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Amazon.com: House of Wax(1953): Video Your Store Video See All 32 Product Categories   Your Account | Cart | Wish List | Help | advanced search | browse genres | top sellers | new & future releases | kids & family | movie showtimes | today's deals | used videos Search Amazon.com VHS Used Videos DVD DVD & VHS Movie Showtimes Web Search This item is not eligible for Amazon Prime, but over a million other items are. Join Amazon Prime today. Already a member? Sign in . VIDEO INFORMATION Explore This Video buying info technical information editorial reviews customer reviews RATE THIS VIDEO I dislike it I love it! 1 2 3 4 5 Edit your ratings Favorite Magazines! Explore our new Magazine Subscriptions store . Visit the DVD Store The Tingler DVD 35 used & new from $2.40 Have one to sell? House of Wax(1953) see larger picture Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days 35 used & new from $2.40 Edition: See more product details Customers who bought this video also bought: Diary of a Madman / Movie VHS Haunted Palace (1963) / Movie VHS The Raven VHS The Pit and The Pendulum VHS Pinky VHS Explore Similar Items : 5 in Video , and 20 in DVD Customers who viewed this videoalso viewed: Mystery of the Wax Museum VHS Dr X VHS Explore Similar Items : 2 in Video , and 8 in DVD Product Details Director: Andr De Toth Format: Color, Original recording reissued, NTSC Rated: Studio: Warner Home Video Video Release Date: July 28, 1998 VHS Features: NTSC format ( US and Canada only. This VHS will probably NOT be viewable in other countries. Read more about VHS formats .) Color, Original recording reissued, NTSC From IMDb: Quotes & Trivia ASIN: 0790736055 Other Formats: DVD Average Customer Review: Based on 58 reviews. Write a review . Amazon.com Sales Rank: Today: #767 in Video Yesterday: #1,048 in Video Editorial Reviews Amazon.com House of Wax brought Vincent Price into the horror genre, where he fit as snugly as a scalpel in a mad scientist's hand. A remake of the 1933 film Mystery of the Wax Museum , this entertaining Gothic shocker casts Price as a sculptor of wax figures; his unwilling victims--er, "models"--lend their bodies to his lifelike depictions of Marie Antoinette and Joan of Arc. The film was one of the top 10 moneymakers of its year, thanks in part to the 3-D gimmick, which explains why so many things are aimed at the camera (why else would the paddleball man be there?). Footnote to history: director Andre De Toth was blind in one eye, and thus could not see in three dimensions. --Robert Horton Spotlight Reviews (What's this?) Write an online review and share your thoughts with other customers. 11 of 11 people found the following review helpful: Solid, 50s Gothic Horror Flick , October 11, 2004 Reviewer: Westley (The South)- See all my reviews Horror films in the 1950s were often set in earlier times - including "House of Wax" - a gothic-styled thriller. Vincent Price stars, and this movie was his first of many, many horror films. He's perfect in this role, and it's puzzling why no one had cast him as this type of character before. He plays Prof. Henry Jarrod, a wax figure sculptor who's far too obsessed with his work. He's the head of an unsuccessful wax museum and watches in disgust as other museums make money by showing horror style wax figures, such as mass murderers. When his museum is burned to the ground, he re-emerges and seeks vengeance on persons responsible. The film received a great deal of buzz as the second 3-D film released by a major studio ("Bwana Devil" was the first); not surprisingly, it was a major hit, becoming the 7th biggest money-maker of 1953. "House of Wax" was actually a remake of a 1933 film, "Mystery of the Wax Museum." In addition, a remake of this film is currently in the works, and should be released in 2005. One of the stars of the upcoming film is Paris Hilton, which should be interesting! Although I prefer Castle's horror films from this period, Price alone makes this film worthwhile. Carolyn Jones ("Addams Family") is also fun as a kind harlot. Overall, the movie holds up pretty well, mostly because of its creepy tone. I saw the movie in 2-D but still enjoyed it quite a bit. Was this review helpful to you? ( Report this ) 18 of 19 people found the following review helpful: one of Price's best films , October 8, 2004 Reviewer: