Home Security When Selling or Residing

Hi Folks,

   Glad we all made it through another week, and even (gladder? Is that a word?) to have you back !

   Let's face it, we live in a dangerous world. It's sad, but very true. It is always necessary to make sure you are safe and protected, and in the context of this Blog, you also want to ensure your property is secure, as well. Today, we will be looking at security for your home, apartment, etc, and we'll look at it from two scenarios: Security when showing your home for sale, and Security for your home on a constant basis.

   "If you are showing your property as a FSBO", says Jennifer A. Chiongbian, an SVP and a Licensed Associate Broker, who suggests to, "make sure to have sign in sheets getting their detailed information.", and says that you could even ask for their driver's license and taking all their information down.

   Chiongbian also suggests letting your friends and neighbors know when you are showing your home and to, "have them call you afterwards to make sure everything is okay."

   A few other pointers, per Chiongbian; Put away all valuables to eliminate any temptation (somewhere safer than a drawer), Be alert to any unusually long lingering times in rooms, etc. (hover close by, but out of sight - just to hear if they are talking about relevant topics to your home.). She also warns us to watch out for red flag questions, such as, "Do you live alone", "what time do you usually get home from work", etc., as they could be, "casing your home."

   Now, if you own a property, and you are not in the process of selling, but you are looking to enhance your security, let's look at some tips provided to us by Robert Siciliano, a Security Consultant with ADT.com.

Siciliano provides the following tips:

1. Contact local law enforcement:
In some communities, an officer will inspect your residence and make recommendations based on vulnerabilities.

2. Install signs:
"Beware of Dog” neon signs (One for the front door and one for the back door), or “This House is Alarmed” signs.

3. Dog Bowls - seriously!:
Buy the biggest dog food bowl possible, one for the front and one for the back. Write “Killer” on each bowl.

4. Talk with your Neighbors:
Start a neighborhood watch program where everyone has a monthly responsibility to work the neighborhood.

5. Make your home seem occupied 24/7/365:
When you are away put the stereo or TV on loud enough to hear from the immediate exterior and use timers.

6. Install motion sensors that make a burglar think they are being watched.

7. Use your existing door locks:
Beef up the strike plate, which is the metal plate where the bolt enters the jam (Install 3 inch screws)

8. Secure your windows so they don’t raise more than 6-10 inches:
Install small angle brackets that prevent the windows from going any higher.

9. Get a home alarm system:
A home alarm is the best protection while you are home and away.

Hopefully, these tips will help you make things a little more secure in your property. Do you have any tips that you can share?

Have a Great Week, and Happy Rent-to-Owning !
Regards,
Rob Eisenstein
HomeRun Homes Blog http://blogging.lease2buy.com
HomeRun Homes Website http://www.lease2buy.com

TAGS: #FSBO #Security #homealarm

Drumroll...Your Top 5 Favorite Blog Posts of 2010

Hi Folks,


   Welcome back to Christmas week. If you were anywhere near a mall or a shopping center this week, you know that the traffic was at a crawl and the stores were bursting with people. You would think there was no such thing as a recession !

   Well, it's time to get all nostalgic with you. You have all gravitated to certain posts this year, and we are going to give you your Top 5 Favorite Blog Posts of 2010, starting with #5 and rounding it down to the Top Post of the year !

   Coming in at #5 is the Blog Post titled, "Post-Foreclosure REO Property Maintenance", in which we investigated into how the REO properties are being maintained while they are unoccupied.

   Coming in at #4 is the Blog Post titled, "Buying a Foreclosure? What You Need to Know First...", in which we spoke to numerous experts and foreclosure "gurus" for their suggestions on how to navigate the foreclosure property marketplace.

   The #3 Top Blog Post is titled, "Private Money...Any Available For Real Estate Deals?". In this post, we spoke with members of the lending community to gauge the availability of private money to fund Real Estate deals, and we received a number of different perspectives on this topic.

   Coming in at #2 is the Blog Post titled, "Top 5 Concerns When Selling a Home FSBO", which received a lot of traction and was ReTweeted and used in many articles and write-ups, due to the useful tips provided in the post. The sub-topics of selling a home as a "For Sale By Owner" (FSBO) that were covered in this post were Legal Concerns, Preparation of the Home, Mechanics of the Sale, Addressing Security Concerns, and Marketing the Home.

   Drumroll Please !! Your #1 Blog Post based on views, Tweets, Diggs, etc, was, "Right Time to Buy? Top Real Estate Investing Markets", in which we discussed the hottest markets for Real Estate investments. We spoke with many experts and investors across the country to provide you the best possible information. Even though this post was written a few months back, not a lot has really changed, so it is still worth a read and worthy of sharing with your peers.

