Why “For Sale by Owner” Does Not Work

by admin on February 3, 2012

Why “For Sale by Owner” Does Not WorkToday, we often look to Realtor’s and their companies when selling property. They are knowledgeable, marketable, and frankly they know what they are doing (most of the time). However, some individuals still choose the “For Sale by Owner” route.

Why “For Sale by Owner” Does Not Work

Sellers often will say, “It’s cheaper, less messy, and I get more bang for my buck.” Is this really the case? Many would disagree. In today’s current trend, “For Sale by Owner” simply does not work. Why?

One of the most fundamental reasons why selling your house on your own does not work is you are an amateur. Yes, this may be harsh, but it usually proves to be fairly accurate. Unless you have had training in selling a home, your skills simply cannot match up to that of a Realtor.

It is important to have an expert on your side when attempting to sell possibly your most expensive investment of your life. Would you really let a three-year-old who rides a trike drive your truck? I do not think so. Thus, it is important to have a Realtor who understands the market to take charge of the selling of your home.

Are you getting enough exposure?

Another reason why “For Sale by Owner” does not sell is lack of exposure. Yes, we all have our Facebook and our Twitter, but when it comes to selling a home, this simply does not cut it. It is important to have a Realtor who is able to publish your home in not only journal advertisements, but also in real estate magazines. Without this publicity, it becomes quite difficult for the word to circulate. Realtors also know how to properly photograph the property in order to capture the greatest number of clientele possible. They know what is appealing to the customer and how to present the home in such a way.

How many websites can you post your site on?

Along with lack of exposure, many owners selling their own home do not have the access to the real estate websites that Realtors do. Thus, many owners will place their home on sites with other homes that are for sale by owner. Why is this decision a problem? These sites simply do not receive as much traffic as those sites used by Realtors. For example, any Google search often creates a list of popular real estate agents’ sites rather than those put up by owners. Again, why? Realtors know what they are talking about. When customers visit their sites, they know the price is fair, the sale is authorized, and the seller genuinely cares about the house getting sold.

It’s now what you know, but who you know!

Realtors also have the connections. Yes, owners of a home may also have connections, but Realtors have the right ones. Often times, “For Sale by Owner” fails simply because the seller does not know where to begin and will miss significant details towards the success of the sale. For example, Realtors know who to contact to stage the home, who can photograph rooms, and who will clean and fix any cluttered or broken areas. Not only do they know the people to contact, but they know the best people to contact. This point proves to be vital in any sale of a home.

Finally, it is important for the owner to know just how much their property is worth. Realtors know where the market stands and how much your property is worth. Thus, they are the experts when it comes to deciding how to price your home.

So, the next time you are thinking about putting an old picket “For Sale by Owner” sign out on the front lawn, think again. Hiring a Realtor may just be the best thing you have ever done.

This article was provided by Kimberley Joy Kelly. You can visit Kim’s La Quinta real estate website where you have access to search all Palm Springs CA golf homes as well as many other Palm Springs neighborhoods.

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Real Estate Photography: Let The Professionals Do It

by admin on January 31, 2012

Real Estate PhotographyThe general public who maybe browsing through websites of different homes for sale, indulges in looking at ads in a newspaper of homes that are for sale, walks past a real estate agency and glances at the window photos, probably takes for granted the photography efforts that have made all of that possible. Smart realtors are professional in their marketing approach. The good photos are not (nor should they be) quick digital camera pictures taken by just anyone.

Real Estate Photography

The pictures that feature the homes and their best qualities are done professionally. While, professional real estate photography obviously requires an investment, the results are well worth it. Often times, the picture is the potential buyer’s “first impression.” And, we all know that we only get one opportunity to make a “first impression.”

Real Estate Photography – A Worthy Investment

Statistics show that regardless of the price of the home, if the picture is done professionally—a significantly higher percentage of people will view it. Other statistics include evidence that professionally photographed homes remain on the market longer (again regardless of price tiers), they demand a higher asking price per square foot, and the homes that are above the $300,000 price tier are more likely to sell. To gain these benefits, homeowners and real estate agents alike do have to invest a few hundred dollars to hire a professional to photograph their home. Sometimes, this expense can seem unnecessary.

