Bill Burke's (bburke) Blog

DIY Tips For Removing Pet Odors and Stains   Pet owners often find themselves searching for methods to remove pet urine, which can leave stains and odors. Read on below to find out how to remove cat and dog urine stains. Removing Pet UrineCat and dog urine stains are smelly and incredibly tough t...

Although it tends to look unpleasant, without mold the world would be overrun with all kinds of dead plant material and we would not have antibiotics or blue cheese dressing. Nevertheless, as useful as it can be, no one wants mold in his or her home. Not only is it unsightly, it can cause structu...

Keeping your house safe and secure is very important.  You may not realize it, but there are cheap and foolproof ways to protect your home against burglars and home invasions.  The list below shows some ways to keep your house secured. 1. Choose a safe neighborhood.  Do your research by asking th...

Great Article From Realtor Magazine: Landscape designer Michael Glassman has cooked up a recipe for guaranteed curb appeal.   1. Add splashes of color. With every changing season, a landscape should provide a new display of colors, textures, and fragrances. "It's best to use one or two and repeat...

For those who are purchasing real estate and are ready to make an offer...   Now that you have found the home you would like to buy, it is time to write an offer. Writing an offer is not as easy as it may sound. The offer you make is the first step toward negotiating the sales contract with the s...

When you are new to the real estate world, the process can be very overwhelming. Between the meetings, showings, applications, loans and terminology, it can be very easy to get lost in the process! The terminology itself can overwhelm even the most savvy of people. Surely you have heard people us...

As we find ourselves in the midst of National Home Improvement month, HouseMaster, one of the first and largest home inspection franchisors in North America provides homeowners with simple tips on how to maintain and update their homes with fixes they can inexpensively do on their own. "One of th...

Interesting Article That I Came Across on Trulia After its historic decline brought the global economy to its knees, the U.S. housing market is gearing up for a long-awaited recovery. Real-estate experts expect home prices to hit bottom in late 2010 or early 2011 before - finally! - heading north...

1. Good plans equal great results.Successful remodeling projects require careful planning and a realistic budget. "Many people want to build it cheap and fast," says builder David Lisenby, certified graduate remodeler, of Lisenby Construction. "They want an estimate before they even have a plan."...

Even though the first-time homebuyer tax credit ended April 30, there are still many ways the government provides help and incentives to get first-timers into the housing market. With all mortgages, the interest rate you get will depend on your credit score and market rates at the time you buy. 1...