Rhonda Duffy's

Water: The Cure For Every Disease?

RhondaDuffy — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 14:02:45 +0000

DRINK WATER ON EMPTY STOMACH

Dear Rhonda Duffy,

It is popular in Japan today to drink water immediately after waking up every morning. Furthermore, scientific tests have proven its value. We publish below a description of use of water for our readers.

For old and serious diseases as well as modern illnesses the water treatment had been found successful by a Japanese medical society as a 100% cure for the following diseases:  Headache, body ache, heart system, arthritis, fast heart beat, epilepsy, excess fatness, bronchitis asthma, TB, meningitis, kidney and urine diseases, vomiting, gastritis, diarrhea, piles, diabetes, constipation, all eye diseases, womb, cancer and menstrual disorders, ear nose and throat diseases.

METHOD OF TREATMENT

As you wake up in the morning before brushing teeth, drink 4 x 160ml glasses of water.
Brush and clean the mouth but do not eat or drink anything for 45 minutes.
After 45 minutes you may eat and drink as normal.
After 15 minutes of breakfast, lunch and dinner do not eat or drink anything for 2 hours.
Those who are old or sick and are unable to drink 4 glasses of water at the beginning may commence by taking little water and gradually increase it to 4 glasses per day.
The above method of treatment will cure diseases of the sick and others can enjoy a healthy life.

The following list gives the number of days of treatment required to cure/control/ reduce main diseases:

High Blood Pressure (30 days)
Gastric (10 days)
Diabetes (30 days)
Constipation (10 days)
Cancer (180 days)
TB (90 days)
Arthritis patients should follow the above treatment only for 3 days in the 1st week, and from 2nd week onwards – daily.

This treatment method has no side effects, however at the commencement of treatment you may have to urinate a few times.

It is better if we continue this and make this procedure as a routine work in our life.

Drink Water and Stay healthy and Active.

This makes sense .. The Chinese and Japanese drink hot tea with their meals .. not cold water.
Maybe it is time we adopt their drinking habit while eating!!!

Nothing to lose, everything to gain.

For those who like to drink cold water, this article is applicable to you. It is nice to have a cup of cold drink after a meal. However, the cold water will solidify the oily stuff that you have just consumed. It will slow down the digestion.

Once this ‘sludge’ reacts with the acid, it will break down and be absorbed by the intestine faster than the solid food. It will line the intestine.

Very soon, this will turn into fats and lead to cancer.

It is best to drink hot soup or warm water after a meal.

Yours for excellent health,

Joe Barton
Founder & CEO
Barton Publishing Inc.

A serious note about heart attacks:

Women should know that not every heart attack symptom is going to be the left arm hurting, be aware of intense pain in the jaw line. You may never have the first chest pain during the course of a heart attack. Nausea and intense sweating are also common symptoms.

More Remedy Reports…
http://www.BartonPublishing.com

Keep Grandma With You Forever…
http://www.HomeCuresThatWork.com

World’s Most Powerful Fat Burner: Wu Long Tea
http://www.bartonpublishing.com/wulong

This 1 ‘Weird’ Trick Of A Tiny Belly?
http://www.bartonpublishing.com/fatburning

Visit Our Natural Health Blog
http://www.BartonPublishing.com/blog

5 Disaster Financial Moves

RhondaDuffy — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 16:06:11 +0000

After almost 20 years of giving personal financial advice, I thought I would
share the secrets I know about becoming financially successful.If you avoid
these 5 disaster financial moves, you should have a good chance of becoming
prosperous and hitting your goals. If you have made one of these already, it
[...]

You may view the latest post at
http://www.yoursmartmoneymoves.com/2010/08/30/5-disaster-financial-moves/

The Top 10 Home Improvements That Could Devalue Your Home

RhondaDuffy — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 20:35:52 +0000

Via Donna Dazzo Home Stager in the Hamptons & New York (Designed to Appeal, LLC):

Sometimes, making an improvement to your home could actually hurt you when you try to sell it.

Here are the top 10 home improvements that can make your home harder to sell:

1. Kitchen Renovation. Any renovation of a kitchen that is too taste-specific or extreme in design. For example, a kitchen equipped with a restaurant-level stove or multiple refrigerators may not appeal to the buyer who is a simple cook. You want to appeal to the broadest range of buyers when selling a home, and if a buyer thinks they need to spend money re-doing what you’ve done, they will offer less.

2. Bathroom Renovations. The same can be said for bathroom renovations. Any design that is over the top could detract from the value of the home. It’s best to avoid garish sinks, faucets, and tiles. And skip the heart-shaped bathtub!

3. Painting. Painting the walls is a great way to freshen up a space prior to putting your home on the market, but painting with bold colors such as red, orange, purple or even black (I’ve seen this) is a sure way to turn off a potential buyer. Buyers want to feel like they can move right in and not have to re-paint the walls to match their own tastes and their existing furniture. The same goes for painting the exterior of the home – no bright blues, yellows or greens please!

4. Water Features. Having an in-ground pool, hot tub, waterfall or pond can also devalue a home, as buyers may perceive these as extra maintenance expenses they don’t want to incur. Also, buyers with small children may be fearful of these as well. The only exception of an in-ground pool definitely adding value is if the home is an investment property in a resort area where renters find homes with a pool to be more desirable.

