Home Kitchen

What adds more value to a house? – Questions and answers about the value of the house

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This article is for the average homeowner and not for people who want to improve “upper class” homes in great neighborhoods. Things that add value to a home come in two forms; one is the home’s value to a new buyer and two is the actual appraised value. There are different things that add value to one or the other and sometimes to both.

First, the things that add value to a new buyer are visual things. 80% of the sale is curb appeal. The houses being sold are a lot like humans if you think about it. We all have our own problems and failures, but we don’t want to advertise it to our neighbors. Yelling at husband/wife and kids is something we try to do around the house if you know what I mean. Selling the house has some similar characteristics; it is the house that looks nice from the outside that is sold first. Any minor defects inside the house can be fixed once the buyer has moved out. Most people don’t want to be the one with the ugliest house on the block.

Another similar feature is that the newer the better. People like new trends, what is popular nowadays, and always look for something better. Having a few of those popular items scattered throughout the house will update, even if the entire house hasn’t been remodeled. How does it look updated and modern? Here are some tips;

  • Cleaning (the most important)
  • Green lawn, trees. Trim bushes and trees, plant annuals for great curb appeal.
  • If your kitchen cabinets look shabby, consider painting them if you can’t replace them.
  • If your sinks or toilets aren’t white, replace them.
  • Light and neutral paint colors. Paint the ceiling lighter than the walls to add height.
  • Rugs in neutral and light brown tones.
  • Natural stone-look tiles (if they aren’t already)
  • Stainless steel. Brushed steel or bronze fittings (gold is out)
  • Energy efficient vinyl windows
  • Textured walls.
  • The kitchen and bathrooms are the most important rooms in your home.

Creative decoration can be a great advantage. Get creative and make it look clean and tasteful – this will add the most value to a new buyer. Just keep in mind that “overall decor” is better. Not everyone likes that same decoration. I once bought a very nice (expensive) ceiling fan to put in a house. I thought it would be a big selling point as it was so beautiful to me; it was the first thing the owner tore up when he moved in. So do not overdo it and fall in love with your decoration.

Second, the things that add value to an appraiser and really make your home worth more are based more on structure and product. Modern updates have little influence, but are mostly updated in a general way that makes the best difference. For example, if you replaced your old wood grain Formica countertops with a tile countertop, that would be considered an “upgrade.” Whether or not you used granite or ceramic tile may or may not make a difference. That difference would depend on your house, if you’re in a $500,000 house and you add ceramic while all your neighbors have granite, then your tile countertops would be a bit of an upgrade. But if you live in a modest neighborhood where most other countertops were still Formica (but newer than wood), then installing granite adds no more value to your home than ceramic. A good example is seeing a really big, beautiful house with all the bells and whistles built in a neighborhood where all the houses were that size with minimal improvements. The value of that big, beautiful house will be less than that of one of its peers located in a better neighborhood. What your neighborhood offers will give you a great indicator of how far you need to upgrade to add value. Go a “little” further than your neighbors, going all out and beating them by miles won’t give you as much value as it sounds. Just try to think about upgrading generally, shop wisely, and forget about “brand name” purchases. 25-year-old carpet and 10-year-old carpet rarely make a difference in appraised value.

Then it comes down to adding appraised value to a home, it will be limited to things like square footage, age of the home, construction or rebar making, etc. Within those limits, this is the best way to add that value (yes, they’re in order);

  • Add square footage with an addition.
  • It has a garage or store.
  • Drywall and textured walls. (Get rid of the wood paneling, especially if it’s dark)
  • Kitchens and bathrooms are the most important rooms.
  • kitchens; new countertops, new (or resurfaced) cabinets, new linoleum or tile floors, etc.
  • toilets; good lighting, white tubs and sinks, tile or linoleum floor, very clean toilet, etc.
  • New Carpet/Flooring: Wood floors (real and laminate) may have a higher value. The brand of the rug usually doesn’t make a difference, and neither does the padding. Details like fixtures, appliances, paint colors (neutral is best, not white), etc.

