Archive for the ‘Fun Stuff’ Category
Tips for Taking Good Pictures of Your Home
Pictures are crucial in motivating buyers and showcasing your property. In fact, homes advertised with great pictures attract 50 percent more interest and sell much faster than other homes that are poorly marketed.
Taking great pictures of your home is easy for the most novice do-it-yourselfer, if they follow these tips from the pro’s.
- Staging the Shot is Critical: No People and no pets in the picture help the buyer imagine themselves in the room. Flowers always help. Remove all clutter and evidence of anything personal. Move furniture to look good in the picture, even if you don’t live that way.
- Lighting: Turn on all the lights, but leave the fluorescents off because they distort colors. Light candles in the fireplace (shown top left) to punch up ambience. Shoot one exterior shot at twilight (shown below) with all the interior and exterior lights on.
3. Camera Angle: Stand in Corners of the room and aim the shot toward the other corners. The room looks bigger, if there are no more than 2 walls in the picture. Crouch down and take the shot from a kids height (may explain why houses get smaller as we get older) to make any space appear larger. Try to keep the back of the camera parallel to walls or doorways to make the room feel taller.
Thank you for visiting InfoTube.net homes for sale or rent website. If you are serious about selling a home, remember that a picture paints a thousand words and each one should motivate buyer to take a look inside for themselves. If you aren’t using 20 good photo’s in your InfoTube.net home ad, please do yourself a favor, grab your camera and upload some new ones. You will be very glad you did!
Priced Reduced. Who Cares? No One!
PRICE REDUCED. JUST REDUCED. PRICE DROP. PRICE SLASHED. These are the Signs of the Times, but why? Who cares, really?
Although, Realtors love the phrase and evidentally believe it to be a powerful message, PRICE REDUCED, means only one thing…the listing was overpriced. It doesn’t mean it still isn’t.
So, why do Realtors hang banners advertising that a price has been dropped? Do they believe that buyers care that an asking price was reduced from $250,000 to $200,000, if comparable homes in the neighborhood are priced at $175,000?
Maybe, the hoopla is all about the agents themselves. Maybe, it is a secret way of gloating to one another that they finally got their unrealistic seller to drop their price. Woo Hoo, We Were Right.
In any case, I find signs with swinging distress messages very unmotivating, somewhat negative and kind of sad. They are the antithesis of salesmanship. And, when I see these type of signs, my mind immediately conjures images of a stale listing, a probably dated interior, repair issues and a difficult seller.
In my opinion, a good salesperson, who works on behalf of the seller, would post signs that gave buyers important, exciting news about the property. “Seller Financing”, “Zero Down”, “Lowest Price in Area”, ”Free Appliances” or “Special Financing. Positive messages, such as these, are informative and helpful to buyer and seller, alike.
Before Realtor’s spends any more of their hard earned money on negative messages, or homeowner’s allow another one to be posted, I hope they stop and ask themselves, “Why are we doing this and Who really cares???
Thank you for visiting InfoTube.net. We have been helping buyers and sellers for 20 years and we are here to help you sell and market your home. Please visit our site to post a Free Property Listing or Search for Great Deals from the Privacy of Your Home.
Real Estate Developer Leases Rooftops to Power Companies to Install Solar Panels
Developer and Real estate trust ProLogis looks upward to ’electricify’ its cash flow and reduce its overhead.
ProLogis, who owns more rooftops than anyone in the world, announced plans to develop the rooftops (equal to 10,000 football fields) of their existing buildings, and lease the space to power companies to install solar panels.
From the press release:
Headquartered in Denver, Colo., as a manager and developer of real estate, ProLogis is actively seeking out electric utilities to lease out its rooftops as a way to earn extra income with no capital investment, while meeting the company’s goal of contributing to global sustainability.
As a real estate investment trust, ProLogis isn’t interested in owning the solar installations, but rather in engaging utilities as a renter of its space. Utilities make solid tenants that will enter long-term leases, as most power-purchase agreements for solar power generation are for 15 to 20 years.
ProLogis manages more than five hundred million square feet of industrial space and they are putting all of it to good use on three continents. Actually, ProLogis owns more rooftops than anyone in the world – they have available space in twenty-four countries across the globe. The amount of space is equivalent to approximately 10,000 football fields.
Although Prologis continues to develop new buildings on virgin land, their plan to put solar panels on their rooftops is a win-win for ProLogis, power companies and the environment. It makes good use of existing, undeveloped real estate, feeds the electrical grid and generates cash flowAdded Bonus: In addition to increasing cash flow for ProLogis, adding the solar roof panels also insulates their buildings, reducing their operating costs and their carbon footprint, simultaneously.
Kudo’ to Prologis for thinking “out of the box” and on the grid. Maybe it will encourage other developers to do the same.
Thank you for visiting InfoTube.net. The purpose of our products and our job is to connect home buyers and sellers. Please search our website for thousands of properties for sale or rent. Or, place a Free Property Listing on our Website, with our compliments.
Dispute Between Neighbors and Spite Vents – Hilarious
|
Dispute Between Neighbors – this is a true story… |
A city councilman in Utah , Mark Easton, had a beautiful view of the east mountains, Until a new neighbor purchased the lot below his house and built a new home.
