Tips for Adding Pleasant Smells to Any Home Staging

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Not only should your home look appealing sporting every nice aspect through visual presentations, it should also engage other senses specifically the nose. And there is no better way to engage the nose than by letting it smell as good and pleasing as possible. Don’t let your prospects find their ways out of the house. Instead, let them find comfort by treating their noses with respect. Here are some tips to have a home scent that will take you closer to signing a deal with the buyer.

  • Clean the house as clean as you can. Cleaning the house doesn’t mean you only have to sweep or vacuum the floor or run the mop. To make it as clean as possible means you have to go beyond the usual tasks. If you need to shampoo the carpets, then do it. If you need to move huge furniture and appliances, you have to. Professional cleaners who go beyond the ordinary cleaning ways can help you in the cleanliness tasks.
  • Infuse the house with aroma of real fruits, specifically citrus. According to a study in which several homes were infused with scents of real foods, that which had the scent of real citrus was highly favored by potential home buyers. The scent was chosen over baked goodies and chicken. One precaution though is to avoid the use of chemical-based citrus such as air fresheners. It may create the notion that something is being covered up because the air is chemically infused.
  • Lit up few aromatic candles. Give your house the warmth and comforting scent of aromatic candles. They never fail to relax the mind and soothe the senses. They also send message to potential buyers how relaxing a stay in the house can be.
  • Invoke neutral scents of cleanliness. While some buyers will go for scents, some will just opt for the simple smell of cleanliness. Aligned with the first tip, the use of baking soda and other non-scent products will give off the image of simplicity. This is in contrast with the complex scent that potpourri and fresheners emit.

Scents condition the brain and affects the mood of people. Imagine how your potential buyers would be turned off when there is bad smell circulating inside the house that you are selling. Imagine how they will be tempted to give you offers if your house is appealing, inviting, and nice-smelling.

For other real estate concerns, always approach your local real estate agent.

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3 Tips for Finding Land for Development

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If you are investor, finding a parcel of land to develop is a tiring task. It is time-consuming. It is also very challenging in terms of having to compete with other investors who might have also found the same piece of land for their concepts. Here are some tips to at least make your task a bit easier.

  • Work or deal with high street estate agents

A lot of developments are managed by high street estate agents in behalf of the firms they work for. If you want your development or your concept be in their portfolio for selling, you have to deal with them. Your business proposition should always be ready for presentation. If you have ongoing constructions, you can take them to your site. Be very idealistic and vocal with the plans that will shape up your development. What they will hear from you or see in your presentations will influence their decisions. Be extra competitive because some of them might already have steady contacts with other firms.

  • Make use of satellite imageries generated by well-known applications.

Technology is indeed here to make things easier for many people. It includes you. Yes, you can use applications that generate satellite images of streets. Through this, you can easily find gaps in streets and empty spaces or where some small houses are built beside some vast greens. You can then track these places or at least look for some landmarks. Conduct an ocular at the place afterwards. Look for people whom you can talk to regarding the land. If there are no available persons to talk, the local government is your reliable source of information.

  • Consult local planning divisions of towns or cities you are interested to build your development.

Maximize your time while you are in the city or town hall. Go to the planning division. Ask information on some brown lands or even green lands which are open for planning and development. Remember that once applications are submitted, they become public record. This means you can look at these documents and see for yourself if there are still room for further developments. If not on the same parcel of land, on the adjacent piece perhaps.

Finding a piece of land in which you can establish buildings, townships or even self-build your home can be very exhausting. If at some point, you come to realize you need the help of your local real estate agent, remember that he or she is just a call away!

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Animal Farm – George Orwell – Review Summary Notes

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Animal Farm is one of the two greatest works of George Orwell, the other being 1984. Animal Farm makes satirical allegories of the totalitarian communism of Soviet Russia. The novel is regarded as one of the all-time bests ever written by any author.

Animal Farm is a novel of betrayed revolution. It presents the corruption that followed the revolution led by Lenin.

In Animal Farm, the characters are animals and human beings. Among the animals, many of them are pigs, who are more often than not rulers. Apart from pigs, we see three main horses, a donkey, a goat, some puppies, rats, the sheep (plural number), a raven, a cat and hens.