Above all, new paint is a great value, even if it looks good, a fresh coat of paint can make all the difference in the world to both a potential buyer and an appraiser. It is also a task that the whole family can do.

Determining what adds the most value to a home will take a bit of neighborhood research, but when you’re done, you’ll be sure that your hard-earned money is being spent on things that really add value. Plus, we all love to save money and time. If you need a definitive number on what a certain upgrade could add in terms of value, then you should visit an appraiser in your area.

Digital Marketing

John Akii-Bua, not Jean-Baptiste Okello – Aggrey Awori holds the Ugandan record in the 110m hurdles

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The literature predominantly attributes the Ugandan national record for the 110 meter hurdles to Jean-Baptiste Okello, courtesy of his personal best of 14.48 seconds which he set at the 1960 Olympics in Rome.

Okello, 20, and Aggrey Awori, 21, represented Uganda at the steeplechase in Rome. The first round of competition, then the quarterfinals, then the semifinals, and then the final, were held on the same day, September 3, 1960. The preliminary round consisted of six heats, Okello entered the first heat, Awori entered in the sixth heat. There were five to seven hurdlers in each heat, with the fastest four in each heat qualifying for the second round (quarterfinals). In his series, Okello was second (14.59), so he went on to the next round. Awori did not do so well, he finished in fourth place (15.36), but still qualified for the quarterfinals.

The quarterfinals were divided into four heats, each heat featuring six hurdlers. The fastest three in each heat would qualify for the semi-finals. In the first heat, in which Okello placed, he finished second (14.48) and thus qualified for the semi-finals. This was an impressive new Ugandan record. Awori was eliminated after finishing fourth in the third heat (14.94).

The semi-finals consisted of two heats, each with six athletes. Okello appeared in the first manga. The fastest three in each heat would go on to the final. Okello did not advance to the final, after finishing fifth here (14.59).

Near the end of the Games, Awori and Okello would be part of the Ugandan 4x100m relay team. They were disqualified in the first round. The other sprinters were Samuel Amukun and Gadi Ado. The four youngsters were the only Ugandan competitors at the Rome Olympics. Among the four, only Samuel Erasmus Amukun and Aggrey Awori would go on to represent Uganda at the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo. Awori would set school records in the sprint, long jump, and high hurdles at Harvard University, and later became a prominent Ugandan civil servant and politician. Amukun became a prominent geologist in Canada.

Some have held that Aggrey Awori holds the Ugandan 110 meter hurdles record. He finished the high hurdles in competition and the Harvard record of 14.2 seconds in early May 1965 at the Greater Boston Varsity Track Championships at Harvard Stadium (Editors 1965:8). The issue is that he was in the 120 meter hurdles. That is very approximate, but not exactly 110 meters. In addition, the conditions were not recognized or ratified by an international athletics body. There was also the factor of favorable winds.

Hidden in the annals is the 110m hurdles national record that Gold Olympian John Akii-Bua, who also holds national records in the decathlon and 400m, set at the 1970 Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh. The Games were held from July 16 to 25. Akii-Bua famously finished fourth here, in the 400m hurdles final, the start of his meteoric rise to stardom.

In Edinburgh, there would be three rounds of the 110m hurdles competition, including the final. Each round consisted of seven hurdlers, with the fastest five in each heat advancing to the semi-finals. Akii-Bua placed in the first heat of three heats, advanced to the semifinals by virtue of her fourth-place finish. He finished in 14.39 seconds, clearly a new Ugandan record. There appears to be no evidence that any Ugandan has run faster than that in the event. The winner in this series was, in particular, the British legend David Hemery, who won gold at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City, where at the same time he set a new world record.

At the 1970 Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh, there were two semi-final heats in the 110m hurdles; and Akii-Bua placed second, each consisting of eight hurdlers. The fastest top four in each semi-final heat would advance to the final. Akii-Bua failed to make it to the final finishing fifth in 14.43 seconds. But even this time was faster than the Ugandan record wrongly held by Jean-Baptiste Okello (14.48)!

