include radon in residential real estate transactions. With a bit of light humor, the video covers the basics, including radon science, the lung cancer risk, home inspection, building a new home radon-resistant, testing and fixing a home, disclosure, state radon offices, hotline and web resources, and key radon numbers, e.g., EPA's action level and the U.S. indoor and outdoor averages.
The primary audiences are home … (0 comments)
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home: Building a New Home: Common Mistakes - 03/12/07 11:17 PM
Here's a list of common mistakes or forgotten items when building a new home.
Exhaust fans in all bathrooms including entry and basementWindows or Peep holes in the front and back doorsElectrical outlets at various elevations for outside use, such as christmas decor, deck lighting, etc...Enough of a roof overhang at the front entry so guests can get out of the rainElectrical outlets on the kitchen islandNo breezeway or shelter protection from a detached garage to the house Windows placement in rooms which don't allow furniture placement in bedrooms and living areasHVAC venting directly under windows, this is both a condensation issue as well … (5 comments)
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David L. Britt, MBA
Olathe,
KS
More about me…
The Heritage Home Team
Address: 13671 S. Mur-Len Road, Olathe, KS, 66062
Office Phone: (913) 322-7534
Cell Phone: (913) 226-5830
Email Me
Decided to build a new home? Need answers to difficult questions on building a home? Want to know how to talk to a builder? Just need general information on building a new home or need a consultant to help you with building a new home, you've come to the right place!
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