The animals are more allegorical than real. The interpretation of the meanings is often left to the reader, but generally the consensus is that they represent different classes. Again, the humans represent another class. Thus, the novel demonstrates multiple classes.

All animals are equal, but some are more equal than the others.

All animals are supposed to be of the same class, but in reality, some animals are of superior class.

Pigs: Old Major represents Lenin/Marx. He had introduced the animals to the song Beasts of England. Napoleon (allusion of Stalin), the villain, a Berkshire boar, gets more powerful gradually, with help of the puppies whom he uses as secret police. He drives out Snowball (allusion of Trotsky), from the farm and uses dogs to enforce his dictatorship. He changes the commandments to allow him have privileges such as eat on a table. He and the other pigs learn to walk upright and behave like those humans against whom they had revolted. Snowball, allusion of Trotsky, was working for the good of the farm and had won over most of the animals hearts, but was driven out by Napoleon and his dogs. Napoleon also had spread negative rumors on Snowball. Squealer (allusion of Molotov) is Napoleon’s minister of propaganda, and his main assistant for all practical purposes. He uses statistics to confuse the animals and show that they had improved quality of life, and the animals, with little memory of life before revolution, accept. Minimum is a poetic pig representing all the admirers of Stalin inside and outside Russia.

Humans: Mr. Jones, a heavy drinker, the disposed tsar. His attempt to recapture the farm is spoiled by the Battle of the Cowshed (Russian Civil War). Interestingly, Napoleon eventually becomes as much a drunkard as Jones. Mr. Frederick, the tough owner of Pinchfield, a neighboring farm, represents Hitler and his farm represents Nazi Party. Mr. Pilkington is apparently nice but is shrewd. He and Napoleon draw the Ace of Spades (the highest card in a card game) and begin a bad fight, symbolizing the tensions between US and Russia. Mr. Whymper (loosely alluring Western intellectuals) is hired by Napoleon to represent Animal Farm in the human society.

Horses: Boxer is the hardest-working entity in the animal farm. He is dedicated to the success of the farm. Boxer invests all his loyal, kind, dedicated self to the farm’s „good“ as portrayed to him by the farms leaders. His hoofs eventually splits and he is sent to death by Napoleon when he could not work any more (and Napoleon spread the rumor that he died peacefully in a hospital). „I will work harder“ was the motto of Boxer in any tough situation, and his brain-washed trust was shown by his maxim „Napoleon is always right“. Clover is Boxer’s companion. She works with Boxer and loves him and cares for him, and takes the blame on herself when Boxer splits his hoof. She is deeply respected by the three younger ones who eventually take Boxer’s role. Mollie is a third horse – a self-centered mare – who wears ribbons in her mane and eats sugar cubes (lives a life of luxury), and is pampered by humans. Later she leaves for another farm seeking better comfort.

Other animals: Benjamin, the wise donkey who could read also, represents the Jews and lives till the end of the novel. Muriel is a wise old friendly goat like Benjamin, but dies earlier in the novel from old age. The cat represents laziness, the rats represent some arbitrary people who roam around, the sheep represent the masses (and Napoleon manage the sheep such that he is supported and believed by them) and the hens represent the rich peasants. Moses is an old raven (bird) that sometimes visits the farm from Sugarcandy Mountain, a place where the hard-working animals go after death he claims. The puppies are the ones that Napoleon specially raises and makes a secret police out of them. They become one of the backbones of Napoleon’s power in the Animal Farm.

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The 10 Best Places For Skiing & Snow Boarding Around Neuschwanstein Castle – Schwangau – Bavaria

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How about combining your skiing or snowboarding holiday with the visit of the most popular castle in Europe: Neuschwanstein Castle? Stay at one of the boutique and luxury self-catering apartments or a rustic hotel and enjoy the view of the King’s Castles, which look stunning especially when lit at night.

And as a special bonus you can use the Royal Thermal Spa with its hot indoor and outdoor pools, its sauna and massage offers after a fun day in the mountains.