David Hemery would win in the final (13.99) and claim gold.

Works Cited
Publishers, “Harvard Wins Again, Fiore Sets Record”. The Heights, Volume 45, No. 25 (1965): 8.

Relationship

silent auction supplies

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Silent auction is one of the most profitable options to raise funds for some charitable purposes. The success of this auction depends on how well you plan it. You need to find a suitable place for the event, collect useful items and place them attractively. In addition, you should also pay attention to the little things, such as silent auction supplies. Buying all the essential supplies like pens, auction sheets, calculator, tables, and credit card reader in advance can help you avoid hassles at silent auctions. If you don’t keep these supplies readily available, you may lose some bidders.

o Silent Auction Bid Sheets:
Bidding sheets are one of the most important auction supplies. You can select two-sided auction sheets that give you plenty of room to bid on multiple auction items. Blades must be strong enough to withstand wear and tear. In addition to leaving space to include donation notes, item number, item description and value, they should also leave space to show the winning bidder and the amount they bid. If you select the correct bid sheet, hosting a silent auction can be much easier.

o Offer closing time card:
Bid close time cards are another useful auction material that can show the auction close time for each item. These cards are made from thick paper, so you can expect good performance from them.

o Donation request form:
You can purchase these forms to prepare a list of potential donors for your auction event. They include space to fill in information such as the donor’s name, phone number, expiration date reminder, etc.

o Volunteer Registration Form:
Since silent auctions are held for worthy causes, many volunteers are ready to share their work pressures. You can recruit volunteers to host the event and as judges to monitor whether the minimum bid and minimum increments are reached. You may plan to purchase a volunteer sign-up sheet or form so you can thank them later by sending them an email or a letter.

or money box:
Cash boxes play a vital role in silent auctions to keep coin and bill slots safe. Some of the models come with removable trays. You can make use of such silent auction supplies to increase your comfort.

or Bookmarks:
You can find a variety of markers to highlight the important details of the items to be auctioned. You can use quick-drying industrial pen for signs and sizing. You can opt for all-weather markers with a fine tip to write on plastics, vinyl, etc. If you write the name of the item with this pen, it will never fade. You can try using fluorescent colors that glow in the dark for ultra-high visibility.

o Auction Item Display Cards:
Auction item display cards are useful auction supplies that are printed in bright ink with the numbers in large letters. Auction item display tags help keep your silent auction organized and running smoothly. You can select from the different card sizes available.

Health Fitness

Weight loss for endomorphs

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A popular body structure classification system is the use of body types. Used by personal trainers, bodybuilders, and many fitness professionals, body types make transforming your body into the best it can be easier. There are three different body types: endomorphs, mesomorphs, and ectomorphs. The mesomorph body type is athletic and muscular, while the ectomorph body type is slightly muscular and has relatively little body fat. That brings us to endomorphs who struggle to control their body fat percentage, as they have a natural propensity to gain weight, coupled with great difficulty losing weight.

The hardest part is discovering that you are an endomorph. Until you find out, you’re left frustrated and wondering why your friends, who live on junk food and barely move, manage to stay skinny, while you put on a couple of pounds just thinking about a cupcake. You are an endomorph. That means you need to stop comparing yourself to ectomorphs who have naturally fast metabolisms and seem unable to gain weight and mesomorphs who are naturally athletic and excel at just about any sport. Being an endomorph doesn’t mean you can’t look good, you can look amazing, it just means you have to work harder, work longer and be more determined than any other body type.

