Tag Archives: real estate

Property Experts Share Advice for First Investment

UPDATED January 6, 2022 Alysia Heun Leave a comment

It is almost always exciting to think about the potential that any property investment holds, particularly when you’re new to the business. While buying your first rental property is almost certain to be a lucrative maneuver, it’s important to proceed with care.

The good news is that all of the most common property investment mistakes have been made before, and with careful, in-depth research, you’ll find it easier to avoid them. Our real estate pros have been in your shoes: begin your quest for knowledge by using their investment tips to your advantage.

1. Still renting? Buy your own home before you invest in a rental.

There are tons of reasons to rent instead of buying your own home. But purchasing your own residence before you invest in rental property gives you real-world experience while easing your way into the financial side of things. When you buy your own home first, you’re likely to get better interest rates plus you’ll need a far lower down payment. There are tax write-offs to consider, too. When you’re ready, upgrade to a new home and use the old one as a rental, or continue to live in your home and invest in a second rental property.

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Real Estate, Real Estate Agents

Eight Ways Real Estate Agents Can Leverage Downtime

UPDATED May 4, 2020 Alysia Heun Leave a comment

These are rare times, when you’re forced to work from home and no commute! How could you spend your time? You could read Hemingway, tend that garden or binge-watch Netflix.

Or, you could use the time to polish your sales and tech skills, set up a lead nurture campaign or record a video email. Maybe find a new perspective on your business approach.

If you can’t show or sell houses right now, why not use the time wisely in other ways? Here are eight ideas.

1. Sync your CRM

Tag your As, Bs and Cs and note their sources of lead origination. By integrating your CRM with your transaction management system, you can leverage synced contacts to reach out to past and future clients in new, personal ways while better tracking your ROI.

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Real Estate, Real Estate Agents

10 Tips from One Real Estate Agent to Another on Working From Home

UPDATED April 17, 2020 Alysia Heun Leave a comment

“Working From Home” is a hot topic these days, and being good at it is far easier said than done. I would know, because for the majority of my 10 years in the real estate industry I’ve worked from home.

Fortunately, I’ve picked up some great tips from friends and have adjusted my habits to find what works best for me.

At a high level, it’s all about mindset — like starting a new job and learning to integrate into your new environment. Anyone can work from home, but if you don’t follow best practices, you can easily fall prey to distraction.

If you do it right, however, you might just find you increase your productivity with great success.

Below are some of the best practices and tips I’ve implemented. Please feel free to share with your peers.

1. Set Your Mindset

Take control of your environment. Focus on your goals as a habit, and learn to keep yourself in check. I try to leave my house early every morning and prepare my mind for the workday ahead in either my house or my mobile office. While it’s easy to get distracted by the dishes or laundry, remember: You don’t do house chores while at the office; don’t do them when working from home.

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Family Home, Homeowners

Spring Cleaning Hacks

UPDATED March 30, 2020 Alysia Heun Leave a comment

Spring motivates a lot of us to do some much needed deep cleaning. It’s a good idea to take a few days to really cleanse your space and revamp your style. Cleaning and decluttering is a great way to start off the new season and fill your time. Not only does it clear your house, it also clears your mind!

Clean Baseboards, Cabinets, Doors, Windowsills, and Walls

Sound like fun yet? These are not typically chores we do on a regular basis, but a lot of crud builds up here, especially in kitchens and bathrooms.

Baseboards and window sills accumulate dust, dirt, hair and can become discolored. You’ll be amazed how much cleaner and brighter your space looks with freshly scrubbed baseboards and window sills.

Don’t forget to do the ones in the kitchen, too. Sticky food residue easily accumulates here and can attract bugs when the warmer weather sets in. Wipe down your walls and doors to get off the dirt and grime, especially the parts closer to the floor where the foot traffic is coming and going.

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Home Buyers

Finding an Accessible Home

UPDATED March 24, 2020 Alysia Heun Leave a comment

There are many reasons to search for an accessible home. Whether you have a need for more mobility, are caring for an aging parent or plan on aging in place one day yourself, it is crucial to have a home that is barrier-free. Some homes will already be perfectly suited to accommodate homeowners, of all abilities, but others will need a little improvement before they get there. Below, find out what features you should keep an eye out for when searching and discover what can be changed in a house to make it more accessible.

