Today's Real Estate News and Advice
Updated: February 23, 2012
Painting Surfaces That Don't Need Painting
Just because it's labeled "maintenance free" doesn't mean you can't paint vinyl siding, composite decking, fiberglass trim, factory-finished aluminum and other materials. FULL STORY->
Condensation in Your Home
As we near the end of Winter (hopefully!) many areas of the nation are entering their rainiest season. What does this mean for the health of your home? It all comes down to moisture and condensation. Many homeowner’s first instinct is to check windows and doors for leaks. Slightly askew installation can mean water accumulation, which will eventually turn to mold and rot. FULL STORY->
Does Your Spouse Refer Business to You?
Does your spouse confidently and cheerfully refer you to everyone he knows who has a real estate need? If you answered "no," do you know why he or she doesn't? Do you know the real reason? FULL STORY->
Incentives for Going Green
Are you thinking green this Spring? Not only can energy efficient windows, doors and skylights reduce energy bills they can also reduce your federal tax load! Visit Energystar.gov to see how you can save! These incentives are rewards for making your home more efficient and consuming less energy. FULL STORY->
Ask the HOA Expert
Our governing documents describe allowable signs as either for sale or for rent. Since no other types of signs are described, some interpret to mean no others are allowed. This seems overly restrictive. What about open house, garage sale and political signs? How about holiday decorations and flags? FULL STORY->
Pressure Proofing Your Business
We are all under the gun every day in real estate sales. Most of us get up every morning unemployed. We need to go out and find a person to buy and sell with everyday. How do we “pressure proof” our business? FULL STORY->
CFPB Proposes New Form For Mortgage Statements
It is regrettable that the recently-created Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) doesn’t have an easily-pronounceable acronym like HUD or RESPA. That is too bad because the CFPB is a government entity that people in the real estate industry are going to be referring to -- and dealing with -- over and over again in the coming years. Would that its name rolled easily off the tongue. FULL STORY->
Taxing Misconceptions
Five key misconceptions about RRSPs and income may hold people back from year-round commitment to keeping more of their earnings and building their savings into financial security. PJ Wade zeros in to help break down knowledge barriers and get out of a rut. FULL STORY->
Real Estate Outlook: Sales Rise
The latest quarterly report from the National Association of Realtors shows that many metro areas are now seeing more balanced conditions. Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said the figures of this report reflect greater home sales activity at lower price points. "Sales have risen strongly in lower price ranges from one year ago, while sales at the upper end remain sluggish," he said. FULL STORY->
Agents: Attracting Business to You Every Time You Leave the House
Most real estate prospecting strategies focus on the pursuit of business, or going out there and actively looking for targets to prospect. Fair enough. But you can also generate a significant amount of business for yourself using attraction-based strategies that don't require you to pursue anyone. FULL STORY->
Average 30-Year Fixed-rate Mortgage Unchanged From All-time Record Low for 3rd Consecutive Week
In Freddie Mac's results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey®, the average fixed mortgage rates remained unchanged amid mixed consumer sentiment data. The average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage has been at its all-time record-breaking low of 3.87 percent since the first week of February, below 4.00 percent for the past 11 weeks, and below 5.00 percent for the past 52 weeks. FULL STORY->
Make Your Home Appealing to Buyers
Buyers often make a decision within just seconds of seeing your home about whether or not they want to buy it. So picture your home through the eyes of your potential buyers. What do you see in about 10 seconds? FULL STORY->
Maintaining Existing Fire Safety Equipment
In the midst of economic uncertainty, there is one constant within the real estate market: safety. More to the point, the only thing separating a residential home or commercial property from devastation is the right protection. FULL STORY->
Upgrading Your Referral
Implementing a strategy to upgrade your referrals can really explode your referral business. Most salespeople get the name and contact information and try to get off the phone immediately to call the prospect. That is a significant mistake. Follow these steps to increase the odds of your success. FULL STORY->
Refinances Increase as Low Mortgage Rates Remain Consistent
Current mortgage rates have become dependent on news from here and around the world that influences market changes according to investor sentiment. With little economic news released here last week, the long lasting financial troubles in Greece have continued to be a major factor in worldwide markets, including ours. In times of trouble, investors prefer safe assets such as bonds which affect mortgage rate pricing. FULL STORY->
Nation, Economy, Homeowners Need More, Improved Foreclosure Mediation Programs
In a few short years, successful foreclosure mediation programs could head off many of the forecast 10 million foreclosures, fix the broken housing market and help rebuild the economy. Unfortunately, most states don't offer foreclosure mediation, some states offer temporary programs and still others offer programs that don't work as well as they should. FULL STORY->
Be a Staging Star
If you're an HGTV junkie then chances are you've tuned in for some of the network's home improvement shows, nearly all of which have stressed the importance of staging your home for sale. FULL STORY->
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