The new home was 18 inches higher than the ordinances would allow, so Mark Easton, mad about his lost view, went to the city to make sure they enforced the lower roof line ordinance.
The new neighbor had to drop the roof line, at great expense.
Recently, Mark Easton called the city, and informed them that his new neighbor had installed some vents on the side of his home.
When the city went to Mark’s
to see what the vents
looked like,this is what they
found…
Sorry, but we had to chuckle and thought our readers might enjoy this, especially on tax day. We’ve heard about neighbors who use spite fences to communicate their feelings about their neighbors, but this was a new one for us.
Creative Craftsmanship Equals Sweet Little Pad
Creative real estate or housing anyone??? A friend sent me an email with pictures of a very sweet little pad. I love this and wanted to share it.
Entry Way and Stair Case
Kitchen and Living Room
Master Bedroom
Master Bath with Walk in Shower
Doesn’t this home seem very modern? Perhaps, something you would see in a swanky highrise condo in a big city????
SURPRISE: HERE’S THE INCREDIBLE PART I LOVE
The one bedroom, one bath loft apartment was built inside a 1940’s grain silo.
The old grain silo was recycled into this upscale apartment, after it was purchased and relocated to the grounds of the Homestead Inn, located in New Braunfels, TX in 2007.
If this isn’t an example of creative craftmanship, I don’t know what is. Love those Texan’s!!!
Thank you, Pat for forwarding this wonderful property information to me. Hopefully, it will encourage others to think “out of the box” when it comes to creating affordable housing and perserving our resources.
Thank you for visiting InfoTube.net homes for sale website. Feel free to place a free property listing, or search our database for thousands of great deals on real estate from coast-to-coast.
If you know of a unique or smart piece of property, please send us the details and pictures. Our readers love real estate and we love sharing the resourceful and creative spirit of the American people with our readers.
Astonishing Look at the Progress of Technology and the World
This short video clip offers a very interesting look at changes in world demographics and the progress of information technology. Do yourself a favor and watch this one.
Thank you for visiting InfoTube.net homes for sale website. Place a free property listing on the site or search our database for thousand’s of property listings.
Frank Sinatra’s Desert Hideaway for Sale
Calling all Frank Sinatra fans. You now have a chance to own a piece of Rat Pack History for only $4.8 million.
Villa Maggio, Frank’s desert hideaway, located 30 minutes from beautiful Palm Desert, CA is up for sale. Mr Sinatra named the gorgeous estate after the role he played as Private Angelo Maggio in the movie “From Here to Eternity”.
Some more interesting facts about Sinatra’s Villa Maggio include:
-
Old Blue Eye’s built his desert hideout in the 1970’s. He used it as a getaway for his family and friends.
-
The property sits on 7+ acres and is perched over the valley at an elevation of around 4300 feet.
-
The estate includes a main house, two guest houses, swimming pool, heliport and lighted tennis courts.
-
The Rat Pack traveled on the Pines to Palm Highway to reach the mountain top hideaway, or they they flew to Palm Springs, then Sinatra helicoptered them to the property.
-
Sinatra owned the property for 12 years, then donated it to Loyola Marymount University, which sold it for $1.4 million in 1989.
-
The property is presently owned by a celebrity.
-
Sinatra designed the kitchen in the home himself. He loved to cook, especially pasta dishes. His kitchen has remained unchanged through the years.
-
Photographs of the famous hideaway are fantastic. Click Here to check out the wonderful slideshow of Villa Maggio. (One picture features the original telephones with 50 lines).
Thank you visiting InfoTube.net. We hope you enjoyed taking a wonderful walk down memory lane with us. Please accept our invitation to place a Free Property Listing on our website, or search our database for thousands of great deals on homes for sale or rent.
Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day
The History of the Holiday
St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated on March 17, his religious feast day and the anniversary of his death in the fifth century. The Irish have observed this day as a religious holiday for over a thousand years.
On St. Patrick’s Day, which falls during the Christian season of Lent, Irish families would traditionally attend church in the morning and celebrate in the afternoon. Lenten prohibitions against the consumption of meat were waived and people would dance, drink, and feast—on the traditional meal of irish bacon and cabbage.
.
Today, cities around the world turn green and join together to celebrate St. Patty’s Day. Check out the photoslide show from National Geographic for some fun unusual celebrations from around the world.
Happy Saint Patrick’s day from InfoTube.net homes for sale website.
10 Mistakes that Home Seller’s Make
I came across this fun and informative, short video illustrating common mistakes that home seller’s make when marketing their homes. The video offers wonderful tips about preparing your home for sale, pricing, selling and negotiating offers. So, relax and have fun while you learn. The entire clip is only around 2 minutes.
Thank you for visiting InfoTube.net homes for sale website. Visit the website to search for homes for sale, list homes for sale or to purchase an InfoTube or InfoBox for your For Sale Sign.
Happy New Years 2009 from InfoTube
We would like to thank all of your for your business over these past 20 years and wish each of you a safe and Happy New Year.
