general interest: Shh … We’re Eating; Mindfulness Meditation in the Dining Room - 05/03/12 12:54 PM
Most of us would agree we need a break from our fast-paced lifestyles. But would eating in silence be carrying it too far?
Mindful meditation – a technique to slow down and be in the moment – is moving from the yoga mat to the dining room table in hopes of restoring calmness to the process of nourishing our bodies.
Once the preserve of Buddhist monks, mindful meditation is now seen as a powerful tool by the scientific and medical communities to combat stress, depression, anxiety and other lifestyle diseases. Mindful eating is being touted as a way of bringing a … (2 comments)

general interest: What are my options as an empty nester? - 04/26/12 09:54 AM
Your children have left home. You and your spouse are home alone, likely in a big house that may be becoming too much to handle. You want to spend more of your time traveling and the idea of mowing lawns no longer appeals. Your lifestyle is changing but your living situation has not. What can you do? Downsize. Here's how: 1. Condominiums. Secure buildings that can offer of variety of amenities to suit any lifestyle. A monthly fee takes care of the maintenance. 2. Buy a smaller house. You may still want that garden. 3. Adult lifestyle community. Interact with like-minded … (2 comments)

general interest: Laptops, Ultrabooks and iPads….Oh My! - 03/23/12 10:21 AM

There are laptops, there are ultrabooks and then there are iPads.

Ultrabooks are the new and smarter versions of laptops - thinner, lighter, just as sturdy and often offering the same system performance as your run-of-the-mill laptop.They're also just slightly more expensive with an average price tag of about $1,000.They're great as a business investment, even if you're not always on the go.New business ultrabooks, including the Dell XPS133 and HP Folio 13, offer the same benefits as space-consuming desktops.Executives benefit from high-quality webcams, secure software, reliability and portability.Ultrabooks continue to thrive, with a recent Consumer Electronics Expo showcasing … (5 comments)

general interest: How to Prepare for the Spring Housing Market - 02/15/12 12:09 PM
Spring is just around the corner. It is the time of year when sellers and buyers gird up for what has traditionally been the most important season for buying or selling a home. The following are some ways to prepare:
Sellers
Sellers should be aware that there's a lot of competition for buyers in the spring. That means sellers should do everything possible to differentiate their home from others, including the following:
Polish windows and floors, rake the yard, mow the lawn, and add flowers in containers. Wash blinds and curtains and have carpeting cleaned. If a seller has spent the … (0 comments)

general interest: How to Hire the Right Bookkeeper - 02/10/12 02:01 PM
You cannot win a band competition without instruments, and you cannot succeed in business without a bookkeeping system.
Hiring a bookkeeping service is normally the best choice for every business that isn’t large enough to have a bookkeeper on staff. Attempting a shortcut by assigning bookkeeping to an untrained employee as a side duty is a recipe for disaster. A sound bookkeeper is identifiable as conducting the work using the right processes.
Reliable bookkeeping services create a system of verification and reconciliation. This ensures data integrity. Bookkeepers accomplish this by comparing your accounting to statements and reports from financial institutions. Good … (3 comments)

general interest: Surprise! You Can Get More Done When You Nap - 10/15/11 04:42 PM
It might surprise you to know that taking a catnap during the day is actually a good idea.Daytime rest has been shown to improve health, mood, efficiency and even job satisfaction.Sleep experts say that naps are not just physically restorative, but also good for perception, motor skills, information retention, reaction time and alertness.  There is plenty of medical evidence to back up these assertions.Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, confirmed that napping can improve the brain's ability to retain information, especially after sleep deprivation.A study done at the University of Haifa in Israel showed that naps helped accelerate long-term memory … (3 comments)

general interest: How Wi-Fi Can Help Landlords Attract New Tenants - 10/12/11 02:17 PM
With our increasing dependence on Internet access, commercial landlords have the perfect opportunity to attract new tenants.
Offering Wi-Fi access is a relatively inexpensive and easy way to attract new tenants and retain high-quality existing tenants.
Wi-Fi is attractive to all levels of commercial tenants, as it has benefits for tenants as well as their customers.
When first looking into setting up a wireless network for a commercial building, the landlord must ensure that the infrastructure is in place. The size of the structure will determine the cost of the system required to offer a stable Wi-Fi network for tenants. The … (4 comments)

