Craigslist is an Internet phenomenon that brings millions of people to its local pages to peruse the latest deals. For the enterprising home seller, listing their home on Craigslist may mean that they get more potential buyers looking at the property. It certainly doesn’t hurt, but sellers beware, Craigslist isn’t a miracle working home selling device. Without the aid of a professional agent, your home may just join the rest of the discarded listings.

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First developed by the U.S. Green Building Council, this system has been adopted by many countries around the world. Residential and commercial contractors know that promoting their project as LEED Certified will shine a positive light on the building, resulting in a higher property value.

Continue reading " Unraveling the mystery of LEED Certification "

If you’re trying to sell a property that has been marred by a serious crime, a purported haunting or criminal activity, it might be time for a makeover to change the image of the home you are trying to sell from the image in the papers and on TV. A different kind of curbside appeal makes it less likely that your buyers will be triggered by emotions associated with the pictures that have been in the news.

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If you really desire to be completely off the grid, wind and water power may supply your needs when solar power is reduced or not available. In damp and/or humid climates, care must be taken to waterproof or buy waterproofed solar panels.

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The first time home buyer’s tax credit, which expires November 30, 2009, has been boosting U.S. summer home sales. The question is: can it last? With budget cuts, layoffs and an all-around depressed economy, there are some questions as to whether this jump in home sales will last and, too, whether the people buying homes will be able to keep them.

Continue reading " The First Time Home Buyers Tax Credit Boosts Sales, Not Economy "

You certainly don’t have to organize a sale for your clients if you don’t want to, but it’s a great way to bond with them and show them that you care about their situation and their home. Also, money from the garage sale is a good incentive for your clients to get their home staged quickly.

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Names will never completely disappear from real estate. The human need for indicating value and personality by putting a name to property is likely to last as long as the human species does. Whether formal or informal, names for real estate continue to be a popular trend that may have a significant effect in how a property is perceived.

Continue reading " Property Naming Conventions in America "

Your blog can be more than just another listings repository. Make it shine with information that interests, excites and informs your audience and you will develop a following that can net you leads in the future. 

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Self-fulfilling prophecies are frameworks that you operate under that guide your actions and influence you to operate as if the prophecy you make has already come to pass. Therefore if you think positively about an outcome, you tend to act and react as if that outcome is already assured.

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Leave decorative items that accentuate the space, like vases of flowers and some good, uncontroversial sculptures (now is not the time to show off your replica of the Venus de Milo) and a number of books, enough to fill shelves, but not so much that the shelves are overflowing.

Continue reading " Withdrawing Emotionally From Your Home "