Deborah MacGillivray (Scotland, England & US)- See all my reviews This movie has wit, excellent pacing and a strong supporting cast (including a blonde Carolyn Jones "Morticia" from the Addams Family) and a small role for Charles Bronson (playing Igor and billed as Charles Buchinsky). Prince gets to be both understated and hammy in the brilliant film, that he is likely best know for. It catches the atmosphere of the Gaslight period, and is lighting speed, as Price goes from a brilliant artist of life-like wax figures, to a scarred man, nearly killed by his partner wanting the insurance. He is forced to watch his two crowning glories, his Joan of Arc and his Marie Antoinette destroyed in the fire. With scared hands, he is forced to use bodies to fill his new house of wax, while Price also manages to meet out a little revenge to his former partner. At first bodies are vanishing from the morgue, but when Price sees Jones - the living image of Joan of Arc - and Phyllis Kirk, his Marie Antoinette come to life in his mind - he knows he must possess the bodies of both women to see if greatest works recreated. Is so spooky, and Kirk ably screams her way from one mishap to the next. Just does not get any better. --This text refers to the DVD edition Was this review helpful to you? ( Report this ) All Customer Reviews Average Customer Review: Write an online review and share your thoughts with other customers. I'm Melting! Melllting!... , December 29, 2005 Reviewer: Bindy Sue Fr?nk?nschtein "bigfootsalienbaby" (under the rubble)- See all my reviews Poor Henry Jarrod (Vincent Price). He's a wax-sculptor / wax museum owner who just wants to bring a little beauty into the world w/ his life-like, historical figures. Unfortunately, the public doesn't want beauty, it wants wax versions of murderers and sensationalism. Jarrod's partner knows this and decides to torch the museum for the insurance money. When Jarrod resists, he gets torched as well. Years later, a new wax museum opens, run by Henry Jarrod! He didn't die after all. Now, people are being murdered by a mysterious, disfigured man in a black hat and cloak. Their bodies are then stolen from the morgue! Where are they going, and why are Jarrod's new wax figures so eerily familiar looking? HOUSE OF WAX is the first of a long line of horror / revenge movies for Vincent. You can see the same tormented / demented soul here that would later shine in movies like PIT AND THE PENDULUM, THEATRE OF BLOOD, MADHOUSE, THE ABOMINABLE DR. PHIBES, and DR. PHIBES RISES AGAIN. HOUSE OF WAX is an excellent remake of the 1933 film MYSTERY OF THE WAX MUSEUM w/ Lionel Atwill and Fay Wray (both are also in The Vampire Bat and Doctor X). I love both movies! While HOUSE is more gothic, MYSTERY is more '30s pulp. They each have their own creepy charm and interesting plotpoints. Atwill is sedate yet sinister, while Wray is her usual beautiful, vulnerable self. HOUSE OF WAX / MYSTERY OF THE WAX MUSEUM make a great double feature... --This text refers to the DVD edition Was this review helpful to you? ( Report this ) House of Wax- Phyllis Kirk , December 18, 2005 A Kid's Review An otherwise corny film, but viewers can delight in the closeup shots of Miss Kirk's beautiful wriggling toes as she struggles with her iron clamps that hold her down. Was this review helpful to you? ( Report this ) 3 of 3 people found the following review helpful: GOOD OLD FASHIONED GOTHIC THRILLS , November 6, 2005 Reviewer: Michael Butts (Martinsburg, WV USA)- See all my reviews It's 1953, and Vincent Price is about to appear in his first horror film, a move that of course predicated what was to be the genre we remember this marvelous actor for. Filmed in 3-D, a feat in itself for fifty years ago, this tale revolves around Price, a wax museum curator, who is badly disfigured in a fire set by his greedy partner (the effable Roy Roberts) in order to get the twenty five thousand dollars in insurance money. A few years later, a now demented Price wants revenge and gets it, while setting up a fanciful new wax museum whose figures have a secret twist. We all know how they're made, but it's fun guessing along. Carolyn Jones (Addams Family), Phyllis Kirk, Frank Lovejoy and Charles Bronson all show up in supporting roles and the end result is a campy, enjoyable thriller, actually much more interesting than the confusing 2005 remake. Price