4D
REAL ESTATEAtJt CftarUttt $ot
Thursday, January 26, 2006
Be specific about your contracts
Continued from page 3D
is void with subsequent
repairs charged to the con
tractor Another feature:
insist on a performance bond
that will pay for work that is
not jjerfomied
* Alternative Dispute Reso
lution This approach has
grown in popularity eis an
option before heading to
court. Tlie matter might be
negotiated before an arbitra
tor or arbitration panel, Tbis
can save both time and
mcaiey Kenyon calls ADR a
“positive action rather than
throw the case to a judge
where you don’t know what
will happen,"
• Change orders Tbese are
essentially changes to the
scope of work. Add precise
language on how changes will
be handled and paid for. An
example is substitution of
granite in place of a planned
leuninate counter. This
changes cost and work skills.
• Proof of instirance. Con
tractors must have insur
ance Insist on actual docu
ments, not photocopies. Your
general contractor should
also provide proof of insur
ance for subcontractors.
There’s a revolution under way
in American real estate industry
Continued from page 3D
industry experts say maricet-
ing oji the Internet is the way
to go
“Sellers have come to realize
tliat to get good value for their
honu». they need to make sure
they choose an agent who
knows liow to effectively mar
ket a home online; and that
doesn’t mean just putting the
Ustiiig up on a company Web
site either.” says Brendan
King, chief operating officer at
Point2 Technologies, a soft
ware technology company
specializing in online market
ing tools for real estate profes
sionals.
Rxib TXicker who works in
the Boulder, Colo., office of
Keller Williams, the fourth
largest real estate franchise
in the United States, stum
bled upon Point2’s real estate
software. Point2 Agent, three
years ago while searching for
a more efficient way to mar
ket his properties online.
“Before getting into real
estate, I owned a Web-based
company that sold outdoor
gear and online training, so I
was fully aware of the power
of the Internet from the
start," says Ticker. “I was
spending a lot of time and a
small fortune on a Web site
that offered the tools I knew I
needed to make my listings
stand out from the rest on the
Internet Point2 offered
everything I wanted and at a
fraction of the cost.”
Among the tools Ticker
takes advantage of to get his
listings to stand out, and in
front of as many people as
possible; providing lots of pic
tures online, offering exten
sive descriptions that answer
all the questions k person
may have about the property
before they set foot inside,
and getting his listings onto
search engines such as
Gk)ogle and Yahoo, and real
estate consumer Web sites
such as Realtor.com and
Point2Homes.com. He also
Includes tools like Google
Earth, so potential buyers
can see what’s nearby, and
get access to neighborhood
informatioTL
“The successful online mar
keting of reed estate doesn’t
work unless you pull out all
the stops,” says Ticker. “Tve
often had people - buyers and
sellers alike - thank me for
offering as much information
as I do. A lot of sales have
gone through because my
listings were more complete
than the next guy’s.”
If you’re planning to sell a
home in the near future, log
on to www.point2homes,com
to see how your listings can,
and according to King and
Ticker, should appear. You
can also use the site to find an
experienced agent near you.
How to cut down on household expenses
Continued from page 3D
Protocol (VoIP)
It used to be available pri
marily to people with high
speed Internet connections,
rouglily 53 percent of all
home Internet users accord
ing to the Pew Internet and
American Life Project; but
now tlie 45 million of us with
dial-up comiections can use it
too. In late October, United
Online. Incorporated, the
pareiit company of NetZero,
laimched NetZero Voice, a
new Internet phone calling
service that delivers clear,
liigli quality calling over vir
tually any Internet connec
tion. dial-up or broadband,
worldwide.
Deb Daniels of Denver.
Colo., was among the first to
Uy it out. “It’s the best move
I’ve made in a long time,” she
says, “My long distance bill
diopped from $59.99 to $3.95
per montli; and my fiiends
and family can get ahold of
me whenever they want,
even when I’m online ”
With VoIP, a phone call is
converted from an analog
telephone signal into bits of
digital data that are trans
mitted (like email) over the
Internet instead of over pub
lic telephone lines Because
there’s no phone company
involved, Internet calls don’t
incur a surcharge beyond
what the user is paying for
Internet access.
