Recently my daughter, a real estate agent in Virginia, told me of a scary incident she was involved in showing a house to a prospective client. She had an appointment to meet the client at the house. She got there a few minutes ahead of the client and went in to check things out.

She was making her way around the house when she thought she heard a sound. Instinctively she called and got her pepper spray out of her purse.

As it turns out the house was being rented out but the lease expired 3 weeks prior. The tenants were still there! Surprise! Heather wasn’t sure if she or the tenants were more frightened. When she showed the pepper spray to the tenants they backed off. She was lucky.

Think of all the times real estate agents put themselves at risk by meeting complete strangers often in remote locations by themselves either showing homes or hosting “open Houses”. That is an accident waiting to happen.

I’ll admit the number of assaults, rapes, and even murders is small statistically speaking but they do happen. Do you want to take a chance? Not that you should become paranoid but much better to be safe than sorry. Some precautionary steps and good old common sense could prevent you from becoming a police statistic.

1. Always carry some non lethal self defense weapons with you. Stun guns and pepper sprays are easy to conceal in your car, office and purse.
2. That gut feeling-called intuition-follow it. If the situation doesn’t feel right to you-get out!!
3. Meet a new customer at the office and introduce him/her to some coworkers. Make a copy of their driver’s license or get the plate number off their car. Explain it as office policy which it should be for security reasons.
4. Never meet a new customer at the property especially if it is vacant. Ask the customer to follow you in his/her car. If that is not possible insist on driving your car.
5. Ask if your office offers any safety training even an informal session will do.
6. Never turn your back to a stranger. When showing a property let the customer lead and you follow keeping yourself between the customer and a door.
7. Keep your cell phone with you at all times.

Chances are if you are reading this that crime has touched your life in some way or you consider yourself at risk. Take the next step and do something to protect yourself. Your life and safety is worth far more than the cost of a stun gun or pepper spray.

Stun guns, tasers and pepper sprays are not legal in some states. Check with your local police department first before you get one.

Enjoy luxurious living in a modern 2-storey house with basement and attic, 5 spacious bedrooms, 2 car park lots, in a built up of more than 3,400sqft. Select from a choice of 2 different architectural facades: Zen (pristine minimalistic outlook) or Cosmopolitan (grayish textured outlook). Haus is the first landed residential estate to achieve the BCA top-tier Green Mark Platinum Award. Equipped with state-of-the-art green technology for energy and water efficiency which also helps to save up to 40% of your energy costs? New Launch Preview Be one of the first to view! Buy straight from the developer rather than resale. The layout and orientation of all 97 houses are designed to minimise heat gain and maximise natural ventilation from the sun-path and wind directions. Each house also comes with ample windows, a roof sky-light and open riser staircase to bring in more natural light.

Prior to the public launch, register your interest with us for pre-launch viewing to secure your choice units at the lowest price before the official launch date. Haus @ Serangoon Garden is an upcoming landed housing launch by City Developments Ltd (CDL) & Hong Leong Holdings. Located in the exclusive Serangoon Garden District, Haus @ Serangoon Garden is a modern landed neighborhood occupying a large site area of over 300,000 sqft, for only an exclusive 97 terraces. Inside, every house comes well furnished with fully equipped built-in kitchens and branded appliances. The developer has gone to great lengths to create a high quality of life for residents from the master planning stages down to energy-saving features and finishing of the residences. Each terrace is generously proportioned, affording homeowners the luxury of expensive space with high ceilings. The houses comprise five good-sized bedrooms mostly with en-suite bathrooms a family/entertainment area which can be converted to a personal home theatre, library or home office; spacious, seamless living and dining room space; as well as an open riser staircase that allows natural light to permeate through.

A good proportion of the site is designated as green area, providing occupants plenty of room to stroll through the beautifully landscaped gardens and linear parks. Roads within the development are flanked with trees and lush greenery to create an inviting sense of arrival to the development. Haus @ Serangoon Garden is just minutes away to the renowned Serangoon Garden Circus where you can find a host of amenities such as Serangoon Gardens Country Club, new shopping mall my Village, market, banking, leisure and popular avenues for dining and retail therapy. And with the Central Expressway and major roads close-by, other indulgences are easily within reach. Haus @ Serangoon presents a rare opportunity to own a spacious landed home in a desirable neighborhood. This pre-launch is strictly by-invite only. Secure your choice unit with our pre-launch priority viewing here now!