However, if the homeowner/real estate agent considers the tremendous value of the asset at stake, surely a few hundred dollars toward positive marketing of the asset seems very responsible and even necessary. Professional photos of a home that is for sale will capture the attention of potential buyers; poor amateur photos will do just the opposite—allowing the potential buyer to skip over the listing for the simple fact that he/she cannot “see” the home very well in the picture.

How sad, really, as the home may be just what the buyer seeks, and yet the buyer will never know because the “first impression” was not powerful at all. Statistics prove this to be a real phenomenon. So, great “first impression” photos product great sales results, while average images produce average results.

Real Estate Photography – Get A Step Ahead of Your Competition

Whether you are a real estate agent or a homeowner looking to list your own home on the market, invest some dollars in smart marketing and smart photography. Look for a real estate photographer who knows how to shine a beautiful light on the features of your home. There is a reason that some people are titled “professional real estate photographers;” they are specifically trained to do excellent work for you. And, sometimes it is simply best to pay a professional to do their job.

If you want your listing to stand out amongst all the others, hire a professional photographer to help you market your listing. So many others simply grab a camera and “point ‘n’ shoot.” Just going that extra mile and making your photos jump off of the page (whether online or in print) will increase your results and set you apart from the competition.

This article was provided by Jolenta Averill who specializes in helping sellers sell their Madison Homes. If you’re intersted in learning more about the latest tools in real estate, you can check out Jolenta’s Madison real estate news blog. If you’re interested in relocating to Madison, you can see all Madison WI homes for sale on Jolenta’s website.

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How to Become a Successful Realtor

by admin on January 28, 2012

How to Become a Successful RealtorAre you always up for a challenge? Looking for the newest trend, keeping track of the Rockledge FL real estate market, and always keeping tabs on who is buying what? Do you enjoy looking at the real estate market to satisfy your number crunching, home buying, and money pursuing interests?

Perhaps, you have already looked into a career as a realtor and have decided to take the necessary steps to become the best. Follow these general guidelines, and your journey to becoming a realtor could be quite a success.

How to Become a Successful Realtor

There are quite a bit of legal and educational factors that play a role in becoming a Realtor. The first step in the process is to attend a pre-licensing course in real estate. This provides the foundation to your success. The next step is to make an application to the state and take the state test for becoming a Realtor. Once you have passed the test, you are then ready to apply for a job in the real estate business.

Although this process seems easy on paper, it actually takes a great deal of time and dedication. Also, after the process, it is important to continue to take post-licensing classes and other opportunities to increase your educational understanding of the world of real estate.

Along with the legalities of becoming a Realtor, there are also a lot of other components that go into making yourself the best Realtor you can be. First and foremost, it is important to know yourself. It is important that you know how you work best, what your strengths and weaknesses are, and how you deal with pressure. You must also understand whether you work best with other Realtors or on your own. How do you network, what tools do you have, and what can you improve on? Without knowing yourself, it is quite difficult to be a successful Realtor.

Get To Know Your Colleagues 

Another key component to being successful in real estate is to know the business and those that are in it. What does this mean? It means get to know the other Realtors around you as well as other experienced agents. It is crucial to be able to communicate effectively with your colleagues and gain power and respect within the real estate business.

It is also important for you to stay current on what is working and what is not in real estate. You must educate yourself through the media, other Realtors, and statistics. In order to be consistently successful in selling real estate, you must know the business. What are the latest trends in home ownership, property tax information, and what can the neighborhood offer a potential buyer? You must also be able to answer the key questions many potential buyers may ask with regards to crime rates, transportation systems, and the neighbors within the area.

The biggest factor of all in determining your success as a Realtor is honesty. If your clients can trust you and your ability in the real estate business, the more likely they are to come to you in the future as well as bring more customers to you. Although to some, money proves to be the most important gauge of the success in real estate, it could not be further from the truth. Honesty determines everything.

The business of real estate can be quite an exciting ride. The process of becoming a Realtor is one of dedication, commitment, and time. It requires educational skill and knowledge about the business. It requires networking, power, and communication. However, most importantly it requires integrity and honesty. Do you have what it takes?

If you think you do and want to join one of the top Melbourne FL real estate teams in the country, you may want to check out Mitch Ribak’s Palm Bay FL real estate website for more information about becoming the best Realtor you can be.