Some Internet phone call-
uig providers advertise fiee
local and.long distance call-
ii^ while others give you a
set number of minutes in
exchange for a monthly fee.
Depending on the package
you buy, you can make fi^ or
steeply discounted calls to
computers, landlines or
mobile phones anywhere in
the world. There’s usually no
difference between the fees,
charged for local or long dis
tance calls, and international
calls can be made for- a fi*ac-
tion of what they’d cost other
wise.
LoweU Hagar of Council
Bluffs. Iowa, decided to try
out the service after receiving
an email fix)m NetZero, his
dial-up internet provider.
“What really impressed me
was how clear the signal was.
I called my dau^ter in North
Carolina, and the quality was
so good, she didn’t believe me
when I told her I was calling
fium the computer.”
Tb get started, Hagar down
loaded NetZero Voice free
fix)m the company’s Website:
www.netzerovoice.com. “It
only took a few minutes to
download and install,” he
says. ‘T initially signed up for
the company’s 100 minute a
month plan, but have been so
impressed. I’m probably
going to drop my long dis
tance phone sendee and
upgrade my VoIP plan.”
NetZero has four plans that
top out at $14.95 per month
for unlimited inbound and
outbound calling to any com
puter or phone in the conti
nental United States, Cana
da or Puerto Rico. That’s less
than half what you’ll pay for
unlimited long distance call
ing fiom a traditional long
distance carrier.
In addition to saving you
money, each plan offers a
variety of features including
free voicemail; an email
account; instant messaging
capabilities; and an online
message center where you
can check your voicemail and
administer your accoimt. You
also get traditional services
like call forwarding, caller ID,
call waiting, call block, speed
dial and “Do Not Disturb.”
Long distance isn’t the only
bill you can reduce thanks to
new technology and
increased competition. If
you’re paying* a premium for
cable television, you may
want to consider switching
over to one of the satellite
television providers. They
offer more channels for less
money If the speed offered
by a cable modem or DSL
Internet service isn’t critical,
switch over to a dial-up ser
vice. It could save you at
least $50 a month.
But whatever you do, don’t
let the savings slip away Fol
lowing a budget will provide
you with financial limits that
force you to be more creative
with your spending.
For more information about
NetZeroVoice, log on to
WWW. netzerovoice. com.
Don’t let clogged drains ruin your party
Continued from page 3D
with no risk of damage to the
phmibing And, luilike most
chemical drain openers, it
can be used on toilets as well
as sinks and drains.
A backed-up toilet can lead
to luisanitary' and messy situ-
atiotts in the bathroom. Since
moat chemical drain openers
can’t be used in toilets, the
typical solution is to get
“down and dirty" with a
phmger or sewer snake The
Power Plumber is capable of
clearing stoppages in both
sinks and toilets, and is so
simple to use - generally one
application will solve the
problem in seconds
It is no longer necessary to
spend time and money on a
plumber. When asked, 54
percent of Americans who
have called a plimiber to
come and clear a clogged
drain or toilet say they have
paid $50 or more for the ser
vice (and 16 percent paid over
$100). That's pretty raepen-
sive when compared to the
cost of using CLR Power
Plumb«‘, which is about $1
per application, with up to 15
applications in every can.
Monthly usage of CLR
Power Plumber can actually
prevent clc^. “Never before
has one product made it so
simple and economical for
homeowners to take charge of
their own plumbing needs.”
says Beth Mackey, marketing
director for CLR “And what’s
more, it is safe for you and
yoUr family, as well as the
environment — with no
chemicals, adds, lye or
CFCs.”
Harnessing the power of
pressiue in a can provides an
effective economical solution
that is safe for pipes, the envi
ronment and the family So
don’t let your festivities be
disrupted by a clogged toilet
or drain. Reach for the CLR
Power Plumber and your
guests will never know there
was a problem!
Fur more household tips,
see what other CLR products
can do for you or to locate a
CLR Power Plumber retailer,
1^ on to ww^.jelmar.com, or
call (800) 323-5497.
What’s in your future as a homeowner?
