Termites cause an estimated $5 Billion Dollars in property damage every year in our homes across the United States. This horrible little insect causes more damage to wood framed homes than fires, floods, hurricanes, or tornado's. This being said, the average homeowner does not even have a clue that these little buggers are chewing away your wood, and you have no idea the danger they pose to your property.

You really don't know a thing until the damage they caused is so severe that it's time to call in a professional to assess the damage. Termites can be feasting on your 2 x 4's for years until the damage finally is so apparent, it's too late. Termites are subterranean, living in colonies feasting on your wood. These little "silent destroyers" enter your home through your foundation, windows, vents, and roof joints are also popular entry points.

So, here are some ways to keep the creatures from entering your home.

* Keep moisture out of your home, especially your basement.

*Store your firewood, mulch, and wood chips away from your house.

*Make certain that your landscaping,ie: shrubs, bushes, vines, and other plants are not planted too close to your home, and they are not covering the vents.

*Remove old tree stumps and roots near your home.

*Ventilate crawl spaces and basements to reduce humidity.

*Fill in and eliminate gaps and cracks in the these areas of your home: vents, windows, joints, roof eaves.

The best defense to termite control is yearly inspections. This will catch any activity before there is a really big problem. They will check outside for visible mud tunnels in and around the foundation. Next they will inspect the rest of the house starting in your basement. Remember that when you try to sell your home, the buyer wants a certified termite home inspection completed before the closing.

High levels of stress take a psychological and physical toll on everyone.The major differences appear in us, and how we choose to deal with it.

Some "Heavy Hitters" take pride in the persona of being able to handle high levels of stress.These people talk about all of their responsibilities, the number of people who depend on them, and the projects that only they can oversee. Do not mistake this as a cry for sympathy. These people are trying to impress you, so be impressed.

Other affluent individuals are in a state of stress denial. Rather than brag about the stress in their lives, they simply accept it as normal behavior. I do not mean to infer that their stress, or the way they suppress it, is healthy, but it quietly exsists in their everyday lives.

Many people are able to recognize their exessive levels of stress and understand that left unchecked it can, and will be harmful to their health and minds. This attempt to deal with it through counseling, self-help books, yoga, exercise, and the list goes on and on.

Whatever the form of stress-carrying the affluent consumers you might encounter, it is important to be aware that stress impacts who they are, their emotional state of mind, and how they go about major purchase decisions. You are not only dealing with skeptical, savvy, price conscious consumers ; they are typically stressed out to the max ! This important gem of information needs to be tucked away in your mind. How do I deal with someone who is under tremendous stress ?  Very gently, that's how !

For a moment, forget about selling and recall the last time you witnessed someone  (I hope it wasn't you) involved in road rage incident. To be certain, it's an ugly scenario. Nine out of ten times, the person who lost it, the insane driver, feels tremendous remorse and embaressment when he or she finally realizes what's just happened, they come to their senses, back to the reality of the situation. The event you just experienced playing out was a high level stress attack in what would typically be considered a normal person. Driving a car, regardless of our affluence, will become a high strees occurance. The same can be said for our major purchase decisions. Too many options with too much information to digest in too little time, and the high levels of stress that may lay dormant, suddenly come to the surface.

When people are under stress, they look for relief. They initiate many major purchase decisions to reward themselves for their hard work, using it as a stress relief, or entitlement. The last thing they want is a hassle. Don't be fooled by that composed and somewhat intimidating affluent customer standing in front of you or talking on the other end of their cell phone. As they say where I grew up in Larchmont, New York, "Life is a head fake."

As much as these heavy hitters are cynical and savvy, much of their major purchase decision making is emotional. If they like you, if it feels right, if you make them feel imprtant and in control, and if you help them think that they have made a well informed decision, they are likely to conduct business with you. Don't be fooled, this will not let you off the hook. You better know exactly what you are talking about, in your field of expertise, like the back of your hand, because once the affluent make this emotional decision, they will go to great lengths to support it with logic. 

The affluent never have enough time in the day to finish all of their work. When making a major purchase decision, they expect miricles, minimum hassles, and big-time attention. At least seven factors typically influence the major purchase decision making process of the affluent...

1. They want to be respected, and even honored, for the level of success they have achieved.

2.They are successful because of the professionalism and competence they apply to their work, and they expect nothing less from others.

3. They will react strongly to any efforts to deceive or manipulate them, they will likely take their business elsewhere.

4.They love to do reasearch and trust their own judgement to determine value in their own terms.

5. They frown on the phrase "keeping up with the Joneses", the affluent today want to be different from the Joneses.

6. They experience tension and hassles in their daily work lives, and they want to be free from all of that when dealing with people who want to sell them something.