There are several benefits to owning a home, but time comes when you are forced to think “Should I sell my house?” So many reasons are there which may leave you with no other option but to sell your rental property or home for instant cash. It could be a job transfer that demands you to move to a distant location. In most cases, the home is inherited and you would rather want to sell it than repair it and give it on rent. Sometimes, you decide to sell a house because you need to buy another one. Some other common reasons that prompt you to sell your house are to avoid bankruptcy, foreclosure, bad tenants or meet mortgage payment etc.

However, your purpose for “Sell My House” plan doesn’t hold much importance in the entire process because just like other sellers you need only one thing – to find a quick cash home buyer who will offer you the best property value. Sell House Fast in Maryland – So Many Things You Will Have To Do! If “Sell My Home in Maryland fast” is your focus, then the very first thing you will have to do is to make it ready for sale. Your home should look appealing to prospective buyers. So try your best to work with your existing budget and schedule to prepare it. If you have got shifted to another home or another place where you can keep your things, try to pack up and move them out, making your house look spacious. Then you can think of cleaning both the house interior and exterior properly and doing necessary repairs. When you feel assured that all these things will give you a good value for your house, you can start searching for a buyer. 2. Asking yourself “How can I sell my house without facing any kind of hassle”? Finding the right buyer in a short time can be challenging in current market condition, especially when you are looking to sell a house fast in Maryland for a value that is close to its current market price. For finding a house buyer on your own, you can consider to put up a “For Sale By Owner” sign in front of your home and wait until a property investor call you with a suitable offer. If you are not sure of your ability to find a buyer on your own, then you can consider investing in a realtor’s service.

It can take a couple of weeks or months to locate a home buyer that can pay you the desired price. In case, you don’t have patience to wait for getting your home sold, you can contact “Sell My Home in Maryland” investors. They are quick home sale experts who can directly purchase your home and make you the payment in cash without any delay. 3. “Sell My House Plan” – What can play a spoilsport? 1) The existing condition of your home2) Your overtly high asking price3) Insufficient marketing efforts Even though you pay attention to all the above mentioned things before putting your house on the open market for sale, there’s no guarantee it will sell fast and for the best price. You may have to wait for several months for getting a call from an interested buyer. So, it’s time to opt for “Sell My House” companies in Maryland and get the right deal offer in 24 hours or even less.

Not Knowing the Foreclosure and Short Sale Process There are two types of foreclosures, each with its own set of rules and these rules vary from state to state. The short sale process is puzzling even to real estate agents who have done a lot of traditional transactions. In fact, clueless agents tend to over-simplify the process and underestimate the amount of time and effort involved. Not Knowing When to Hold ‘Em or when to Fold ‘Em A short sale expert knows when to walk away. It can’t be said in more simple terms than that. If the deal is not working, all resources have been exhausted and every measure has been taken, too much money will be lost when you cling to the transaction. A short sale specialist knows when walking away is the best option. Lingering deals are a killer on the nerves and the pocket. Poor Communications With The Seller and Buyer Location, location, location may be the motto of the traditional real estate agent but excellent communication is the maxim by which a short sale agent survives.

A realtor has to constantly update both the homeowner and buyer so that no one is left out of the loop and no recriminations will ensue. Ignorance of the Real Estate Laws Not knowing the law when it comes to real estate will hugely impact the success of a short sale. There are legalities which need to be followed to the letter in order not to ruin the short sale process. In fact, a lot of short sale transactions do not go through just because of a few seemingly harmless (yet illegal) activities. Not Working As A Team Don’t go it alone. It takes a team to make a short sale happen. Everyone from mortgage brokers, building inspectors, attorneys, to title company employees are involved in this complex process. Cooperating with all of them will ensure that the flow is smooth. Not Qualifying the Client Improper qualification of the client can nullify the deal. There is a strict process by which you should qualify the homeowner. Failure to do so will obviously not make the short sale reach completion. Not Qualifying the Property To qualify for a short sale the property value must be equal to the amount of the agreed upon deduction. A complete inspection must be performed to acquire the precise condition of the home, including the neighborhood statistics and the economic real estate climate at the time of the sale.

The short sale process can only proceed if the property meets the criteria. Being Too Timid in the Short Sale Process Be aggressive, B – E aggressive – B-E-A-G-G-R-E-S-S-I-V-E! This is not a time to be passive. Persist and give it everything you’ve got. Negotiate with confidence! Not Following Up Keep abreast of what is happening at all times and follow up consistently. Light a fire under whoever needs it to make the deal happen. Every day counts. Every communication should be responded to. Every deadline has to be met. Be a short sale specialist in every way. Greed Sometimes, a real estate agent wants to preserve his commission at a certain level and refuses to meet the lender’s demands, no matter how reasonable, because of this need to obstinately stick to a certain amount of money. Well, a lot of transactions have failed this way and they shouldn’t have if only the real estate agent let go of his preconceived notions and become flexible enough to listen and revise his position.