Here is a list of the best places to go skiing in and around Schwangau.

1. Tegelberg Mountain (1720m) & Wintersport Arena / Schwangau Germany

Right in Schwangau, the village of the King’s Castles Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau is the wintersport arena Tegelberg with its cable car, 4 regular lifts and flood light at night. You will enjoy 7.3 kilometres of downhill piste here as well as a separate one for tobogganing. This place is great to for beginners and intermediate skiers, has a ski school and a ski/snowboard rental facilities. Snow machines provide snow garantuee.

A special highlight is the 2km long Neuschwanstein Cross Counry Skiing Track which is lit at night…and of course skiing with „cinderella castle“ in your view.

2. Buchenberg (1140m) Ski Area / Buching Germany

Only a 5 minute drive from Schangau you will find a double seater lift taking you to the top of the Buchenberg. 2 more regular lifts provide variety.

A special highlight is the 2.5km long tobogganing track right from the top of the mountain. The hut on top of the mountain provides stunning views of the lakes and the valley. This area is great for beginners and families as well as for tobogganing fans.

3. Alpspitz (1575m) Ski Arena / Nesselwang Germany

Only a 20 minutes drive away from Schwangau is the Alpspitz Ski Arena. It benefits from the longest 2km long daily floodlit piste in the region, has one cable car, a 4-seater, one 2-seater, 3 regular lifts and 2 children’s ones. This varied place provides skiing fun for advanced skiers as well as beginners and families. Ski school, ski/snowboard/tobogganing rental facilities and tobogganing areas are available and so are several excellent mountain huts for your après-ski.

Snow machines provide snow garantuee.

A special highlight here is the O’Neill Alpspitzpark, a top modern Freerider Snowboard Park with Floodlight every night from 6-9pm.

4. Breitenberg Mountain (1877m) Ski Centre / Pfronten Germany

Only a 15 minute drive away from Schwangau you will reach the Breitenberg Ski Centre with its cable car, an open 4-seater and 5 regular lifts as well as 4 children’s lifts. Nearby in Steinbach is the Snowboard fun park, the ski school as well as two more floodlit pistes.

A special highlight for the first time in winter 2009/10 is the 6.5km long tobogganing track right from the top of the mountain.

5. Hahnenkamm Ski Resort (1900m) / Reutte Austria

Only a 25 mintue drive away from Schwangau into Austria is the Hahnenkamm Ski Resort with its cable car, double seater and 5 further regular lifts. It has one of the best ski schools for adults and children. Skis and snowboards can be rented there.

6.-9. Füssener Jöchle (1821m) & Ski Arena Tannheimer Tal / Austria

There are 4 ski resorts in the Tannheimer Tal in Austria, no more than 30 minutes away from Schwangau, one of which is Füssener Jöchle in Grän. It has a cable car, a 6-seater and 3 regular lifts. The piste from the top is 3.5 kilometres long.

The other ski resorts here are Neunerköpfle / Tannheim, Schattwald and Nesselwängle.

10. Jungholz Ski Centre / Jungholz Germany

About 40 minutes away from Neuschwanstein castle is a super family friendly ski centre with two special 4-seaters for children and one training lift. For adults there are 4 regular lifts. Snow machines provide snow garantuee.

There are even more cross-country skiing/ nordic skiing opportunites which I will cover in a separate article. And if you get bored of downhill skiing, how about tryin snow-kiting, letting the wind in your kite pull you across the piste?

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8 Ways Quality Real Estate Agents Prove Their Value!

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Although, there are over 1.3 million, real estate agents, in the United States, only, a small – minority, of them, are responsible, for the vast majority of the transactions, which occur! Since, for most of us, the value of their house, represents, their single – biggest, financial asset, wouldn’t it make sense, to very carefully, choose the individual, to hire, to represent you, and your best – interests? How should quality agents, demonstrate, and prove, their value? Doing so, demands a variety of skills, assets, attitude, persistence, discipline, integrity, etc, and, there is no such thing, as one – size – fits – all! Before, hiring the right person, to serve and represent, one’s interests, it is essential to, clearly, prove, he is worthy of their respect, etc! With, that, in mind, this article will attempt to, briefly, consider, examine, review, and discuss, 8 ways, quality agents consistently, prove their worth/ value!

