Archive for the ‘cool stuff’ Category
Is it Cheaper to Buy or Rent in Your Town?
Is it Cheaper to Rent or Buy in Your Town or City? Take a look at a couple of fun and easy tools that make calculating the cost of ownership vs the cost of renting a snap.
The Rule of 15: Here is how the Rule of 15 works for real estate investors:
- Determine the rental rates for the area you are interested in. Rental rates can be found at Zillow, Trulia or a new fun website Rentometer.
- Calculate how much you would pay in rent for one year. (Example: $1000/month x 12 = $12,000/yr)
- Multiple the annual rent by 15. (In our example, $12,000/year x 15 = $180,000.
- Look up and compare the asking prices of comparable properties in the same area.
- If the sales prices in the area are higher than the annual rent times 15, the location is still over priced for the market and prices will continue to fall. In other words, keep renting and banking cash.
- If the sales prices of homes in the area are lower than your annual rent times 15, the market has probably gone through most of the bust cycle and if may be safe to step in and buy.
Rentometer.com is a very handy tool for anyone looking for a new place to rent or investors searching for the best place to buy a piece of rental property.
The website is simple and easy to use. Simply, type in a zipcode, add the number of bedrooms you are interested in, and, with one click, Rentometer comes to life with a map display and property links for all the rental options and rates in your selected area.
This site is a great example of why map mashups are so popular. It is one of the most useful rental sites on the web I’ve seen and it is a lot of fun to use.
Thank you for visiting Why6Percent.com. We are here to assist you in getting your property exposed to the largest number of qualified buyers. Visit the site or call 1-800-381-9496 to see what’s available in your area.
5 Fun and Easy Projects for Earthday!
In celebration of Earth Day, Why6Percent.com offers 5 fun and easy idea’s that perserve our environment and better the wonderful planet we all live on!!
Plant a Tree. As the date also roughly coincides with U.S. Arbor Day, over time Earth Day has taken on the role of tree-planting. Planting trees helps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, cleans pollution, secures soil in place to prevent erosion, and provides homes for a lot of biodiversity.
Build or Put up a Birdhouse. Get together with your family and build a birdhouse or make a bird feeder to encourage the local bird population, which plays an important role in every ecosystem. Use objects that would’ve otherwise been thrown away to create beautiful works of art…Here, the possibilities are endless…
Reduce, reuse and recycle all day long. Buy as little as possible and avoid items that come in lots of packaging. Support local growers and producers of food and products – these don’t have to travel as far and so reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Take your drink container with you, and don’t use any disposable plates or cutlery. Recycle all the things you do use for the day or find other uses for things that you no longer use. Carry a cloth bag for carrying things in and recycle your plastic bags.
Get children to recycle their old toys and games. By giving their old toys and games to younger children who could make use of them, older children learn two lessons: One is about giving to others and the second is about reusing and recycling instead of throwing things away. Adults can also do this with clothes, electrical items, books and more. Learn about product exchange communities like Freecycle and other alternatives.
Pick up the Trash. Rid litter from our roadways. Many groups use the weekend of Earth Day to clear roadways, highways and neighborhood streets of litter that has accumulated since the last clean-up day. Many companies donate gloves and bags for clean-up groups and villages organize bag pick ups. Once the group has collected the trash and placed the recycled bags along the road, get the village public works department to pick the bags up. It’s a wonderful community project. Great for scout troops, rotary clubs and the like.
Why6Percent.com would like to remind our readers that every day is Earth Day. We are doing our part to improve the planet and we encourage you to do the same. Every effort makes a Big Difference! and a big thank you to Wikipedia for this information contained in this article.
Landscape Affects Buyer’s Moods and Home Sales
Most home buyers believe they should focus on the interior features of houses more than the landscape, but the truth is, that buyers will not get out of the car if the front landscape lacks interest and upkeep. The landscape and curb appeal should arouse the buyer’s interest and lure them inside to view the interior.
To get the highest return on your landscape dollar, utilize the principles found in Landscape Design Psychology. Landscape Psychology is based upon scientific research into the effects that the landscape has on home buyers. These proven idea’s will help your home sell faster, and for more money, by working on buyer emotions and senses.
The Power of Color
Coordinate the colors of your flowering foliage. Consider your selling season and plant flowers that perform well during that period. Use plants that support your atmosphere and climate. Also, use no more than 3 colors to give continuity and form to your landscape.
Colors also have psychological power. Green suggests freshness, coolness and vitality. White shows up at night and conjures feelings of cleanliness. Yellow is the first color our eye processes, so a spot of yellow by the front door will draw the eye to your entrance. Red, yellow and Orange are all Hot colors, which excite and pick up the mood of any weary house hunter.
About.com: Landscape is a great website for the average homeowner. The site provides idea’s and advice from professionals including a plant selector, great photographs, color scheme screener, DIY tutorials and helpful tips about hedges, fences, sidewalks, lawns and more.
Another great resource for help in creating an outdoor paradise can be found at HGTV.
The Power of Smell
Realtors advise sellers to bake cookies or burn vanilla candles before showings or Open Houses because a comforting and pleasant aroma has the power to influence minds and moods.
In addition to color psychology, smart home owners give thought to the use of scents when planting a landscape. They take advantage of the power of smell, especially near pathways and entry doors, that provoke a desired emotional response.
A few inexpensive and easy to grow suggestions that add a touch of scent to any landscape include lemon scented geraniums, jasmine, rosemary, lavender, basil, roses, hostas, honeysuckle, gardenia or heliotrope. In addition to providing months of enjoyment, many of these plants perform in a vareity of places such window boxes, planters, planting beds, hanging baskets or pathways.