Endomorphs have different needs than ectomorph or mesomorph body types. Endomorphs must implement a weight loss strategy that employs nutrition and exercise. While other body types can get away with dieting just to lose weight, endomorphs simply can’t. Endomorphs struggle to control their weight in part due to a slow metabolism, by restricting your calories you slow down your metabolism even more. However, exercise increases metabolism and it is imperative that endomorphs exercise almost daily. Without exercise, you will have a hard time losing weight and without exercise, you will almost certainly pack on the pounds again as soon as you stop dieting. Endomorphs should aim to exercise 5-6 days a week for 40 minutes or more. If you’ve been inactive, start slowly and build your endurance and strength, especially if you’re jogging or running, as this is a high-impact exercise. A great way to burn lots of calories, especially for endomorphs, is on the elliptical machine. The elliptical machine is very low impact and means you can exercise just as hard as if you were running or jogging, but without the stress that hitting the pavement or treadmill puts on your body.

Endomorphs are diet experts. You’ve probably tried every diet out there and found that nothing has worked. However, endomorphs should be careful when choosing a weight loss diet. Endomorphs tend to be carb sensitive, which means you’ll do better if you reduce your carb intake and eliminate refined carbs (e.g., sugar, white flour, white bread, white pasta, white rice) entirely of your diet. Building your diet around lean protein and vegetables is ideal for endomorphs, as these foods are relatively low in calories, but provide essential nutrients and are very filling.

Legal Law

Congress is coming after your 401(K)

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75% of Americans disapprove of the job our representatives are doing. It’s things like this that explain why:

While only about 13% of US employees nationwide enjoy a retirement fund that ensures stable income for life, all 535 members of Congress do… courtesy of Uncle Sam.

Members of Congress participate in the Federal Employees Retirement System, which provides pension benefits most working Americans can only dream of.

Private retirement savers often pay management fees that can exceed 1% per year for poor investment choices. Members of Congress pay a maximum of 0.039% for guaranteed funds to match the market.

A proposal floating around Republican circles in Washington would add insult to injury: They want to end the tax deduction of your pension contributions so they can give a $1.5 billion tax break to corporate America.

Oops.

Give and take

Congress is reportedly considering reducing the benefits of contributing to a 401(k) and similar retirement plans.

That’s because he wants to reform corporate taxes, cutting the rate from 35% to 15%. That punches a meteor-sized hole in the federal budget.

Cue the pension police.

According to the latest report from the Joint Committee on Taxation, the exclusion of contributions and earnings from defined contribution plans will cost the federal government more than $584 billion over the next five years.

The new proposal would treat all traditional IRA and 401(k) contributions as if they were Roth IRA contributions. You would lose the tax exclusion of those contributions, but your future 401(k)/IRA earnings and appreciation would be tax-free. Some think this could raise $1.5 trillion in additional tax revenue over the next decade, making corporate tax relief feasible.

Unless they decide to tax retirement earnings and appreciation as well.

End of the Roth?

At this time, any income and earnings generated by your 401(k) and/or traditional IRA are not taxed until you make withdrawals.

But a new proposal would impose a 15% tax on those annual earnings, raising another $1.5 trillion over the next decade. However, that would be even worse than taxable ordinary investment accounts, where one can defer capital gains tax simply by not selling shares.

“It’s really not a question of whether retirement plans will be cut, but by how much,” said Bradford Campbell, a former assistant secretary of labor for employee benefits under President George W. Bush. Replacing lost income from tax cuts, he said, is “a game of winners and losers, and the retirement system is bound to be one of the losers.”

My sources in Washington tell me that the Trump team is definitely planning to push through tax reform like President Ronald Reagan’s in 1986, closing loopholes and lowering rates. It will not be just a tax cut, as had been rumored.

Like the exclusion of retirement contributions, the proposals also eliminate state and local income tax deductions. If you live in a place like New York or California, that’s a big deal.

Who cares?

There is no more controversial issue in American politics than federal tax reform. So who is likely to win and lose if tax reform follows President Donald Trump’s proposals?

First, his administration cannot count on the unconditional support of the voter base that put Trump in the White House.

Although low-income voters would likely be neutral, since they tend not to have 401(k)s or IRAs, households earning $50,000 or more, most of whom voted for president, would be hit hard if contributions for retirement were taxable. in the front.

High-income families probably don’t care one way or the other, as they tend to hit their retirement contribution limits pretty quickly anyway.