fans will love this one. --This text refers to the DVD edition Was this review helpful to you? ( Report this ) 1 of 2 people found the following review helpful: Vincent Price enters the world of horror movies via the "House of Wax" , October 26, 2005 Reviewer: Lawrance M. Bernabo (The Zenith City: Duluth, MN United States)- See all my reviews With the new "House of Wax" out on DVD this week I thought it was time to go back and see the original version with Vincent Price. Of course, director Andr De Toth's 1953 film was based on Michael Curtiz's slightly superior 1933 film "Mystery of the Wax Museum," which why those two films have much more in common that the two "House of Wax" films. Besides, this "House of Wax" was shot in 3-D and part of the fun in watching it again is to spot the 3-D effect. The opening titles and the ping pong player (Reggie Rymal) going after our popcorn are the most obvious ones, but you will notice the film is not full of obvious 3-D shots (pay attentions to limbs and such, especially on the Can-Can dancers). The craze was launched the previous year with the release of "Bwana Devil," in an attempt to win back audiences from the exploding success of television. Fortunately, "House of Wax" stands on its own. This time the setting is in Baltimore before the Civil War rather than contemporary New York City. Henry Jarrod (Vincent Price) is a brilliant artist when it comes to making wax figures, although the way he talks to his creations makes us doubt his sanity. When Jarrod's partner, Matthew Burke (Roy Roberts), tries to burn down their wax museum for the insurance money, Jarrod fights him and is presumed killed in the inferno trying to rescue his beloved creations. Years later a hideously disfigured man kills both Burke and his gold digging mistress, Cathy Gray (Carolyn Jones), whose bodies are stolen from the morgue. At this same time Jarrod, now rolling around in a wheelchair with his hands horrible burned by the fire, opens up his new House of Wax. Jarrod has become interested in using Sue Allen (Phyllis), the ex-roommate of Burke's dead mistress, as the model for his new Marie Antoinette. Sue is seeing Scott Andrews (Paul Picerni), who is working as one of Jarrod's assistants, along with the deaf-mute Igor (Charles Bronson when he was still going by Buchinsky) and the squirrelly Leon Averill (Nedrick Young). Meanwhile, Lt. Brennan (Frank Lovejoy) and Sgt. Jim Shane (Dabbs Greer), are investigating the disappearing corpses and trying to figure out the mystery. The problem is that from the viewers point of view it is clear who is doing the murders, so there are no real surprises here. The only really spooky part is when the shadowy figure is following the damsel in distress through the misty streets. But there is fun to be had in just seeing the displays of wax works in the two museums, both of which are filmed in such rich colors that you forget their are dead people underneath the wax. If you have ever been to a real wax museum, that is to say a good one like one of Madame Tussaud's (in London for me), the only real difference is that the chamber of horrors is dimly lit to heighten the effects (and the shocks), while Jarrod's displays are bathed in light (all the better to see them in). Besides, it is the idea of what those figures really are that is at play here. The whole idea of preserving corpses as art, whether you use wax or plaster (as in "A Bucket of Blood") is pretty creepy. The whole idea of displaying perfectly preserved corpses, as was done with Vladimir Lenin and Eva Peron, seems rather ghoulish if you are not part of those respective cults of personality. The recent controversy over whether sending plastinated corpses on exhibition tours crosses the line between science education and desecration speaks to this as well. The climax of these films always comes when the wax breaks or melts away and the horrible truth is revealed. "House of Wax" also has the added advantage of letting us see Vincent Price's face crumble away to reveal the horrors beneath, which would be repeated in the Dr. Phibes movies. In fact, it was "House of Wax" that effectively launched Price on his career in horror films for which he is ultimately remembered. Was this review helpful to you? ( Report this ) See all 58 customer reviews... So You'd Like To... Own the Ultimate Horror Collection? :by Lonely