5 Cheapskate Tips For Staging Your Spare Room
January 25, 2012 | 
Author Why stage your spare room? A staged bedroom helps emphasize the size of the house and number of bedrooms, not to mention giving the impression of a well-rounded residence. Also, a clean bedroom looks a lot better than a cluttered spare room. Since a proper home staging can lead to a quicker sale and higher sale price, the time and money you spend on this can net you significant returns.
1. Dig Into The Pile
If you have a spare room in the house you’re planning to sell, you may well have something that you can use to stage it with. Is that a lamp hidden under all those old suitcases and the clothes you can’t quite bear to throw away? Drag it out and see if there can’t be something done with it. If you have an old set of drawers awaiting a visit from your local Salvation Army, ask them to hold off and see if you can use it to complete the illusion that this is a guest bedroom. The same goes for any old bed, painting, etc. that you can temporarily repurpose from your belongings.
2. Borrow
You probably know someone, family or friend, who has a spare bed, furniture or tasteful art that you can temporarily place in the room to create the illusion of a happy bedroom. Many people will happily give you castoff furniture in return for you taking it to the local thrift store upon the sale of your home. If the item is to be returned, however, make sure it gets returned clean and in the same (or better!) shape it was when you first borrowed it.
3. Freecycle, Craigslist and thrift stores
Freecycle.org is a non-profit organization that began for the purpose of enabling people to get rid of unwanted items without sending them to a landfill. There are groups all over the world. Craigslist and other ad sites are another alternative. Many people are just trying to get rid of their stuff, hopefully for a few bucks. Much of this is perfect for staging purposes. Thrift stores are another cheap option.
4. Redecorate
A coat of paint or an inexpensive slipcover can make dingy walls and old furniture look much more attractive. Choose a bright, airy color for the walls, perhaps a white, blue or pale yellow. Furniture can be given a quick coat of paint that perhaps matches the room’s trim or complements the color of the walls. Make sure your blankets, rugs and curtains are in a solid neutral color, which will pull the room together without distracting the eye.
5. Re-purpose
What you’re aiming for is the look of a bedroom, not necessarily the actual article. This means that your coffee table could actually be a box covered with an attractive looking tablecloth. It may surprise you how well a blanket or throw can help disguise any furniture dings, rips or scratches. Your bed doesn’t have to be an actual mattress; air mattresses set up underneath some art with a comforter and plump pillows are all the bed you need.
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Most Popular Kitchen Cabinet Color
Is your kitchen looking a little tired? Is it more depressing than delightful now? Maybe it is time to do some thing about it, but if a total renovation is not necessary, you could just modify the colour scheme. For example, you could repaint the walls and the ceiling. Repaper if that is what you prefer and you could choose new kitchen cabinets to suit. This is a relatively economical way to give your kitchen a makeover without going the whole hog.
Many people believe that you have to change everything in the kitchen in order to remodel it, but that is just not the case. You change what you want. You renew what needs renewing. However, it is remarkable what effect a change of colour scheme can have. In fact, you do not even have to replace the cabinets.
The base units of wall and floor units or cabinets are all standard sizes. They are usually 600 mm, 400 mm or 300 mm and the doors come in sizes to suit these units. Therefore, all you have to do is change the doors. So, you can make a substantial change to your kitchen, with just a lick of paint and a dozen replacement cabinet doors.
So, how do you choose the colour of these new cabinet doors? Well, maybe you have seen some at a friend’s home that you admire. You could get a couple of home improvement magazines or you could look on line. Maybe the first choice that you should make is, whether you want wooden cabinet doors or whether you want painted doors.
There are scores of natural wooden colours available, but if you are willing to paint your own cabinet doors then you can literally have whichever colour you want. If you are not altering everything in your kitchen, match swatches of different colours against what you are not changing until you find a colour combination that you like. Get the whole family embroiled, it can be enjoyable.