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The Benefits of Hiring a Real Estate Agent

by admin on January 26, 2012

Whether you are buying or selling a home, it can be a very stressful process; there is so much to consider and to weigh.

The Benefits of Hiring a Real Estate Agent 

For example, if you are selling your home, just deciding on a listing price can be difficult to do. While you do not want to list your home at too high of a price and discourage potential buyers, you also don’t want to list your home at too low of a price.

So often, when selling a home there is some natural negotiating that goes on in regards to the price, and your initial listing price can greatly influence the success or failure of the negotiated result. Also, when selling a home, decisions must be made regarding what cosmetic issues within your home “must be fixed” versus “could be fixed” versus “don’t bother fixing.” It can be difficult to weigh the benefits of fixing up parts of your home and whether you will get that invested money back when you do sell your home.

If you are looking to buy a home, it can be fun to look at homes and find a few that you really do love. However, you need to know how to look deeper—to inspect, or at least hire a professional home inspector. Investing in a home is a huge decision and cannot be made on emotion. You need to know how to look for a sound real estate purchase. Problems like mold, radon, or potential flooding situations are not visible upon open house visits or even a few walk-throughs.

These are just the tip of the iceberg in terms of what buying or selling a home involves. In short, it is best for the average person to hire and work with a real estate agent when buying and selling a home.

Why It’s A Good Idea To Hire A Real Estate Agent

Hiring an agent is the best option for many reasons. First, it is difficult for many people to understand the jargon of the real estate world. However, a professional agent lives and breathes in the real estate world everyday; they are well trained and well versed in both the selling and buying procedures and requirements.

A professional agent also knows the area in which you are trying to buy well; he/she will know the inside scoop on the area and the neighborhood. They know the inside scoop on who might come down on their price, who the best appraisers are, what banks to work with for your your home loan, and more.

If you are in the market to purchase a home, there are unique benefits available to you when you hire a buyer’s agent. An exclusive buyer’s agent has your best interests at heart and will seek to protect you in the transaction. Buyer’s agents help the home buyer to view all the properties that might suit them efficiently That buyer’s agent (if he/she has done a good job) knows what you are looking for in a home, and can best help you make an informed buying decision.

Real Estate Agents Make It Easy To Buy A Home

Whether buying or selling, a real estate agent will do the legwork for you. You won’t have to spend hours online or on the phone scouring for homes that may or may not suit you. An agent has access to documents and disclosures about the homes at his/her fingertips. What a time saver compared to you trying to look on the Internet, in the paper, and all over the place by yourself. And when selling your home, the real estate agent will also handle the large amount of paperwork for you and will only involve you when you are absolutely needed (i.e. for your signature).

Truly, the evidence for the benefits of hiring a real estate agent whether you are in the market to buy or to sell is overwhelming. Your home is probably the most valuable asset that you will work with in your lifetime; trust a professional only to assist you.

This article was provided by Arlington VA Realtor Aaron Seekford. You can learn more about Aaron on his website where you can search all Arlington VA ML listings and view homes in all Arlington VA neighborhoods.

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Winter, Summer, Spring, or Fall? Moving Tips for All Seasons

by admin on January 17, 2012

Moving Tips for All SeasonsNo matter which season of the year your move falls in, moving can be super stressful.  But if you add in rain, sleet, snow, or extreme heat, it becomes even more of a chore.  Short of hurricane force winds or six inches of ice on the road, your moving company will plan on you being ready on whatever day you have contracted them for the move.

You will have to deal with any issues that arise before they become actual problems.  The tips that follow are all-season moving tips that will help your move go off more smoothly, no matter what season your move falls in:

