Real Estate Increases Risk of Infection

I am a workaholic. I get up at 7 a.m. and there I go . . . work, work, working away. This behavior continues on until as late as 2 or 3 a.m . . . EVERY DAY!! Needless to say, I work so much that only a couple of hours are set aside for me, myself, and I. This can be exhausting and wear on a person's health.

Back in June or July 2006, I was eating at the best pizza place in Dallas, Angelo & Vito's located on Frankford Road, just west of the Dallas North Tollway. My husband and I are sharing a Greek Salad, but he doesn't like olives, so he pushes them aside and I eat them. I bite into one of the salty calamatto olives and instantly, I felt one of the molars on the left side of my mouth crumble. It didn't hurt at all, which was a surprise to me. Now, anyone who really knows me knows that I have very white teeth and I do not bleach them, use any whiteners, or get any cosmetic dentistry done . . . I just take care of my teeth . . . or so I thought. So 2 or 3 months pass and all is fine with my cracked tooth. But then I got this brilliant idea to chew my gum on that side of my mouth, which caused my somewhat okay tooth to break up even more! Within a week, I had a slight infection in my gum, and I absolutely could not use that tooth for anything, not even to bite into ice cream.

At the time the tooth broke, I had no insurance (I was a single Realtor, so no spousal insurance and no health benefits from my job). So in September 2006, I got married and acquired some insurance. I went to the dentist and was asked if I had time for a nice little root canal. That would be the first of three trips to the dentist to have the root canal completed. I told myself that I had to take better care of my teeth, as it occurred to me that I had not been to the dentist in 4 years, prior to getting my license and while I still had a 7-4 job and health insurance. I had forgotten that the dentist had found a little cavity, and that I would need to take care of it sometime in the near future . . . 4 years later! My dentist found another cavity on my last root canal visit, which I had filled about 3 weeks later, while there for a cleaning. And guess what? He found another cavity!! He told me that this one was on the tooth in front of my wisdom tooth and was the result of my impacted wisdom tooth pushing against the other tooth, and that my wisdom tooth would need to be extracted so that he could fill the cavity in the other tooth. So, needless to say, I have been delaying getting that wisdom tooth removed. Some fools never learn . . .

So I woke up Sunday morning (11/26/06), after having slept with the windows open all night, and had a slight earache. I assumed it was due to the cool night air. As the day progressed, the pain from my earache increased and I began having a toothache. I looked in the mirror to see why my tooth was hurting and got a surprise! On my wisdom tooth I could see a HUGE cavity! Was my dentist mistaken in thinking the cavity was on the tooth next to the wisdom tooth? To make matters worse, my wisdom tooth appears to have chipped or cracked. Great! By the time Sunday night rolled around, I was in excruciating pain from the earache and toothache. I found some broad spectrum antibiotics I had left from when I was sick last winter and I took them. Approximately 12 hours later and after having only 2 hours of sleep that night, I felt much better. But now I have to take care of this tooth, as I am certain that the infection in my mouth was the cause of my sudden ear infection.

So what does this have to do with real estate? Because I work so much, I have, at times, neglected my health. There never was enough time for me to go to the dentist (and the lack of insurance didn't help either). So now, I have no choice but to make time to go and get my wisdom tooth removed. This is not going to be the highlight of December, I know that much!

Take care of yourself or spend lots of money at the dentist's office!!

Real Estate and Emotion vs. Reason

If you are selling a home, Real Estate Agents tend to refer to the property you're selling as a "house." If you are buying a house, agents will often refer to it as a "home." Why is this? Because when you are buying a home, it is more than "just" a purchase. It is where you go "home" after a hard day on the job, where you raise your kids, where you watch the Super Bowl, barbecue in the back yard, or plant flowers each year to admire their blooms. You aren't buying a space to eat and sleep, you're moving into your private "safe haven" - a place you'll call "home" for years to come. Someday, you will sell that house, and when you do - someone else will call it "home". If you're still thinking of it as your home, selling is more difficult.

How do you let go?

It is very difficult, but necessary. To sell your home effectively, you need to make rational decisions. You need to let go of all the little touches you've added to the property and not be connected emotionally. Most "home improvements" don't add as much value as you might think -- they might not have as much appeal to a potential buyer as they do to you. The buyer is looking at your house and imagining it as his or her home. You need to help them. Take your photos off the walls. Remove the sports trophies from the fireplace mantle. Clean the "junk" out of those drawers in the kitchen. Remove whatever you may have accumulated in your garage, basement or attic. If you want to keep it, put it in storage and pick it up when you move.