When it comes to selling homes, a smart psychology landscape design can give you a huge advantage over your competition. If buyers feel good while they look at your home, it is more likely to sell quickly and for top dollar.
Thank you for visiting Why6Percent.com. Our clients are receiving more buyer traffic and higher offers than we have seen in the last 2 years. If you aren’t listed on the MLS, Realtor.com and major real estate sites, you are missing 10 MILLION buyers who are searching for a home every month. Call us at 1-800-381-9496 for help in marketing your home!
Old Church is Converted into a Heavenly Home!
We stumbled across a beautiful, unique home that was a church in its former life. Kudo’s to these lucky homeowners on the job they did converting this structure into a glorious residence. If you would like to see all 7 of the photographs of this incredible home…CLICK HERE!
Thank you for visiting Why6Percent.com We are here to assist you with all your home sales and marketing options. Call us today…more buyers are searching for a home now, than they have in the past 2 years. Don’t miss the boat!
Tips for a Successful Open House
For Sale Signs are popping up like tulips and National Open House Weekend is this Saturday and Sunday.
InfoTube.net is posting a series of short articles about Holding a Successful Open House prior to the event. To read todays post…CLICK HERE…
Todays Topics Include:
- Chosing the Perfect Time
- How to Draw a Big Crowd
- Where to Post Your Advertisement for Free
- Much More
Tomorrow, InfoTube will give you the inside scoop on preparing for the big event this weekend…so check in with us daily and start sprucing up your home now!
Thank you for stopping by Why6Percent.com blog. Our job is to keep you informed about events and topics of interest to home sellers. Click links to Follow our Blog or become our Facebook Fan for instant info and updates.
Make Sure You’re Ready for National Open House Week!
InfoBox for Real Estate. Mystery Solved.
InfoBox delivers information that homebuyers want in one sexy, smart, easy to use product.
Buy an InfoBox or InfoTube and remove the mystery about what is behind your front door.
Instant, wireless seller to buyer communication. No software, squinting at tiny screens, internet modems or waiting forever for downloads is required…
Why6Percent.com is changing real estate. Reach millions of homebuyers and buyer agents for a few bucks and save thousands in fee’s and commissions. Why Pay 6 Percent??
PS Check out InfoTube.net for Real Estate Facebook Page. It’s fun, it’s cutting edge and it’s interactive. If you like real estate, you’re going to love this!
Uncle Sam Pays the Tab for New Windows
Does a cold draft blow around your head while you relax in your easy chair? Does the sound of actual street noise drown out the sound of the NASCAR race on TV? If you answered “Yes” to either question…it might be time to replace those old, drafty, ugly, noisy, single paned, aluminum frame windows with some good looking, energy efficient ones.
Why Replacing Your Windows Pays Off…
- New windows improve the curb appeal and increase the value of any home.
- Buyers pay up for new windows. Numerous studies show that home sellers recoop 90+ percent of the costs for window replacement at the time of sale.
- Homeowners realize the energy savings immediately, while increasing comfort.
- Energy efficient windows are a Green home selling feature.
- New models of windows are easy to clean and maintain.
- Improve your view. New glass is so clear it’s just like looking through… nothing at all.
- Maybe Best of All…Uncle Sam Pays for It. The government will pay 30 percent of the cost (up to $1500) to replace the windows in your home through December 31, 2010. And, don’t forget to check out the additional rebates and savings on windows that are being offered in most states, cities and townships.
Tip for a Tight Budget
- Just replace some of the windows. Choose the ones on the front of the home, because they improve the curb appeal. Or, replace the windows that get hammered by the most weather, be it sun, rain, snow or wind.
- Or, Roll the Dice…and, maximize the tax credit by replacing half of the windows in 2010. Then, gamble on an extension of the credit into 2011 and replace the other half.
- Uncle Sam picks up a Third of your bill and smile (:
Practical Advice About Window Replacement
- Use a company that carries a wide range of window brands. Make sure they use their own employee’s (not subcontractors) to do the installation.
- Profit from the Housing Crash. Be a hard negotiator and get at least 3 quotes. You can save Big on labor and materials because the housing market is slow.
- Replacing windows is a big, messy job. Cover up anything important such as electronics and furniture. Sawing and Ripping out windows is dirty business, no matter how good the installer.
Thank you for visiting Why6Percent.com. We have a program for home sellers that offers the MLS, Realtor.com and advertisement on dozens of real estate listing posts for one cheap price…and the seller keeps the commission. Call 1-800-381-9496 or visit http://www.why6percent.com today for the details. You will be happy that you did!!!
10 Towns for Real Estate Steals and Deals
It’s our job at Why6Percent.com to have our finger on the pulse of real estate from coast-to-coast. Recently, we have been telling you to get ready for a big home selling season this spring.
Why? Interest rates are rising. Job losses have slowed to a trickle. Factory and Industrial output is up for the first time in years. And, we feel that the Fed is holding back information, for now, on the job creation that is happening as we speak.
So, where are the best real estate deals in the country?? We have identified 10 cities that are offering up Trump-type deals of a lifetime. CLICK HERE to see where the action will start first.
If you haven’t placed your property listing on the MLS, Realtor.com, Zillow, Google, MSN, Military.com and all the other major real estate websites…you are missing buyers. Go to the Why6Percent.com website and sign up NOW!!Don’t wait a minute longer. Tax Credits, Rising Rates and Gutted Home Prices are creating a stir among buyers early this spring. You snooze…you lose… And, we certainly don’t want that.