1. Effectively listen to prospective clients: Observe, when interviewing agents to represent you, whether, the individual, effectively, listens, to you, and your personal needs, concerns, priorities, etc. How can anyone, represent your best interests, unless/ until, he commits to doing so?

2. Thoroughly, discuss, and discover, what prospective client, seeks, and needs: While some proceed, by trying to, merely, tell someone, what he believes, they want to hear, I strongly believe, in my service – mark, I’ll always tell you what you need to know, not, just, what you want to hear! It is wise, for client and agent, to know, trust, and believe, in – each other, throughout the process!

3. Discuss/ explain suggested marketing plan: What makes one’s marketing plan, different, in a meaningful way, from others? Since, one’s house, is so financially (and, other ways) relevant, it’s essential/ important, for both sides, to work together, on the same – page!

4. Explain concept/ teamwork/ strategy: Real estate agents, owe it, to their clients, to thoroughly, explain their concept, strategy, reasoning, action plans, and, the importance of well – considered, teamwork!

5. Commitment/ discipline/ efforts: Agents can’t, and should never, go – through – the – motions, and proceed, forward, with the level of consistent, true commitment, and the discipline, to maximize their efforts, for the client’s best – interests!

6. Regular updates: Communication, and providing regular reviews, and updates, must be an obligation, for agents! An essential component of representing someone, during stressful times/ periods, is holding – their – hands, throughout the entire period/ process/ transaction! From the onset, it’s important to pre – plan, for, regular, periodic updates, to thorough discuss, all relevant components, and/ or, necessary adjustments, during the period!

7. Quality negotiating: It takes quality negotiating, and an understanding of market, and economic conditions, in terms of supply – and – demand, etc, to make a significant difference, for the better!

8. Close the best deal: Meaningful representatives listen to potential deals, and help, bring them, forward, and, then, have the skills, and self – confidence, etc, to close the deal, with the best combination of minimizing the amount of time needed, enhancing the price offered, and addressing, any, and all conditions, etc.

Hire an agent, who will strive, to clearly, demonstrate, and prove his value, consistently, by a combination of skills, efforts, and a positive, can – do, attitude. Before you, buy, or sell a house/ home, doesn’t it make sense, to hire, the right agent?

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Securing Your Georgia Home Loan – Georgia Dreams Coming True With State Help

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In 2007, the state of Georgia was ranked as the 7th leading state for foreclosures by a trusted source in the industry, RealtyTrac. That was more than a 30% increase from 2006 and the number of homes affected was close to 60,000.

That is bad news for thousands of homeowners who have lost their homes, but it doesn’t have to be bad news for everyone. If there is a silver lining to be found in the tragic economic downturn in Georgia and the rest of the world, it is the fact that thousands of people who could not previously afford to purchase a home are now happy homeowners.

The state of Georgia has been implementing programs such as the Georgia Dream Homeownership Program to help these people get into homes and reduce the number of foreclosed homes sitting empty.

This is a program in operation through the Georgia Department of Community Affairs. It was established in recognition of thousands of people who dreamed of taking advantage of the Federal tax credits for home buyers and the rock bottom prices within the housing market.

Georgia Dream Home Loans

The loans that are secured through this program are typical FHA, VA, or conventional loans but they receive fixed rates that are often lower than the going rate in the state. This reduces the monthly payments on the loans, making GA home loans more affordable to people with lower incomes.

In order to qualify for these special rates you will be required to live in the home as your primary residence, which eliminates those purchasing property to be rented out to others or as investment property in other ways.

To find out more information on this aspect of the program, you should visit one of the lending providers working with the state of Georgia to keep this program in operation. Some of these lenders include: BB&T Mortgage, Community Capital Bank, Element Funding, New South Federal Savings, and Prime Lending. Many other banks in the area are also participating in these state programs, so give your bank or credit union a call to see if they can point you in the right direction.

