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Living Green – Tips for Conservation

February 15, 2011 By

Conservation 150x150 Living Green Tips for ConservationLiving Green – Here Are A Few Tips For Conservation

  • Don’t let the water run when brushing teeth
  • Use a timer for taking showers
  • When waiting for water to heat up, collect it and save it to water the plants
  • Use a power strip for appliances and office equipment and turn off when not in use
  • Unplug battery chargers when the batteries are fully charged or the chargers are not in use
  • Turn off lights when exiting a room, office, or conference room
  • Air dry clothes instead of using a dryer
  • Wash only full loads of dishes and clothes
  • Set thermostat as low as possible in the winter and as high as possible in the summer
  • Clean filters and furnaces once a month, or as needed
  • Clean warm-air registers, baseboard heaters, and radiators as needed; make sure they are not blocked by furniture, carpeting, or drapes
  • Turn off kitchen, bath, and other exhaust fans within 20 minutes after you are done cooking or bathing
  • During the heating season, keep the draperies and shades on your south-facing windows open during the day to allow the sunlight to enter the home
  • In warmer climates, close curtains and blinds on the south- and west-facing windows during the day
  • Keep all south-facing glass clean
  • Don’t place lamps or TV sets near your air-conditioning thermostat
  • Close curtains and blinds at night; open them during the day
  • Place the faucet lever on the kitchen or break room sink in the cold position when using small amounts of water; placing the lever in the hot position uses energy to heat the water even though it may never reach the faucet
  • Use a covered kettle or pan to boil water, it’s faster and uses less energy
  • Recycle!
  • Use old office paper as scratch paper
  • Turn off computers, and the power-strips they are plugged into, every night
  • Make sure monitors are set to go into “sleep mode” within 15 minutes of suspended usage

Conservation Living Green Tips for Conservation

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    Aimee, Can You Help Me Go Green?

    February 13, 2011 By

    NAR Green2 Aimee, Can You Help Me Go Green?Go Green?  What is the NAR’s Green Designation you are talking about?

    Aimee Ness, Realtor has had training at the Lafayette Board of Realtors in order to continue to educate herself as well as to help the Lafayette / West Lafayette, Indiana area community homebuyers and sellers.

    NAR’s Green Designation was created for real estate professionals who seek an in-depth understanding of “what green means” for every aspect of real estate.

    Why choose an agent who is an NAR Green Designee?

    Today’s real estate market requires a professional Realtor® with real knowledge and skills to help you navigate the wealth of information available about green property. from the National Association of REALTORS® Every specially trained NAR Green Designee

    • is equipped with knowledge and awareness of green building principles to list, market, and guide clients in purchasing or selling green homes and buildings.
    • has access to the current information, tools, and support regarding green real estate trends and issues.
    • understands the significance of rating systems and can walk you through the potential cost savings of green features.
    • can connect you with other green professionals who can provide specialized support where you want it most.

    Every NAR Green Designee has been specially trained in green building principles and practices, regulatory issues, sustainable communities and land planning, green living, and so much more.

    NAR Green2 Aimee, Can You Help Me Go Green?

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    Are They Hungry? Let’s Get Buyers to Bite!

    February 9, 2011 By

    fork man 150x150 Are They Hungry? Lets Get Buyers to Bite!Are they really out there?  Buyers – hungry buyers?  What can we do to get them to bite?

