house: A Pen that can help you protect your Identity!
- 05/15/07 04:31 PM
This is an excerpt from the show on ID Scams that was on Oprah - this is the one thing that caught my eye the most, thought i'd mention it here!Shield Your Fortune with a $2 PenAll it takes to empty your bank account is a single signed check stolen from your unlocked mailbox and some acetone-the active ingredient in nail polish remover. (Conveniently for criminals, pure acetone is also available in the paint department of home improvement centers.) Here's how the scam goes down: The crook steals mail likely to contain a signed check-envelopes addressed to the phone or (8 comments)
house: Tips for making a "dated" home more saleable!
- 05/10/07 05:19 AM
Some cost effective ways to update your home, making it more saleable:First off, remove clutter! Especially in your kitchen - if you kitchen counters are packed with tons of appliances, buyers will immediate assume you have a severe lack of space - instant turn-off! Put items you don't use daily away, items that are used rarely should go in the attic.If you have dated wallpaper anywhere in your house, remove it! I can't tell you how many times I see my buyers make faces the moment they see wallpaper!Sometimes just painting cabinets and replacing old hardware on cabinets will make a (7 comments)
house: Agency Relationship Disclosure - how well informed are you about it?
- 05/03/07 08:16 AM
I'm usually shocked when I talk to buyers who are working with agents and the buyers have no clue what agency disclosure is. In New Jersey, it's the law that you inform buyers and sellers of this! The biggest thing is knowing when to explain agency relationships. Like at open houses, do you know when to disclose?How many other states require agency disclosure? This is the usual information I give clients that explains Agency Relationships in NJ:SELLER'S AGENT A seller's agent WORKS ONLY FOR THE SELLER and has legal obligations, called fiduciary duties, to the seller. These include reasonable care, undivided (4 comments)
house: How to write Eye-Catching Ads!
- 05/02/07 04:34 PM
Ever have brain freeze when trying to create a great ad for that new listing? Maybe this will help! Feel free to add your own!You need a great title, to get attention! Here are some of my favorites!Waterfront RetreatBeach BungalowSeashore BungalowCan you see youreslf living at the Beach?Watch the SunsetsYour Own Lazy RiverOn the SandMother Nature is WaitingCharm of YesteryearCome Down a Country LanePeace and Quiet is Yours...Relaxing Rural RetreatYour Cozy HideawayCountry CharmerBeginners Luck!Looking for your first home?Live your Dream!Charming BeginnerStart Smart!The perfect place to start!The ultimage beginner home!Character... at a price you can afford4 King-Sized BedroomsA Little Imagination Can Pay (21 comments)
house: YOU as a Product! (The four P's of marketing YOU!)
- 05/02/07 03:38 PM
Now, i'm sure we all know the four P's of marketing:ProductPricePlacementPromotionNow, most of us use this method to promote listings, but how many actually use this formula for self-marketing? Lets take a peek at product YOU! Maybe this will get your gears going!You - The Product.How can you improve quality?Have any new products or upgrades lately?How do you provide better service and support?Do you have a warrantee?Are you a bundled product? ;)You - The Price.Cuts costs? Reduce prices? AACK! (there's that commission thing again)Do you offer discounts for quantity or loyalty? Do you offer better terms? Are you low risk?Maybe if (34 comments)
house: 2007 Year To Date Sold Profile for Middletown, NJ
- 05/02/07 02:35 PM
Below is the profile for properties that have been sold from January to May 1st, 2007. As you can see, there is no black cloud hanging over the real estate market her in Middletown - things ARE Selling! Only 1 less property sold in 2007 than in 2006! This chart is also great for seeing which property price range seems to be moving more quickly: MLS PROFILE YTD - SOLD Category - SingleFamily / Area: MID - MIDDLETOWN / County: MonmouthTotal: 167 (in 2006) 166 (in 2007) 0.6% Difference! --Information deemed reliable but not guaranteed--Copyright: 2007 by the Monmouth County Association of REALTORS® (0 comments)
house: Outrageous Brownies
- 04/16/07 07:45 AM
Outrageous Brownies 1 pound unsalted butter 1-pound semisweet chocolate chips -- (2 2/3 cups) 12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips -- (2 cups) 6 ounces bitter chocolate 6 extra-large eggs 3 tablespoons instant coffee granules 2-tablespoons pure vanilla extract 2 1/4 cups sugar 1 1/4 cups flour 1-tablespoon baking powder 1-teaspoon salt 3-cups walnuts -- chopped Preheat oven to 350F. Butter and flour a 12 x 18 x 1 inch baking sheet (if your pan is smaller, use it, and adjust baking time, it will work, as long as you do not over bake the brownies) Melt together the butter, 1 pound of chocolate chips, and the bitter chocolate in a medium bowl (1 comments)
house: Useful Tips from the Gadget Girl!
- 04/11/07 07:38 AM
Go go Gadget! Useful tips for everyone! FREE Programs that are great too! Lately, there have been some nasty viruses, spyware, adware and other malicious web-based trixters that are annoying, to say the least! They slow down your computer, can do crazy things like render your cd burner useless, or try installing things you really do not want installed. Having been through 3 bad viruses that attacked my laptop, wreaking havoc on installing new programs and burning cds, I got into the habit of updating my virus software daily - but not only that, I dump my temp internet files and (54 comments)
house: What triggers buying behavior?
- 04/10/07 01:27 PM
You've got your impulse buyers - i've had those, they love to make offers and write contracts - but... sometimes they pull out of the deal before the end of the attorney review. Ugh. Sometimes you take them out for a month to see tons of houses... then you get that call one Sunday.. Guess what we did! All excited they tell you of a house they saw on open house and put a contract on - with the agent hosting that house! Impulse. Sometimes they aren't so impulsive, but rather the opposite - they need to know for sure that (7 comments)
house: Mistakes, Questions & Conversation Starters with prospects!
- 04/05/07 04:33 PM
I am creating a Q&A list for packets to give to buyers and sellers along with my area information newsletter, and I'm trying to make a list of common mistakes and how to avoid them, but first figuring out the mistakes. Do you see any I missed, that you would add? I happen to think this is a good way to cover yourself in the long run - after all, informed buyer's and sellers are our best customers! I think these could also make some great conversation starters for prospects too! Ask people what they think are the biggest mistakes and why - it could really (27 comments)