Georgia Dreams Second Mortgage Program

If the down payment is what stands between you and your GA home loan, the Georgia Dream Homeownership program can help you as well. This aspect of the program makes taking out a GA home loan more affordable by offering a delayed second mortgage, usually for applicants also taking advantage of the first mortgage program described above. This second mortgage will be for either $5,000 or $7,500 and will need to be repaid once the home is no longer being used as a primary residence, is sold, or transferred to someone else.

This second mortgage serves as help with the down payment and closing costs, as long as the applicant puts up $500 of their own money toward those costs. This has opened the door to home ownership to thousands of Georgians who otherwise would not be able to afford a GA home loan due to the upfront expenses.

These loans are intended to help specific groups of people, including:

* First – time home buyers

* Single parents

* Displaced homemakers

There are also some special loan terms which can be obtained by health care workers, the disabled, and those who are purchasing homes that are certified by Energy Star or similar programs.

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Public MLS System in Canada – How Does It Work?

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The public mls system is the official site of the Canadian Real Estate Association. It is the gateway to all the listings across Canada. As stated at their website the public mls website is a medium provided by REALTORS® across Canada to help market properties that are listed on the mls.

Ths definition of mls is multiple listing service.

Almost all local board mls systems provide data to the public mls system to facilitate the public’s search of mls listings in their particular areas and across Canada.

All people who have access to a computer have access to the public mls system in Canada. It is similar to the public mls system in the United States.

Most real estate boards in Canada (the Toronto Real Estate Board – TREB – being one of them), upload partial listing information to the public mls system on a regular basis.

It is important to know that the public mls system is for the public and only provides limited information about the particular listings. Realtors utilize their local mls system to search and find mls listings and they have access to far more details and information about a particular listing than what is available on the public mls system. The privacy act in Canada is the main reason for this.

Conclusion

The public mls system is available to everyone to use to search and see mls listed properties across Canada.

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Real Estate Statistics Explained

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Basic Real Estate Statistics Explained

We are going to define some of the basic real estate statistics that get thrown around on a regular basis. To do that, we will use one real estate market, located in Hood County Texas. Even more granular, we will use the single family numbers for homes in Granbury Tx, a small town of approximately 8,000 residents which has seen substantial real estate growth in the past 12 months. It is important when reviewing real estate statistics to use a group of numbers large enough for consistency, but granular enough to tell your story.

The statistics that we will be referencing are true and accurate for the year discussed but are being used to define the real estate statistic itself.

We have chosen Granbury Tx as our example because the growth of the local real estate market there make the statics stand out.

Anytime you are evaluating statistics, especially in real estate, the source of the numbers are extremely important. In most instances, the MLS (Multiple Listing Service) provides the most accurate numbers when referring to real estate. This is because they have all listings by all local real estate brokers in their database. For the sake of explanation of the data, we will be looking at the numbers for home sales in Granbury Tx, directly from the MLS. These numbers are meant to give an example of how to read the statistics themselves. Anytime you evaluate real estate numbers, its important to pay close attention to how the numbers are gathered. In this instance, we will be using ONLY single family properties in the city of Granbury.