    • An Impressive Entryway – Impress buyers right off the bat with an entrance that leaves an impression.  Sellers can put a fresh coat of paint on the front door.  Don’t have an entryway?  You could cleverly place furniture to create more of an entryway.  Adding a console table or chest of drawers with something over it creates a welcoming space.
    • Hardwood Floors – Out of all types of flooring, hardwood floors tend to have the most longevity and almost never go out of style.  Laminate flooring can be a good option that may be easier on the pocketbook, but won’t fool everyone.
    • Fabulous Fixtures – Fixtures can be said to be the jewelry of the house.  Doorknobs, faucets and cabinet knobs, windows, etc.  They give the home style, character and so much more.  This can be the quickest way to make over a bathroom or kitchen.  Does it hurt to be a cut above standard grade?
    • Beautiful Baths – Take down the big sheet mirror and the dated globe lights.  Hang an elegant framed mirror and add sconce lighting on either side.  This will make the buyer feel pretty looking in the mirror too!
    • Countertop Considerations – Have you heard of granite or Corian?  It seems to be all the buzz.  Main thing to buyers is to have a slab and not have grout or lines in the counter-top. Granite is the top pick because it’s hard and easy to care for.  All the same, so are Corian, Silestone, concrete, limestone, soapstone and marble.  There are many sealants that go a long way towards easy maintenance of these surfaces.
    • Steel This Idea – Why do buyers go crazy for a stainless-steel refrigerator? It’s the power of suggestion. A kitchen + stainless appliances = great chef.  Black fixtures can look dated, while white is okay sometimes.  You can order front panels for some appliances to change them to blend well with other appliances too.
    • Pre-Organized Closets – Closet organizers make buyers believe that they are better homemakers, as well helping them to feel calm and secure.  Can you imagine the feeling someone gets when they open a closet door and things fall out on them?
    • Let’s Light it Up - Buyers aren’t really into floorlamps these days. If your home doesn’t get a lot of natural light, consider installing recessed lighting or new sconces, or both, so the buyer won’t struggle to figure out how to brighten up the space.  People need light to complete task, light surrounding them and decorative lighting.

    fork man Are They Hungry? Lets Get Buyers to Bite!

    For the complete article please visit:  http://www.frontdoor.com/Sell/10-Things-That-Make-Buyers-Bite/64/p1


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    Reverse Offer For Selling Your House- Heard of it? It works!

    February 3, 2011 By

    Smiley Lightbulb Reverse Offer For Selling Your House Heard of it? It works!Have you tried it all?  Mood music? Free car give away?  Burying a saint statue upside down in the front yard?  Here is a smarter and more strategic way of turning the transaction around to get buyers off the fence.  The reverse offer.

    What is a reverse offer?   After a showing, the listing agent working for the seller of the property calls up the buyer’s agent and tells them the seller is willing to sell the house to them at a discounted price.  The idea is for the seller to make a reverse offer to everyone who has looked at the house.

    No serious home buyer gets turned off by a seller is willing to go the extra mile to help them solve the problems that are keeping the buyer from buying a home.  Reverse offers don’t have to chop tens of thousands off the home’s list price to work.  A percentage point or two can often do the trick.   Sellers who extend a reverse offer don’t limit their options for responding to low-ball offers from the prospective buyer in any way.  If the buyer senses desperation and comes back with a low ball offer, the seller can still take it, counter or leave it.  Nothing different than they would have been able to do before, but they end up with a buyer, which they didn’t have before the reverse offer.  Most definitely worth a try!

    Here are 3 great tips for sellers making reverse offers:

    1. Give the buyers a short period of time to respond. The whole point of a reverse offer is to create urgency where the buyer currently feels none. Extend a reverse offer with the caveat that it is only good for a day or two, to push the buyers into moving quickly. Similarly, if you have extended the reverse offer to multiple buyers, let them all know that this is the case and that the first buyer to bite takes the house.
    2. Great candidates for reverse offers include sellers facing lots of competition. If your house is nearly identical to neighboring houses for sale at the same price, or you are struggling to position it competitively with foreclosures and short sales in the area, consider making a reverse offer. A proactive, reverse offer differentiates your house in the minds of home buyers and, again, creates urgency to act on the part of buyers who otherwise have so many houses to choose from that they feel they have all the time, choice and bargaining leverage in the world.
    3. If one buyer has viewed your home repeatedly, check in with your agent. Ask me to contact the agent for any buyers who have made more than one visit to your house, to inquire into what is keeping them on the fence. This will boost the likelihood of making a successful reverse offer by making sure the offer addresses the issues that have made buyers hesitant to pull the trigger.

