Typically a person’s largest investment is their home. Although the mortgage payment on your home may have seemed affordable at one time, sometimes utility bills, excessive lifestyles and even uncontrollable circumstances can drastically alter your financial situation to a point where your house may become in danger of being foreclosed. Preventing foreclosures is an incredibly important step to not only save your good credit history, but also save your home.
More on Foreclosure Prevention – Tips That Anyone Can Employ To Avoid Foreclosure
There seems no end in sight to the US housing crash. Despite a massive quarter percent drop in the Federal Rate, confidence in the US residential property market seems at an all time low, with more predictions of a long slow slide coming from a variety of sources.
Whether you are an experienced investor or just a beginner, you should always beware of the guru who read a couple of books and armed himself with some general information. I’m not talking about the book and tape salesperson here, but rather the realtor, wholesaler or self proclaimed real estate specialist who is trying to sell you an investment property. Whether you’re buying a property or going into business with someone, you should always do your homework.
More on 10 Questions To Ask Your Real Estate Investment Advisor (Part 1)
Steven Toumbas, an equities investor from London, has always wanted to own a second home in the US. “America is the engine for the world,” he says. “Everyone wants to have a holiday home in Florida, or an asset in New York. It’s the place to be.”
The fed rate cut of one quarter of one percent this afternoon is the big news of the moment, but ¼ % hardly seems worth the effort. The Federal Reserve Board lowered the cost of borrowing Wednesday with a quarter-point drop in rates in hopes of energizing an economy troubled by a sagging housing market and soaring oil prices.
Despite some construction firms’ attempt to halt the slide with massive price reductions, (several Vegas builders are taking as much as 20% off the cost of a new home,) the US housing market continued it’s slump, with used home sales reaching a 10 year low.
We ran a photo series recently on the Palms Dubai development. And something came to our attention that we hadn’t really noticed when we’d been researching the article – there are no people in the photographs. Now that could have been just a factor of timing, but further research has shown that somewhere in the region of 90 % of the development has been sold to property speculators who have no intention of living there. Whilst this is certainly an ambitious project, we do wonder what the long term effects both on the local marine wildlife and also the human immigrants, if any.
According to Treehugger, this innovative green skyscraper is “to be constructed” in Dubai. Come on guys, ckeck your facts. This is a design proototype that is unlikely to get off the ground. Here is the official press release:
Aren’t we all gurus in our own personal sort of ways. Think of your closest circle of friends. We all know a yoga guru and an art guru. I tend to think of myself as a potential Philadelphia real estate condominium conversion guru. I spend alot of my free time, and have for most of my life, thinking about which buildings in town might potentially be the best place for luxurious living, should that particular building be converted to condominiums in Center City Philadelphia.
More on Philadelphia Real Estate – A Condominium Conversion Idea
You are probably wondering what Feng Shui has to do with selling your home! Well, Feng Shui is the 3,000-year-old ancient art of creating peace and harmony within your home. A balanced environment supports your ability to prosper by improving your well-being for greater happiness. When used accurately it can assist you in your home selling journey to a successful end. Feng Shui is a tool at your disposal to invoke positive, impulse buying emotions within potential buyers. To get your home sold swiftly it is imperative that your home immediately provoke a connection with any potential buyers that enter. That connection lends to potential buyers ability to envision themselves living within your home. Peace and harmony are two such feelings that drive buyers to write and make offers. Let’s face it; if they are not feeling it, they are not buying it!
To create peace and harmony within your home you must consider the impact of your home’s color choices and furniture placement. Choose buttery yellows for your living room and kitchen. Yellow is a very emotional color that science has determined drives people to make buying decisions. Stay with soft hues of blues and greens for your home’s bedrooms. Keep to soft natural hues for all your home’s walls and floors and you cannot go wrong. Less is more when it comes to the amount of furniture taking up space within your home. A room packed full of furniture will not allow buyers to see the potential a space has. Remove excess pieces of furniture to allow the positive energy to flow freely throughout the space. Let me drive this point home, excess furniture will suck up your home’s equity. Is that extra chair worth more than any full price offers a potential buyer may provide you with if they could only see the space?
Feng Shui is really about harnessing and re-directing the positive energy called, “Chi.” While dispelling the negative energy residing within your home. Listen, whether you like it or not your home is continually sending out “vibes.” Potential buyers are brilliant at noticing the vibes your home is sending out. Good or Bad! Just think about it for a moment. Have you ever walked into a house and immediately felt a wash of uneasy feelings come over you? Where all you wanted was to immediately turn around and leave. This my friend is exactly what I am speaking to! If your home is throwing off even the slightest bit of negative energy, you can kiss off any realistic offers. Basically, if you need to sell your house fast get busy and start increasing the Chi, baby. And here is how:
1. The number one way to increase the positive energy flowing through your home is to open the drapes and let the sunshine in. Besides, sunshine is free! Never show your home to potential buyers without the drapes open.
2. Bring nature in by adding healthy houseplants. Sprinkle your home with cut flowers to cultivate your home’s good luck and happiness.
3. Chi loves to enter your house through the front door. Assist Chi to take a soft, meandering path through furniture placement. If Chi is allowed to travel swiftly through your home, so will potential buyers. You need buyers to linger like the Chi. Lingering buyers stay and write offers.
4. Get rid of your homes negative energy! First and foremost, de-clutter every space within your home’s walls. Clutter stops Chi in its tracks. Not to mention clutter sends a message to potential buyers that you are not ready to sell and move on. Is that the message you want to send to buyers?
5. Avoid bold or vibrant wall or floor colors. These types of colors are over stimulating for potential buyers. An over stimulating environment will push buyers right out that same door they just came in.
6. Enough already with the baking cookies before open houses. How many people do you know bought a house because it smelled like cookies? Yeah, me neither! Instead, look to essential oils for inspiration. Aromatherapy can be used to insight buying decisions because it lends to the peace and serenity of your home. All you need is just a hint of aromatherapy. Besides, artificial fragrances can provoke allergic reactions within some buyers or their children. Now there’s a sight, you calling 911 because a buyer got one whiff of your home and couldn’t catch their breath.
In summary, just let me say I am no expert in the field of Feng Shui. However, I do know the energies of your home speak loudly to any potential buyers that may enter. Anything you can do to increase your home’s positive energy to assist you in getting it sold is worth you taking a serious look. You may even consider enlisting the professional service of a Feng Shui Master to get your home in balance.