  • Make plans.  Packing last minute can definitely open your move up to errors and trouble.  Also plan ahead by hiring the mover well ahead of the move.  This guarantees that you’ll be able to get a mover to help you.  If you wait until the last minute, you may not find a reputable mover, or you may end up being charged more.  The busiest time of year for moving is in the summer months, so moving during other times of the year may be more practical.
  • Get organized.  By coming up with a color-coding system for your moving boxes, you will find it easier to put everything in the room that it goes on.  For example, you can choose green for the kitchen, or blue for the bedroom.  Color-coding makes it a simple process to figure out which box goes where when you get to your destination.
  • Line your boxes with plastic.  Before packing your moving boxes, line them with simple plastic trash bags.  In doing so, even if it rains or snows during the move, the things inside your box have an added layer of protection.
  • De-clutter the mover’s path.  Make sure that everything is out of the way for your moving company.  This means everything from flower pots to children’s toys. You should also make sure that the path is clear for you and the movers.  This means that if you wake up on moving day and the path to your front door is iced over, you throw some rock salt out to melt it and make it safer.
  • Keep towels ready to wipe down furniture in the case of rain.  Furniture might be exposed to rain or snow for a few minutes, so wiping the furniture off as soon as it gets in the door can keep it from being damaged in most instances.  Invariably, you can wrap expensive pieces of furniture in plastic to make sure that they are not damaged during the move.
  • Cover your floors.  If it is raining or snowing outside, then protecting your floors is important. Broken-down cardboard boxes forming a trail from room to room can help a lot. When you’re done, simply throw them out or take them to the recycling center.
  • Take out moving insurance. This may be the most important moving tip of them all, regardless of the season. Safeguard your move with moving insurance so that if something does go wrong, you are protected all the way around!

These are just a few tips to help you make a smooth move in all seasons. Your realtor can provide you with even sager advice about making a move during any month of the year.

Article provided by Vickie Nagy a professional Realtor who services home buyers looking to buy Pleasanton California homes for sale and many other areas including Blackhawk California and Livermore California.

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Top Real Estate iPhone Apps

by admin on January 17, 2012

Top Real Estate iPhone AppsAs most know by now, iPhone apps have taken the world by storm. They are just amazing; I love apps. There are apps for virtually anything under the sun. Did you know that there’s an app to make you sleep? That’s right, if you have problems falling asleep, are on a long flight, or at a family gathering, this app will get you snoozing in no time. It’s called the “Power Sleep & Nap – AmbiScience”; check it out for yourself, it works!… How cool is that?

Top Real Estate iPhone Apps

Anyway… getting a little too excited here.  Today there are apps for consumers as well as professionals in any field. There are many for real estate with more hitting the app store almost every day. Below you’ll find some of the top iPhone apps for real estate.

AroundMe  - This neat and free app allows you to look up stores and services that are nearby. It actually detects your whereabouts and is able to display the closest gas station, hospital, bar, restaurant, supermarket, hotel, movie theater, and bank.  Along with listings, it also displays maps and directions based on where you are. This is a very handy tool for the Realtor who’s always on the go. 

Offender Locator - A must-have app. It will display the homes of all the registered sex offenders in the area. The app is good for U.S. Registered sex offenders. The price is $0.99 – certainly worth your safety. 

Zillow Real Estate iPhone App - If you’re in the market for a home or simply curious, this free app will look up home prices anywhere in the U.S. along with photo galleries; it also allows for finding rent prices. 

Mortgage and Rate Calculator - By far one of the best mortgage calculator apps on the market today. Not only will this free tool give you instant access to real-time mortgage rates, it will also display annual percentage rates, interest points, fees, monthly payments and periods of rate lock anywhere in the United States. 

In addition, the app can also be used for credit card rates along with the benefits and features of each card.  A very nifty app to say the least – and it’s free. 

Mortgage +  - A paid app that helps those looking to buy a home as well as those who want to refinance their existing mortgage.  The app computes data for various scenarios and displays how much you would save by making extra payments and how much quicker you could pay off your mortgage.  It basically acts as your mortgage adviser with charts and an easy to use touch-screen interface.  It costs $1.99. 

Evernote  - Just an awesome app, and free to boot. It’s capable of organizing every single one of your daily activities; notes, ideas, goals, recordings, snapshots, thoughts, to name just some. 

Real estate apps are excellent. Whether you’re looking to buy or sell a home, or are a real estate professional, you owe it to yourself to use some of these apps to help make your tasks and goals easier to achieve.

This article was provided by Linda Wise a tech savvy Merritt Island Florida real estate agent who focuses on using technology tools to help her grow her business. If you’re looking for a great place to buy a home, you can visit Linda’s Micco real estate website where you can also search Mims Florida real estate for sale.