Our office will be closed on January 1st, 2009 and will reopen at 9:00 a.m. on January 2nd.
Thank you and all the best from everyone at InfoTube.
5 Idea’s to Turbo Charge your Home Sale
If you have a property to sell, we have 5 proven marketing idea’s that you should consider. In addition to our guarantee of more buyer attention for your property, these tips are FREE and EASY to do.
5 Surefire, Guerilla Real Estate Marketing Tips for Sellers
-
Use an InfoTube or InfoBox and keep them FULL at all times. Buyers love the convenience of curbside home info, which is the reason your brochures disappear so quickly. Nothing is more disappointing than an empty InfoTube, and it leaves the impression that you could care less about selling. Print plenty of brochures and be vigilant about keeping your tubes and boxes filled. There is no better advertising, and the price is literally a piece of paper.
-
Place a listing for your home on every website that provides free home classified’s. 90 percent of home shoppers begin their search on the web and multiple site listings increase the odds of your property being seen. 3 MUST’s for your real estate listings are InfoTube.net, zillow and craigslist.
-
Network- Place your home listing information on your myspace or facebook page. If you Twitter…Tweet your house
-
Post on Real Estate Forums. Contribute to real estate forums and include the link to your home listing in your signature.
-
Do a Video Tour. Video is a great way to show off your property and surrounding neighborhood ammenities. Highlight scenes that enhance your still photo slideshow. For example, if your area has a park, new school, nice shopping or great view, grab your digital camera, shoot and show us. Sites like InfoTube.net feature home video tours on their home page and they upload them to youtube automatically.
If you have a few bucks to spend, nothing increases your exposure to home buyers like an MLS listing. For $399 you can buy a showcase listing on Realtor.com for 6 months, and still sell your home yourself. The combined traffic to the MLS real estate hubs is around 8 million visitors per month. 6 months times 8 million shoppers=48 million prospective home buyers.
Happy Thanksgiving and thanks for visiting InfoTube.net.
Funny Video- Hitler Facing Foreclosure
object width=”425″ height=”344″>
Thanks for visiting InfoTube.net
Foreclosures Suspended thru the Holidays
It looks like we may all be home for Christmas after all.
Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, the mortgage-finance companies seized by the U.S. government, will suspend foreclosures and evictions over the holidays.
The six-week pause will begin Nov. 26, a day before the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday, and last through Jan. 9, the companies said in separate statements today. The much needed reprieve is designed to give servicer’s more time to implement a streamlined loan modification program for struggling borrowers.
Happy Holidays and thanks for visiting InfoTube.net homes for sale website.
Rent or Buy? Slick Tool Makes Deciding Easy
When it comes to making or losing money in housing, the main question to consider is often whether it makes better financial sense to rent or buy.
While a lot of formula’s exist to determine the answer, I stumbled across a great tool for calculating your strategies that doesn’t involve math.
Check out the New York Times slide calculator. This slick tool instantly reveals the answer to all rent vs buy dilemia’s. Just enter in some basic information about your housing or investment idea, and the chart reveals how much time, if ever, it will take for your investment to pay off.
Thanks for visiting InfoTube.net, a great website for discovering unknown properties seen no where else on the web.
Best Advice for Emerging Trends in Real Estate
The housing market and US economy is extremely scary this Halloween. Many of us feel as if we have been buried alive. But, just like the zombies on a late night horror flick, real estate investor’s will raise from the dead and roam the earth again.
The market forecaster’s predict that the market will hit bottom in 2009, and will fight to survive through much of 2010.
During this period, we will experience further drops in property values, as foreclosures and deliquencies continue. Job loss and the faltering US economy will continue to pinch property cash flows and hamper an active lending environment, .
So, what signs of life will investors see before exhumation begins? Which opportunities are lurking, just below the surface, that the prudent should take advantage of?
- The gruesome death of US real estate market has a beneficiary. The cash rich, foreign buyer. These well-healed investors will take advantage of a weak dollar, focusing on “trophy” properties located in major, active cities with plentiful employment and quality of life.
- The first area’s of the country to show signs of recovery will be the “cities that never sleep”, located in coastal area’s.
- Multi-family and higher density properties with retail shopping will be the focus for future developers.
- Other developer’s will focus building in area’s with neighborhood retail centers with big box grocery and chain drug store anchors.
- Apartment building investments may pay off now. Look for mid-range property near transit in high density locations. Vacancy rates are very low, and will remain so, as people cut living expenses.
- Distressed condo’s located in urban area’s near transit bode watching.
- GREEN is GOOD. Cutting energy expenses will be a priority for investors and buyers, alike.
- Residential building lots will get a cheaper, as builders dump options and inventory. Spelling profit potetianal for the patient.
- Commericial will show signs of life, before residential.
The world is indeed a dark, scary place at the moment. But, rest assured, the sun will come up. And, while we have no quick way to stop the bleeding, the ones of us who survive the slaughter may grow fat on the plentiful carnage. To the mindful, patient go the spoils.
Thanks for visiting InfoTube.net. Happy Halloween and Happy Home Hunting!! Don’t be SCARED to make a comment…no one will BITE your HEAD OFF.