general interest: Choosing the Right Location for Your Business - 10/11/11 03:41 PM
For property and business owners alike, the location of a property plays a key role in the success of the business. Industrial property owners want areas with additional hydro and water access, retail outlets desire more foot traffic, and office owners want access to public parking and the amenities that attract professional clientele.The best locations often have a premium cost, depending on the local market, and those costs need to be carefully weighed against the benefits. Following are three criteria to help with location selection:Assess the Business Requirements of the Development Carefully: Every property owner has a wish list of what he … (3 comments)

general interest: Proper Real Estate Investing Starts with a Plan - 10/05/11 01:50 PM
 
Whether you’re a seasoned investor or just exploring investment opportunities, you won’t get very far without a plan.
Successful investing starts with thinking about a goal, then mapping out a route to get there, leaving room for the inevitable obstacles that get in the way. 
Your Plan
Ask yourself why you want to invest in real estate? Is it passive income? Do you want to be a full-time real estate investor?
One way to get clear about your wants is to visualize your future and write out what it looks like. Following are a few things to think about:
 
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general interest: Time to Check Out Google’s Rival to Facebook – Google+ - 10/01/11 03:05 PM
 
Watch out, Facebook!
After only four weeks of active use, Google+ had 25 million users from around the world.
With a fast-growing audience and a focus on sharing items, brands and businesses have begun eyeing Google+ as a new way to connect with consumers and clients.
On July 21, Google removed profiles set up by companies, explaining that the Google+ platform is not yet ready to accommodate businesses.
Google manager Christian Oestlien hinted that a profile option for businesses would be announced in the coming months.
In the meantime, business owners can prepare their businesses so their debut on Google+ … (5 comments)

general interest: How to Choose the Right Location for Your Business - 09/21/11 03:17 PM
For property and business owners alike, the location of a property plays a key role in the success of the business. Industrial property owners want areas with additional hydro and water access, retail outlets desire more foot traffic, and office owners want access to public parking and the amenities that attract professional clientele.The best locations often have a premium cost, depending on the local market, and those costs need to be carefully weighed against the benefits. Following are three criteria to help with location selection:Assess the Business Requirements of the Development Carefully: Every property owner has a wish list of what he … (1 comments)

general interest: How is your real estate agent paid? - 09/19/11 01:23 PM
As a seller, you list your home through your agent's broker, and the agreed-upon commission goes directly to the broker. It's usually a percentage of the sale price but can be a flat fee.Your real estate agent incurs all the expenses, which ultimately he or she will recoup through the commission.Typically, your buyer will have an agent, and the commission will be split between that agent's broker and yours.It's not always 50/50. Both the seller's and buyer's agents will receive their commissions from their respective brokers.Their cut can vary.Your agent might list and sell your home, in which case he or … (0 comments)

general interest: Is Bypassing the Salt Good for Your Heart? - 09/19/11 01:09 PM
Some may still be rimming their margaritas with it, but just about everyone else is trying to reduce their salt intake.
After more than a century of warnings from the medical community, most of us get the fact that high levels of salt intake are linked to hypertension (high blood pressure), which, in turn, is linked to heart attacks, strokes and death.Cut back on salt and reduce your risk of heart disease.Seems logical...However, not one study has conclusively demonstrated a direct causal relationship between salt and death from heart disease.Even more confusing, some recent studies have gone so far as to … (2 comments)

general interest: Why Your Memory Isn't What It Used to Be - 09/19/11 01:02 PM
Memory can play tricks on people. Maybe that's why many of us don't bother to commit addresses, friends' names and other bits of key information to memory. Instead, we rely on Google, Bing and sometimes even our spouse to do it for us.
According to scientists at Columbia University, the Internet has become our primary form of external memory. Studies done at Columbia found that participants who expected to have access to information in the future had a lower recall rate. However, they had high rates of remembering where to access that information.The conclusion: We don't need to remember things anymore. We just … (3 comments)