Second, the corporate side of the proposals is tense. Although Trump’s plan cuts the corporate rate from 35% to 15%, many US corporations Already pay less than 15% thanks to the loopholes, especially in energy, utilities and heavy industry.

They will likely oppose the plan as it closes those loopholes. That makes the step uncertain.

How to prepare

The uncertainty surrounding something we’ve come to take for granted—tax-advantaged retirement plans—means you urgently need to look for alternatives.

One is to explore the benefits of investing directly in the stock market. Long-term buy-and-hold strategies may become more attractive than retirement funds, depending on how capital gains are treated in any tax reform plan.

Another alternative is to consider the advantages of life insurance.

Certain types of whole life policies are much better than traditional retirement vehicles. That’s because the IRS currently treats “distributions” from such policies as nontaxable loans against the policy, which are withdrawn when paid upon your death.

Life insurance trusts, on the other hand, could become much more attractive vehicles for transferring money to your heirs if returns on estate IRS accounts plummet.

Whatever happens, I will closely follow developments… and offer you solutions.

Lifestyle Fashion

sadness walks with me

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Pain is our soul’s way of expressing need. This raw emotion is complex and simple at the same time. Simple because it is innate and human. Everyone will experience it at some point in their life. Pain becomes complex when it burrows deep into our heart and soul, changing who we were and challenging us to emerge as someone different. It can be the “beast” or a blessing. However, we rarely talk about sorrow and pain. We treat it privately and personally, as if only we could own it.

Pain creeps into our lives when a loved one dies. We recognize the all-encompassing emotion before and after the funeral. It speaks of the dramatic life change that awaits us and shatters our security in the world we once knew. We fear his tenacious grip and shudder at his humility. Instinctively, we know, pain can be a destructive force if we allow it to be our companion for too long; and ignoring the pain will only create more problems. Therein lies the dilemma… how can we go beyond the pain to find the peace and joy that empower us and lead us to transformative destinies?

The importance of pain

Even when we have sadness, we can still have a ray of hope. Our lives are a series of events. We have layer upon layer of experiences. Some repeated, but all contribute to making us who we are. These layers are a composite of our challenges, our achievements, our disappointments, our successes, and our failures. Each forms the basis of the “wisdom” that comes with time and lived life. We can look at our past and recognize that we have been through other changes.

Looking back, Gary and I recognize how much we have been changed by significant loss experiences. And though we have been involved in grievance education and support for nearly 2 decades, grief still finds a way to impact us. It is comforting to help others during those first difficult months and years. It reminds us of the path we once walked and how far we have come. In our groups, we bond with others who are suffering. And when one of us suffers, we all suffer together. Sadness walks with me.

Some people come to our groups with deep regret and high hopes of finding something magical that will erase the pain and return them to the “old self.” Although this is not likely to happen in such a short time, what they do find is hope in the stories of others. Grief is part of the grieving process that requires accepting the pain and learning to live with it. Shakespeare says: “Give him words of sorrow.” When we talk about our pain, we begin to heal the pain and ease the burden we carry with us. Such camaraderie in groups allows us to recognize that we are not alone.

With pain come tears. Tears tell a story that words cannot describe. Tears do not cure pain, but they start the process that helps us heal pain. Tears help us express our emotions, tears come and go, usually at the most inconvenient times! A fleeting memory, a moving song, a familiar face can provoke the appearance of emotions not forgotten, but bravely repressed. I find courage in the tears that say we have not grown bitter with the world; intolerable to others; insensitive to misfortune; or oblivious to human suffering. Tears are small blessings of cherished moments, treasured memories, and tokens of unconditional love.

Sadness have to walk with each of us for a period of time in grievance. It is the price we pay for love. It pays homage to a relationship that has nourished our soul and lightened our spirit. It means that the battle has begun and has not yet been won.

A cure for the pain?

We are often asked this familiar question: “How long before I get over my complaint and can stop crying?” I don’t think there is a time limit for expressing emotions through tears. Gary and I still find moments of tears and outbursts of sadness.