    Excerpts from article  featured here:  http://www.trulia.com/blog/taranelson/2011/02/3_best_practices_for_making_reverse_offers?ecampaign=cnews201102A&eurl=www.trulia.com/blog/taranelson/2011/02/3_best_practices_for_making_reverse_offers

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    7 Reasons Now Is The Time To Buy

    January 11, 2011 By

    7ReasonstoBuy eBook 150x150 7 Reasons Now Is The Time To Buy
    Click on the link below to see the eBook:

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    Fading fads of 2011 in Homes – Real Estate

    January 3, 2011 By

    Chandelier Entry 150x150 Fading fads of 2011 in Homes Real EstateI keep hearing about what is popular for 2011, but I have been trying to find out what is statistically not hot for 2011.  Clients ask about it all the time.   Here are some of the fading home trends experts mentioned:

    1. Trophy space: Forget those grand entrances. Builders are seeking more affordable, energy efficient design so they are getting rid of large, volume spaces in homes.

    2. Just for show: Fancy, overdone rooms won’t cut it in the era of the practical, cash-strapped buyer. Lavish industrial-grade kitchen ranges or fancy master bath spa tubs– that are hardly even used anyway–will fall to the wayside. “The kitchen is once again becoming a working part of the home and not just a showcase,” architect Don Taylor of DW Taylor Associates in Ellicott City, Md., noted. “It needs to provide all of the latest conveniences and technology, but with practical applications in mind. The faux commercial kitchen look may have reached its summit.”

    3. Egocentric houses: It’s not just about the interior of a home that makes a home.

    Buyers are caring more about its curb appeal and what’s nearby the home as well. Parks, amenities and neighborhood connections create a sense of community, said John M. Thatch, principal with Dahlin Group Architecture and Planning in Pleasanton, Calif. While most infill homes on the boards are 10-20 percent smaller in size, Thatch notes that buyers are willing to trade extra space for a more appealing neighborhood.

    4. Home flipping: Gone is the trend of buying a “starter” home or a home for short-term investment. Buyers are now buying for keeps and it’s changing the way they view homes. “The idea of a home as a short-term money maker is essentially gone, so when people do buy they’ll do it with the intention of staying ten years instead of two or three,” says Jim Chittaro, president of Smykal Homes in Chicago. As such, he says buyers will care more about the design of the home and they won’t want it to feel cheap.

    5.  Use of Dining and Living rooms as Bedrooms or Offices: I see increasing use of existing dining and living rooms as another bedroom or office. With more and more people telecommuting and families becoming extended once again in a household, formal living and dining rooms will continue to fade. In new construction, look for buyers to request larger, more functional kitchens tied to family-sized eating areas and great rooms.

    Excerpts from article by Melissa Dittmann Tracey, REALTOR® Magazine.  View more of the article here:
    http://styledstagedsold.blogs.realtor.org/2011/01/03/4-fading-fads-that-you-won%E2%80%99t-see-in-2011/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed:+StyledStagedSold+(Styled,+Staged+%26+Sold:+Entries)

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    What Is A Working Triangle?

    January 1, 2011 By

    working triangle 150x150 What Is A Working Triangle?Imagine a triangle that connects the three main places where you do three different tasks: cleanup, cooking, and food storage. You can save yourself a lot of unnecessary movement and time over the years.  Not to mention your sanity!

    Key areas in play:

    • Refrigerator – the cold storage work site
    • Sink – the cleaning/preparation work site
    • Stove – the cooking work site

    These represent the three points of the kitchen work triangle. If they are too close to each other you have a cramped kitchen with out any place to work.  This is something that is good to look and keep in mind when buying a home or laying out the floor plan of a newly built home.

    Here below are some samples of kitchen design work triangles.

    working triangle What Is A Working Triangle?

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    2011 Pantone Color of the Year – Honeysuckle

    December 29, 2010 By

    2011 Color Pantone 150x150 2011 Pantone Color of the Year Honeysuckle

    A Color for All Seasons
    Courageous. Confident. Vital. A brave new color, for a brave new world. Let the bold spirit of Honeysuckle infuse you, lift you and carry you through the year. It’s a color for every day – with nothing “everyday” about it.

    While the 2010 color of the year, PANTONE 15-5519 Turquoise, served as an escape for many, Honeysuckle emboldens us to face everyday troubles with verve and vigor. A dynamic reddish pink, Honeysuckle is encouraging and uplifting. It elevates our psyche beyond escape, instilling the confidence, courage and spirit to meet the exhaustive challenges that have become part of everyday life.