It is a big decision to choose the colour of new cabinet doors, particularly if you decide on a natural wood such as oak, mahogany or maple. It is the same if you choose pre-coloured cabinet doors. If you are really having problems coming to a decision, just get cabinet door blanks and paint them yourself.
In fact this is not simply a lazy option, because it permits you to change your kitchen colour scheme every year or two at no more cost than the price of the paint and your time. It is probably the best choice for people who get fed up with colour schemes quite often.
This advice is a good method of saving money on new kitchen cabinets, although you may have to renew a few base or wall units if they have become damaged. Damaged cabinets will allow insects and dust to enter and infect your crockery and food so they should be replaced straight away.
In general, kitchen cabinet base units cannot be easily repaired because or the matter they are constructed from. In this case, you will need a few new kitchen cabinets.
A Guide to Los Angeles Public Car Auctions
If you want to live or work in Los Angeles, it is essential that you have a car. Sure, there is public transportation, but unless you are going around downtown, it is just too slow and inconvenient for getting about the huge metropolis. Pretty much everybody in LA owns a car. That makes Los Angeles a great place to find public car auctions.
There are numerous public car auctions in Los Angeles, and it is fairly easy to find out about them. One of the best places to start is with the official police garages or OPGs. These are city garages that have official responsibility over the towing and holding of impounded cars in LA. Several hundred thousand vehicles are impounded by the LAPD every year. Of these, around two-thirds are redeemed by the owners, but the rest of the cars become city property and are divested through public car auctions. The OPGs hold these auctions, known officially as lien sale vehicle auctions, once a week. You may contact your nearest OPG to find out when the public auctions take place. The auctions help the city of Los Angeles to recoup unpaid fees while offering an opportunity to the public to bid on and purchase cars at low prices.
There are also a number of firms in Los Angeles and its outlying areas that hold public car auctions. A search for “auto auctions” on an online search engine turned up 26 firms around LA that hold regular auctions. A few of these firms specialize in certain types of vehicles. For example, Spectrum Auction Co. in North Hollywood and Palm Springs Exotic Car Auctions specialize in auctions of classic and luxury vehicles. Other firms hold auctions specifically for towed or repossessed cars.
Public car auctions are open to everyone, but it is important that you register beforehand. To register for a public auction, you need to provide proper personal identification. You may also need to pay some nominal registration fee. When you have registered, you will be assigned a bidding number, which must be presented to the auctioneer when you make a bid. Only people with bidding numbers are allowed to participate in the auction.
The cars at public auctions are sold “as is” and therefore a potential bidder must possess a “let the buyer beware” mindset. However, there is usually an inspection period prior to the auction, that make take place a day or two or even a few hours beforehand. You should take advantage of the inspection period to see what is being offered and get an idea of the vehicle’s quality.
1HourHomeBusiness – Is it Worth It?
Boasting an income potential of $2,000 in a week, 1HourHomeBusiness is certainly one of those home-based business opportunities which promises big things for prospective members. Its site is hosted by ConsumersDiscountRx.com which is one of many umbrella companies that is managed and owned by Consumers Best Buy, Inc. 1HourHomeBusiness is basically an affiliate marketing company and involving yourself with it would mean being an affiliate representative for its online pharmaceutical service. Is it a viable business opportunity? Let’s take a closer look.
1HourHomeBusiness is described as the only licensed online pharmacy in the United States that enables ordinary people to take part in its unlimited market for online prescriptions. One of the good things about this particular online affiliate marketing program is its full disclosure regarding its operations. This is considered a big plus since this greatly inspires buyer confidence among consumers knowing for certain that they are involving themselves with a legitimate business. Interested individuals are compelled to check with the Colorado Secretary of State regarding the reputation and background of the company. Our review of this company reveals that the both the owner of its parent company and name of the business itself is indeed registered with the state.
Another aspect that adds a positive note to this particular affiliate marketing business is the fact that it is also registered with the BBB (Better Business Bureau) and has a relatively high rating of B+ due to the fact that it has been in business for quite some time.
