Category: Guest Posts
Utilizing the Internet to Make Selling Your Home Easier
While it’s vital to retain the advice of a sound real estate professional coach, there are some tactics you can execute to fast track the process of selling your home if you are on a tight budget.
Professional listing:
There are a plethora of websites to add your listing to. If you go through a professional real estate brokerage firm they are most likely to give a listing on their website such as realtor, weichert, remax, and a few others.
Self Listing by Owner:
A simple Google search for “list my home for sale by owner” will bring up dozens to hundreds of places you can actively add your listing to. Whether you are using the same description and photos it’s imperative to have quality images of the interior and exterior, as well as very descriptive language to help the buyer decide if this is for him – most importantly add contact information.
Promote Your Listing:
Half the battle was getting a quality listing, or listings in place. Now it’s time to syndicate out your offer/home to as many qualified eyeballs as possible. The easiest is of course social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter. You would be amazed how willing friends are to help you out; in this case, sell your home. Whether they have a friend of a friend, or just simply interact with the post will get more people interested in your property.
Craigslist is often an underused but high traffic website where you can also post your home for sale. Social sharing websites such as Digg, Reddit, and Stumbleupon are also distribution channels where you can submit your previously posted listings.
Game Changer – Video Marketing for Real Estate:
If a picture is worth a thousand words, a video is worth a sale – it’s that powerful! Posting a homemade movie of the exterior and interior of your house, and a bit about the neighborhood and features/benefits of your property will bring in even more highly targeted traffic. When posting your video, be sure to use descriptive titles such as “Name of Your City” Home for Sale by Owner; this way people know exactly where the home is. Be sure to enter the city, state, town, and zip code in the description part of the video, as well as the “tags” section.
Selling homes isn’t easy, but it’s still very possible and most importantly profitable.
Matt Anton is an online marketer helping real estate agents sell more homes than their competition, offering competitive backlinks solutions to increase search engine rankings and social media presence.
Frequently Asked Questions About Renters Insurance
Renters insurance is similar to homeowners insurance in that it financially protects you in the case of a natural disasters, theft, or guest injury. While your landlord might not require that you carry renters insurance, having a policy is definitely recommended unless you have enough money in your savings to replace your possessions if they are destroyed. You might not think you own much, but if you add up the cost of clothing, furniture, electronics, and other things you own, you probably have quite a bit! For those of you on the market for renters insurance, let’s take a look at some of the most frequently asked questions about this type of policy.
What will renters insurance cost?
Of course, the number one question about renters insurance for most people is about the cost. Luckily, renters insurance is fairly cheap! On average, most people pay $15 to $20 per month for a decent policy, though every insurance company is different. You will pay more if you want more coverage, but you can also pay much less if you live in a safe area, install “safety items” like smoke detectors, and bundle your renters insurance with other types of insurance such as car insurance.
What does renters insurance cover?
Renters insurance covers two things: property damage and liability. For property damage, you’ll be reimbursed in the case of a natural disaster, theft, or vandalism to your personal items. It is your landlord’s responsibility to insure the actual structure, but his or her insurance likely doesn’t cover your possessions inside. For liability, if a guest is injured in your home, your insurance will cover his or her medical bills and other related expenses, such as lost wages. While you may think a friend would never sue you, it isn’t always up to the person who is injured – their insurance company might actually come after you for reimbursement.
Are there circumstances where renters insurance doesn’t cover me?
Read the fine print of your policy very carefully. In some cases, you might not be covered unless you purchase extra insurance. For example, water damage from a natural flood, burst pipe, etc. typically isn’t covered, and in some areas of the United States, tornado and earthquake damage isn’t included.
How can I make sure I get the money I’m owed?
Again, read the fine print of your policy carefully. If you have to make a claim, you might be required to submit proof of purchase for larger items, pictures of your possessions, or an itemized list of what you own. Document your home carefully and keep your records in a fire-safe box or, preferably, in a location outside the home, like a safety deposit box. An agent can help you learn more about your insurance company’s specific policies on placing a claim.
This guest post is from Allison, who works with www.RentersInsurance.org. Check out this site today to learn more about buying renters insurance.
Maintenance and rental properties – Why it’s so important to be on top of any problems
There’s an unholy and remarkably stupid myth in the rental market that not doing maintenance saves money. Nothing could possibly be further from the truth. Failure to maintain rental properties can be an absolute financial disaster, and a self-inflicted one, for landlords who are foolish enough to believe this myth. Property maintenance is a form of control over assets, like home insurance for homeowners, making sure that those assets are properly protected.
Maintenance basics: The difference between making and losing money on rental properties
Buildings can’t repair themselves. They also can’t do much about typical wear and tear, or their age. Nor can plumbing or wiring fittings be expected to survive without regular maintenance. These fittings can also become dangerous to buildings, in the case of electrical fittings risking fires and with plumbing, actual destruction of the building and/or damage to other buildings.
Building structures are also vulnerable. Rising damp, movements in the footings of buildings and other problems can literally gut a building, given time. A small structural problem can be relied upon to become a major issue, particularly if you’re thinking of selling. Prompt maintenance is the cheapest, quickest way to deal with these issues. It’s also the only way of preventing major costs later on.
Case study
Ridiculous as it is to believe that not spending $100 on simple repairs is “making money”, it’s even more bizarre if you consider that a simple plumbing job can prevent spending thousands on water damage later.