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Encourage Your Real Estate Clients To Write A Review Using Google Places

by admin on January 13, 2012

Encourage Your Real Estate Clients To Write A Review Using Google PlacesWhen marketing your real estate website or blog, keep in mind that Google Places gives superior ranking to the 7 highest positioned businesses in any given area. They call this the “Magnificent 7”, and a lot of effort is put into making this ranking process work. The three main factors that contribute to the way Google ranks listings in Google places:

  1. Distance – A certain distance from your listed location.
  2. Relevance – Is it relevant to the selected listing?
  3. Occurrence – How many times your real estate listings appear online in local directories, sites with real estate reviews, social media and other sharing platforms, including pics, videos and audio links.

Your Google Places page comes with an easy-to-use, interactive way for your customers to “Write a Review”. This is for use by your online visitors, customers and clients. Encourage your real estate clients and website visitors to write a review there. Customer reviews can have a very positive effect on your real estate business. Here are just three advantages:

  1. Keeps Visitors Engaged. This encourages online customer interaction. Remember, that is a key factor in inbound marketing. The longer you keep your visitors engaged, the better your chances of building a long-term relationship of trust with them.
  2. SEO Rankings. Online reviews, even negative ones, raise your site’s Google ranking. The more reviews, the higher your sites and blogs will appear in search results for certain keyword searches.
  3. Improves Customer Service. Getting reviews from your real estate clients helps you provide better customer service. Listen to what they have to say. Take them seriously. Try to give them what they want, if possible.

What else does Google Places offer?

  • Mobile users: there is a Google Places App. This application allows your real estate clients to give you immediate reviews, straight from their cell phones.
  • Discounts. You can offer discounts to clients who write a review. This really encourages online interaction.
  • Merge with Site or Blog. You or your Webmaster can add some of these reviews on your website and enhance them with micro formatting.
  • Create Backlinks. Add links asking for reviews on your website to your Google Places page. This also creates backlinks, helping to build your Google rankings even higher.

Create a strategy on Google Places Page

Google Places Images: people like to pass around links to content with nice or interesting photos. This is great for real estate marketing. You can use your GP account to add photos of houses for sale in a particular area.

  • Flickr is a great place to find free photos. Just go to Flickr’s Creative Commons (CC), select the photo you want and download the photo.
  • FlickrStorm is another site to get free photos. Click on “Advanced”, select the type of CC photo you like and then search.

Claim Your Google Places

If you are a realtor who has not claimed your Google Places yet, you are not alone. Ninety percent of businesses haven’t yet. To claim your Google Places Page, contact your webmaster. They will be able to easily integrate this free tool into your site for you. This tool is essential in today’s Internet Inbound Marketing Strategy, especially for real estate companies and realtors.

About the Author: Paula Henry of Sycamore Group Associates provides Carmel real estate services and providing information about Carmel Indiana Homes for Sale to those people searching Carmel Neighborhoods to buy or sell their home.

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Smart Phones For Real Estate: An Entire Office In Your Pocket!

by admin on January 11, 2012

Smart Phones For Real Estate An Entire Office In Your Pocket!According to Nielsen, 40% of mobile users have smart phones.  Additionally, they predict that by the end of this year, 50% of the population in the U.S. will own a smart phone.  What is it about these little rectangular-shaped devices that seem to draw people to them?  More importantly, what can smart phones do for real estate agents to maximize their time and business?  Are they absolutely necessary to conduct business more efficiently?

Smart Phones For Real Estate An Entire Office In Your Pocket!

Smart phones are a complete necessity for real estate agents today.  The smart phone has basically taken the virtual office to the next level.  In one small apparatus, you have phone, email, internet, and every app under the sun so that you can work from basically anywhere.  In a nutshell, real estate agents can now do everything from a machine the size of a deck of cards.

In 2009, when I began my short lived career in residential real estate, I had the basic Nokia flip phone that had been all the rage in 2007.  After all, I had a camera on my phone!  I decided that it was going to be necessary to have a smart phone to help me be more available to clients so that I could email, text and call from one gadget.  After talking with other agents, I determined that a Blackberry was the best bet for my entrance into the world of the smart phone.

It could do all that I wanted plus it had an app for the electronic lock boxes for listed homes.  At that time, no other smart phone had that capability.  From a personal standpoint, I liked the “QWERTY” buttons that I could press so that I could easily type emails and texts, just as I do on the computer.

Smart Phones Are Here To Stay So Jump In!