5. “Wasted” Square Footage. Taking valuable square footage in a house and using it for a specific, personalized purpose can make the house harder to sell and/or detract from its value, for example, turning a garage into a gym. Also, on the Bravo TV show, Nine By Design, the hosts of the show were trying to sell their NYC townhouse. The ground floor was taken up by a basketball/squash court because the owners liked to play these games. However, most buyers would see this as wasted space and an expensive project ahead to change.

6. Redecorating. Redecorating in a highly taste-specific style, such as Asian, country clutter or extreme modern can turn-off potential buyers. When selling your home, you want to appeal to the broadest range of buyers, so it’s important that the furniture and décor is neutral and broadly appealing.

7. Illegal home improvements. Decks, driveways, expansions, etc. not approved by the local town authorities can devalue the home as you will probably be forced to correct the situation prior to selling which could result in something as extreme as actually removing it.

8. Laminated Wood Flooring. Installing laminated wood flooring instead of solid wood in an upscale home can also cause a buyer to think “I’ve got to rip this out”! Better to refinish existing hardwood floors, if any, or cover floors with new but inexpensive wall-to-wall carpeting.

9. DIY Home Repairs. While needed repairs and maintenance should be done to a home before putting it on the market, doing these yourself could end up costing you money in the end as buyers perceive your shoddy workmanship as something they have to spend money correcting, and therefore offering you a lower price.

10. Gardens and Landscaping. A high-maintenance garden and landscaping could also lower the value of a home. If buyers are not avid gardeners or don’t want to spend money watering or on hiring someone to constantly weed, trim and rotate your plantings, this could be a real turn-off.

So, before you decide to make that improvement to your home, stop and ask yourself: “Will most buyers find this desirable so that they would be willing to pay for it, or is it just to satisfy my own needs and tastes?”.

To Do: Order a Survey

RhondaDuffy — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 19:15:44 +0000

It is very important to order a survey.

Most lenders do not require a survey anymore so it is optional for you.
The closing attorney’s office will order the survey upon your request.
This information is from Jill Elliott’s website, a closing attorney friend of Rhonda’s. Here is her take on the issue.

(So what do you think you are buying?)

When you buy a piece of property the Warranty Deed describes what you are buying in the Legal Description, not the street address. Just because the house you are buying has the address of 1313 Mockingbird Lane does not mean that the house sits on the land that you are purchasing in the Legal Description. There have been cases of houses built on the wrong lot or with the house built partially on the neighbor’s lot. Either way, you want to know before you buy.

Possible problems a survey would discover:

House over property line
Fence over property line
Driveway over property line
House in Flood Zone
Drainage Easements

House built over Zoning Building line
House in violation or setback line
Neighbor’s House on your lot
Neighbor’s fence over your Property line
Utility Easements under your home

Why should you get a survey even when there is a plat of the subdivision?
A Plat of the subdivision shows where your property lines are supposed to be. It will not show whether your house was built with-in those limits. It will not show if your house was built with in the County Zoning Guidelines. It will not show if you are in violation of your Home Owner’s Association prescribed Setbacks. These are important items that you will want to know when you purchase your home. You do not want the County showing up one day telling you your home is beyond the Building line and you have to tear it down.

Surveys typically cost between $265.00 and $365.00 sometimes more depending on the size of the lot and the difficulty of the job.
This is not a good place to try and save money. If you do not order the survey prior to closing, you take the property “as is.”

46 smart uses for salt

RhondaDuffy — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 13:48:42 +0000

Check out this great article from Yahoo Shine about the many uses for salt : http://shine.yahoo.com/event/green/46-smart-uses-for-salt-2270681/

Pending Home Sales Up Again!

RhondaDuffy — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 20:02:18 +0000

Pending Home Sales for July increased by 3.2%, more than double the expectations of 1.5%, and representing the sixth consecutive monthly gain…the longest streak on record.

While it’s nice to finally hear some positive news about the housing sector – let’s remain cautious in our optimism, as many first time homebuyers moved up their home purchasing plans to take advantage of the Federal tax credit (according to the Mortgage Market Guide).

This temporary stimulus may mean a corresponding dip in Home Sales data once the credit expires. That said – combined with still historically low rates and a large inventory, this report is a great talking point to help more of those first time homebuyers get off the fence and into application.

Keep in mind when you are talking with first time buyers, if you use the term “tax credit” they may not understand what it is. The way I explain it is this:

“This tax credit is like winning the lottery with an $8,000 payout. The Federal Government will write you a check for up to $8,000! It’s even better than lottery winnings as those are taxed. This tax credit is not. So long as you own and occupy the house for 3 years, you never have to pay it back.”

Hurry, as the number of mortgage applications are going to create bottlenecks with lenders trying to process loan applications later this Fall. The deadline for receiving the tax credit is November 30, 2009, so buyers must close by then. Get your buyers under contract and have them start the loan application process.

Let me know how I can help!

Sincerely,

Paul Janofsky

Certified Mortgage Planning Specialist

WC Mortgage & Financial Services, LLC

(770) 935-5975

pjanofsky@envoymtg.com

Rhonda’s voice is heard in AOL Housingwatch article!

RhondaDuffy — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 16:54:46 +0000

Please go to http://www.housingwatch.com/2010/08/18/home-listings-only-half-of-last-years-have-sold/ to read it!