   So, there you have it; The Top 5 Blog Posts of 2010, based on your views and usage of the content. We hope that we can continue to provide you with valuable and useful content, and all we ask of you is your faithful readership, your valuable comments, and for you to Retweet and Share our posts using the handy little buttons and links below the posts and on the side column of the Blog.

Have a Great Week, and Happy Rent-to-Owning !
Regards,
Rob Eisenstein
HomeRun Homes Blog http://blogging.lease2buy.com
HomeRun Homes Website http://www.lease2buy.com/


#realestate #foreclosure #realestateinvesting #reo #forsalebyowner #fsbo

Construction, IHOP, and FSBO

Good Afternoon,
   I hope this week has been kind to you, so far. Well, I have been asked offline to not discuss the fact that my birthday was Halloween, so there...I did not mention my birthday was Halloween (Yay!)

   Construction numbers were released this week, and it is in line with our post from Friday ("Not-So-Spooky Housing Numbers"). Specifically, construction spending during September was above the revised August estimate, however, when comparing September 2009 to September 2010, there was more than a 10% drop.

   I don't know about you folks out there, but I am amazed at the amount of white-washed windows and "Out Of Business" signs. It can be frightening, especially when it affects stores and businesses that you have been patronizing for years. Waldbaums, which is a major grocery supermarket here in the Northeast, has just closed a store nearby. I had to do a double-take when I saw it's huge windows white-washed with an "Out of Business" sign. On the flip-side, we have a brand new IHOP (International House of Pancakes) being built here. Does the need for pancakes outweigh the need for basic food and groceries. Makes me wonder, but I'm a big fan of chocolate flapjacks !

   The next numbers that are coming out will be the Pending Home Sales Index on Friday the 5th.

   In closing, I wanted to let you know that our post titled, "Top 5 Concerns When Selling a Home FSBO", has become one of our most popular posts of all time. I can honestly say that I'm glad we posted it for you, and please make sure you pass the link (http://blogging.lease2buy.com/2010/10/top-5-concerns-when-selling-home-fsbo.html) to all of your friends so they can also thank you for the wealth of information in that post. If you can kindly Link to it, Tweet it, Facebook it, Digg it, Buzz it, etc,...that would be wonderful !


Have a Great Week, and Happy Rent-to-Owning !
HomeRun Homes Blog http://blogging.lease2buy.com/
HomeRun Homes Website http://www.lease2buy.com/

UPDATED: Top 5 Concerns When Selling a Home FSBO




For Sale By Owner (FSBO)

  Hi Folks,
   Happy mid-week to all of you. Just a few more days, and it will be my birthday (Halloween). Please don't ask how old I am, will be, or if my face is a permanent Halloween mask...I've been down that road before !

   Today, we will be taking a look at some of the best pieces of advice for people selling their home as a "For Sale By Owner" (FSBO). Based on a wide variety of discussions, we have rounded out 5 of the main topics of advice for "Fizbers": Legal Concerns, Preparation of the Home, Mechanics of the Sale, Addressing Security Concerns, and Marketing the Home.

   "If they simply refuse to list with a professional, they must know the facts and legal requirements", advises Wendy Hooper, a Realtor in Orange County California, who says that it is important to, "Download as much information from the State Dept of Real Estate as they can get their hands on and use the correct forms". Patrick E. Hudson, an attorney specializing in Commercial Real Estate Law, concurs, and adds that it is important to, "Know your State's disclosure laws to avoid litigation over the property condition".

   Preparing your home for sale is also quite important, as you can imagine. Tom Wright, who was a builder and home flipper for 30 years, advises that you need to clean up the home, rake the leaves, and clean up the lawn, in order to, "Make sure the first impression is a good one". Wendy Hooper suggests that you, "Stage the home like a new model home", and that you should visit some model homes for examples. Wright adds that on walk through days, you should, "bake some bread".

   Your game plan is almost as important as the sale itself, and these "Mechanics of Selling" the home are the keys to your success. Patrick E. Hudson suggests that you know what you are willing to pay a buyer's broker, and also, where you will go once you have a willing buyer. Along the same theme of pricing, Hooper suggests that you, "Visit the local "competition" and price the home accordingly. Homes priced correctly WILL sell".

   A huge part of the mechanics of selling your home FSBO is actually showing the home. Hooper tells us that you need to make sure the home, "is available to see with as little notice as possible", since, "Buyers are fickle and won't wait around until it's convenient for Sellers to let them inside. They'll move on and buy the home that was easiest for them to see according to their schedule". Tom Shipley, a homeowner/homebuyer, says that, "it makes prospective buyers very uncomfortable to tour a house in front of the owner.", and that you should, "ask a trusted friend or even hire someone else and make sure they go out of their way to mention they are not the owner.". The advantage to this is that, "people will spend more time looking at your house and imagining themselves living there.", but, "If you don't have somebody to help you, make sure you don't follow the buyers around.".