In a nutshell, 1HourHomeBusiness basically offers its members the opportunity to operate their very own website for selling pharmaceutical products online. There is said to be no training required. Activation of the website is done immediately after completing the signup process. Members also receive immediate access and confirmation with the program’s affiliate marketing tools that they can also use to setup their own online pharmaceutical sales website. Processing of prescriptions is still conducted by Consumer’s Best Buy as it goes through your affiliate website. Consultation with physicians, customer service and the processing or shipping of orders is managed by the parent company. Thus the only concern that the member has to worry about as an affiliate is to promote sales and generate sufficient traffic to his site in order to generate significant income.
Before making any decision to jump in on this affiliate marketing business opportunity, there are a couple of things that you need to know about it regarding cost and sales. The membership fee for the program is an upfront fee of $74.77. The details of this program are not divulged until payment for this signup fee is processed. The commission rate for the sales that you manage to generate as an affiliate is also one thing that you ought to consider. Commission rate for new prescription is 50 percent of the product’s profit margin while prescription refills are at 25 percent. No limits are specified with regards to the maximum amount on these commissions.
If you are not satisfied with the results of this affiliate marketing program, Consumer’s Best Buy features a 60 day money back guarantee which should inspire a lot of buying confidence for interested individuals.
In terms of viability, I would say that 1HourHomeBusiness is best suited for individuals who possess and are confident about their knowledge and skills in marketing, sales and pharmaceutical products. I’m not saying that people who don’t know anything about the pharmaceutical industry are at a loss with this program. However, it cannot be denied that successful promotion and marketing of any product demands that you know everything about the product you are intending to promote. Furthermore, you also need the knowledge and diligence to generate sufficient traffic to your site since this is an important aspect that dictates the profitability of this venture.
How Do I Get Rid of Mice in Our RV?
I am by no means an expert on pest and rodent control, but after
researching the subject I can offer a few ideas that seem to
work for other RVers…….
The first and most important step is to try and prevent mice
from being able to access you RV. This can be difficult because
they can enter the RV through some very small areas. Start by
inspecting the underside of your RV for any gaps or holes. Fill
these gaps using silicone or expanding foam. A word of caution,
if you never used expanding foam before you should experiment
with it on something other than your RV first. When it dries it
can expand a great deal more than you expect.
Next, open drawers and cabinet doors inside your RV. Look in all
of the corners and crevices, especially where plumbing and
wiring enter the RV. If you can see any daylight mice can get
in. Again, fill these areas with silicone or foam.
Mice also enter through vents like the furnace. You can purchase
wire mesh type covers from your RV dealer that can be installed
over these vents. Many RVers suggest you spray some type of
insect spray (that contains mint oils) around the tires to
discourage mice. The only problem with this is you would need to
do it every couple days. I don’t recommend any type of poison.
It can take several days for the poison to work and the mice
will usually die somewhere that you can’t find them. If this
happens you may never get rid of the smell.
Other RVers recommend using mothballs throughout the RV and in
storage compartments, if you don’t mind the smell of mothballs.
The alternative to mothballs is dryer sheets, like Bounce.
People swear they work and the smell is much more pleasant. If
you are close to where your RV is being stored you may want to
use conventional mouse traps and check for mice every few days.
The only problem with traps is the bait can actually attract
mice. Of course you will want to remove any food from the RV
that can also attract mice.
Happy Camping,
Mark
Copyright 2006 by Mark J. Polk owner of RV Education 101
Escalation Clauses – A Home Buyer’s Secret Weapon
Today we discuss escalation clauses because much of the country is experiencing an extreme “sellers’ market.” By that, I mean there are more buyers than there are sellers, and that results in sellers’ getting more than one offer to buy their property. The seller can be picky about the terms under which he is willing to sell. A potential buyer is apt to make one or more offers which are rejected before making a successful offer. If you are a buyer, how do you increase the chances that your offer will be the acceptable one?