10 Ways to Prepare for Homeownership

RhondaDuffy — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 16:36:45 +0000

1. Decide what you can afford. Generally, you can afford a home equal in value to between two and three times your gross income.

2. Develop your home wish list. Then, prioritize the features on your list.

3. Select where you want to live. Compile a list of three or four neighborhoods you’d like to live in, taking into account items such as schools, recreational facilities, area expansion plans, and safety.

4. Start saving.Do you have enough money saved to qualify for a mortgage and cover your down payment? Ideally, you should have 20 percent of the purchase price saved as a down payment. Also, don’t forget to factor in closing costs. Closing costs — including taxes, attorney’s fee, and transfer fees — average between 2 and 7 percent of the home price.

5. Get your credit in order.Obtain a copy of your credit report to make sure it is accurate and to correct any errors immediately. A credit report provides a history of your credit, bad debts, and any late payments.

6. Determine your mortgage qualifications.How large of mortgage do you qualify for? Also, explore different loan options — such as 30-year or 15-year fixed mortgages or ARMs — and decide what’s best for you.

7. Get preapproved. Organize all the documentation a lender will need to preapprove you for a loan. You might need W-2 forms, copies of at least one pay stub, account numbers, and copies of two to four months of bank or credit union statements.

8. Weigh other sources of help with a down payment. Do you qualify for any special mortgage or down payment assistance programs? Check with your state and local government on down payment assistance programs for first-time buyers. Or, if you have an IRA account, you can use the money you’ve saved to buy your fist home without paying a penalty for early withdrawal.

9. Calculate the costs of homeownership. This should include property taxes, insurance, maintenance and utilities, and association fees, if applicable.

10. Contact a REALTOR®. Find an experienced REALTOR® who can help guide you through the process.

Tips for Pricing Your Home

RhondaDuffy — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 16:20:06 +0000

Consider comparables. What have other homes in your neighborhood sold for recently? How do they compare to yours in terms of size, upkeep, and amenities?
Consider competition. How many other houses are for sale in your area? Are you competing against new homes?
Consider your contingencies. Do you have special concerns that would affect the price you’ll receive? For example, do you want to be able to move in four months?
Get an appraisal. For a few hundred dollars, a qualified appraiser can give you an estimate of your home’s value. Be sure to ask for a market-value appraisal. To locate appraisers in your area, contact The Appraisal Institute or ask your REALTOR® for some recommendations.
Ask a lender. Since most buyers will need a mortgage, it’s important that a home’s sale price be in line with a lender’s estimate of its value.
Be accurate. Studies show that homes priced more than 3 percent over the correct price take longer to sell.
Know what you’ll take. It’s critical to know what price you’ll accept before beginning a negotiation with a buyer.

Why Do Lenders Want Bank Statements?

RhondaDuffy — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 18:44:46 +0000

“Why does a lender want to see my bank statements?”

Here are the reasons that lenders ask to see a borrower’s bank statements:

They need to verify that the money being used for the down payment and closing costs really belongs to the borrower. If there are deposits that came from sources other than a pay check, the borrower will need to provide some sort of documentation showing where they got the money.
The lender wants to make sure that the borrower does not have any insufficient funds charges. If they do, then they will need to provide an explanation about why they had problems keeping track of their money.
The lender is looking for loans that might not show up on the borrower’s credit report. If a borrower gets a loan for a car, furniture, or something else directly from their bank, the bank might not report it to the credit bureaus. However, the lender must count the debt against the borrower in order to sell the loan to Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, FHA, or VA.

The lender wants to make sure that the borrower has full access to all of the money in their bank accounts. If the borrower has a joint account with someone other than their spouse, the lender will require a letter from the other person saying that the borrower can use all of the money in the account.

from Chris Thomas The Mortgage Experts at America’s Mortgage

Tips for Remodeling in Any Market

RhondaDuffy — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 18:29:03 +0000

When the housing market’s hot, it seems like just about any remodeling project is a good investment and adds value to your home. But when the market is tight, you want to be more selective about which projects you undertake, and know what you stand to gain in return.

So whether you’ve been thinking about boosting your home’s value, its curb appeal, or just making your living space more comfortable for you and your family, the ideas below can help you cost-effectively achieve your goals in any market.

First Things First. Buyers often decide whether to look at your house before they even get out of the car. Before you spend a lot of time and money remodeling the inside, you may want to look at the outside. Washing windows, repainting trim, planting flowers, and fixing screens can make a big difference. For even more impact, you may want to consider replacing your siding or even adding a patio or deck. The added value for these bigger projects won’t yield as high of a return on investment, but may help your house stand out from the rest. So, weigh your options and ask your REALTOR® for advice before starting a big project.

Make Yourself at Home. Making a cozy first impression is critical. To make sure your entryway is inviting, try adding a fresh coat of paint to your foyer or a wicker chair and table outside the door. For even more impact, replace those old light fixtures and update the floor in your entryway.

Sparkle up that Old Bathroom. Remodeling an old bathroom can make a big impact. For very little money, you can add a new faucet to your sink, a new medicine cabinet on the wall, and even new paint or wallpaper. For a little more oomph, you can update the bathtub, add a double sink, or re-tile the floor.

