Archive for August, 2008
Real Estate Marketing Techniques for Your Investment Property
After you understand the key to real estate investing you will need to be able to market your property for rent. Here are 4 rock solid ways to getting the word out there about your available rental. Note that these methods can also apply to selling the property of interest.
Place a Sign in the Front Yard that is Easy to See from the Street
Although this may seem elementary, it is the single most important step to marketing a property. Typically, a standard “For Rent” sign that you can buy at any store is perfectly acceptable. Buy the biggest sign you can find, and make sure that your phone number is written as largely as you possibly can. Place the sign in a the most noticeable part of the front yard to maximize the ability to view the sign from the street and passing cars.
Post an Ad in the Local Classifieds
If you want to maximize the cost of your ads, run them 3 days a week - Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. When composing the ad, be sure to include the area where the home is located (like a nearby busy street that most folks should know of, and typically don’t include the address of the home), the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, the garage capacity, the square footage of the house, the school zoning, the rental rate with the deposit amount, and your phone number.
Be sure to include as many benefits to the property as possible. An example would be close to schools, shopping, access to a community pool.
Post an Ad in Craig’s List
Craig’s List is a wonderful tool for real estate internet marketing; it’s a free advertising website that gets hundreds of thousands of hits per day, and allows localized advertising of many things, including rental ads. It also allows you to post up to 4 pictures per ad. It is advisable to take advantage of it, and include 4 pictures of the property (maybe one picture of the exterior, and 3 interior pictures). Craig’s List is wonderful, so use it for all kinds of things, both buying and selling or renting.
Post Ads on Other Sites
This one is good if you really want to maximize the exposure of the house, or if you are in a weak market, and need to intensify your message. In this scenario, you would talk with local realtors and property managers to see if you can work out a deal to “borrow” some of the web space for posting your ad. It is likely that they will attempt to compel you in to hiring them as a property manager, but don’t, just offer a small fee for running an ad on their site.
Tags: business, how-to, make money, real estate
Boating Accessories to Get Us Started
I purchased a new boat this year and am blown away with all the boating accessories that are available. I knew I needed a trailer and an anchor, but I really hadn’t considered all the other stuff I might want to have. Wow!
First, of course, I am required to have life jackets. Everyone on board needs to have a personal floatation device readily at hand in case of emergency. I also understand that having a fire extinguisher on board is really important. I can’t imagine needing a fire extinguisher out on all that water, but I’ll just believe those with more knowledge than me.
Another necessary boating accessory is a foghorn or a bell or something to make a lot of noise to alert others to our presence. I guess this would be good in an emergency at night or if a really thick fog comes up.
Then there are lights. We need some sort of lighting for boating after dark. I don’t know the requirements for this yet, so I’ll have to do some research fast. So besides the trailer and anchor, those are the most important.
Then there are all sorts of boating accessories depending on what kind of activities we’re planning to do! Are we going fishing? How about water skiing? Then there’s tow tubes, wakeboards, and all sorts of other toys.
Okay, then we’ll want music while we’re spending time out on the water. I have to decide on that too. Do I want to bring it on board everytime we go out, or do I want to have some sort of system installed on board?
A lot to think about and a lot to buy, but at least its fun to shop for boating accessories!
Tags: boat, boating, fishing, leisure, plan, purchase, recreation
How to choose the best porch swing.
Before buying a wooden porch swing, it’s important to make sure that the swing you are buying meets a number of important criteria. Here is a list of what you should look for in a swing, along with some reasons why it’s critical.
Hand Made - A hand made swing is certainly a must when buying a porch swing. This is because each piece is individually crafted, ensuring better cuts and a smoother finish.
Cypress - Cypress has been called the “eternal wood” because of its ability to stand up to the elements. A cypress swing is as durable as teak, while being as little as one-tenth the price! Don’t buy a swing made from exotic woods only to watch it rot on your porch.
Size - Be sure that the porch swing you choose is the correct size to fit on your porch, and to fit the number of people you expect to be swinging on it.
Accessories - Would you like your swing to have a cup holder? An interesting question, perhaps, but certainly something to think about. What will you want with you while on your porch swing? Keep that in mind when looking at what’s available.
The Porch Swings I Love Most
Of course, I have a very strong preference in porch swings. There is one particular artisan who builds beautiful, durable porch swings from Cypress. His name is Ted Leger (pronounced Lay-shay), and he’s based in Louisiana (where a lot of cypress trees grow). All of his swings are hand made, and he can ship anywhere in the USA.
I strongly recommend you view the porch swing styles he has available.
Tags: home improvement, renovation, shopping