This is a simple case study of a rental apartment’s maintenance issues:
The apartment is on the fourth floor. It’s an older building, circa 1970s vintage, with a timber frame and brick veneer exterior. The apartment’s plumbing is the same age and also experiencing “water hammer”, knocking on the pipes and spitting water coming out of taps, indicating problems. To save money, the owner does nothing, despite repeated warnings from the real estate agent.
The plumbing gives up the ghost one weekend while the tenant is away. It was simply too old and water pressure in the pipes finished it off. The apartments below are flooded. The water flows through gaps in the old apartment block and emerges in a large pool in front of the building. The owner receives multiple lawsuits from the owners of the apartments below and the strata title manager also threatens legal action.
For the sake of saving a few dollars on a correctible problem, the property owner is now faced with tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of damages, plus legal costs. Half of the building is now uninhabitable, and the amount of water which has seeped through the rest of the building is also a possible problem.
Was being cheap about maintenance a good idea? How could it be? The plumbing was sure to cause trouble at some point. “Water hammer” is a well-known sign of potential problems about to emerge.
Maintenance in this case would have been the equivalent of contents insurance, making sure that any risks from the building’s fittings was under control.
The moral of the story is simple enough: Maintenance = common sense. Don’t take the risk- Find and fix problems as they occur.
Author Bio: Tom Mallet is an Australian freelance writer and journalist. He writes extensively in Australia, Canada, Europe, and the US. He’s published more than 500 articles about various topics, including home insurance .
DIY or DIY DON’T!
So you’ve decided to do up your home. Perhaps you think it looks tired and needs freshening up for a sale, or perhaps you just fancy a change in decor. Whatever the reason for considering DIY, consider all your options before beginning your project. Here are 10 things to consider when doing DIY in your home;
- Do you have all the equipment you need?
Make sure you don’t get halfway through a job and then realise you don’t have something that you need. Whatever it is whether it is a special kind of paintbrush or a roller tray, or perhaps a special rawl plug. Make sure you have looked ahead and purchased what you need in advance. If you do have to abandon in search of the necessary tool then be sure to mark where you have stopped and precisely measure where to begin when you get back. Also don’t forget to charge that electric screwdriver or drill.
- Measure twice, cut or drill once
This reduces the chance of error meaning you are less likely to have to go out and buy those precious materials once more. It also means less filling in with polyfiller later on!
- Know your limits!
If you’re not an Electrician then stay away from the electrics! If you don’t know where the wires are then don’t take a risk and stay away from the area! Get a Plumber to do the plumbing, and a Gas Engineer to do your gas boiler or gas hob!
- Don’t do anything without being sure that you know what you are doing.
If you plan on knocking down a wall then get the necessary tools to check that is not a load bearing wall!
- Use the right tools for the right job
Using a kitchen knife as a replacement for a screwdriver or hammer is asking for trouble. Be aware or at least find out what tools are used for what purposes. There is usually a very good reason why tools are made for certain tasks – because they work relatively safely whereas other tools will not!
- Always read the labels and instructions
- Always wear appropriate protection
- Be sure to check whether building regulations are necessary
- Make sure your ladder is secure before you climb on it!
- Last and certainly not least, finish the job!
This article was written by Debbie Smith from Aqua Protection, a UK company who specialise in Solar Panels for your home and many other services.
Real estate marketing tips for the real estate agents
The real estate market including buying and selling homes, and so on has always been and is always a competitive one. Thus, as a real estate agent you need to follow some marketing strategies. It can help you to be a successful real estate agent. For that, you will have to devote a specific amount of time to networking.
Marketing tips for real estate agents
Some of the marketing tips for the real estate and refinance agents are discussed below:
1. Create a business plan – Making money as a real estate agent is like starting your own business. Thus, you need to formulate your own plan as per your affordability and your real estate skills. It is true that the very thought of developing your own business plan can be overwhelming and confusing. But you can try to formulate one. However, if you face problems you can go to a professional business planner for help. Even the Small Business Administration offers information that can help you to develop your business plan.
2. Research on your state requirements – It is also essential for you to research on your state requirements, the laws on real estate related things, state requirements for real estate licensing, the condition of real estate market in your state and the current mortgage rates.
3. Try community publications – One of the most preferable ways to market your services as a real estate agent is publishing your business cards in the various community publications. You can contact the church in your area or community organisations for publishing your business cards. Try to publish about your services with those publications which have the highest number of readers.
4. Join National Association of Realtors – You can also join the National Association of Realtors to augment your marketing campaigns. If you join the National Association of Realtors, you may be able to get the access to the numerous marketing tools especially for the new and also established real estate agents. There are start up kits for the new agents and there are also mentors who can help you with your marketing campaigns.
5. Try door to door campaigns – You can also market your real estate services by visiting the people in your neighbourhood. If you are a new agent, you may find your first client from amongst your neighbours.
6. Use social networking – You can also use the social networking sites to market your real estate business. It is the process of free online marketing. There are numerous social networking sites like the Facebook, Tweeter, Linkedin, and many others.
You can improve your skills as a real estate agent by helping the clients in the real estate or refinance transactions and the associated paperwork’s.
Samantha Taylor is the Community Mentor of MortgageFit and has been contributing her suggestions to the Community since 2005. Not just that, she has also made notable contributions through the various articles written on different subjects related to the mortgage industry. Few of her popular articles would include names like ‘, ‘Mobile Home Loan with Bad Credit’, and How much mortgage can I borrow?’