Even Better: Add a Second Bathroom. Perhaps no improvement makes a bigger impact on your family’s comfort and your house’s appeal than adding a second bathroom. The number of bathrooms is always a big sticking point for potential buyers, especially families with two or three children. Although adding a bathroom costs more than simply fixing up your old one, it also increases the value of your house more. Plus, having that second bathroom may help you sell your house faster than if it only has one…an important point to consider in any market.

Make it Hot in the Kitchen. Renovating an outdated kitchen is a great way to improve your home and its value. Plus, you don’t have to splurge on extravagant items like hand-painted Italian tile or built-in espresso machines. Focus on the basics: installing new flooring, adding a backsplash and a new coat of paint, re-facing existing cabinets, installing new counter tops, and possibly installing new appliances. These go a long way to making you, or a potential buyer, feel right at home.

Remember, start small, work your way up, and always plan ahead. You don’t want to get halfway into a renovation only to find that you have to update your entire electrical system, or that you forgot to apply for a permit. So, check your local zoning codes before starting any remodeling project.

Renovating your home doesn’t have to mean huge and expensive changes. You can make your house more comfortable and valuable with very little time and money.

Via Integrity Mortgage Funding

Summer Energy Saving Tips

RhondaDuffy — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 15:33:59 +0000

We all need air conditioning to stay comfortable during the soaring temperatures of the summer. But you can still stay cool while saving energy and money using our tips to prepare your home and maintain your air conditioning equipment.

Because air conditioning works hard to remove moisture from the air and reduce humidity inside your home, turn off A/C, or program your thermostat to a higher temperature, when not at home
Minimize mid-day washing and drying of clothes, showering and cooking
Turn on ventilating fans, but turn them off when not required so they don’t extract cooled air from the house
Set the temperature a little higher (around 78-80°F) to help save 6-8% of your cooling costs for each degree above 78° while remaining comfortable
Shade your home from direct sunlight – use shades, drapes and awnings to block the sun from heating your home

Posted By: Chrissy Doremus, U.S. Inspect Blog

How To Make Buyers Want Your Home

RhondaDuffy — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 19:44:03 +0000

You love your home but when it comes time to sell, you have to share the love. In the other words, you have to make your home be seen in the eyes of potential buyers as their home. That can be tricky.

But if you do some of the basic things such as clearing clutter, creating light, bright, and open space, adding curb appeal, removing personal items (family photos, trinkets), fresh paint, and clean or new carpet — you’ll be on your way to attracting serious buyers.

Let’s look at specific areas that create widespread appeal inside the home.

Here are some of the top areas to improve: countertops, flooring, built-in furniture, and old-style attached fixtures such as those big sheet mirrors in the bathroom. However, when making these improvements, there’s one important consideration.

Functionality is the greatest concern cited by homeowners, according to the latest poll conducted by the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI).

“The functionality of a home is very important, especially over the long term, as many homeowners in this economy have opted for remodeling over moving to new homes,” says NARI National President Paul Zuch, CR, president of Capital Improvements.

So let’s explore the areas I mentioned earlier and see how improving these items can lead to greater interest in your home. Countertops are fixtures in homes. So making sure that you select the best material to endure the daily wear and tear is important. If we’re talking about the kitchen, for instance, there are many options: granite, tile, recycled glass (for a green option), solid steel, composite stone, butcher block, laminate, and even concrete. Yes, that last one sounds surprising but concrete is being used for countertops and laminate isn’t necessarily trying to mimic other materials anymore. Instead, homeowners are embracing laminate’s own unique high-tech look. The popular trend is a mixing of several styles creating a blended custom look for the kitchen. But in the end, functionality will rate highest for potential buyers. All of the countertop materials mentioned above have advantages and disadvantages when it comes to maintenance and usage; make sure you completely research the material before selecting it for your home.

Fixtures are an important area to improve. “People know a lot more about design,” Laura Kirar from Larua Kirar-TRU Design told the Alexandria Times. These days, quirky, eclectic styles from international trends are becoming more prevalent in the United States. However, push the envelope too far with quirkiness and you just might lose a potential buyer. What’s important to know is that buyers are paying attention to fixtures. If you have damaged or worn out faucets or lighting, it’s best to replace them before showing your home. Also, replacing those big, nothing-special sheet mirrors with some framed mirrors can add a unique look without costing very much. While you don’t want to have to spend a lot just before you sell your home, remember that these seemingly small items can have a great impact on improving buyers’ interest in your home.

Flooring is a big interest for buyers. Wood floors are still very popular. Many Realtors say buyers are looking for hardwood floors. That’s partly because they endure and don’t go out of style. However, if they’re damaged it can be a drawback because buyers may focus on how much work it will take and cost to do the repairs.

Built-in furniture can improve a home. Built-in bookcases and entertainment centers can save space and help make the room look larger. However, there’s a downside. Built-in furniture isn’t easily movable. So, potential buyers will have to really find the furniture useful and suitable for their needs. “It’s all about personalization—homeowners want to know that their space can be converted easily into a different space in the future,” Zuch said in a press statement by NARI. And that’s what buyers want as well—the ability to make your home theirs when the sale closes.

Written by Phoebe Chongchua
Courtesy of Realty Times

Choosing the Best Home

RhondaDuffy — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 19:37:21 +0000

After weeks of searching for your next home, you now have it narrowed down to two great options. One offers a shorter commute, but the other offers more square footage for your growing family. How can you make the best choice?