   As part of selling your home, you are opening your doors to complete strangers, and this could be an invitation to trouble, so addressing the security concerns is well-warranted. Lydia Player, a Realtor, says that, "A "For-Sale-By-Owner" sign is an invitation to strangers to wander through your home". Player cites many scams, where the visitor asks if you have a security system, one where they go to your bathroom and look for the prescription drugs, and one where they take photos for a "spouse who is out of town", with the photos helping them "case" the layout of your home.

   Player offers some tips to help minimize your risks:

1. Make all of your showing  by appointment only (get a name and number and call back to verify them).
2. Don't be home alone when a stranger visits.
3. Have visitors sign a guest book and ask to see identification, and put the information in a safe place.
4. Place all valuables out of sight, including prescription drugs.
5. Eliminate displays of personal information, such as which schools children attend.
6. Never leave a messages informing callers that you are not home. Don't let strangers know your schedule.
7. Request that visitors enter and exit through one door only. Have quick and easy access to all of your exits.
8. Never leave a stranger alone and watch everything they do while in your house.
9. Do not put information on flyers which would compromise security.

   Finally, in marketing your home, Hudson suggests that to increase exposure, "get the house listed on MLS, using a friend or paying a fee". Kenny Jahng, a small biz and web consultant, suggests that you, "Create a website with a virtual tour, tons of photos and contact form using the street name in the actual URL.". Additionally, if you are also looking to entertain a Rent to Own/Lease Option arrangement, you can list your home on our website (http://www.lease2buy.com/prospectivesellers.php).

   Hopefully, these tips will serve as a great help for you in selling your home "For Sale By Owner" (FSBO), and remember, there are tons of fantastic and hard-working Realtors and Agents out there, should you decide you do not want to do it alone. As always, we welcome your comments.

Have a Great Day, and Happy Rent-to-Owning !



UPDATED: Top 5 Blog post for 2010 (For more information, CLICK HERE)

5 Tips for Selling a For Sale By Owner (FSBO)

Hi Everyone,

Today, I'd like to discuss 5 very important tips for anyone trying to sell their home on their own. This type of arrangement is often referred to as For Sale By Owner, or FSBO.

Tip #1: PRICING: In order to determine a fair selling price for your home, you need to investigate home prices in your area. You'll want to review not only the prices that homes are listed for, but what they have sold for as well. Your best resource for this information will be your local newspapers. You can even take a trip down to your local government office to check out more details from the mortgages that have been obtained by new homeowners in your area and saved ("recorded"). These documents are public domain, and it takes a little time to get the gist and flow of how to do this research, however, there are usually plenty of clerks available to take your questions. Some other ideas: talk with real estate agents in your area, and check around for appraisers in your own network of family and friends. If you can connect with an appraiser, you can ask them for a general rule of thumb for pricing on your home, and perhaps they can make a few suggestions to increase the value. Finally, you can always shell out a few hundred bucks for an actual appraisal of your home, but most often that will not be required.

TIP #2: LEGALITY: Whenever you are talking about the sale of a big ticket item such as your home, it is always good advice to retain an attorney and/or consult with your local Title Company. To check if your state is a Title State or not, please refer to this handy resource: http://title.grabois.com/

TIP #3: MORTGAGE: I am a firm believer in lining up all of your "ducks" in advance. Before you get to the physical process, you'll want to consult with some mortgage brokers and banks to educate yourself on the financing side of selling your home. This goes both ways, in that, if you make a good contact with one of these individuals or institutions, you can always refer a potential buyer to them, since they would already be familiar with your situation from your previous discussions with them.

TIP #4: ADVERTISING: This is where you want to do your homework on creating your Ad. Check on the Web and in your local papers to see the most common Ad format. Once you have done your research, create an electronic copy of your Ad, perhaps in Microsoft Word. In addition, you will want to have high-quality images of your home, for the interior and the exterior. For the exterior photos, make sure you get a sunny day when you take the photos. Why? Would you be more excited about a photo of a potentially new home when the photo is framed by a grey, cloudy, and rainy day vs a bright, sunny day with blue skies? It's all psychological.

TIP #5: MARKETING: It's time to plaster your Ad everywhere - starting with the Internet. There are a lot of free sites - but with free sites sometimes comes the "time-wasters". The old adage, "You get what you pay for" certainly applies. In addition, there are forums, discussion boards, and many other places that will allow you to announce your home, of course, once you have passed the proper permission steps unique to each of those specific sites. Should you decide to also accept Rent to Own as an option to purchase your home, you can always place your "Home Available" Ad on our website, as a For Sale By Owner (FSBO), as well as a Rent to Own (Click Here to Sell Your Home).

So there you have it. Once you start receiving offers that are in your price range, this is where your attorney, title company, and ultimately, your mortgage broker, will come into play.

Have a great 4th of July Holiday, and Happy Rent-to-Owning !!