Smart Phones Are Here To Stay So Jump In!Fast forward to today, and things have already changed.  Smart phones have virtually taken on the appearance and capabilities of a laptop.  Along with calling, emailing and the other general stuff a smart phone does, apps are available for practically everything!   People monitor diets, the stock market, fitness, and whatever else they want from their phones.  Add to that the fact that most every business industry has its own apps available to help streamline what it is they do, and you have a virtual must-have for the realtor!

The real estate industry has a plethora of apps from which to choose in order for agents to be a more effective and efficient.  There are different apps within each category but for the most part, the following are the most popular and necessary categories of smart phone apps.

First of all, having the MLS with you at all times is more than helpful.  It is necessary.  There are apps like Smart Agent that give you access into the area/state MLS.  Additionally, most state real estate boards have apps for their MLS listings.  These are excellent ways to look at recent comps to help establish a general listing price on the spot for a seller, pull up homes for a prospective buyer during an open house, or anything else agents get from the MLS.

Because agents have the MLS at their fingertips and can pull any listing at any given point and time to forward to a prospective buyer on the spot, with apps like Adobe Photoshop Express (available on iOS smart phones), they can take sending a listing from their phone to the next level by immediately uploading pictures to give them a more professional look before they forward them to a client.

There’s An App For That!

There's An App For That!When out with buyers who are serious about buying a home, an app that is an excellent tool is a mortgage calculator like the Mortgage Calculator Pro or Loan Fox Mortgage Calculator. Real estate agents can give prospective buyers a general feel for the total amount of a house payment while they are looking at houses in an effort to help narrow the field.

As the apps progress, more and more become available.  There are apps like DocuSign and Zosh that allow documents to be signed on an iPad or iPhone by using your index finger.  The signatures are embedded in the PDF and don’t show as digital signatures.  This is great for submitting offers on homes in that it streamlines and speeds up the process by doing everything on the spot.  Or from the other end, apps like Scan Pro and Scanner Pro allow you to scan and send contracts as soon as they are signed, again streamlining and shortening the whole process.

Lastly, in terms of apps that are very helpful for real estate agents, Dropbox is a hugely popular app, especially for real estate “teams” who share files and information.  It allows you to save files, pictures, forms and anything else you need in your folder(s) which makes it available to everyone in your circle who might need something.  Plus, for agents who work alone, it wipes out the need for a thumb drive as it is all saved on a server.

There are so many apps out there for smart phones today that it is a wonder anyone even goes to an office except to pick up and drop off checks and for sales meetings.  With such hectic lives and juggling so many balls, having a smart phone is one of the best investments real estate agents can make.  Once the process is in place, the daily business flows much better and curve balls are handled much more calmly.  So bite the bullet.  Throw away your flip phone, if you still have one, and upgrade to the latest and greatest smart phone.  You will be glad you did!

This guest blog on Smart Phones for real estate agents was provided by Tech Savvy Realtor Kimberley Kelly. If you’re interested in seeing tech in action, you can visit Kimberley’s high end website where you can also search homes on your smart phone!

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Knob and Tube Wiring: What You Need To Know

by admin on January 8, 2012

Knob and Tube Wiring: What You Need To KnowMy friends tell me I know just enough about electricity to be dangerous, but one thing I do know is that grounding is an essential element in electrical wiring. And that seems to be more than the very first electrical contractors knew.

Without getting too deep into the technicalities, a typical modern electrical cable contains three strands of wire – hot (or live), neutral, and ground. And for the purpose of this story all you need to know is that the hot and neutral wires aren’t ever supposed to touch each other – and I repeat, EVER!

But if they do, then that dangerous electrical current escapes safely through the ground wire without causing any harm.

Knob and Tube Wiring: What You Need To Know

In the early years of residential electrical wiring, the significance of the ground wire was either unknown or underestimated. Don’t let the hot wire EVER touch the neutral wire, was the mantra, and so the first electrical installations featured two-strand wiring, with the strands so heavily insulated from each other that in some ways it was safer than the modern three-strand system. If the two wires don’t EVER touch each other, after all, then the ground wire is redundant.

If you’ve ever had to deal with this early form of wiring, you’ll remember that its insulated sheathing is so thick and dense that it quickly dulls the sharpest utility knife blade, making the hacksaw the cutting instrument of choice.