7. They can afford and are willing to pay for the best information, the best products, the highest level of    competence, and the best professional service available.

Failure to undersatand these seven factors of major purchase decision making by the affluent buyer will significantly impact your level of success. Dealing with the affluent is complex concept, known to few, only a handful of superior sales talents. This requires that you have to learn how to create the sales environment that captures the minds and hearts of the affluent.

 

 

 

Did you read the article in Today's Sunday Times Styles Section ? Well,here it is in a nutshell.Record bonuses for Wall Street and Bankers,but it's a hush,hush subject.Buy your home in the Hamptons,but don't tell anyone about the purchase. "The Time To Buy Is Now" in the Hamptons Real Estate market.It's still a buyers market in Hamptons Real Estate right now,but it's not going to last forever.The biggest and best deals have already been sold and closed,or they are already in contract. There is still a fine inventory of homes in the Hamptons right now,in all villages and towns.So,what are you people waiting for ? Prices are not going to remain at these levels forever.The increase in sales,closings and homes in contract are going to stabilize the market.With this stabilization,prices are sure to start to rise once again.

This weekend is a perfect example to prove that Hamptons Real Estate is selling.The number of buyers were out in force yesterday.I was showing homes with 2 different customers,and everywhere I went,I ran into other brokers and agents with customers showing homes.This is a very positive sign that the Hamptons Real Estate buyer is back ! Being a Fine Homes Property Specialist in Southamton,Happy 2010 !

This is a very common question being asked by perspective sellers before they put their home on the market For Sale. I tell them that it's a great idea only when you stick to a budget on the proposed alterations.The best bang for the buck is painting.Projects like adding a wood deck in the backyard,average cost to build is around $10k with an average return of 81%.Remember,first impressions can only be made ONCE ! So,think carefully about the projects to invest in to sell your home in a timely manner.Don't do a bathroom project for $40k expecting to get all the money back.It will enhance your property value,but you will see about a 70% return.An upscale kitchen project for $50K will return only 62%.

Here are 10 things you can do to spruce up your home with a low cost,good return ratio.1) Freshen up your kitchen cabinets and hardware. 2) Add a breakfast bar. 3) Replace or install a nice looking backsplash in your kitchen,and maybe the master bath as well. 4) Clean out the clutter in your basement  5) Spruce up your garage,maybe a new door,some industrial quality paint on the floor. 6)Maybe a granite countertop in the kitchen,and a mrble counter top in the baths. 7) New lighting fixtures in the bathrooms. 8) Maybe add a room to a small home,this wiil appeal to more home buyers with a limited budget. 9) Clean out your closets,everyone loves the word "neat and clean". 10) Make sure that your entire house is spotless,   especially the windows. Remember this fact: A buyer makes the decision to buy a home within Eight seconds from walking in to the house. Make a great first impression,you only have one chance !

I hope that this information proves to be valuable to you all. Happy Sales !

Recent activity levels have picked up for the Hamptons Real Estate market in 2010.Many more buyers,sellers and investors are looking at the opportunities to purchase a second home,an investment home with rental income,or a fixer-upper to buy and flip.These are very goods signs that the Hamptons Real Estate Market is stabilizing.Buyers are starting to make higher offers.Sellers are finally becoming more realistic with their negotiations towards actually selling the home.And last,but not least,the savvy investors are looking for all types of investment properties in all price ranges.All this is very encouraging for a great summer rental season in the Hamptons ! Many of the people that rented a house last summer have already signed a lease for the Summer of 2010.Most high-end properties are rented to the same families that rented this past summer.All great signs that the Hamptons Real Estate market is alive and well !

Imagine walking in to a bagel store on a Saturday morning and the person standing in line ,right in front of you is Steven Speilberg! Wow, I can't believe my own eyes,it's really him. This is an everday occurence in The Hampton's. It really is the playground for the rich and famous each and every summer. I've been a Hampton's resident for the past 11 years,moving here from Manhattan. I lived in Manhattan for 27 years before moving to The Hampton's.It is the gratest place to live. Beautiful beaches,amazing social events and benifits,museums,award winning wineries and everything else you can imagine. Come and visit this wonderful destination! A great place for a summer home,or a vacation,we have it all.I invite investors to explore the possibilities that The Hampton's offer.  

This is the most exciting place to be,especially in the summer.Imagine walking in to a bagel stoe on a Saturday morning in July, and the person standing right in front of you is Steven Speilberg! Wow, you can't believe your own eyes,that is really him! This is an everyday occurence in The Hampton's.There are many other exciting happenings beside going to the bagel store! If you want to experience the most beautiful beaches on this planet, come to the Hampton's.There are social functions,benifits,museums and award winning wineries to explore. If you have never been here you need to experience what's going on in The Hampton's. You will be glad you did.