The obvious things a buyer can do is to have a strong “pre-approval” lender letter, and make an offer that is full price and is as “clean” (has as few contingencies) as possible. Is there anything a buyer can do beyond that? You bet your bippy!
Escalation Clauses
A buyer who really wants to buy a property can do the above, plus add an “escalation clause.” An escalation clause simply states that the basic offer is full price, but if the seller receives one or more other offers at full price or higher before this offer is accepted, then this offer is increased by $500, $1,000, $5,000 (or whatever figure you choose) above the other acceptable offer. Of course, you choose the amount of the incremental increase based on what you think it’ll take to get the sellers’ attention given the original asking price of the home.
Now, I can hear you thinking, “That’s all very well. I can see where that’ll get me the winning bid, but how do I make sure there really is another contract? More importantly, how do I make sure I can afford the home? Isn’t this awfully open ended?”
Yes, it is. So let’s fine tune the escalation clause idea a bit.
First, make the escalation offer such that it will increase the sellers’ net proceeds (not gross proceeds) by $500, $1,000 or whatever. That way, your price is not artificially increased by a higher offer that includes a provision for the sellers to pay some of the costs that are normally born by the buyer.
Secondly, name an upper limit to which your offer can be carried. For example, your offer could state that you will pay the sellers an amount that will increase their net proceeds by $10,000 above any other acceptable offer up to a total price of $1,500,000. That puts a cap on how high you’re willing to go.
Prior to making an offer like this, be sure to have a conference with your lender to be sure you qualify for the highest amount required by your offer. Obviously, you also need to be sure you know and can pay the mortgage payments on that amount. It’s also a good idea to get a lender letter for this higher amount, so that the sellers will be confident you can do what your offer says you’re willing to do.
The third bit of fine tuning is to require that the seller provide you with a copy of the acceptable competing contract as signed by the other potential buyer. Make sure the “buyer” isn’t a relative of the seller! With the written offer on hand, you can be sure everything is on the up and up.
In this hot sellers market, escalation clauses can be the key to closing a deal on your dream home. If a seller is motivated by greed, you will have them dead to rights.
In House Financing – Car Dealers & Dealerships
Many people that have bad credit think that they have to use a buy here pay here car lot in order to obtain auto financing. This is certainly not the case, in fact you can get approved online easier than you can at a normal everyday car dealership. If car dealerships have turned you down and told you that your credit is not good enough, you may be pleasantly surprised at what you will find through alternative lending sources. Let’s talk about dealerships that offer in-house financing, shall we?
You Do Not Have To Use Buy Here Pay Here Financing!
Car lots with in-house financing are in most areas. Sometimes, these are businesses that come and go and occasionally you can find a buy here pay here car lot that has been in business for many years. Either way, these dealerships make their money by overcharging people that have bad credit. Generally speaking, these types of car lots by used cars at car auctions that normal car dealerships do not want to buy. The reason may be because of an unpopular model, high mileage or that the vehicle has damage or mechanical problems that the buy here pay here dealers can have patched. Typically, the most common scenario is a newer model, high mileage car. New car dealerships have a hard time getting anyone financed on a vehicle that has more than 75,000 miles on it. Buy here pay here dealers basically make their money selling cars that other dealers don’t want, to the people that don’t have the credit to go to a normal car dealership.
What They Won’t Tell You…
What car dealers will not tell you is that you can get a better deal on auto financing intitiating it on the Internet. It’s not the actual Internet that allows you to do this, it is that through the Internet you have access to lenders all over the entire country. There are lenders that are available that will accept people immediately after repossession, bankruptcy, foreclosure or other credit disasters. There are even car lenders that will accept people that are on a fixed income or only receiving Social Security benefits. If you have bad credit, before you go getting yourself into a car loan that is not going to be in your best interest, you should definitely check out a few sources on the Internet to see if you are able to get real financing.