Basic Real Estate Statistics

  • Number of Sales – This one is pretty self explanatory. It is simply the number of single family homes sold in a particular month. In January of 2015, they had 51 single family homes sold. One thing to pay attention to when looking at this statistic is are they using the Under Contract date or the day the property actually went to closing. These two dates are usually between 30 and 60 days apart, so its critical that you know which one is being referenced. In addition, many of the homes that get calculated, if you are using the „under contract“ number may not actually close! In our example, we are using the number of homes that actually closed. In January of 2016 they had an increase of over 49% which brought the total to 77 from 51. Growth of that level is very seldom ever seen.
  • Sales Volume – Sales Volume is simply the total amount of dollars spent on single family housing within that month. Once again, when reviewing this statistic, its important to keep the property types consistent. If you are comparing two areas to see which one has grown more and you include vacant land in the number for one area, you must include it in the other too. As previously mentioned, our examples only include single family properties. With Number of Sales looking at the units, you would expect the Sales Volume to go up appropriately, but in this instance, it went up even more than the units (by percentage). The total Sales Volume of single family homes in Granbury in January of 2016 was $15,191,500 as opposed to the January of 2015 number of $9,281,915. That is an increase of over 63%. Because the Sales Volume went up at a larger rate than the number of units, this reflects the average home sale being much larger in 2016 than 2015.
  • Months of Inventory – This is a commonly referred to statistic when examining a real estate market. This statistic refers to at the current rate of sales, how long will it take to sell through the existing level of inventory. This reflects the supply and demand for the market. In our example, in January of 2015 the level of inventory was 9 months and in January of 2016 it had dropped to 6 months. That is a 33% drop in available inventory! This means if you are looking to buy a home in Granbury Tx, it will be a little tougher in 2016 as there is less inventory available to buy.
  • Median Days To Sell – This stat simply refers to how long it takes for single family properties to be put under contract. Don’t let the „to sell“ confuse you. To accurately show the demand for active homes, you really want to track how long it takes to go „under contract“. The process of acquiring final lender approval, insurance and getting to a closing can vary on a variety of factors. In January of 2015, the Median Days to Sell was 88. That number dropped by over 30% to 61. Once again, this tells you if you are looking for homes in Granbury TX, you better get your offers in quickly as the most desirable homes are going fast!
  • Average Price – This statistic can be derived in a variety of ways. We are going to use it in its most raw form and simply be the Average Price of Homes Sold within that month. Be careful when looking at this statistic printed anywhere as how the user defines the date sold can vary. Needless to say, Average Price can be used for active homes for sale or for the homes that sold. The Average Price of ACTIVE homes for sale is generally a pretty useless number as you can list a home for any price, without any possibility of it ever selling. Many homes listed for sale are at unrealistic prices thus the Average Price of Active homes for sale can fluctuate dramatically and give little insight into the market. You will want to look at the Average Price of SOLD homes. In January of 2015, the Average Home Sale was $181,998 and it jumped to $199,888 in the same month in 2016. This is an increase of almost 10%. This is not a number that truly tells the increase in home values across the board, but simply of the homes sold in that month, what the average was.
  • Median Price – The Average Home Sales Price can be skewed by a variety of factors. All it takes is one 5 million dollar home sale to throw those numbers off. To get a better view of the overall increase in value, it can be better to look at the Median Sales Price. Median Sales Price takes the number that is perfectly in the middle. For instance, if you have 11 homes that you are using in your statistic, you would take the sales price of the 6th one. This leaves 5 homes sold higher and 5 homes sold lower. In this instance, they are pretty close as the Median Sales Price increase from January 2015 to 2016 was 9.69%. This shows that we didn’t have the Average Price skewed too much because of an extremely large or extremely small sale.

There are hundreds of ways to look at the same numbers, when referencing to real estate, so be very careful to read the fine print on exactly what numbers they are using. When making comparisons, you will want to make absolutely sure that both are referencing the same property types, dates etc. It like the old saying says… there are lies, damn lies and statistics.

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Real Estate Photography Tips For Realtors – Don’t Do it Yourself, You’ll Lose Your Commission Check

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I’ve done it myself; taken what I thought were great listing pictures and used them for my online MLS listing. My clients thought they were fine and I thought they were just fine, until I started working as a buyer’s agent in Seattle a few years back.

I worked with over 40 different buyers a week and everyday I’d hear, „Did you see those listing pictures? There’s no way we want to see that house, it’s a dump! Does the listing agent know how bad they are?“ Obviously, the listing agent didn’t spend anything on real estate photography.

My buyers would also see some great listing photos and want to get in to see the home that afternoon. We’d step inside and they’d wonder if it was the same home they saw online. They felt cheated because the pictures were nothing like the real home. (but at least the listing agent got buyers walking through the house).

It all came down to the listing pictures they saw online. That’s essential marketing for listings! Give buyers a great picture and they’ll jump inside the house that day. Give them a „do-it-yourself“ picture and they’ll move onto the next home. The listing pictures make the difference, especially when you spend a few bucks on professional real estate photography!