There is an old Chinese tale about a woman whose only son died. To her aggravation, she turned to the holy man and said, “What prayers, what magical incantations do you have to bring my son back to life?”

Instead of firing her or reasoning with her, he said, “Bring me a mustard seed from a home that has never known pain. We will use it to take the pain out of your life.” The woman immediately set off in search of that magical mustard seed.

He first came to a splendid mansion, knocked on the door and said, “I am looking for a home that has never known pain. Is this such a place? It is very important to me.” They told him, “You have certainly come to the wrong place,” and began to describe all the tragic things that had happened to them recently.

The woman said to herself: “Who can better help these poor unfortunate people than I, who have had my own misfortune?” She stayed to comfort them, then she continued to search for a home that she had never known pain. But wherever she looked, in slums and elsewhere, she found story after story of sadness and misfortune. She became so involved in ministering to other people’s grievances that she eventually forgot about her quest for the magical mustard seed, not realizing that she had, in fact, removed pain from her life.

Each of us who walk this journey through pain comes to a fork in the road. A fork where you must decide: Will I heal my grievance? Or will I forever be angry, bitter, and miserable over my loss?

If we choose to knock on the doors of our neighbors, our co-workers, and our friends, it is unlikely that we can bring back a mustard seed from a home that has not known pain. Grief thrives in various guises, including divorce, physical illness, family dysfunction, job stress, and personal emptiness.

How to heal the pain

There is a valuable lesson in this tall tale, one that speaks to each of us as a way to heal our own pain. The best cure for pain is to recognize and seek out someone who has a greater cause for pain than you. By sharing their burden, listening to their story, or helping them face their pain, you can discover peace and overcome the misery you are experiencing.

How do we do this? They all have a story. Many stories lead to life changes and transformed lives. Ask. Listen. Then give your own words of sadness.

Healing your grievance and grief involves validating your true feelings. You run the risk of remembering sad moments in your life, moments that you may not have honored until now. You run the risk of feeling deeply moved, understanding the need for compassion, and facing the fact that you care deeply about the loss you have experienced. You can cry. You can laugh. You can even get angry, because it hurts when you feel that life has treated you unfairly. You may want to hold on to your past, but recognize that there is no future there. You can think of things that you have never thought of before. You can evaluate your life today and rethink your future. You will know what it means to love and to have been loved. Pain teaches us the ultimate lessons of life.

Although she (the pain) can walk with you; she does not need to become his constant companion. She will take you to the fork in the road where it will be your choice to be bitter or better. Which one will you choose?

Pets

Wisconsin Arson Penalties

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Wisconsin law takes arson very seriously. It is a malicious and highly dangerous crime. In the year 2006, there were approximately 31,000 intentionally set fires in the US, resulting in the deaths of 305 civilians. To qualify as a felony arson, a fire must be started intentionally, but Wisconsin law includes ways to prosecute people who unintentionally set fires through reckless behavior. Here’s a quick overview of our state’s fire safety laws, in order of increasing severity.

Negligent Handling of Burning Materials – If you start a fire by mishandling or failing to supervise a smaller fire, you are guilty of a Class A misdemeanor. This is punishable by up to nine months in prison and/or a fine of up to $10,000. For repeat offenders, the award can be up to two years.

Arson of Property Other Than Buildings: The intentional use of fire to damage any property, other than buildings, with a value of more than $100 is a class E felony. This is punishable by up to 15 years in prison.

Unsafe Burning of Buildings: Sometimes people decide to get rid of old sheds or dangerously dilapidated buildings by simply burning them down. This is legal, as long as you do it with the knowledge and cooperation of the fire department. If you burn down an old building in a reckless or dangerous manner, you are guilty of a Class D felony. This is punishable by up to 25 years in prison.

Setting fire to buildings: When a person deliberately sets fire to a building without the consent of the owner, sets fire to his own property to commit insurance fraud, or does any of these with the use of explosives, he has committed a Class B felony The penalty can be up to 60 years in prison.