There are several strategies you can employ in your decision making process. Above all, be confident in your decision making abilities. “The fear of making serious decisions is a new kind of fear, called decidophobia,” proclaimed by Walter Kaufmann at Princeton University in 1973. Worry and procrastination do nothing to aid the process, so buyers, be confident that you will make a sound choice.

Pro/Con list: In this case, you are deciding between two houses as your prospective home. For each house, divide a sheet of paper into two columns: pro and con. Be realistic about what the positive and negative factors would be for each purchase. Considerations could include: price, location, schools, repairs, square footage, floorplans, street noise, neighborhood value, comparables, and gut intuition.

Brainstorm scenarios: Chances are, whatever house you decided upon will be your residence for many years to come. Try and think ahead to situations that may arise in the future, and how each residence would affect those situations. Do you have aging parents that could move in? If so, then which house provides the best floorplan for this? Planning on having children? Check out ratings on local schools.

Do the math: Business executives might call this the “cost/benefit analysis.” Buying a home is a huge financial decision, and while personal preferences (e.g. location, schools, square footage) all come into play in homebuying, many purchases are based on what makes the best financial sense. Discuss numbers and neighborhood comparables with your real estate agent. One home may be a smaller dollar amount, but the other may be a better deal in the long run. Some neighborhoods are up and coming, while others have come and gone. Are either homes overpriced or underpriced for their neighborhoods? Do either homes need repairs or updates?

Priorities list: Yes, you know you want the pool, landscaping, granite counters, close proximity to work, extra bath, and the list goes on. But when push comes to shove, and it might, what items are your priority, really? For some, driving a longer commute is worth having a larger house or a cheaper price. For other buyers, the exact opposite can be true.

Change perspectives: Sometimes you simply must step out of your own shoes to see a situation clearly. There are many different ways to approach this decision. You can look at it from an emotional point of view (which home do you love), an intuitive view (what does your gut tell you), and even a devil’s advocate view (what if). Experts consider this the “Six Thinking Hats,” introduced by Edward de Bono in a book of the same title, where you put on six different hats during a decision making process. Try and see the buying process from the perspective of your spouse, your children, friends, and even your worst enemy.

Finally, be realistic in your own abilities. While the final decision rests on your capable shoulders, you should rely on the professionals that are by your side. This includes your agent, lender, attorney, and even your family. And while you are the final say, remember that you have a team to help give you information to fuel that sound decision.

Written by Carla Hill

Courtesy of Realty Times

Simple Home Improvements

RhondaDuffy — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 21:51:42 +0000

Check out this link for the whole article.

http://finance.yahoo.com/real-estate/article/109967/10-home-repairs-that-will-save-you-money?mod=realestate-homeimprove

Using a Power of Attorney

RhondaDuffy — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 16:18:03 +0000

Many attorneys will allow you to get a power of attorney for your closing. This could be your spouse, relative, friend or another attorney. In the case of a husband and wife, this is helpful so that one person can be with the movers.

The power of attorney will only be applicable to the closing.

Another option is to do a mail-away package so that you don’t have to attend closing, but many attorneys have eliminated this from their services due to fraud.

Here is what one law firm says about getting a power of attorney:

Sometimes it’s hard to get all buyers, all sellers, the agents and the lender together at one time for a closing. Unforeseen emergencies can interrupt even the best-laid plans. In the event you cannot attend your closing you must execute a Power of Attorney. This is a written document authorizing another person to act as your agent and sign on your behalf.

If you anticipate your absence at the closing, call our law firm immediately. If you are a borrower, we must call your lender and be sure they will accept a valid Power of Attorney on their loan documents. We can prepare a Power of Attorney on behalf of the lender for you to review. Although forms available on the web or at Office Depot are convenient and, sometimes, free, they will most likely not comply with the Georgia real estate Power of Attorney requirements. A Power of Attorney to transfer real property must be specific to the property, referring to the property particularly. Furthermore, the Power of Attorney must be witnessed and notarized. Of course, the witness cannot also notarize the document, and neither can be a party to the transaction or the nominated agent.

Once the document is fully executed you should fax a copy to us. But, we must have the original at the closing. Without the original, the closing cannot go forward. A copy of your photo ID must also accompany the Power of Attorney.

Finally, be sure that you can be reached by phone during the closing in the event material issues arise that require your attention.

Holding an Open House

RhondaDuffy — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 16:15:25 +0000

1. Buy signs from Home Depot or Lowes that say OPEN HOUSE. FMLS sells Open House signs as well- www.FMLSstore.com .

Put the price of your home on the open house sign (i.e. 400K).

2. Hold your Open House any day and time that you are home by putting your signs at the front of your subdivision and in front of your home.

3. Invite your guests into the home, but do not follow them around.

4. Be available to answer questions. Don’t ask too many questions yourself.

**If you are uncomfortable with the prospect, when you open the door say “I was just about to pull the sign. Let me get your name and number and I will call you back for a more convenient time for both of us.

**Keep pen and paper at the front entrance way to take names of numbers of all guests before they enter the home.

What Should I Expect From an Open House?

Unless you state on your open house sign the price of your home, expect that most of the people who come into your home don’t know your price. So, you can’t really count them as buyers.

Sometimes owners get no traffic. Most of the time owners report 3 to 4 couples in a few hours time.

Many owners have sold their home from an open house.