Finding a Move-In Ready Home

Some homes already incorporate elements of universal design, which has fewer barriers for people who use a wheelchair or other mobility devices. An accessible home may have features such as wider hallways and doors, low-threshold doors, hard floors and low storage space that’s easy to access. Even features such as a front-load washing machine, rocker-style light switches, and lever-style doorknobs make a home more accessible.

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Real Estate

Top Six Fastest Growing Cities in the U.S.

UPDATED March 23, 2020 Alysia Heun Leave a comment

A recent report from WalletHub showed the fastest growing cities in the U.S. Of those cities, the ones with the most growth have been in the south and the west. The report ranked cities based on overall growth, population growth, income growth, job growth, GDP growth and poverty decrease.

All 515 cities compared on the report had 17 key measures, which helped WalletHub determine those with the most growth and those with decline as well.

1. Lehigh Acres, FL

Lehigh Acres is mostly a residential area. It’s near Fort Myers and Cape Coral, which are also some of the fastest growing cities. The population of the city is almost 118,000 and has had a recent growth of 6.8 percent in jobs and a 6.9 percent growth in median income.

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Home Buyers, Home Sellers

House Hunting Red Flags

UPDATED March 17, 2020 Alysia Heun Leave a comment

Buying a new house can be an extremely exciting time. Because of that excitement, it can be easy to rush into buying a house that may appear perfect for you without giving it a thorough look.

There can often be red flags that are overlooked or hidden when house-hunting, but are extremely important to take note of. Tell tale signs that the house you’re interested in may not be what you think. They are often subtle and can go unnoticed. Be sure to take extra caution when house-hunting and be on the lookout for these red flags.

Odors / strong air fresheners

If you walk into a home and the first thing you notice is the strong smell, this is a very important indication that something could be wrong. No smell should be so overwhelming that it hits you right when you enter a home – whether it be an air freshener or an odor. If it’s an odor, such as pet urine, this could indicate that carpet is saturated with it and needs to be replaced. Or if you’re smelling a strong air freshener, it could be that the owner is trying to cover up a smell of a worse problem in the house. Either way, pay attention to strong smells when house-hunting.

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Business Partner Program

Five Home Remodeling Ideas For Increasing Curb Appeal

UPDATED March 16, 2020 Alysia Heun Leave a comment

If you’re considering putting your house on the market, it’s never too early to start figuring out what it will take to make your home irresistible to prospective buyers. Amping up curb appeal isn’t all about the outside, as making your home more marketable is an inside job, too.

Even if HGTV is your favorite channel, chances are you’ve got at least a few home remodeling projects you’ve been putting off. It’s ok. We know it’s a lot easier to watch than to actually do.

So where do you start? Should you finally update those dreadful kitchen cabinets? Redo the outdated master bath? Replace the carpet in the kids’ room, where the color can best be described as Rainbow Swirl?

When you’ve got a longer list than budget, what are the must-do remodeling projects and what do you skip?

Rank curb appeal ideas based on ROI

If your main goal is selling a home, a good way to prioritize your curb appeal ideas is to figure out first where you’ll get the most bang for your buck. On the other hand, if you might be staying in your home for a while, it’s a lot better to focus on remodeling what matters most to you and your family, while still factoring resale value into the equation. In other words, make the improvements you know you’ll enjoy. Just be smart about it by not over-personalizing or going over the top.

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Home Design, Homeowners

Revamping Your Yard After Winter

UPDATED March 10, 2020 Alysia Heun Leave a comment

Harsh winters can be tough on your yard, and can leave them looking a mess-dead grass and plants, damaged shrubs, trees and more. Your yard could be so damaged that you consider drastic measures, such as hiring different people and companies to fix up your yard again. Luckily, there are easier ways to revamp your yard after a hard winter and they don’t require you to spend as much money.

Fertilize the yard and replace grass

After a long and cold winter, your grass can be looking flat and brown, which calls for a lot of tending and caring. The best way to help your grass to look luscious and lively again is by supplying it with the nutrients it needs to do so. Luckily, this is an easy task that you can complete on your own. Fertilizer supplies the nutrients that grass needs to flourish. By following the directions on the fertilizer you buy, you’ll have your grass looking green and full of life in no time.

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