    “In times of stress, we need something to lift our spirits. Honeysuckle is a captivating, stimulating color that gets the adrenaline going – perfect to ward off the blues,” explains Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute®. “Honeysuckle derives its positive qualities from a powerful bond to its mother color red, the most physical, viscerally alive hue in the spectrum.”

    2011 Color Pantone 300x142 2011 Pantone Color of the Year Honeysuckle

    Add a lively flair to interior spaces with Honeysuckle patterned pillows, bedspreads, small appliances and tabletop accessories. Looking for an inexpensive way to perk up your home? Paint a wall in Honeysuckle for a dynamic burst of energy in the family room, kitchen or hallway.

    Home Interiors

    Honeysuckle is upbeat and dynamic when used on large areas like the entry area of a house or an apartment. It is an appetite and conversation stimulant when used on the dining room walls. In the kitchen, it adds a fun touch on the table in placemats and other linens (patterned or solid), colored glassware, candles and small appliances. Honeysuckle is a great color to cover up shabby kitchen cabinets, or, if that’s too much of a color statement for you, try repainting knobs and drawer pulls. But be warned – once you try this arresting shade, it can become addictive.

    For more information:  http://www.pantone.com/pages/pantone/pantone.aspx?pg=20821&ca=4

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    This Spot Reserved for Your Listing!

    December 28, 2010 By

    This spot reserved This Spot Reserved for Your Listing!

    Thinking of selling your house?  Here is the place to advertise it for sure!

    Become a Featured Property on Aimee’s Lafayette Real Estate!

    Aimee Ness, Realtor

    Keller Williams Realty, Lafayette Indiana

    (765)418-3969 (cell)

    aimeeness@comcast.net

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    Staging Thru Design – What You Need to Know!

    December 21, 2010 By

    BevTreeceStaging 150x150 Staging Thru Design – What You Need to Know!A few weeks ago I met with Bev Treece, a local staging specialist to discuss the benefits of staging your house to sell.  I have toured many a house that she has staged over the years.  I truly believe in the benefits of staging.  You can schedule to meet with her for a free one-hour consultation to discuss the staging needs of your house.   Here below are some of the key benefits we spoke about.

    Three Phases to Home Staging

    Using What the Home Seller Already Has

    • You will be amazed at the dramatic transformations we can accomplish in a short time using what the home owner already owns! Successful home staging has to make financial sense and Staging Thru Design is experienced in making the most out of the home seller’s current belongings in order to turn buyer traffic into offers.

    Recommended Purchases

    • Working with the client’s budget, Staging Thru Design will only make recommended purchases that will more than pay for themselves in the speed and amount of the sale. We will work with you and find those perfect inexpensive accessories that will have a dramatic impact in the home.

    Simple Yet Dramatic Cosmetic Changes

    • Depending on the client’s budget and timing, we will suggest paint, fixtures, and other cosmetic improvements that will result in a high return on investment. Don’t spend money on cosmetic changes without consulting with Staging Thru Design.

    Consider the Facts

    You Will Make More Money – U.S. Housing and Urban Development reports that a staged home, on average, sells 17% higher than un-staged homes

    The Cost of Staging Doesn’t Cost a Dime – In a 2007 HomeGain Survey, it was discovered that sellers recovered almost 300%. The 2009 survey the sellers recovered 586%. Amazing trends in just 2 years.

    Only 10% of Home Buyers Can Visualize the Potential of a Home – Terrible odds for an un-staged home!

    The Longer Your Home is on the Market, the Lower Your Selling Price Will Be!

    Better Photos Bring in More Buyers!

    Over 90% of home buyers search the internet BEFORE visiting a home. Great photos a MUST!

    Leaving Your Home in  “AS IS” Condition Will Help SELL the Competition!

    BevTreeceStaging 300x225 Staging Thru Design – What You Need to Know!

    Staging Thru Design staging company located in Lafayette / West Lafayette Indiana

    Contact: Bev Treece

    Staging Thru Design

    (765) 426*8291

    www.stagingthrudesign.com

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