Being Materialistic
Why are some people more materialistic than others? What is it about owning certain things that causes some of us to act the way we do? Take the modern-day wedding for example. Lately, I’ve found myself watching this show called Bridezillas. It is a show in which a camera follows around these brides-to-be as they make all of the necessary preparations for their big wedding day. However, most of these women seem to have lost focus of what weddings are all about. It is easy, in this day and age to get caught up in all of the glitz and glamour that often accompanies big events such as weddings. What is the first thing that usually happens when you become engaged? Your friends will often ask you about the engagement ring? Watch out if you don’t follow the traditions of having an engagement ring!
The next question will usually be something along the lines of how he proposed to you as well as perhaps where the ring was purchased, how much it costs and then of course when you’re planning on getting married. Weddings are supposed to celebrate the public union of two people who swear to support each other for the rest of their lives. But nowadays it seems that all it’s about is how expensive the engagement ring is as well as how fancy the venue will be. What about the love? Love, as it turns out, is so passe! Wedding are only one example of where people go a little crazy with the materialism. There are plenty of other areas in people’s lives where they can go crazy. For instance, take the recent economic crisis. All of these people wanted to buy homes. There’s nothing wrong with purchasing a home for the first time. The problem arises when people try to purchase beyond their means. Everyone has to have the biggest and the best looking house in the nicest neighborhood. However, the reality of the situation is that many first-time-home buyers cannot afford their dream house just yet. In the meantime, however, they can still find a nice home for their money and make it their own. Materialism seems to beget greed and vice versa.
When we are greedy, we don’t make wise decisions. We need to reign back a little and re-think certain situations before whipping out our credit cards. I am all too sure that the credit card agencies love it whenever they sign someone else up for a credit card because they know (or at least they think they do) that sooner or later that person will have to use their credit card. It all seems to be a matter of self control. Instead of being materialistic in thinking that you absolutely need to have something, why not ask yourself, “Do I really need this? Can I really afford it?” It might just save you a lot of trouble in the long run. Trust me, it’s better to be realistic versus materialistic!
10 Ways to Sell Your House During a Recession
Selling your house during an economic recession can a bit overwhelming at best. The need to dispose of the monthly mortgage on your existing home is usually compounded by your next move or the move you have already taken.
During a recession, yes, let’s call it what it is, you must first realize you are not alone. The only thing that you are alone with is your existing personal debt. That being said, you want to sell your house and like yesterday, right?
When selling your home during any economic conditions you need to assess your local real estate market conditions. While the country as a whole may be facing a negative real estate market condition, your local are could be maintaining a more encouraging market. If there is a growth underway in your area commercially, this could improve your residential market results.
Let’s talk about the worse case scenarios. Your local area has seen no significant commercial growth or worse, there have been industrial businesses close and layoff a sizeable workforce. This is the bleakest of times and you are affected.
Keep in mind, there are options available to you and your family’s blight. One consideration in selling your home is to avoid listing your house for sale through a real estate company or agent. This in itself, will allow you to price your home below the local market value. Selling without an agent can be a bit scary, as far as knowing what to do and how to conduct a sale of real estate. Fear not, you can find generic real estate contracts online for your given state.
Selling your house by owner has both positive and negative consequences. The positive is; you control the entire process of selling, and the negative is; you have to do all the work involved in getting your house sold.
Here are 10 sure fired ways to sell your house during a recession:
1. Acquire the documents that are required to legally sell your house, such as a legal sales contract for your state, a certificate for inspection of your septic tank, if you are not on a city sewer system, and a home inspection to assure your buyers that your home has been inspected for any defects.
2. Check in your area for similar size and amenity houses that are for sale or have recently sold, to assure you that you will price your house accurately.
3. Decide on a sales price, less than comparable houses for sale in your immediate area. You could ask a real estate agent to price your home at current market value. Offer the agent a 3% commission or a flat sales fee if he/she can produce a buyer. DO NOT sign any written agreement with an agent or real estate company.