Arson Injuries – Anyone who is injured or suffers property damage due to arson, including municipal employees, can sue the arsonist for treble damages. This means that the arsonist will have to pay the injured party three times the cost of the damages suffered.

First degree murder – If an act of arson results in the death of a person, the arsonist can be charged with first degree felony murder, even if the death was accidental. In Wisconsin, being convicted of a Class A felony carries a mandatory life sentence.

Arson is clearly not a charge to be taken lightly. Because fires are so difficult to control once they start, arson is an extremely dangerous crime. For more information about Wisconsin arson laws, contact the arson defense attorneys at Appleton, Kohler, Hart & Priebe.

Real Estate

How to find tenants

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If you have at least one vacant rental unit, your main goal will always be how to get tenants.

That is perfectly understandable. An empty lease means lost income. And the only way to rectify the situation is to get tenants. Easy.

Unfortunately, today, the competition to fill vacancies has become frantic. And why not? With the housing industry in turmoil, more and more real estate brokers are turning to rental property as a means to offset declining commissions and overall loss of income.

So how do you get your fair share? How do you get tenants when everyone else is trying to do the same?

Advertising, promotion, marketing… they all need to be empowered in order to compete. But even that is not enough. What you really need to do is make sure your rental property stands out from the rest.

That means paying attention to every detail, and not from the owner’s point of view, but from the tenant’s perspective.

Start with the curb appeal. Does the rental property make a wonderful first impression, or would a prospective renter have to figure out what lies beyond the peeling paint, unkempt landscaping, and dirty windows?

What about comfort and safety? Would the average renter look at the unit and conjure up thoughts of “home” or be more focused on dark doorways and questionable locks?

What’s in the rental? Is it bright and cheerful? Have the carpets and floors been cleaned? Are the kitchen and bathroom up to date? Is the place move-in ready or would a tenant feel like they needed to paint and scrub from top to bottom first?

If you are wondering how to get tenants, all you have to do is look at it from the opposite point of view. What would make a tenant NOT want to live there? Better yet, what if it was YOU looking for a place to live?

Looking at it from that angle, would you be satisfied with your first impression? Would you feel safe and secure? Does it give you a sense of home or a feeling that it’s just a used shell that dozens of other people have occupied?

Rental property is no different than any other real estate property. If you want to “sell” it, you have to make it shine. You have to show tenants a unit that asks to be occupied, that is exactly the place they have been looking for.

So don’t assume that because you cleaned the place, it’s enough to hook a tenant right away. It is not. There is too much competition out there.

So here is the answer to how to get tenants…

Make sure your rental property is desirable, something you’d be happy to move into yourself.

Keep in mind that the right rent can often sway someone who is on the fence about whether to rent or buy a home. You can easily make the decision for them. How? Offering them a rental property they simply cannot refuse.

Once you do, you’ll never have to worry about finding tenants again.

John Rustice, RentalUtopia.net

Shopping Product Reviews

Why NOT buy a foreclosure

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In today’s upside-down real estate market, it seems there are always a handful of real estate agents and brokers who “insist” that buying a foreclosure is a great bargain and everyone should have at least 4-5 of them.

Well, to tell you the truth, some of what they say is true, but much of it is a fabrication of implicit truth with the sole intention of fattening their bottom line. Many real estate agents intentionally lie so their clients can buy foreclosures and earn a commission. The problem is, you don’t need a real estate agent to buy a foreclosure! But that’s not what I’m going to discuss here today, instead I’m going to talk about why you “not” buy one.

First, a brief explanation of what a foreclosure is:

Typically, a home is purchased through a real estate agent and a normal trust handles the broker’s issues and is the “neutral third party.” There is the buyers agent and the sellers agent and the escrow officer who handles the escrow. Once all issues are resolved (title, loans, repairs, termites, etc.), escrow is closed and the buyer takes possession of the home or condo.

The new buyer has taken out a loan on the property and pays monthly for that loan and if it is fixed for 30 years, the payments are consistent every month. If adjustable, payments change with interest rate based on LIBOR or 10-year note or equivalent.