Continued from peige 3D
The most popular themes of
the show were looks, lasting
quality, thinking green and
automation
Manufacturers were dear
that the American cor\^imer
wants products that look
good and at the same time
adds value to their hcane
Additiotxally. the st>de of the
products in their homes — be
it sleek stainless steei appli
ances. liHUshed nickel plumb
ing fixtures and accessaries
or classic Craftman-st>4e
windo>%-s - must reflect their
sense of st>ie and way of life,
whether casual. «mtempo-
rar>‘ or dassic
Equally ai:^>arent was the
trend toward hi^-end prod
uct designed to add value
For example, many leading
plumbing fixtiu^ manufac
turers offered faucets with
maintenance-fiee valves and
upgrade finishes complete
with a lifetime warranty
Keep in mind that st}4e and
imjMoved value aren’t with
out a {Mice tag The consen-
s\is; So what? With escalating
home values, increased equi
ty and still-low int«est rates,
the American consumer can
\’enture out as never befOTe.
V^'hile consumers are will
ing to spend more for "sizzle,"
they want the steak that goes
with it Pretty is fine, so long
as it lasts a Icmg time and
requires minimal mainte
nance
HomeowTiers are looking
fcM* {Muducts that require a
minimum of maintenance,
while continuing to last and
look good for a long time.
Thus, the growth in compos
ite building products such as
windows, doors, decking, rail
ing systems, fencing, siding,
roofing, garage doca^. Gone
are the days when weekends
were devoted to sanding and
staining or painting doors,
windows * and .decking.
Thdays mantra is KISS -
keep it simple stuff
One oi the benefits of com
posite building products is
the reduced d^uand on nat
ural resources and the
"green* building movement -
another fimdam^tal theme
of this years event
Manufacturers are
res{X)nding to consumer
demand for maintenance-fiee
products that use envinai-
mentally fiiendly technedogy
At home
and in the
neighborhood.
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t=^
_ WORIJD
# OF
RealE^ate
Realtors, Mortgage Funding, Investors,
Contractors, and More!
To join this page of ADVERTISERS
Please call
Your Personal Executive:
Pat McNair ext. 106 •
Jeri Thompson ext. 104
Sheryl Bradford ext 107
Fran Farrer-Nash exL 113
For example, one of the
biggest growth categories in
composite building materials
is decking and railing sys
tems. The last several years
have produced products that
remaikably mimic the look of
dimensional lumber. Most of
the leading products in the
category have several stjies,
patterns and colors frx>m
which to choose. Most prod
ucts are handled like wood;
they can be cut with a saw,
nailed or fastened with
screws. The better products
hold up well to ultraviolet
rays and require nothing
more than periodic cleaning.
They dcai't need to be sanded,
stained or painted and best of
all, wont get in the way of
that special family outing
that you have {banned
OWNING YOUR FUTURE
Homeownership is a national priority, HUD is the
nation’s housing agency committed to increasing
homeownership and dedicated to helping first-time
buyers and minority families become homeowners.
Each year, HUD programs and services help tens of
thousands of families accomplish the dream of a life
time; owning a home.
Most likely, you’ll need to borrow money to buy a
house. Getting a fair deal will help you to keep your
home and boost your home equity wealth. Home
equity is the part of the value of your home that
belongs to you—the value of your house minus what
you owe on the mortgage. Your goal is to get a loan
that doesn’t include high fees or a high intere.st rate.
With low fees and a low interest rate, you can pay
down your debt more quickly and own more of your
house.
Watch You Wealth
The wealth you accumulate in a house is no different
than money in a checking or savings account. Be as
careful and attentive to your home equity as you
would be to your bank account. Be cautious about
refinancing or borrowing against your home equity.
Remember, refinancing isn’t always a good idea.
Don’t let someone sell you a loan you don’t need or
can’t afford. Be wary of pitches like "NO CREDfr,
NO PROBLEM" or random mail promising favor
able mortgage rates. If it sounds too good to be true,
it probably is.
For more information, call 1 (800) 5694287 or go to
www.owningyourfuture.gov and select "Buying a
Home."