When selling your home For Sale by Owner, you need to know as much about your home as a Real Estate Agent would know. What is the architectural style of your home? Many people would not be able to answer that question. You've probably seen ads that say "Cope Cod Home", "Colonial Home" or my favorite... "Dutch Colonial Revival". But what exactly does that mean? Visit this link to see what your home's style is:
http://www.10realty.com/housestyles.htm
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
It's Easy to be GREEN!
Here is a simple list of things you can do to save energy and the environment.
1. Buy Bamboo wood floors instead of oak, pine or cherry, etc... Bamboo grows faster and has a less damaging affect on the environment. Use finishes and adhesives with chemicals that won't give off harmful gases.
2. Grill out more! Outdoor grills use less energy than electric kitchen stoves and ovens. They also keep heat out of the house and will ultimately lower air conditioning costs. Use a grill that uses propane or natural gas. Charcoal Grills emit 11 lbs of the air-polluting compound carbon dioxide, while a gas grill emits only 5.6 lbs per hour into the atmosphere.
3. Buy locally grown produce. By buying produce grown within 100 miles of you, you'll help reduce the amount of diesel fuel needed to ship food. You'll also help small-scale agriculture by shopping at neighborhood farmers’ markets.
4. Upgrade to a Low-flow toilet. New low-flow toilets deliver more flush power while using less water, saving about $90 on your annual water bill.
5. Buy fluorescent light bulbs. These squiggly little bulbs can save 5% each month on your electric bill. That's $10.00/month on a $200.00 electric bill.
6. Use a higher wattage on lights where you still use incandescent bulbs (with dimmers or three-ways) on multiple fixtures in a room. One 100-watt incandescent emits more light than two 60-watt bulbs combined but requires 17 percent less power. The 100-watt bulb also uses the same energy as four 25-watt bulbs, but pumps out twice as much light. Just make sure your bulbs don't exceed the maximum wattage recommendation for each fixture.
7. Use safer paints. Select a product low in volatile organic compounds (VOCs). This will reduce the woozy feeling you get when painting a room.
8. Green your yard. A beautiful lawn means constant mowing, watering and fertilizing. This is a burden on the environment. Replace some of the grass with attractive, more environmentally friendly alternatives like junipers, clover, strawberries, and ornamental grasses. Replace your gas powered lawn mower with an electric mower which costs about $10 a year to operate.
9. Start Recycling now! Recycle Paper, Plastics and Aluminum cans. Look on packages for the recycling symbol which will have a number on it. Place articles in the proper bins based on the recycle number.
10. Green building materials. If you are remodeling or building a home, look for green building materials which tend to last longer than traditional products such as roofing, fencing, decking, foundations, lumber, shingles and siding.
11. Switch to LCDs. A LCD Flat panel computer monitor uses 1/3 of the energy that a traditional tube monitor uses. An LCD large screen TV uses half of the energy that a Plasma TV uses.
12. Switch to a Solar Powered Water Heater. You can install solar panels on your roof that will work with your existing water heater. The panels cost between $2,000 and $4,500 to install. A solar water heater cuts about 12 percent off the average family’s monthly electric bill. Most solar systems use a conventional backup heater, so you’re never left with a cold shower.
13. A tankless waterheater provides hot water only as needed. These "demand" water heaters can save 25-50% in energy bills.
14. Skip the pesticides! Nature is full of creatures that can rid your home and lawn of pesty bugs. Install birdhouses to shelter feathered friends who dine on mosquitoes, beetles and grubs. Bats and toads love to dine on mosquitoes. Place a bat house in a nearby tall tree. Make a toad house by turning a flower pot on it's side and placing it in your flower garden.
15. Use chemical-free termite protection such as heat, microwave, orange oil and some brand-name treatments that won't release chemicals into your home or environment.
16. Unplug your power tools. Decide which cordless tools (drills and screwdrivers) get used often, then unplug the chargers for all the others. Most cordless tools have nickel cadmium (NiCad) batteries, which will hold some charge for up to a year. They lose 15 to 20 percent of their juice each month, but only take a couple of hours to power up again.
17. Recycle used paint thinner. After cleaning oil-based finishes from brushes and tools, allow the dirty solvent to sit overnight. The sludge will settle to the bottom of your container, leaving a layer of clear thinner on top. Carefully pour the clear thinner into a clean jar, and reseal it for future use.
18. Switch fom scalding water to just hot. Turn your water heater's temperature setting down from the standard 140 degrees F to 120 degrees. This will save money and will also slow down mineral buildup and corrosion, prolonging the life of your tank.
19. Turn down the hot water tap of your clothes washer. You don't have to wash your clothes in super hot water. Perspiration and most other dirt dislodge best at body temperature, so you don't need water that's warmer than 100 degrees. You'll save about $40 annually on your water-heating bill.