As they pass through or along your houses’ joists and beams, these heavy duty cables are anchored by porcelain fittings known as knobs and tubes. The tubes are porcelain pipes that give the wiring an insulated passage through pre-drilled holes in joists and studs. And the knobs are porcelain clamps that insulate the wires whilst anchoring them to the sides of beams and joists.

Know and Tube Wiring Can Be Dangerous

Know and Tube Wiring Can Be DangerousKnown as “knob and tube”, this early type of wiring is widely considered to be extremely dangerous these days. It often comes up as a required fix in the terms of homeowners’ insurance policies, and it should certainly be flagged by your building inspector, and it may even be cited as a reason to deny your mortgage application.

Although the original design had a lot of positive safety features, the problem today is that the materials themselves are no longer sound. The heavy sheathing is reaching the end of its shelf life, especially where it’s been stripped back in the vicinity of knobs and tubes and junction boxes. And it may have been exposed over the years to various conditions that could have caused it to corrode or rot or otherwise weaken. A damp basement, a squirrel in your attic, a mis-placed drywall screw. Any of these could compromise the sheathing, leaving bare wires inside your floors or walls, with no provision for grounding.

If you know more than I do about electricity, you might want to tackle the re-wiring yourself. It’s slow, tedious work, but at least modern wiring is color coded, so you can tell which wire is which.

And after you’ve torn out all the knob and tube, don’t just throw it out with the trash. The copper wiring has some scrap value, so call your local scrapyards and find out how much they’re paying.

Guest article was provided by Mitch Ribak a Melbourne real estate specialist servicing home buyers looking to buy  Bay FL real estate and Port St. John real estate in South FL.

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Wintertime is The Perfect Time to Buy a Home

by admin on January 8, 2012

Wintertime is Perfect Time to Buy a HomeWhen the mercury begins to plummet, home sales also start to decline in number. And while it isn’t the busiest time of year for real estate sales, wintertime is actually the perfect time for you to buy a home.  During the winter months, folks are focused more on the holidays and less on house hunting.

But the cooler months of the year are among the best when it comes to finding your dream home, and there are some definite reasons behind that line of thinking.  From the end of October through the end of January, fewer people are out shopping for a home – which makes it the best time to swoop in and grab a bargain.

Wintertime is Perfect Time to Buy a Home

This may also, in fact, be one of the best winters to do just that.  Why? Right now, the housing market is filled with possibilities.  Inventory is at an elevated level while home mortgage rates are super low.  This gives would-be homeowners some unique advantages.

Keep in mind, however, that if you live in a location that is a winter draw for tourists or so-called “snow birds” who want to spend their winters in states that have mild winters, like California or Florida, then winter is a busy time for home sales.  In fact, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to say that winter is the busiest time for home sales in some areas!

Traditionally, late spring and summertime is the busiest time of the year for real estate agents.  This is because most home buyers have families with school age children.  These parents don’t want to uproot their kids during the school year, so they wait until summer before buying.

They want to be in the new home before school goes back in August or September, depending on the part of the country that you live in.  After school is back in session, sales slowly taper off.

Showings In Winter Can Be Used To Highlight Your Homes Best Features

Showings In Winter Can Be Used To Highlight Your Homes Best FeaturesFrom an aesthetic point of view, winter can be an appealing time to show a house, too.  After all, what’s more beautiful than trees that glisten with snow, or a fireplace roaring in the den?  Perhaps the fireplace is underappreciated when the home is shown in warmer months, when the temperatures are soaring in the 90s.

Even if you don’t have a fireplace, showing your home during the winter months can allow the buyer to experience the heating system “up close and personal”.  The efficiency of your heating system is a big selling point to some buyers, after all.

If you are a potential home buyer, buying now will help you get the best price on your home, at least in most instances.  Sellers are showing their homes to fewer people, which means that they are getting fewer offers.

There are more homes to look at, so a motivated seller will need to take the “competition” into account when weighing whether to accept an offer or not.  If the seller is hard-pressed to sell the home, they may take a substantial cut on the asking price just to get rid of it and move on with their lives. It happens all the time in winter sales, and the competition this winter should be vast!

Article provided by Allison Klein who specializes in helping Fort Collins home sellers sell their Fort Collins homes including some of the areas top neighborhoods where you can search Rigden Farms real estate and Sidehill Fort Collins homes for sale.

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