Schoolboy , Screenwriter Watch Horror Movies :by jem-aja , Horror Fan find out horror's REAL timeline? :by Wes , horror fanatic, monster hunter Listmania! The Price of Legend: The 10 Best Vincent Price Appearances :A list by owl_stretching_time , Film Merchant and Price Nut. My Favorite Vincent Price Films :A list by Trish , Vinnie fan Best Classic Horror Movies--EVER :A list by Trish , Horror buff Browse for VIDEO in: Amazon.com Outlet > Video Outlet > Deals Under $12 VHS > Genres > Horror > General VHS > Genres > Horror > Classic Horror & Monsters > General VHS > Today's Deals in Video > Deals Under $12 VHS > Studio Specials > Warner Home Video > Warner Video Bargains > Horror • I have seen this video, and I want to review it. • tell a friend about this item . • Write a So You'd Like to... guide . • Check Purchase Circles . For more information about "House of Wax," visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) Suggestion Box Your comments can help make our site better for everyone. If you've found something incorrect, broken, or frustrating on this page, let us know so that we can improve it. Please note that we are unable to respond directly to suggestions made via this form. If you need help with an order, please contact Customer Service . 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Real Estate Prices

Housing prices can go down. - Sep. 19, 2005 Web CNN/Money Home News Markets Technology Commentary Personal Finance Autos Real Estate Real Estate Buying & Selling SAVE | EMAIL | PRINT | SUBSCRIBE TO MONEY | Real estate: When booms go bust... Home prices can and do go down. Here's what declines have looked like in the past. September 19, 2005: 6:21 PM EDT By Les Christie, CNN/Money staff writer NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Across America, real-estate prices continue to confound the skeptics. Many Americans have come to think of their homes as rock-solid investments with little downside. And why not: For the past 40 years, national home prices have surpassed inflation by a percentage point or two on average and there has never been a national real-estate bust. But are people ignoring the risks? "I think Americans are not well aware that many markets are risky," says Ingo Winzer, president of Local Market Monitor, which sells real-estate market analysis to corporate and consumer clients. Those investors should realize that price reversals do happen, even if only locally rather than nation-wide. A look at the not so distant past reveals numerous examples of cities that went through housing busts -- followed by years of falling prices. Some have never fully recovered. Once hot, then not Take Los Angeles, where real estate has been turbocharged for nearly 10 years. But the early 1990s were a different story; the average house price in L.A. dropped from $222,200 in 1990 to $176,300 in 1996, a loss of 20.7 percent. Furthermore, those are nominal prices, not real values. To calculate the loss more realistically you would have to figure in the cost of inflation: $222,200 in 1990 would have been worth $266,700 in 1996 dollars, which means the actual loss for homeowners buying in 1990 and selling in 1996 was closer to 34 percent. Not exactly the Nasdaq meltdown for investors, but getting closer. But that's L.A., where the aerospace- and film and television production-based economy can be a bit volatile. What about cities in more traditional areas? How did things play out in Peoria, Ill. for instance? Not well, not in the early 1980s at least. Peoria experienced real-estate price drops amounting to more than 15 percent tied, in part, to strikes and lay-offs at Caterpillar, the city's biggest employer. In 1981, the average home there sold for $60,800. By 1985, that had dipped to $51,400. "Oil patch" cities, suffered even sharper declines. In Oklahoma City prices plummeted 26 percent from 1983 to 1988. It took 15 years for prices there to return to nominal 1983 levels. Houston home prices fell 22 percent from $111,000 to $86,800, and also took 15 years to rebound. Counting inflation, the average Houston home, which cost just $159,700 in 2004, is actually worth less now than it was 22 years ago. When, adjusted for inflation, a home cost about $219,000 in 1983. In Oklahoma City, the inflation-adjusted price in 1983 was $196,600. Today, it's just $135,100. The boom will end, but when? History