20. Use the dishwasher. Doing a full load of dishes in your dishwasher is far more efficient than washing the same number of dishes by hand. This is especially true if you have an Energy Star dishwasher, which requires an average of 4 gallons of water per load, compared with the 24 gallons it takes to do them in the sink. Using a dishwasher will save 5,000 gallons of water each year, $40 in utility costs, and 200 hours of your time.
Add your own energy and environment saving ideas.....
1. Buy Bamboo wood floors instead of oak, pine or cherry, etc... Bamboo grows faster and has a less damaging affect on the environment. Use finishes and adhesives with chemicals that won't give off harmful gases.
2. Grill out more! Outdoor grills use less energy than electric kitchen stoves and ovens. They also keep heat out of the house and will ultimately lower air conditioning costs. Use a grill that uses propane or natural gas. Charcoal Grills emit 11 lbs of the air-polluting compound carbon dioxide, while a gas grill emits only 5.6 lbs per hour into the atmosphere.
3. Buy locally grown produce. By buying produce grown within 100 miles of you, you'll help reduce the amount of diesel fuel needed to ship food. You'll also help small-scale agriculture by shopping at neighborhood farmers’ markets.
4. Upgrade to a Low-flow toilet. New low-flow toilets deliver more flush power while using less water, saving about $90 on your annual water bill.
5. Buy fluorescent light bulbs. These squiggly little bulbs can save 5% each month on your electric bill. That's $10.00/month on a $200.00 electric bill.
6. Use a higher wattage on lights where you still use incandescent bulbs (with dimmers or three-ways) on multiple fixtures in a room. One 100-watt incandescent emits more light than two 60-watt bulbs combined but requires 17 percent less power. The 100-watt bulb also uses the same energy as four 25-watt bulbs, but pumps out twice as much light. Just make sure your bulbs don't exceed the maximum wattage recommendation for each fixture.
7. Use safer paints. Select a product low in volatile organic compounds (VOCs). This will reduce the woozy feeling you get when painting a room.
8. Green your yard. A beautiful lawn means constant mowing, watering and fertilizing. This is a burden on the environment. Replace some of the grass with attractive, more environmentally friendly alternatives like junipers, clover, strawberries, and ornamental grasses. Replace your gas powered lawn mower with an electric mower which costs about $10 a year to operate.
9. Start Recycling now! Recycle Paper, Plastics and Aluminum cans. Look on packages for the recycling symbol which will have a number on it. Place articles in the proper bins based on the recycle number.
10. Green building materials. If you are remodeling or building a home, look for green building materials which tend to last longer than traditional products such as roofing, fencing, decking, foundations, lumber, shingles and siding.
11. Switch to LCDs. A LCD Flat panel computer monitor uses 1/3 of the energy that a traditional tube monitor uses. An LCD large screen TV uses half of the energy that a Plasma TV uses.
12. Switch to a Solar Powered Water Heater. You can install solar panels on your roof that will work with your existing water heater. The panels cost between $2,000 and $4,500 to install. A solar water heater cuts about 12 percent off the average family’s monthly electric bill. Most solar systems use a conventional backup heater, so you’re never left with a cold shower.
13. A tankless waterheater provides hot water only as needed. These "demand" water heaters can save 25-50% in energy bills.
14. Skip the pesticides! Nature is full of creatures that can rid your home and lawn of pesty bugs. Install birdhouses to shelter feathered friends who dine on mosquitoes, beetles and grubs. Bats and toads love to dine on mosquitoes. Place a bat house in a nearby tall tree. Make a toad house by turning a flower pot on it's side and placing it in your flower garden.
15. Use chemical-free termite protection such as heat, microwave, orange oil and some brand-name treatments that won't release chemicals into your home or environment.
16. Unplug your power tools. Decide which cordless tools (drills and screwdrivers) get used often, then unplug the chargers for all the others. Most cordless tools have nickel cadmium (NiCad) batteries, which will hold some charge for up to a year. They lose 15 to 20 percent of their juice each month, but only take a couple of hours to power up again.
17. Recycle used paint thinner. After cleaning oil-based finishes from brushes and tools, allow the dirty solvent to sit overnight. The sludge will settle to the bottom of your container, leaving a layer of clear thinner on top. Carefully pour the clear thinner into a clean jar, and reseal it for future use.
18. Switch fom scalding water to just hot. Turn your water heater's temperature setting down from the standard 140 degrees F to 120 degrees. This will save money and will also slow down mineral buildup and corrosion, prolonging the life of your tank.
19. Turn down the hot water tap of your clothes washer. You don't have to wash your clothes in super hot water. Perspiration and most other dirt dislodge best at body temperature, so you don't need water that's warmer than 100 degrees. You'll save about $40 annually on your water-heating bill.