Suppose a buyer can’t make a payment by the due date, then a late notice is sent and the buyer has about 10 days to bring the loan current. If they don’t, a “notice of default” is sent out and filed with the county recorder’s office. If the buyer still doesn’t pay, the lender forecloses on the property. They file a document with the county notifying the public of a pending sale and notify the seller that they will lose their home. Once it goes up for sale on the steps of the county courthouse, someone usually buys it for back taxes or the loan amount. It’s too complicated here to explain the different ways people can lose their homes, but for argument’s sake, we’ll say that foreclosure is the only way. Now, if no one buys the house at auction, it goes back to the lender and they have what is called REO or Real Estate Owned. They don’t want the property, they want the money plus interest on the loan!

Now what does the buyer do? They are forced to leave the house against their will. Do you think they are happy with that? NO, they are not. And guess what they’re thinking? They are angry at the lender and don’t even realize that they were the reason they lost their home. So, to get back at the lender, they might be thinking, “If I don’t get this house, then no one else will” and proceed to destroy the house. I have seen photos of vacant foreclosures that are completely trashed. Mold on the walls up to 3-4 feet, dog urine and feces everywhere. Broken walls and cabinets, missing fixtures and the like. Still want to buy a foreclosure? It gets worse! By law, they can’t even give a home warranty on the house, there is no termite inspection, and the transaction is minimally monitored except for the county courthouse auction. A small foreclosure that looks good may look good on the outside, but on the inside it’s something else.

My advice? Buy a house through a real estate agent and go through a standard escrow. You will be glad you did!

By James Noll – US Real Estate Agent, Realty & Loans

Sports

Cheerleading in professional soccer: a review

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Cheerleading in the National Football League has been around for about 50 years, starting in the 1960s when the Baltimore Colts established the first cheerleading squad in the NFL. Several other teams followed suit and established squads as well, but it was the Dallas Cowboys that made the NFL cheerleaders we know today with the revealing costumes and dance routines. It was at this time that cheerleading became very popular in the NFL.

Along with the notoriety received by cheerleading teams, we find that, like almost everything, there were cheerleaders who stood out and made such an impression that they went on to do other things and became very popular in show business. Like Melissa Rycroft, for example, who was a former Dallas Cowboys cheerleader who appeared on season 13 of the reality show “The Bachelor.” She was cast over Molly Malaney only to be dumped a short time later. She then went on to fill in for Nancy O’dell on “Dancing with the Stars” when O’dell was injured during practice.

Probably one of the most famous cheerleaders in the NFL is Teri Hatcher, who started out as a cheerleader for the Forty-Niners and rose to fame on shows like “Desperate Housewives” and also played Lois Lane on Lois & Clark, among others. stuff. In fact, there have been a number of NFL cheerleaders who went on to other things like acting, broadcasting news, and other professions.

So, as you can see, the myth that cheerleaders are “bloated heads” is not true, as many do other things as well. For those who may be interested in becoming a cheerleader, they should know that most cheerleaders earn very little in the form of pay, however the position can be a stepping stone into other areas, as noted above.

NFL cheerleading isn’t all about dancing and sexy costumes anymore, though that’s still very much around. Cheerleading squads have now evolved to engage in activities that not only help build the public image of their sponsoring team, but also participate in many community events such as fundraising for various projects. They primarily represent the charitable events sponsored by the NFL team they are associated with and make significant contributions of time and effort to raise funds for those in need in their local community.

The cheerleaders cheer on the team’s home games, but rarely go on the road with them, instead spending most of the team’s time away practicing and participating in the aforementioned community events.

Being a cheerleader on any professional team requires a lot of commitment and most of them require cheerleaders to have full-time jobs elsewhere. Other than that, the only real requirements are that you can practise, and of course you must be able to dance, although no formal dance training is necessary.

In general, cheerleading teams have gone from simply cheering for the team to doing great things in the community and for the people in that community.