Antriksh Group launches a new residential apartment Antriksh Zeal (approved by Haryana Authority). Antriksh Zeal located at Sector 112, Gurgaon with the proposed metro line to pass right in front of the site it will add to its existing location advantage. Close to 150 meter wide road (Dwarka Expressway) from Dwarka. Antriksh Zeal offers a choice of 2, 3 and 4 BHK apartments that are designed while taking utter care of comfort and luxury requirements of the people for affordable prices. Every corner of the township reflects best architecture and innovative engineering. With branded fixtures and state of the art amenities, the township offers a state-of-the-art building with world-class specifications, and Modern amenities include a very large one of its kind clubhouse, Jogging Track, Kids Play Area, Gymnasium, Landscape Garden, outdoor sport facilities amongst others for a modern living, in a neighbourhood that lets the homebuyer experience an enriching lifestyle. Antriksh Zeal gives you a perfect living atmosphere and let you make your life, a never ending bash.

Here’s where you catch the first glimpse of the down; where sunrays welcome you every morning to a day full of energy and exuberance; where a feeling of light, space and luxury permeates every part of your home; where life is lived in all its freshness; where days are not about living a routine, but celebrating it to the fullest. Here, you more than just start a great day; you begin your journey toa great future. Antriksh Zeal with its well-planned and aesthetically designed apartments is undeniably an elite setting in the heart of the city. Antriksh Zeal offers a state-of-the-art building with world-class specifications. Conceptualization of Antriksh Zeal is based on maintaining peace and tranquillity within the hustle and bustle of modern city centric life. With the gift of time on their hands, the homebuyers can pursue their passion. Antriksh: An ISO 9001:2000 Certified, Profit making, highly rising, Real Estate company with a track record of quality construction.

Leading builder and promoter of housing societies, commercial buildings, Shopping Malls etc. in Delhi, Noida, Gurgaon and all over India. Well equipped, plant and machinery and sound relations with India’s leading Ready Mix Concrete (RMC) supplying companies like-Birla Ready Mix and J.K.Ready Mix. Company has lot of experience to work with reputed and well established Architects – Consulting Engineering Services India Ltd., G.C.Sharma & Sons, Andleys Associates (P) Ltd., Development Consultant, Vidyarthi & Associates, Design ‘N’ Design etc. and in ouse Architects. The company has won the best performing and quality construction awards form different organisations. They present shining shields for excellent quality construction and timely completion of project. Experienced, qualified and technically sound organised men-power to achieve aims and goals of the company.

When it comes to abode in one of the perfect cities of the country, Gurgaon counts on top 5. The city has become the first choice for the IT professionals and other working class because of the umpteen career opportunities and better living conditions. There are various real estate developers that are taking greater interest in the real estate Gurgaon and leveraging the great benefits by providing perfect residential locations to the people. BPTP, a renowned real estate company which has been the active player in changing the skyline of Indian real estate is now coming with the new residential project located in sector 37D, Gurgaon, another landmark in the city. This to be soon launched project is strategically placed in the prime location of Gurgaon to ensure that the residents get the most location benefits. Located in sector 37D, the project is around 500 meters from the Dwarka Expressway and make sure that you get close proximity to prestigious schools, colleges, hospitals and recreational centers.

BPTP New Project Sector 37D, Gurgaon is spread over 11 acres of verdant land and offers you serene and calm surroundings to live and ensure that you live in the healthy environment, away from the traffic and fuzz of the city. Fully loaded with the world class specifications and state of the art features, the project ensures that you get to live a comfortable and luxurious lifestyle. Live in a perfectly designed 3 and 4 BHK apartments, in new project in sector 37 Gurgaon, available in the tentative sizes ranging from 1650 sq. ft to 1950 sq. ft. With the world class amenities and amazing features, you get to live a life of comfort and elegance in one of the most inflectional residential addresses of the city Gurgaon. Some of the features that you would be enjoying in new project sector 37D Gurgaon are: exclusive club house, swimming pool, sports complex, gym, waste restore plant, power backup, landscaped gardens, jogging track, play area for kids, ample car parking, high speed lifts and much more. Each and every apartment of this majestic residential address is a perfect luxury and supports all the features that are both, necessity and flaunting for a perfect lifestyle.