20. Use the dishwasher. Doing a full load of dishes in your dishwasher is far more efficient than washing the same number of dishes by hand. This is especially true if you have an Energy Star dishwasher, which requires an average of 4 gallons of water per load, compared with the 24 gallons it takes to do them in the sink. Using a dishwasher will save 5,000 gallons of water each year, $40 in utility costs, and 200 hours of your time.
Add your own energy and environment saving ideas.....
Friday, June 13, 2008
Get off the Grid!
What does it mean to be "Living off the Grid"?
It simply means that your home doesn’t depend on electricity from the power lines. Instead, you’re living without electricity, or generating your own electricity.
People decide to get off the grid (GOTG) for many reasons... to be self-sufficient, to help the environment, or maybe because of the challenge or excitement of it. With a large array of solar panels, you can generate your own electricity, air conditioning, and hot water.
“Living off the grid” can also imply that you’re self-sufficient in other ways, too. For example, you may be heating your home with a wood stove or getting your water from a well.
A green home may have some or all of these attributes:
- solar and wind power, with battery reserve
- natural gas well
- water well
- wood stove
- propane back-up
- concrete insulated panels
- a garden
- back up bio-diesel generator
Visit this link for more info: http://www.solarhouse.com/
It simply means that your home doesn’t depend on electricity from the power lines. Instead, you’re living without electricity, or generating your own electricity.
People decide to get off the grid (GOTG) for many reasons... to be self-sufficient, to help the environment, or maybe because of the challenge or excitement of it. With a large array of solar panels, you can generate your own electricity, air conditioning, and hot water.
“Living off the grid” can also imply that you’re self-sufficient in other ways, too. For example, you may be heating your home with a wood stove or getting your water from a well.
A green home may have some or all of these attributes:
- solar and wind power, with battery reserve
- natural gas well
- water well
- wood stove
- propane back-up
- concrete insulated panels
- a garden
- back up bio-diesel generator
Visit this link for more info: http://www.solarhouse.com/
Wednesday, April 02, 2008
Toronto's Smallest Home
Nope, it isn't a dollhouse... It is 300 sq feet of recently remodeled pint-sized living with a bedroom, bathroom, living room and kitchen. It occupies what used to be a driveway. The lot dimensions are 7.25 feet wide by 113.67 feet long.
This home was recently For Sale for $179,900.00. It is located near the intersection of Dufferin Street and Rogers Road in Toronto, Canada.
Here are some of the home's special features:
- Completely re-done top-to-bottom, front-to-back!
- Completely re-done top-to-bottom, front-to-back!
- Tumbled stone entrance walk
- Renovated Kitchen
- Renovated Bath
- Bedroom with Murphy Bed and Built-in Closets
- Bedroom with Murphy Bed and Built-in Closets
- Fenced patio
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Violence in Real Estate - How to keep safe.
If you are selling your home yourself, are you taking risks by allowing complete strangers into your home? The answer is a definite "Yes!" You should use all the precautions you would normally use when meeting strangers and more.
Real estate agents have historically felt safe when showing homes, but the trend has shifted in recent years, with a number of agents raped, robbed and murdered while showing homes.
There are several things you can do to help minimize your risk of an attack:
Be very cautious with any buyer who attempts to rush you into a showing. It is common to set an appointment 24 hours in advance.
Never show your home to drive-byers! Insist that they make an appointment to see the home and get a name and phone number. Call their phone number prior to the showing to confirm the appointment.
Keep an appointment book logging the names and phone numbers of people you will be showing the home to.
Take the time to verify the information that the buyer gives you before showing your home. Look up his/her name, address and phone number in Google.
Search your local news online to see if there have been any crimes reported related to real estate showings.
Be suspicious if someone calls to see your home and they don't ask about the number of bedrooms or bathrooms you have.
Ask buyers prequalifying questions to make sure the person is really interested in your home and not just wasting your time.
If possible, schedule your Open House or showings with your spouse or a friend there with you.
Carry a cell phone in your pocket (and pepper spray in the other pocket) during showings. Program 911 into your speed dial.
Never leave your children alone when showing your home.
Trust your instincts.
Real estate agents have historically felt safe when showing homes, but the trend has shifted in recent years, with a number of agents raped, robbed and murdered while showing homes.
There are several things you can do to help minimize your risk of an attack:
Be very cautious with any buyer who attempts to rush you into a showing. It is common to set an appointment 24 hours in advance.
Never show your home to drive-byers! Insist that they make an appointment to see the home and get a name and phone number. Call their phone number prior to the showing to confirm the appointment.
Keep an appointment book logging the names and phone numbers of people you will be showing the home to.
Take the time to verify the information that the buyer gives you before showing your home. Look up his/her name, address and phone number in Google.
Search your local news online to see if there have been any crimes reported related to real estate showings.
