Real Estate Blog

What is your House Style?

2008-07-16T13:38:00.000-04:00

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

It's Easy to be GREEN!

2008-06-24T13:10:00.003-04:00

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.....

Get off the Grid!

2008-06-13T08:33:00.000-04:00

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/

Toronto's Smallest Home

2008-04-02T19:48:00.004-04:00

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!

- Tumbled stone entrance walk

- Renovated Kitchen

- Renovated Bath
- Bedroom with Murphy Bed and Built-in Closets

- Fenced patio

Violence in Real Estate - How to keep safe.

2008-03-15T20:56:00.002-04:00

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.

Flip this House. Flip that House

2008-02-14T19:30:00.003-05:00

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)

Want something different?

2007-12-06T15:41:00.000-05:00

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

1920's cottage

2007-11-08T20:22:00.000-05:00

This adorable Mobile Alabama cottage has great curb appeal.

The main house has 2 bedrooms and 1 bath. It also has a seperate garage with an apartment upstairs. Can you say... the Fonz!

Some other features:

New Central Heat & Air

Large Kitchen with lots of cabinets

Large Patio

Close to running track and tennis courts

5 minutes from mall

located on popular street in midtown

This home will sell fast!

View more info here:

http://www.10realty.com/detail.asp?id=2886

Gorgeous Southern Charm FSBO

2007-10-26T21:47:00.000-04:00

What a fantastic home to live in. Built in 1910, it has 6 bedrooms, 4 full baths and 2 half baths.

There is even room for one in the apartment above the "carriage house". And did I mention the tennis court behind the carriage house?

With 23 pecan trees, you will certainly be able to bake plenty of pecan pies for the holidays.

View more photos of this home here:

http://www.10realty.com/detail.asp?id=3180

Some interesting facts about 1910:

US Population: 92,228,496
Life Expectancy: Male 48.4 Female: 51.8
Average Salary $750 / year
Unemployed 2,150,000
National Debt: $1.15 billion
Divorce: 1/1000
Vacation: 12 day cruise $60

China abolishes slavery in 1910

United States had 46 States (New Mexico, Arizona, Alaska & Hawaii were not part of the US)

Does your house value plummet if a Convicted Sex Offender moves in next door?

2007-10-11T22:42:00.000-04:00

The answer is most definitely, YES!

My good friend just informed me that a Sex offender moved in 2 houses down from her in her very nice, family-friendly subdivision in the best part of town in her city. The entire neighborhood was in an uproar. The President of the Homeowners Association was flooded with phone calls. There was talk of the neighbors gathering together to go and "have a talking to" this guy... In other words, don't unpack because you're not welcome here and won't be staying!

The offender was convicted of "EXPLOITATION OF A MINOR BY ELECTRONIC MEANS" in 2001. This means he passed along indecent photos of a child(s) probably using the Internet. He obviously did not serve much time in jail if any at all.

So, will my friend's house value go down because this guy moved in? I believe so, but only if she is planning to sell while he is still living in the neighborhood! Currently, there are no homes for sale in her subdivision. In a matter of weeks, I suspect that several will begin to go up for sale. (I'll post back and let you know) The homes that go up for sale will be under-priced because people will want to sell quickly. As we all know, when the supply goes up, the demand goes down and home prices are reduced because of the extra competition.

Will buyers be savvy enough to ask, "Why are you selling?" And will the seller respond honestly with, "Because a sex-offender moved 2 doors down."

But nobody ever questions if there are robbers, drug users or murderers in your neighborhood. There is an understandable banishment of sex offenders in every town and we all know who they are because as responsible citizens and parents, we check the sex offenders database every now and again just to make sure one of them wouldn't dare move into our neighborhoods. But there is no database to check for other criminals... not yet anyway, but it's coming!

Follow this link to check if there are convicted sex offenders in your neighborhood: http://www.familywatchdog.us/

Unusual Apartment Building - The Hundertwasser House Vienna

2007-10-01T19:59:00.000-04:00

The Hundertwasser House Vienna is an apartment building located in Vienna, Austria. It was designed by Austrian artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser and built between 1983 and 1986 by architects Univ. Prof. Joseph Krawina and Peter Pelikan.