Sell a house. Help someone else find a home.

Home Builder's Incentives

Thanksgiving Day my husband, Chris, and I decided to drive to Houston to check out some area home builders and find out what, if any, incentives they were offering (both buyer and Realtor incentives). What we found were a few nice floor plans, a handful of knowledgeable and polite sales representatives, a handful of inept and/or unprofessional sales reps, miserly incentives, and inflated prices just about everywhere we went. Why do new homes cost so much more in the Houston area than they do in the Dallas Metroplex? And why are the builders so stingy with their buyer and Realtor incentives? And what is up with those detached and/or tandem garages?

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

I'm going to be cliche and tell everyone what I'm thankful for. So here we go . . .

-I'm thankful for my family.
-I'm thankful that I have a roof over my head, clothes to keep me warm, and food to satisfy my hunger.
-I'm thankful for the education I have received.
-I'm thankful that I'm loved by others and am able to reciprocate that love.
-I'm thankful for not only for having a job, but also for the ability to perform that job.
-I'm thankful that some people truly appreciate things I have done to help them.
-I'm thankful for my health.
-I'm thankful for having all of my senses (touch, sight, sound, etc).
-I'm thankful for the freedom to speak my mind and act on my thoughts.
-I'm thankful to be alive.
-I'm thankful for Christmas . . .

I hope that each of you have at least one thing in your life that you are thankful for! Feel free to share it here for others to see!

Enjoy the turkey and dressing!!! Yum!!!!

Pre-foreclosure

I continue to be amazed at the number of foreclosures in this county. What amazes me even more is that more than half of those individuals and families did absolutely nothing to stop the foreclosure process. Maybe it's because they didn't know they had options available to them or maybe they let pride make their decisions for them. Whatever the case may be, the bottom line is that foreclosure can be prevented, in certain situations. I'm talking about selling a home via short sale. And while it's something many real estate agents claim they know how to do, very few actually do. So, it's important for homeowners to choose the right agent to list their home, and going so far as to check references beforehand. This will save valuable time, which is something that a homeowner does not have when faced with this situation.

"Will You Cut Your Commission??"

I regularly visit Yahoo! Answers and there is always someone out there who asks how they go about getting an agent to cut commission. Why does he/she need to know? I understand that people like to save money, believe me . . . I do, too! But let me ask you this . . . do you work? You do? Well, you know that person that owns the company at which you work and who pays you? Not the Payroll Clerk--but the person who REALLY pays your salary or wages. Now answer this: Do you think that person has a burning desire to pay you the money that you think you'veearned?

NO! Your boss doesn't want to pay you, anymore than you want to pay your agent! So, why does your boss pay you? Because you earned the money . . . You showed up for work & did what you were hired to do (hopefully)! If your boss would've asked you to take a pay cut, would you have? Not likely! So why is it okay, in a seller's mind, to ask an agent to take a pay cut? Because you want to save money, right?! I'm sure your boss wants to save money, too, but he/she hasn't cut your pay (at least, not yet).

Real Estate is one of the few industries in which people work, and if they don't do what they were hired to do (sell homes), they do not get paid. Can you say the same for your job?

Tips for Making Your Home More Secure

You can make your home much less attractive to them by taking a few simple steps to make your home more secure. Most of these security measures are easy tasks and only require a few simple tools. A little free time is a small investment for your peace of mind.

1.) Installing a quality lockset not only adds to your home's beauty, but it also sends a message to would be intruders.

2.) Deadbolts are an inexpensive and effective way of adding security to exterior doors, and make great supplements to standard locksets.

3.) Adding a peephole allows you to see who's knocking before you open the door.

4.) To make your sliding patio doors more secure, cut a piece of closet rod to fit in the track behind the sliding door and adjust the track clearance so the doors can't be removed from their frame.

5.) Install keyed sash locks on your windows to make them more secure. If you like to let in fresh air, look for locks that also have a vent locking position.

6.) Low voltage lights are easy to install and provide an excellent, low-energy light source to highlight areas you don't want in shadow.