World class luxury specifications, A/C rooms, modular kitchens, vitrified tiles, Italian marbles, exotic wooden work, eco-friendly green concept, POP Punning with Acrylic Emulsion paint, UPVC Windows and much more add to your lifestyle. All this and much more, so too, at affordable rates make this property a perfect residential bliss. So it is a golden opportunity to be a part of fast developing city. The developer of the BPTP New Project Sector 37D Gurgaon, BPTP developers has established itself as one of the renowned real estate companies in India, since its inception. Established almost a decade ago, today, the company is a synonym to luxury buildings with quality construction and world class engineering. The company has redefined the concept of viable realty with its various majestic construction pieces. The company has an impressive profile of comtemporary commercial, residential complexes, IT Parks and retail developments.

Property Inspections Property inspections are all about you, the seller, being able to justify your sales price. Your goal is to create an environment that allows a buyer to visualise how satisfied they would become if they were to buy from you. We covered presentation in the PPM document, that is by far the most important part of the inspection, but I would like to give you a few more recommendations to think about. I mentioned in PPM how it is not possible to cater for everyone’s tastes; you will certainly be in the minority if a buyer inspects and wants everything to stay exactly the same. However to give your buyer the best chance of being able to visualise themselves living in your property (which is your objective) you need to adopt the ‘less is more’ approach. By that, I mean take as many of your personal belongings out of the picture as possible. This way a buyer’s focus is on how the place will look when they live there, rather than focussing on your personal choices.

I am not telling you to pack and unpack your home every time you have an inspection, just think about keeping the personal extras in every room as simple as possible. It is a good idea to try and attend a few open house inspections; this will give you a fresh perspective on how a potential buyer may feel as they look around a non-familiar environment. At the time of your inspection you need keep it simple – “Hi I am Natalie, did you have any trouble finding the place”, ……….. (the usual small talk). “I will just show you around quickly and leave you to have a look around by yourself”. Most people are able to relax and enjoy the inspection more if they have been familiarised to the house quickly and then left to themselves. You don’t need to physically take them to every room, just give your buyers some basic directions on where things are; this will simply make them feel more welcome. Create some brochures and hand one to your buyers just before you start your brief tour. Include the price and all the specifications of your home. It gives the buyer something to hold and reference back to. If you have trouble putting a brochure together you can give me a call and I will have one of my graphics team sort something out for you. Another overlooked aspect that is very relaxing to a buyer’s state of mind is their sense of smell. If the house carries a pleasant smell it is much more likely to encourage a longer inspection.

Simply opening the widows to let some fresh air in, or my personal favourite is a nice bunch of flowers. Don’t overdo it with anything that is to over-powering, a mild fragrance will create a more relaxed inspection. If you have pets, organise for someone to take care of them or find a way to keep them out of sight for the duration of the inspection. Personally, I am a big animal lover and nothing would relax me more than seeing a small dog or cat sitting on the couch, but unfortunately some buyers may be put off by the idea of an animal inhabitant. The best advice I can give a property seller at the time of inspection is to make buyers feel as relaxed as possible and let your excellent presentation do all the work for you.

Selling a property is not a layman’s job till it is supported by a discount realtor. Taking help of market experts such as discount realtor who help you to list you property in flat fee mls is the best option. Once you think and decide to go with a flat fee realtor this task will be as good as a layman job. To sell your home in this economic situation is very tough. You would think to contact a real estate agent to sell your home so that you can sell it conveniently at good market price. Normally traditional real estate agents charge 6-7% sales commissions. So if you calculate – Property price – $400,000 6% commission – $24,000 This is an enormous amount you spend for selling a property. So what’s the way out. It’s Flat fee mls. Rather than approaching a traditional real estate agent why not sell your property on your own as For sale by owner. You the boss of your property and selling your property as for sale by owner is your right to do so. You have the right to decide the price you want to sell your for sale by owner property. This is quite adverse in case of traditional real estate agent. In that case selling time might increase and you might end up selling your property at the price you are told by that agent.

When you decide to your home sell as FSBO, flat fee realtor will guide you and complete the paper required to list your for sale by owner property in flat fee mls. Flat fee realtor is the one who will help in doing all the paper work and has the access to flat fee mls listing. You as a home owner don’t have the direct access to MLS. It’s the flat fee realtor who have the access and will list your for sale by owner in flat fee mls. Flat fee mls is online real estate platform to list your FSBO property at the cost which is mere as compare to sales commission you might pay to any traditional real estate agent. There are several MLS packages to choose from depending on your choice. MLS listing of your property will be an added advantage which gives extra exposure as compare to other property listings in local newspapers.