The building features uneven floors, a roof covered with grass, and large trees growing from inside the rooms, with their branches emerging from the windows.

Hundertwasser accepted no compensation for the design of the house, saying it was gratifying enough just to prevent something ugly from going up in its place.

The Hundertwasser House is one of Austria's most visited buildings.

Photo credit: Missy Red Boots

Celebrity FSBO

2007-09-17T19:44:00.000-04:00

Even the celebrities are selling their homes For Sale by Owner.

It was reported that Jerry Seinfield bought Billy Joel's 12-acre palatial estate in Amagansett, New York (Long Island) for a reported 30 to 40 million dollars. No real estate agents were involved in this "For sale by owner" transaction, saving big money for both celebrities.

Paul Reiser (another celebrity) brought the two together for this big deal.

Billy Joel bought the estate in the Hamptons in the mid- 80s while married to Christie Brinkley. The estate includes a mansion, guest house, two swimming pools and an antique barn.

Unique home built in 1930's

2007-09-14T22:24:00.000-04:00

This historical home is found in Scarbro, West Virginia. It was built sometime in the 1930's amist the Stock Market Crash, the Great Depression and the creation of Social Security. From 1929 to 1932, the average income of the American family fell 40%, from $2,300 to $1,500 per year. Instead of advancement, survival was the goal of most American families.

This incredible 14-room home rests on 1.3 acres. It reminds me of a home that would be found in the movies during that era. It still has a lot of its original beauty but has also undergone extensive remodeling.

Check it out at:

http://www.10realty.com/detail.asp?id=3037

Haunted House FSBO

2007-09-13T13:16:00.000-04:00

I was scouring the internet and found an interesting ad for a home FSBO... oh, yeah... and it's HAUNTED!

(Ad:)
Built in 1861 this full brick home is ready to move into! Me and my family have lived there for 6 years it is a great home with a few "friendly ghosts" when we first moved in my middle daughter was 2 and she kept telling me about all her new friends upstairs and down stairs, My husband was a "non believer" until we moved there, he has had more strange sighting and occurrence's than I have. The ghosts were always good to me-playing with the kids, tucking the covers around then on nights when it was cold, turning on lights when I needed them on. We are currently not living in the home we had to relocate- the home misses us!! When we go back to check on it the curtain in one of the bedrooms upstairs is always pushed back I think it is one of my daughters "friends" looking for her. The home is over 3000 sq. ft. with a full basement, the house servants used to live in the basement, This home is very unique- Rare 2nd Empire with a slate Mansard convex Roof line - most of the locals say it is spooky, we would go on vacation for weeks at a time and never lock our doors, we couldnt get anyone to stay in the home while we were gone they would only last 1 night - one of my friends called be and said "The house hated her" so she could not stay there while we were gone. It is located in IL 25 miles North of St. Louis, MO priced at $187,000

(end of ad)

If you want to see the ad and contact info, follow this link:
http://www.halloweenforum.com/showthread.php?p=370508#post370508

Gina

A lot of BANG for the buck!

2007-07-09T23:19:00.000-04:00

This home really stands out to me because it has 11 bedrooms and 4500 sq feet, but it is priced at only $158,000. Located in Rumford, Maine, this home is in a very desireable area. The home was built in 1910, so it must have a lot of character. Back then, homes were built with real wood, solid doorknobs and a lot of quality. Small bedrooms and bathrooms, but lots of character! Did I mention hardwood floors everywhere? I would love to see some interior photos of this home!

Visit it now at:

http://www.10realty.com/detail.asp?id=2714

A Fungus is devouring my Purple Heart!

2007-06-18T13:09:00.000-04:00

A nasty charcoal or rock-shaped fungus has taken over my beautiful Purple Heart Plant (Tradescantia Pallida). When I saw it this morning, the fungus was covered with a yellowish scum which washed away with water. The fungus looks like rocks lying on the ground or charcoal pieces. I'm searching all over the Internet to see if it is harmful or beneficial to converting mulch to food. If anyone knows what this fungus is, please let me know.