Remember that this is a marathon, not a sprint. If you leave your home consistently open, you will have a better chance of selling your home to someone that is not working with an agent. There are thousands of dollars to be made!

-Rhonda Duffy

Scheduling The Movers – Know Your Options

RhondaDuffy — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 16:14:00 +0000

Remember that your Purchase and Sale Agreement allows for a seven day unilateral extension. This means that you should know what the penalties and options are for your moving plans. You can also rent PODs to hold your furniture.

Here is advice from Clark Howard:

Get a binding estimate in advance specifying the cost of your move.

Check to make sure the mover you pick is a member of the American Moving and Storage Association’s “Certified Mover Program.”

In your contract, require the mover to pay a penalty if he doesn’t deliver your belongings on or before a specific date.

Buy replacement value insurance on your possessions, in case something breaks during the move.

Before you choose a moving company, get a clear understanding from that mover what happens if something is broken that you’ve packed yourself.

When the mover drops off your furniture at your new residence, do not sign the release form until you’ve examined your furniture piece by piece.

The best way to protect crystal, china, and any other extremely valuable and delicate possessions is to move them yourself in your own car.

If you want to risk your back and move yourself, be careful about what packing materials you buy for the move. You’ll generally do better renting the truck from the rental company and buying your boxes and other materials somewhere else.

To save money on truck rentals, move during mid-month or during the week.

You can compare moving companies at www.123moving.com

Placing a Newspaper Ad

RhondaDuffy — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 16:12:26 +0000

Feel free to place any additional advertising that you think is helpful to your marketing strategy. Don’t forget the local papers indigenous to your county or city. They often produce more results at less prices.

When you run ads expect hundreds of agents to solicit you for your listing. There will be so many agents soliciting you that you might even be rude to your buyer mistakenly.

If you run an ad, you can run the ad as the owner and place your phone number in the ad.

Here is a typical ad for a typical home that I would suggest you run:

Lovely home in friendly n’hd with lively swim/tennis.

Quiet cul-de-sac w/level yard & prettiest home on street – ours. 770-396-2542.

You may want to let the calls go to your voice mail that you can screen. That way you can be nice to the buyers when you return their call. On your voice mail tell them that they can view interior photos of your home at Realtor.com. Look for FMLS #________________. That way agents will leave you alone because they will know that you have to be listed to be on Realtor.com. Buyers on the other hand are not sure about all of that and will still have interest in you as a for sale by owner.

I don’t think that print ads are the prevailing way that buyers search for homes anymore. After all, who wants to read a bunch of ads in price ranges that are not applicable and they can’t search by and see no photos when they can search the internet with far less effort.

-Rhonda Duffy

Tips for Moving with Pets

RhondaDuffy — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 16:10:50 +0000

If you will be moving soon and have pets, here is a great guide for you!

http://www.tipsandformsforbuyers.com/docs/450IDEASBONUS-PETS.pdf

How to talk to buyers who view your home.

RhondaDuffy — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 15:57:01 +0000

When buyers come to your home it is critical to know how to talk to them. Here are some guidelines that will help you connect to them and pass along the fond memories that you have collected over the years in your home.

Start the process by telling the buyers that you are going to let them walk through first and then you will take them on a quick tour and let them know the important things about the home that brings value to the home.

Rule 1 – Don’t ask personal questions like:

Where do you live now?

Have you sold your home yet?

Can you afford my home?

What do you do for a living?

Rule 2 – Don’t follow them around on their heels. It is perfectly okay to know where your buyers are in your house, but they need space to see the home.

Rule 3 – Don’t talk during the walk-through. Let them ask you questions. They don’t need a tour guide on the first round.

Rule 4 – Make your tour for them reflective of important things that they can’t see or that are not obvious that brings value to your price. You can also add cards to the areas of the home that you have added upgrades. Hang them on the wall.

Rule 5 – Get their phone number and ask them when you can follow-up to see if they have interest.

Rule 6 – Call all buyers back if you add an incentive or lower your price.

Rule 7 – Hand all buyers a letter that you have written to them as potential buyers wherein you have answered any questions or objections that they may have about the home.

Rule 8 – You might consider putting your photos and flyer on a CD and giving this to your buyer.

Rule 9 – Feed the buyer cookies or something if you can during the visit and have them sit down. Talk about your family cookie recipe, your family etc… not about their house hunt.

Rule 10 – Sitting down brings me to my last suggestion, tell the buyer to please sit in each of your rooms so that they can see the rooms from all angles.

Rule 11 – If you are having a second showing, ask your best neighbor to stop in and say hi to you so that you can introduce them to the neighbor.

The point to all of this is that you should allow buyers to connect to your home and somewhat to you. Buyers want an emotional connection that allows them to feel confident in their house purchase. Avoid your own curiosity to ask questions and put on a show instead!

If you are showing your home and an agent is there with the buyers, still follow these rules if you are home.

If you are a seller of real estate, view more marketing tips on my website.

http://www.DuffyRealtyofAtlanta.com

You Don’t Need 3D TV

oXYGenFinancial — Tue, 04 May 2010 14:01:49 +0000

I have been seeing all of these commercials as of late on how you can have 3D TV in your home. Let me be the first to tell you that you simply …

When you love your home…

RhondaDuffy — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 14:34:29 +0000

Many people ask me what is necessary to sell a home in today’s market. My response is LOVE. The pouring of love onto your home is a simple thing that you can do and everyone knows that love is an action.