general interest: Can You Turn Your Passion Into a Business? - 09/17/11 03:39 PM
 
Business is all about providing people with products, services and solutions that fulfill their needs and desires. To turn your passion into a profit-making enterprise, you must use and apply your passion in a way that impacts and satisfies others.
To make a living out of your passion, you must approach it as a business and be realistic about its market potential. Examine your passion carefully in order to see what the real source of it is. Think about all the possible ways you could pursue your passion and capitalize on it.
For example, if you’re passionate about wine, you … (0 comments)

general interest: How Your Bedroom Can Help Sell Your Home - 09/16/11 04:28 PM
A great master bedroom will help sell your home. But you don't have to spend a lot of money, time and effort trying to impress buyers. Following are 11 easy ways to spruce up your master for little money:
De-clutter and de-personalize. Buyers want to see themselves in the master bedroom. Don't surround them with the trappings of your life. Clean, clean and clean some more. Make necessary repairs. Paint. You don't have to go for beige (or gray, which is the new beige), but emphasize the room's spaciousness with lighter colors. Don't forget the ceiling. Move some of the furniture … (3 comments)

general interest: Some Tech Tips for the Average Joe - or Jane - 09/03/11 05:13 PM

Some clear answers on technology:
You don’t have to type http://www each time you enter a website address. You can skip to the rest of the address. What the heck is airplane mode? It prevents your cell phone from sending and receiving calls or text messages and may also prevent Internet browsing. Generally avoid using your camera’s flash indoors, as it can wash out your subjects. If a web page is too hard to read, make the text bigger. On Windows, press Control and the plus key. On Macs, press Command and the plus key.  
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general interest: The Three Phases of Environmental Assessments - 08/25/11 01:03 PM

When buying commercial property, an environmental site assessment (ESA) is an essential part of the due diligence process. Property owners and buyers should be aware of the three phases involved in a detailed ESA. Phase 1: The purpose of the first phase is to establish the baseline environmental conditions, identify any environmental compliance deficiencies and provide the necessary information for buyers to make an informed decision. Typically, an engineering company is employed to do this.

The first step is a records review. The company hired to conduct the assessment will look at historical and current documentation on chemical use and … (0 comments)

general interest: When Was the Last Time You Said 'Thank You'? - 08/21/11 01:41 AM
Thanking your customers lets them know you value their patronage. It's also a great way to build loyalty and encourage repeat business. There are lots of simple, inexpensive ways to thank customers. Just saying "thank you" is a good first step.
Be sure to mean it when you say it. Face your customer and smile. Take five extra seconds to look the customer in the eye and say it sincerely so the person knows you are expressing a genuine, heartfelt sentiment. Make it personal by using the customer's name and mentioning why you're thanking the individual.A handwritten note or letter is … (3 comments)

general interest: Thinking of Buying a Fixer-Upper? How to Do It Right - 08/18/11 03:40 PM
With proper due diligence and the right real estate agent, buying a fixer-upper can be a satisfying and lucrative experience. Buying a bad one, though, can lead to disaster.  Here are some tips to help you avoid problems:Location: A bad house in a desirable neighborhood is almost guaranteed to pay big dividends for the savvy buyer. Here's where a good real estate agent - as a specialist in local neighborhoods - can be worth his or her weight in gold.Mass Appeal: You'll want to look for a home that appeals to the largest number of buyers. That means three or more bedrooms and … (0 comments)

 
Dave Hill PhD,ePro,SFR,CIAS,BPOR,CNE,CSC Chicago Area Real Estate Agent (Midwest Premier Realty, Gurnee IL 224-321-0699)

Dave Hill PhD,ePro,SFR,CIAS,BPOR,CNE,CSC Chicago Area Real Estate Agent

Gurnee, IL

More about me…

Midwest Premier Realty, Gurnee IL 224-321-0699

Address: Gurnee, IL, 60031

Office: (224) 321-0699

Mobile: (224) 321-0699



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