7.) Lights with motion detectors are a convenient and efficient source for outdoor security lighting. Well-positioned motion detectors make it virtually impossible for anyone to sneak up on your home.

8.) Security cameras are great for keeping an eye on children playing in the yard and they allow you to see who's coming to the door from inside your home.

9.) A storage shed with a good lock keeps your outdoor items organized and safe.

10.) Keep your hedges and foundation plants pruned so they don't hide potential entry points to your home. Overgrown plants offer intruders a place to hide while they attempt to break in.

5 Things To Do Before Listing Your Home for Sale

1.) Get estimates from a reliable handyman or technician for items that need to be replaced or repaired soon, such as a roof or worn carpets. Either have the items replaced or repaired before listing your home or offer to give the buyer a repair or decorating allowance, in an amount that is equal to that of the estimates provided to you.

2.) Have a termite and wood-destroying insect inspection. If the home is not infested, attach the inspection report to the Seller's Disclosure Notice, as provided by your REALTOR. Potential buyers will see firsthand that the property is not infested, giving them peace-of-mind and confidence in submitting an offer on the property. However, if the property is infested, have the infestation treated and any damage to the property [resulting from the infestation] repaired by a professional.

3.) Be pro-active and get a home inspection (separate from the inspection the buyer may get). If any items do need to be repaired, you can have them repaired prior to listing the home for sale and reduce the chance of a buyer backing-out of a contract due to the condition of the home or need for repairs.

4.) Gather all user's manuals, warranties and guarantees on the furnace, appliances, and other items that will remain with the house.

5.) Fill out a disclosure form provided by your REALTOR. Take the time to be sure that you don’t forget problems, however minor, that might create liability for you after the sale. And remember, honesty is the best policy, so answer each question with an honest answer, even if you're worried that some buyers may lose interest in the property.

Build a Plan of Action Before Searching for a Home

Buying a home will probably rank as one of the biggest personal investments one can make. Being organized and in control will contribute significantly to getting the best home deal possible with the least amount of stress. Is important to anticipate the steps required to successfully achieve one's housing goal and to build a plan of action that will get you there. Before building a plan of action, take the time to lay the groundwork for your personal decision making process.

First, ask yourself how much you can afford to pay for a home. If you're not sure on the price range, find a lender and get preapproved. Preapproval will let you know how much you can afford so that you can look for homes in your price range. Getting preapproved helps you to alleviate some of the anxieties that come with homebuying. You know what you qualify for and what rate to expect, you know how large your monthly mortgage payments will be, and you know how much money you will have to put toward the down payment. Once you are preapproved, you avoid the frustration of finding homes that you think are perfect, but are not in your price range.

Second, ask yourself where you want to live and what is the best location for you and your family. Some things to consider are:

1. convenience for all family members
2. proximity to work, school
3. local transportation
4. proximity to retail and grocery stores
5. city and state parks that are nearby
6. types of homes in neighborhood, for example condominiums, town homes, new construction, existing homes

Before you know it, you will be ready to hit the ground running in your search for a new home!

10 Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Real Estate Agent

Before selecting an agent to list your home for sale, you should ask certain questions to ensure that the agent you do decide to choose will give you the best possible representation, place your interests above that of his/her own, have integrity and ethics, and work hard to market and sell your home. Here are 10 questions that you should ask before hiring a real estate agent.

1.) What sets you apart from other agents that will help sell my home?
2.) What's kind of reputation does your company have in this area (and others, if applicable)?
3.) How do you intend to market my home?
4.) Has your company ever sold homes in my area/city?
5.) Are you solely responsible for the advertising you do or does your company pay for and oversee all advertising?
6.) On average, how long do your listings remain on the market before finally selling?
7.) On average, what percentage of the list price do your listings actually sell fore, when your listings sell?
8.) Do you work with buyers and if so, how many are you currently working with?
9.) Do you have references?
10.) Can I terminate the listing early if I am unhappy with your performance? If so, what fees, if any, must I pay?

These questions, or any that are similar, will help you decide which agent will be suit your needs! Good luck!

Just Starting My Real Estate Blog

I just created my real estate blog and this is my first post. I know very little about blogging, but a lot about real estate. Over the next few days, I hope to learn more about blogging, so that my blog is informative and not some snooze-fest, like this first post. This is a big step for me, so bear with me over the next few weeks!