Buying a home is an emotional experience for a buyer. You can not sell a buyer a home that they don’t love. This is where most sellers make the mistake… you can not sell a home to a buyer that does not love the home. So, you have to use that same emotion to make the buyer understand that you love your home and if circumstances were not different, you would not be selling the home.

Unfortunately, when most people move to another home, look at other homes or need to sell the home, they tend to put their home out of their mind. They are mentally already detached from it.

So, how do you love a home?

Clean your home while you remember good times that you had in the home.
Get out old photos and remember good times. Just don’t put them on the walls.
Think about the restaurants, parks and shopping that you have done around the home. You are not just selling your bricks, sticks and mortar, you are selling your lifestyle.
Take some time to think about who might enjoy your home, visualize them coming into your home and your conversation about how much you have loved living there.
Write a letter to your potential buyer and let them know about your future plans and the enjoyable past you have experienced in your home.

It is okay to be excited about the next place that you are moving to, but make sure that the buyers understand that you love your current home. This makes it much easier to transfer your love of your home to them and for them ultimately to buy it.

If the situation and reason that you are leaving your home is a bad one, reach down deep to find something about your home that you love. It is possible to sell your home if you hate it, but it really makes what could be a good situation and a lot of fun when selling your home a little more miserable.

If you are a seller of real estate, view more marketing tips on my website. http://www.DuffyRealtyofAtlanta.com

If you are a buyer of real estate, I have a whole website that you must see about buying. This is a FREE website made for you.http://www.TipsandFormsforBuyers.com

From Rhonda Duffy, Real Estate Broker and National Consumer Advocate The Real Estate Powerhouse

How Lockboxes Work.

RhondaDuffy — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 14:27:57 +0000

This article is talking about the Supra Blue electronic boxes that are placed on listings, usually on the front door. The lockbox holds the key to the house and will open for an real estate agent when the agent has updated their password to get into the house. As the agent requests a password update over their telephone modem, it also submits what lockbox and listing the agent has seen and what time they entered the home.

On each listing, the owner has spelled out how they want the house shown. Most sellers who have a lockbox want the agent to give them a courtesy call before showing the home. Courtesy call does not mean that the agent has to make an appointment, but it does mean that the agent must call the phone number on the listing before they show the home to let the owner know who they are, what company they work for and when they will be showing the home. So, in most cases, the agent does not have the ability to show just any home anytime. Time is needed to call the owner and follow the showing instructions.

Some homes require a 24-hour notice and others are appointment only which means that the owner must call the agent back to arrange a time to see the home or put the lockbox out for the agent.

Some vacant listings say to show anytime and they do not require a courtesy call.

Lockboxes will open between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. only.

Some other professions are allowed a Supra lockbox key such as inspectors,
stagers, appraisers and a few others.

See Houses for Free When You Are a Buyer!

RhondaDuffy — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 16:56:43 +0000

Buying a home means that you have to get into the home to see it, right? Most buyers can not make a decision to buy a home until they have a deep understanding about what they are buying, the area they are buying in and what the home will mean to them. This means seeing homes with their agent, through open houses or via lock boxes, or having the listing agent let them into the home.

However, most buyers are confused about what this education process will cost them when they start to work with an agent. Real estate commission is almost always paid by the seller. The buyer usually pays nothing. For a seller to be in the MLS, the system where agents find homes and buyers find homes to see and buy, the seller must offer the buyer’s agent a commission. This is the caveat to be in the MLS because the MLS is a co-operative service to notify agents of houses that are on the market. When you, as a buyer, look online at any website, you are looking at the MLS. You are just viewing a watered down version with will less information on the listing profile and fewer search fields than what an agent will see.

There are some exceptions to the fact that almost all sellers pay the commission – please be aware:

Exception 1 – You have signed a buyer’s agency with an agent and the seller is only offering say 2% commission to the buyer’s agent (this could be any number) and your agreement with your agent states that no matter what, the commission that they get 3%. You will be expected to cover the gap and pay the extra 1% commission.

Exception 2 – You buy a for-sale-by-owner. Not all for-sale-by-owners will honor a buyer’s agent commission. Normally, sellers will announce the willingness to pay a buyer’s agent commission by stating, verbally or through a sign rider, that “agents are protected”.

Those are the only two exceptions that I can think of?

The Real Estate Law Protects Your Interest

So, keeping the two exceptions in mind, let’s talk about what the real estate law says about your rights. You see the real estate law is written to protect the person that pays the commission to any agent. Since the seller is paying the commission, you did not get the right to have representation. I know, you are saying now, “No, my agent was by my side the whole time.” Well, they may have been by your side, but they were representing the seller, UNLESS, you signed a document in writing that stated that they represented you with confidentiality. This is called a buyer’s brokerage engagement in most states. And since this buyer representation is FREE in most cases, it is the best deal in real estate.

So, the bottom line is, see houses for free, be protected by hiring an agent in writing, and if you are in Atlanta, take part in the additional bonus of having an expert represent you in writing an offer, negotiating the contract and get cash at closing too! Duffy Realty offers a Cash At Closing program of at least $500.00 up to HALF the BUYER’S AGENT COMMISSION to be paid at closing. You will get all of our tools, an expert agent, a clear understanding of your rights and the seller’s rights and like I said above, a CASH AT CLOSING check 5 days after closing and all at NO COST to the buyer client.