Here are some photos:

Where are all the homes for sale?

2006-12-04T13:44:00.000-05:00

Maybe I chose the wrong time of the year to start looking for investment homes for sale, but I just can't find any.

Hubby and I are ready to be slum lords again. We dabbled in this years ago and had the best tenant you could ask for... a neat freak (much worse than my own neat freakiness). Hubby and I are on the same page about this and by gosh, when we want something, we want it now!!!!

Where are all the homes for sale? It's as though people take their homes off the market just before Thanksgiving and nada home in site until after the new year.

I'm looking for a home for around $100K in Knoxville, TN (West Knoxville, of course, because I rarely venture outside a 20 mile radius of my home). I was only looking for one day but I was hoping to see at least a couple to call about. We were especially looking for FSBO homes because we have both been burned countless times by dishonest agents and since I am an avid fsbo'er myself, I just prefer to call on the fsbos first and then start with the homes represented by agents. Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of good agents out there... but I somehow end up with one that lies about everything from the terms of the contract to the termite inspection.

Sellers need to realize that people are looking to buy homes every day of the year. Especially on July 4th... this is the biggest selling weekend of the year!

There is always someone getting married, getting divorced, getting rid of the grown kids, getting rid of the inlaws (and outlaws), relocating, needing a quick investment before the end of the year to avoid tax penalties, etc...

So, get your house back on the market and make sure you make up some flyers for your for sale sign.

Gina

Save the Forest - Privatize the POST OFFICE!

2006-08-21T13:57:00.000-04:00

Think about all that junk mail you get every day... unwanted magazines, catalogs, and mounds of credit card applications...

Because it is so inexpensive to mail just about anything, they're going to send it and your mail box will continue to be full everyday until we do something about it.

But when it comes down to it, it really isn't all that inexpensive to mail anything. Your $0.39 stamp is really costing you about $1.18. The American people are paying for the Post Office through their hard-earned tax dollars. In exchange for your tax dollars, the post office makes it affordable for businesses to send mail (most of it unwanted) right back at you.

Privatizing the Post Office will accomplish the following things:

1. No more tax money going to it
2. Postage will get more expensive (No problem. Just send digital Hallmark cards and pay all of your bills online)
3. Companies will be forced to shrink their mailing list to only those who ask for information about their products.
4. Millions of trees are Saved!!!!

We can make a difference. Contact your congress and say enough is enough!

DO NOT READ THIS CONSUMER REPORT!!!!!

2006-07-17T13:21:00.000-04:00

This is the one consumer report real estate agents do not want you to see....

http://www.consumerfed.org/pdfs/Real_Estate_Cartel_Study061906.pdf

Using Ping Pong Balls to Market Real Estate

2006-07-16T19:16:00.000-04:00

Read how a very creative real estate investor sold 85 houses in one day...

http://www.reiclub.com/articles/ping-pong-balls-market-investment

Home of the Day

2006-07-14T11:35:00.000-04:00

I have selected a "Home of the Day" to tell you about. The home was built in 1919. I chose it because I'm feeling a bit nostalgic today as I wonder how we survived so many wars and conflicts throughout my lifetime and those of my ancestors. I recall my days in school... reciting the "Pledge of Allegiance..." and not really understanding what those words meant back then. This morning, I can barely say the pledge without choking through the words. If you haven't said it in a while (in my case, over 15 years), say it outloud and you'll see what I'm talking about.

What an incredible country we live in!

Back to the "Home of the Day". Located in beautiful Clearwater, Florida, this home has History. It has been modernly refreshed and is a definite MUST SEE!

http://www.10realty.com/detail.asp?id=1575

Server issues...

2006-07-13T14:19:00.000-04:00

I apologize to all of our site visitors. We have had some server issues off and on for the past couple of days. Steve, our server manager, is all over the situation and I am confident he will have this issue resolved shortly.