Archive for January, 2010
Pants On The Ground
OK, I admit it, this has absolutely nothing to do with real estate but it’s just too fun not to post. For anyone that watched the American Idol auditions this last week, you have to admit loving “Pants On The Ground“. Enjoy!
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Twenty One Things Your Burglar Won’t Tell You…
Wow, I stumbled across this online this morning and just had to share it with you. It comes from a fellow Keller Williams agent in Oklahoma City. Thanks, Simon Shingleton…great stuff. View the full post at: http://405houseandhome.wordpress.com/
Twenty One Things Your Burglar Won’t Tell You:
1. Of course I look familiar. I was here just last week cleaning your carpets, painting your shutters, or delivering your new refrigerator.
2. Hey, thanks for letting me use the bathroom when I was working in your yard last week. While I was in there, I unlatched the back window to make my return a little easier.
3. Love those flowers. That tells me you have taste … and taste means there are nice things inside. Those yard toys your kids leave out always make me wonder what type of gaming system they have.
4. Yes, I really do look for newspapers piled up on the driveway. And I might leave a pizza flyer in your front door to see how long it takes you to remove it.
5. If it snows while you’re out of town, get a neighbor to create car and foot tracks into the house. Virgin drifts in the driveway are a dead giveaway.
6. If decorative glass is part of your front entrance, don’t let your alarm company install the control pad where I can see if it’s set. That makes it too easy.
7. A good security company alarms the window over the sink. And the windows on the second floor, which often access the master bedroom-and your jewelry. It’s not a bad idea to put motion detectors up there too.
8. It’s raining, you’re fumbling with your umbrella, and you forget to lock your door-understandable. But understand this: I don’t take a day off because of bad weather.
9. I always knock first. If you answer, I’ll ask for directions somewhere or offer to clean your gutters. (Don’t take me up on it.)
10. Do you really think I won’t look in your sock drawer? I always check dresser drawers, the bedside table, and the medicine cabinet.
11. Helpful hint: I almost never go into kids’ rooms.
12. You’re right: I won’t have enough time to break into that safe where you keep your valuables. But if it’s not bolted down, I’ll take it with me.
13. A loud TV or radio can be a better deterrent than the best alarm system. If you’re reluctant to leave your TV on while you’re out of town, you can buy a $35 device that works on a timer and simulates the flickering glow of a real television. (Find it at faketv.com.)
14. Sometimes, I carry a clipboard. Sometimes, I dress like a lawn guy and carry a rake. I do my best to never, ever look like a crook.
15. The two things I hate most: loud dogs and nosy neighbors.
16. I’ll break a window to get in, even if it makes a little noise. If your neighbor hears one loud sound, he’ll stop what he’s doing and wait to hear it again. If he doesn’t hear it again, he’ll just go back to what he was doing. It’s human nature.
17. I’m not complaining, but why would you pay all that money for a fancy alarm system and leave your house without setting it?
18. I love looking in your windows. I’m looking for signs that you’re home, and for flat screen TVs or gaming systems I’d like. I’ll drive or walk through your neighborhood at night, before you close the blinds, just to pick my targets.
19. Avoid announcing your vacation on your Facebook page. It’s easier than you think to look up your address.
20. To you, leaving that window open just a crack during the day is a way to let in a little fresh air. To me, it’s an invitation.
21. If you don’t answer when I knock, I try the door. Occasionally, I hit the jackpot and walk right in.
Sources: Convicted burglars in North Carolina, Oregon, California, Kentucky, security consultant Chris McGoey, who runs crimedoctor.com; and Richard T. Wright, a criminology professor at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, who interviewed 105 burglars for his book Burglars on the Job.
Protection for you and your home:
If you don’t have a gun, here’s a more humane way to wreck someone’s evil plans for you.
Wasp Spray
When asked by a concerned person about using pepper spray, the local police department recommended that she get a can of wasp spray instead.
The wasp spray, they told her, can shoot up to twenty feet away and is more accurate, while with the pepper spray, they have to get too close and could overpower you. The wasp spray temporarily blinds an attacker until they get to the hospital for an antidote.
Wasp And Hornet Spray
On the heels of a break in and beating in Toledo, self defense experts have a tip that could save your life.
A teacher in the art of self-defense has told his students for decades to keep a can of wasp and hornet spray near their door or bed. “This is better than anything I can teach them.” It is inexpensive, easy to find, and more effective than mace or pepper spray. The cans typically shoot 20 to 30 feet; so if someone tries to break into your home, “spray the culprit in the eyes”.
“That’s going to give you a chance to call the police; maybe get out.” Maybe even save your life. Please share this with all the people in your life.
PS – Know anyone that has been transferred and needs to sell their home NOW? Please share our 120 Day Guarantee with them or simply send them to: www.SoldOrItsFree.com
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Do I Sell My Current Home Or Keep It As A Rental?
I recently met with a couple on Saturday and this is exactly the question they are considering. They currently owe about $96,000 on their current home, but they live in a declining neighborhood and on a good day, their home might sell for $85,000. Typically, in the Indianapolis area, it is safe to budget about 10% of the sale price to cover all of the seller’s closing costs…such as the cost to have their realtor pay to market their home, to represent them in the transaction, to handle all of their negotiations; it also pays the other agent who brings us the buyer; it also helps cover the cost of the seller’s title insurance, deed and affidavit, pro-rated taxes, etc.
Well, 10% of an $85,000 sale price would be about $8,500. Subtract $8,500 from the sale price of $85,000 and this means the seller would be taking $76,500 away from the closing table. However….they still have to pay their mortgage company $96,000 to get out from under their mortgage. So, instead of walking away with $76,500 it really means that the seller would be bringing $19,500 to the closing table just to get out from underneath their current home.