Even when the listing pictures were better than the actual house, guess what? It still got the buyers inside! That’s your goal as a listing agent; get as many showings as possible. Professional real estate photography makes that happen.

With upwards of 80%+ of buyers looking online now, the listing photos are the first thing they’re looking at and basing their initial impressions on.

How much money in lost commissions do you think you’re missing because you won’t spend a couple hundred bucks for professional real estate photography?

If you did spend the well invested marketing dollars on some professional real estate photography…….

  1. You could have more satisfied clients because the home sold faster.
  2. You could have made more cash because you didn’t have to drop the sales price when the listing became stale on the market.
  3. You could look like a top producer in the area because of the quicker sales, better looking listings and more satisfied clients. Your overall image is enhanced, big time!

Isn’t it funny how such a small aspect of your business can affect the whole thing? Anytime you realize how one issue affects your net profits, that’ll make you perk up, right?

Now don’t give me the excuse that it’s too expensive because it’s not. Look at it as a marketing and advertising expense because that’s exactly what it is. And real estate photography is one of the best things you can spend your marketing dollars on.

You have a couple options……..

You could grab a professional in real estate photography in your local area and offer them $50-$200 to come to your listing and take some fabulous photos. Make sure they’re top notch, have all the right equipment and understand the goal of these photos. You don’t want to pay for real estate photography that’s no better than your own.

Your other option is to go with a company like Vicaso.com who does real estate photography exclusively. Their business is listing photos for real estate agents!

You can schedule your photo shoot on their website, pay about $200 or so and get the most captivating listing photos you’ll ever see. Even if you have a crack house listed for sale, their real estate photography will make it look like a palace.

I’m telling you; don’t skimp on your real estate photography. Look at the cost as an investment. If you spent $200 on professional real estate photography and got back another $20,000 in commissions that year from faster sales, more clients, and higher listing prices, wouldn’t that be worth it? You betcha!

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The Characteristics Of The Real Estate Market

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The real estate market is the economic sector that involves the buying and selling of infrastructure such as buildings either for residential purposes, business premises, and the industry segment. Like any business sector it is susceptible to the economic forces of supply and demand. The main people involved in this field include the owner, renter, developers, renovators, and the facilitators.

This sector has a number of characteristics that are specific to it. Real estate is durable since the buildings can last for many years while the land it stands on is indestructible. As a result the supply is composed of a large share of already pre-existing stock and a tiny percentage of new development. Thus the stock varies in price only according the deterioration, renovation, and the new development coming up.

Stock in this sector could be referred as heterogeneous since every piece is unique. All buildings are different in terms of the location they are situated in, their structure and design as well as how they are financed. Change in this field takes quite a long time. This is as a result of the long duration involved in financing and construction of new property.

The real estate has the very unique feature in terms of the buyers in this market. The property can be purchased either as an investment with the expectation of earning returns or as a consumption good with the thought of using it. Individuals could also invest in the market for both reasons whereby they use the property for a while before selling it at a profit. As a direct result of its dual nature, there is a high demand since individuals tend to over-invest in this sector.

Immobility is yet another characteristic unique to this sector. The properties as well as the land it lies on are both immobile. As a result there is no physical market place meaning one has to go to where the property is situated. Therefore this issue makes location a prime factor before investment.

The main factor in demand for property is demographic, that is the population size and growth. The demographic composition plays a huge role in determining the demand and as a result the price. The performance of the economy also affects the performance of the sector since it plays a role in the ability of investors to take loans and mortgages for financing their business ventures. Naturally, the pricing determines the level of demand in the sector.

There are a number of ways to finance investment in the real estate market from government and commercial institutions. Financial aid can be obtained from commercial banks, savings banks, mortgage brokers, life insurance companies and other financial institutions. However, the best practice still remains getting funding from your own savings.

In view of the recent real estate market crash it is best to follow some guidelines. As a buyer ensure that the price you pay for the property matters a lot as well as the ability to dispose of the purchase later down the road. If not it is advisable to downsize your mortgage to be on the safe side. As a seller, identify when it is the right time to put your property on the market in order to avoid low offers.

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