Be suspicious if someone calls to see your home and they don't ask about the number of bedrooms or bathrooms you have.
Ask buyers prequalifying questions to make sure the person is really interested in your home and not just wasting your time.
If possible, schedule your Open House or showings with your spouse or a friend there with you.
Carry a cell phone in your pocket (and pepper spray in the other pocket) during showings. Program 911 into your speed dial.
Never leave your children alone when showing your home.
Trust your instincts.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Flip this House. Flip that House
House Flipping is a hot trend in real estate these days. You buy a house, fix it up fast and sell it for a huge profit. Sounds easy, right? Well, not really.
I am completely addicted to House Flipping shows on TV. My favorite show, by far, is "Property Ladder". The flippers on Property Ladder tackle homes big and small, some with minor flaws and others in need of major renovation. Some of the homes are absolute dumps that somehow end up being gorgeous by the end of the show. The show focuses on the trials and tribulations the investors face along the way — budget management, worker management, material selection, pest removal and more. A common problem in many house flipping projects is an under-estimated budget and the problem of not having the money needed to finish the job. This unexpected debt forces people to make poor choices such as choosing laminate floors instead of wood floors, choosing cheap materials, or not doing any landscaping to the yard. Novice flippers discover that a simple project can become a home improvement nightmare.
"Property Ladder" is hosted by veteran real estate investor and flipper Kirsten Kemp. Kirsten makes recommendations to the flippers at the beginning of the show and checks on the flippers throughout the process to make sure they are on time and on budget. This lady knows her stuff! She knows exactly what the buyers want, what will sell a home and what will turn off buyers. It amazes me how some flippers refuse to act on her advice, however. For example, a flipper was building an addition to a home which was going to be a new Master Suite. This was a great plan because they can design the suite to perfection. However, the flipper designed the new master bedroom with two very small closets instead of one large walk-in closet. Kirsten advised against this (of course) because every new home has a walk-in closet in the master but they refused to take her advice. When it came time to have the Open House, many buyers loved the house but were completely disappointed in the two small closets. The house would have received contracts immediately, but didn't because of the poor master bedroom design.
Sometimes flipping a house can result in a big paycheck, but many times, it does not. If you have the urge to FLIP, be sure to do your research first and it couldn't hurt to watch the success and failures of other House Flips.
Check out TV times for these great shows:
Property Ladder (TLC- The Learning Channel)
Flip that House (TLC- The Learning Channel)
Flip this House (A&E - Arts & Entertainment)
I am completely addicted to House Flipping shows on TV. My favorite show, by far, is "Property Ladder". The flippers on Property Ladder tackle homes big and small, some with minor flaws and others in need of major renovation. Some of the homes are absolute dumps that somehow end up being gorgeous by the end of the show. The show focuses on the trials and tribulations the investors face along the way — budget management, worker management, material selection, pest removal and more. A common problem in many house flipping projects is an under-estimated budget and the problem of not having the money needed to finish the job. This unexpected debt forces people to make poor choices such as choosing laminate floors instead of wood floors, choosing cheap materials, or not doing any landscaping to the yard. Novice flippers discover that a simple project can become a home improvement nightmare.
"Property Ladder" is hosted by veteran real estate investor and flipper Kirsten Kemp. Kirsten makes recommendations to the flippers at the beginning of the show and checks on the flippers throughout the process to make sure they are on time and on budget. This lady knows her stuff! She knows exactly what the buyers want, what will sell a home and what will turn off buyers. It amazes me how some flippers refuse to act on her advice, however. For example, a flipper was building an addition to a home which was going to be a new Master Suite. This was a great plan because they can design the suite to perfection. However, the flipper designed the new master bedroom with two very small closets instead of one large walk-in closet. Kirsten advised against this (of course) because every new home has a walk-in closet in the master but they refused to take her advice. When it came time to have the Open House, many buyers loved the house but were completely disappointed in the two small closets. The house would have received contracts immediately, but didn't because of the poor master bedroom design.
Sometimes flipping a house can result in a big paycheck, but many times, it does not. If you have the urge to FLIP, be sure to do your research first and it couldn't hurt to watch the success and failures of other House Flips.
Check out TV times for these great shows:
Property Ladder (TLC- The Learning Channel)
Flip that House (TLC- The Learning Channel)
Flip this House (A&E - Arts & Entertainment)
Thursday, December 06, 2007
Want something different?
New trends have people remodeling warehouses, barns or schools into residences. But what about a church?Absolutely! This church, built in 1888, is now a home residence. If walls could talk, they would sing "Hallalujah!"
This remodeled church home has two living rooms, stained glass windows, 13 foot ceilings and a jacuzzi tub.
The home is located in a great neighborhood with many new families and a community park next door.
Visit this home here:
http://www.10realty.com/detail.asp?id=3235
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