The thought of this sounded awful to the seller so we talked about the possibility of keeping their current home as a rental property. Here are some important things to think about if this is an option you might be considering:
- Talk to a reputable lender to know for sure that you can qualify for your new home purchase without having to sell your current home. Why go through all of this if you really can’t move into the home you really want right now?
- Think of the tax considerations. Having a rental property can be a great tax write-off. Any improvements you make to the “rental property”…any maintenance repairs, insurance, interest on a mortgage, property taxes….all of this stuff could be a tax write-off (but talk to your accountant for more specifics).
- If you keep your current home as a rental property, you have someone else helping to fund your retirement account! Just think about it, 30 years from now that home will be paid for, it will probably worth at least twice what it is right now and if you choose to sell it at that time, you get to walk off with the cash. But for 30 years you had someone else in there making all of the payments for you…pretty cool, huh?
- Keeping your home as a rental can help you move on and take advantage of today’s AWESOME Home Prices and KILLER Interest Rates…without feeling like you’re taking a kick in the stomach for the sale of your home.
OK, those are some highlights of having a rental property, but how about some of the negatives?
- Maintenance Issues? If you’re like me, I barely know how to change a light bulb, so the thought of being the 24 hour maintenance person on a rental property made me nervous. But here’s how you handle that…get a Home Warranty for the property. For $38 a month, I have a Home Warranty on my rental property and the renters know that whenever they have a problem, they are to call the Home Warranty company first, not me. The Home Warranty company sends out a contractor, the renter pays the $50 deductible at the time the repair is made and then they send along the invoice for the deductible with their next month’s rent and simply deduct $50 off of their next month’s rent…works like a charm! You can use any Home Warranty company you want, but the one I use is HSA Home Warranty. Check them out at: www.OnlineHSA.com
- What if the renter trashes the house? Great consideration. I’ve found that the best way to avoid this problem is to collect a hefty deposit up front…and I’m talking an amount that is at least the value of the first month’s rent. If you have someone paying $850 a month in rent and they know that if they take good care of your property, they’re going to get $850 back at the end of their lease, they are going to be much more motivated to take good care of the property while they’re in it. *As an important PS to this…don’t make the same mistake I made…don’t do the final walk through with the tenant, determine that the property looks good and then give them their deposit back on the spot. Have it written into your lease agreement that you will return the deposit 60 days after the walk through. That way…if they fail to pay their last utility bill(s) and you get stuck with them, you can take it out of the deposit.
Got more questions on whether this is a good consideration for you or not? Call, Text or Email…we’ll talk about it! 317.294.1861 or Shawna@iShopGreenwood.com
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2535 Redland Lane – Indianapolis, IN
WOW! Over 1,800 sf overlooking the Water and a Gorgeous Wooded Backdrop with Walking Trails and No Backyard Neighbors for Only $95,000! The setting of this property absolutely makes it the best priced home in the neighborhood. Super Clean and Move In Ready with 3 Nice Sized Bedrooms, Walk In Closets, a Cozy Corner Fireplace, Separate Living and Family Rooms, Large Eat In Kitchen with ALL Kitchen Appliances Included and an Extra Large Deck for Relaxing with Friends and Enjoying the Water. You MUST SEE TODAY!
Need more pictures? Click Here for a Virtual Tour!
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FREE $5 Starbucks Card!!!
Yes, you read that correctly! Do you know anyone that tried selling their home in 2009, but didn’t get it sold? Well, for a Limited Time I’m giving away a FREE $5 Starbucks Gift Card to these sellers…just for meeting with me!
There is No Pressure and No Obligation Whatsoever…but you need to contact me TODAY…offer expires February 15, 2010.
Shawna makes things happen! My house was listed with another Realtor for 6 months with very little activity. After listing the house with Shawna, I had a buyer in less than a month! Thanks Shawna. Darrell T. – Indianapolis
And don’t forget…I’m still the Sold Or It’s Free Queen…Your Home SOLD In 120 Days Or I’ll Sell It For FREE! Check it out!
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976 Santa Maria Drive
An Amazing, Hard to Find Ranch with a Full Walkout Basement NOW AVAILABLE in popular El Dorado Estates! Sitting on just over 1/3 of an Acre in a Quiet Golf Course Community, this Wonderful Custom Built Home features New Laminate Hardwoods throughout much of the Main Floor, an Updated Kitchen, Fresh Paint and a Beautifully Remodeled Master Bath complete with Ceramic Tile and a Wonderful Soaking Tub, big enough for two! You Won’t Be Disappointed – 1 Year Home Warranty Included – COME SEE TODAY!
Need more pictures? Click Here for the Virtual Tour!
And hey…by the way…know anyone that could use the Peace of Mind of a Guaranteed Home Sale? Tell them about our Sold Or Its Free program…you absolutely can’t lose!!!
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386 Polk Manor Drive
Darling Custom Quality Ranch with Full Brick Wrap NOW AVAILABLE for Only $105,000…UNBELIEVABLE! Sitting on a Quiet Pond Setting this Incredible Home was built on a Crawl Space and features Six Panel Solid Wood Doors, Vaulted Ceilings, Ceramic Tile, Laminate Hardwoods, Newer Windows, Brand New Vinyl Siding and ALL Kitchen Appliances are Included! This is not your typical home for this price range. This home is Priced to Sell – 1 Year Home Warranty Included – COME SEE TODAY!
Click Here for a Virtual Tour
* By the way….I’m the Sold Or It’s Free Queen! Know someone that needs a guarantee of getting their home sold in this not so great market? Check out: www.SoldOrItsFree.com
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