For more details, call 678-892-1186

From Rhonda Duffy, Real Estate Broker and National Consumer Advocate The Real Estate Powerhouse

Does Pricing Matter?

RhondaDuffy — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 22:34:41 +0000

Search the Internet right now in any price range and then ask yourself, are you expecting to see every home in your price range? Of course you do, why else would you be searching? So why is it that many marketing geniuses are still pricing homes for example at $299,900? Let’s run a quick scenario. You are a buyer looking from 300K to 400K. You use the search engine pull down menu on any major real estate website and pull 300K to 400K. Do you think to then look at 250K to 300K to see what is priced at $299,900? No probably not. So the agent of the sellers who have priced these homes to attract buyers at the 300K range have skipped those buyers all together even though they sold the idea to the seller that this would be the best marketing for them as their marketing expert.

Okay, let’s skip over all the buyers out there that determine what they want to see and tell their agent such. What about the agents who are told by their buyers that their top range is 350K and told to search for homes in that price range and to show them those homes? The buyer’s agent typically makes the choice to pull 300K to 350K, just by habit. Don’t even fool yourself into thinking that the buyer’s agent thought to pull $299,900 to $350,000. Forget it, it did not happen. So, again why are the marketing gurus and I am talking about top agents around the country still pricing homes ending in 900 when it is obvious tin this market hat every buyer searches the Internet to see all the homes that are listed in their price range. Is it that the agents have never searched the sites themselves? I think we have hit on something here. It has always been the legacy in real estate to follow our forefathers. And our forefathers have always listed homes ending in 900.

Agents use the MLS; we don’t use the public real estate sites. I would guess that many agents have never searched as a buyer on Realtor.com or other major real estate websites that the public is using routinely. So, the prevailing psychology of being under the price range is just the musicology that we have always used. However, even if the musicology of the buyer is best expressed in the 900 pricing methodology, any agent would have to argue that the Internet is more powerful in producing buyers than the old pricing musicology ever was. Some sites search in the 25K ranges some in the 50K range and all in the 100K range. Any house currently on the market with anything less than round numbers is missing extra exposure and ultimately buyers.

Even houses that are listed in anything less than 5K increments are missing the boat from the searching of agents. In other words, let’s say that I am searching for a client from 145K to 200K. Anything listed at 144,900 will be missed by my search when in fact if they had been listed at 145K they would have met the same search criteria. So much emphasis is put on getting the right price on the home and yet many or I should say most agents are missing the right price all together. I guess this is a time when we must ask, why do we do the things we do?

If you are a seller of real estate, view more marketing tips on my website.
http://www.DuffyRealtyofAtlanta.com

If you are a buyer of real estate, I have a whole website that you must see about buying. This is a FREE website made for you.
http://www.TipsandFormsforBuyers.com

If you are a real estate agent I invite you to learn more about how I sell real estate with a FREE 14 part mini-course at
http://www.CODRealty.com

From Rhonda Duffy, Real Estate Broker and National Consumer Advocate, The Real Estate Powerhouse

How to Stage Your Home

RhondaDuffy — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 18:35:00 +0000

Staging is the rage across America right now. Whether you are selling your home or simply re-decorating, Staging has given hope to all of the women and men out there who wanted to feel like they were legitimate decorators, but did not want to go to school to learn decorating.

However, Staging has simple principles that most people fail to grasp.

Most people cannot Stage their own home.

Their sentimental attraction to too many pieces will not allow them to minimize the space. A cute picture of their family together combined with a vase that they got at their wedding, though priceless to them, simply clutters the appearance of the room.

Staging is about clearing a room to show floor space. This means that the furniture needs to be off the wall. When was the last time that you visited a home and found that the couches were off the wall and pictures were on the wall? This is a huge part of staging.

True Staging does not care about groupings of like items. Staging incorporates sizes; the high, medium and low aspect of decorating and uses 3 or 5 items in each grouping.

Staging does not add a convenience table next to a chair; it minimizes the amount of furniture in a room, not adds. It is more important that the spacing be correct more than thinking of the living function of the room like having a table to put a drinking glass or magazine on.

Staging decorates every table for its function as if you are having a party now. Outdoor tables are set for dinner, game tables have games in action and tea sets are ready to go.

Fresh flowers are preferred instead of fake flowers, white towels are used instead of colored by preference, beds have way too many pillows and music is soft or jazzy instead of rock music. Also keep the TVs off.

Many times a professional Stager will be able to use your furnishings. There is a misnomer that says that Stagers bring things to your home and it costs a fortune. This is simply not true.

Staging has played a huge role in getting homes sold quickly and for more money. The goal of Staging is to make your home appeal to the broadest range of buyers by eliminating any offensive items or groupings of decorations that would detract a buyer’s attention. You want the buyer instead to be focused on the house and it’s elements that have attracted them to it.

Staging is a must for serious sellers. Don’t be fooled that you can do it yourself. Hire a professional.

If you are a seller of real estate, view more marketing tips on my website. http://www.DuffyRealtyofAtlanta.com.

-Rhonda Duffy

How to talk to buyers who view your home.

RhondaDuffy — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 13:34:05 +0000