Selling a property in traditional is far costlier as compare to listing your for sale by owner property in flat fee mls. Once your property is listed by discount realtor in MLS you will start getting good buying offers from buyers agents. The buying queries will come straight to home owner and it’s the decision of owner to sell the property to desired buyer or not. No wonder discount realtors know how real estate market behaves and they know how much your property will sell for. Discount realtors guidance in this regard is very appreciative. Saving money is high on priority for any home seller and selling as for sale by owner is the best next thing you will do.

Sidhartha Group is known for coming up with the projects that are best in the class and are the proud owners of some of the best amenities and features in the world. Keeping the tradition, now they have come up with the project Sidhartha Estella, which is set to satiate the demands of the genteel living of the residents of the city. Sidhartha Estella is an innovative and green residential project that has been designed to deliver the apartments that befit your dreams and aspirations. This new residential project is located in Sector 103, Gurgaon, with some of the renowned developments taking place in the neighborhood. Being located adjacent to Northern Peripheral Expressway, a 150 meter wide road joining Delhi to BH-8, the township is well connected to major landmarks of the city and is easily accessible from the locations and institutes of daily commute. It is sited at the 10 minutes drive distance from the IGI Airport and very close to KMP Expressway. The township is surrounded with the high profile residential hubs, corporate towers and business institutes, thereby, adding to the value of the project.

Sidhartha Estella is comprised of 2, 3 and 4 BHK apartments and the pent houses which are spread over 16 acres of verdant land providing the best lifestyle to you and your family, along with all the comfort and safe environment. Some of the specifications and amenities that you would be enjoying while being the resident of the society are: provision for the games like tennis, badminton, basketball etc, a club house hosting tons of features like swimming pool, well equipped gym, steam and sauna and much more. Other than this, the ample green area with landscaped gardens, waiting and receptions lounges in every block, tree lined streets and much more also add an oomph factor in your life. Without any doubt, you can say that Sidhartha Estella is a refreshing escape from your stressful and cramped lifestyle. The Highly promising project of the Sidhartha Group is offering the best residential destinations in the Gurgaon city and is turned out to be the hot property.

The Group is one of the renowned real estate houses in the industry with their main focus on providing luxurious, yet affordable apartments to the people. Since its inception in the year 1995, the company has crafted number of architectural masterpieces that indeed offer the best lifestyle with perfect locations and the features and amenities that these residential complexes host. All the projects of the Sidhartha Group have been a big success. Enthusiastic with the earlier success, the new project is also a perfect bouquet of the features that you would love to have in your dream home. So if you are looking for an adobe in the city, the Sidhartha Estella Gurgaon is a good opportunity, both investment wise or for a residential purpose.

Are you getting ready to sell your home or are you thinking about selling it sometime in the future? The housing market can be touch and tough and if you do not make the right decisions, then you may not get the amount of money you want out of it. However, with a few right decisions, you can make your house so appealing that the buyers will be lining up to make an offer. Just what should you do? One decision that you could make would be to add a deck to your property. When you choose from Kenosha deck contractors or South Milwaukee deck contractors, depending on your home’s location, you can add a great deal of sellability to your house. How can you sell your home by choosing these contractors? Take a Look at Your Yard Start by evaluating your back yard. Right now, is there anything that makes it stand out from any other yard? Is it nondescript or plain? Does it have some character but no real place to relax? Chances are, there are plenty of ways that you could improve that property, but a deck is one of the best choices you could make. This deck will add so much character to the space that it will be the first thing that potential home buyers will see. This can make them immediately more attracted to the property.

However, to get a striking and attractive addition, you will need to choose the right Kenosha deck contractors or South Milwaukee deck contractors. Give them a Vision If you speak to any real estate agent, they will tell you one simple fact. People are more likely to buy a home if they can envision themselves living in it. If you give potential buyers a vision, you will find that they will be more willing to buy more quickly. How can you do this through Kenosha deck contractors or South Milwaukee deck contractors? Think about this: if you have a beautiful deck built and then you stage it with the perfect furnishings, accessories and plants, potential buyers will immediately imagine themselves relaxing on that deck. This vision will make your house more appealing. Add the Value Of course, the final way that you will be able to sell your home with deck contractors would be the value. An addition, like a deck, adds a great deal of monetary value to your property.

Since you have added that value, you will be able to ask a higher price. When you are able to ask that higher price, you and the buyer will be able to settle on a higher selling price overall. People are willing to spend more money on homes that have more monetary value in them. If you are getting ready to sell your home, then it is time to turn to Kenosha deck contractors or South Milwaukee deck contractors. Choosing to add a deck to your home will help you sell it more quickly and for a higher price. It will certainly be worth the work in the end.