4. Determine where houses are advertised for sale on a consistent basis, your local newspaper, traders post, or local cable channel. Some weekly newspapers have a specific day of the week when agents run more ads, choose that day to run your ads.
5. Run ads that standout! ZERO DOWN! BELOW MARKET! IMMEDIATE POSSESSION! NO CLOSING COSTS! BUY THIS HOUSE PAY LESS THAN THE COST OF RENT!
6. Locate a local real estate attorney and have him/her explain what costs are involved for a specific sales price, for both you and your buyer and have them explain how much you can legally pay on behalf of the buyer to assist them in their purchase.
7. Be willing to accept a second mortgage for your equity. This is where you are willing to be paid your equity over time, or at a delayed point in time, so the buyer who wants to buy your house but hasn’t got the immediate cash required to pay your equity amount. They can do so in increments over time based on your stipulations.
8. Offer incentives to your buyer. Think about including a boat, a car, a truck, an RV, that you own, to be a part of the sale of your house. Tempt them with something extra. Recently in Wisconsin, a homeowner was willing to include 2 season tickets to all the home games of the Green Bay Packers. If you are not aware, they are sold out for years in advance.
9. Accept offers of a car, a boat, an RV, or whatever a buyer may have, that you could sell later, after the house is sold. This offer could be a down payment tool for the buyer.This could be a value toward your equity that you can liquidate later and create your equity recoup in that method.
10. Make sure you stipulate to your buyer that they show written proof from a bank or mortgage company that they are good to purchase, before drawing up a sales contract, or make it a condition of the contract, if the buyer doesn’t want someone to go ahead of them on the purchase of your house.
Keep in mind that as long as there are people getting married, getting divorced, or changing jobs, they all need a place to live and you have what someone else wants. During desperate times, desperate measures are required. Focus on the ‘have to do’, and don’t let sentimental value be a part of what must be accomplished. There will be better times and using your intelligence to let go, to move on, is the right path to take. Sell your house, lighten your burden, and make it a good decision for the times you are currently living.
Be creative, informative, and smart, he who takes on a challenge in desperate times lives to see better days ahead. Patience and persistence does pay off.
Visit: http://wealthsmith.com/mortgage-rates.htm
Home Loans For First Time Buyers With Bad Credit
First time home buyers with bad credit have a lot of options when it comes to financing their purchase. You don’t need to worry about getting approved, since almost all applications are accepted today. Instead, you should focus on getting the best rates and fees on your home loan.
Get Your Credit In Order
Before you start home loan shopping, make sure your credit is in order. Even with poor credit, you should check for any errors in your credit report. You can also include a letter explaining the circumstances around a late payment or bankruptcy. Some lenders will adjust your credit score and rate if the information can be verified.
You may also want to request your credit score to see where you stand. A score of 600 or higher will get you accepted by most conventional lenders. You can pay to get your score with a reporting agency or receive it free as part of an introductory offer with a credit monitoring service.
Think About Down Payment And Your Budget
Down payments can also improve your rates. For the lowest rates, put down 20% or more. Remember too, that you can tap into that cash with a home equity loan if you get in a pinch.
You should also look at your budget and see what you can afford for a house payment. Also include the cost of taxes, homeowners’ insurance, and home repairs. With this number, you can determine how much you can afford to borrow.
Look At Interest Rates Not Approval Rates
When you look for a home loan, focus on finding the lowest rates and fees. You want to compare the APR of the loan since this includes both fees and rates. The type and term of your loan will also affect the rate. Adjustable rate mortgages offer the initial lowest rates. Short term loans also have lower rates.
Start requesting no obligation quotes from both conventional and subprime lenders. Once you have found the most favorable terms, you have two options. You can get pre-approved and then go home shopping. The other option is find the home and then lock in the deal. Getting pre-approved may give you an edge in negotiating a deal and locking in low rates.