seems to dictate that the current price boom is at risk. One factor is that real-estate investing has spiked, pressuring prices upward. In Phoenix, according to Bill Jilbert, president and COO of the Coldwell Banker brokerage there, investors from Nevada and California have invaded the Arizona market, and "affordable housing has been pushed to extremes." That story is echoed in many local markets. Low interest rates have also kept real estate bubbling. Cheap mortgages enable entry level buyers to get into the market and wealthier ones to afford more expensive houses. That means higher demand and higher prices at all market levels. Winzer says that low rates "have extended the cycle." Winzer assesses local market risk by taking into account economic and population growth, construction costs, vacancy rates, and, especially, income. He also considers such factors as density and access to open land. Prices in densely settled New York have always been higher than those of cities with lots of space for new housing. Winzer considers real estate "very risky right now." And because the price run up has been so high he expects the adjustment period where home prices stagnate as income catches up -- to take a very long time. Before they purchase a home, buyers better figure on scenario of many years of little or slow home-price appreciation. Counting on home price increases could be a big mistake. The boom has already gone on longer than Winzer thought it would. "Bubbles do tend to last longer than most people expect," he says, "and end quicker." _____________________________________________________________________________________ Think you're living in a bubble? Here are four strategies . Watch out: 5 crazy loans that could hurt you Hot markets have not slowed much yet. See that story by clicking here . For more articles on Real Estate, subscribe to MONEY Magazine . The Hot List Most profitable renovations How risky is your 401(k)? Big new tax credits for hybrid cars More Buying & Selling Least affordable rental markets Take this home market...and love it Double jeopardy for landlords contact us | magazine customer service | site map | glossary | RSS | press room OTHER NEWS: CNN | SI | Fortune | Business2.0 = Money subscribers = Premium content -- * - Time reflects local markets trading time. † - Intraday data is at least 15-minutes delayed. Disclaimer © 2005 Cable News Network LP, LLLP. A Time Warner Company ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Terms under which this service is provided to you. privacy policy Reprints of site stories are available. Top Stories Most overvalued housing markets Risks to the economy in 2006 Which was the worst ad of all in 2005? After the ride, a rest Hilton brands reunite after 40 years YOUR E-MAIL ALERTS Follow the news that matters to you. 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Las Vegas Real Estate

Las Vegas Real Estate - Las Vegas Homes Premier Home Welcome to Las Vegas Homes The Las Vegas Real Estate market for many years has been one of the hottest Real Estate markets in the world, with many Las Vegas Real Estate properties selling in less then 1 week. With a market like this it is important for your Las Vegas Real Estate website up to date with every Las Vegas Real Estate property available. With Las Vegas Homes .com you are GUARANTEED a response from one of our Realtors in 1 business day or less. With our State of the art Las Vegas Real Estate search engine you have access to all the Las Vegas Real Estate properties available in Las Vegas and surrounding areas 24 hours a day . Our website is constantly updated with all the Las Vegas Real Estate available to ensure you will find exactly what you are looking for. LAS VEGAS HOMES SEARCH Price Range: No Minimum ------------ $10,000 $20,000 $30,000 $40,000 $50,000 $60,000 $70,000 $80,000 $90,000 $100,000 $110,000 $120,000 $130,000 $140,000 $150,000 $160,000 $170,000 $180,000 $190,000 $200,000 $210,000 $220,000 $230,000 $240,000 $250,000 $260,000 $270,000 $280,000 $290,000 $300,000 $310,000 $320,000 $330,000 $340,000 $350,000 $360,000 $370,000 $380,000 $390,000 $400,000 $410,000 $420,000 $430,000 $440,000 $450,000 $460,000 $470,000 $480,000 $490,000 $500,000 $550,000 $600,000 $650,000 $700,000 $750,000 $800,000 $850,000 $900,000 $950,000 $1,000,000 $1,100,000 $1,200,000 $1,300,000 $1,400,000 $1,500,000 $1,600,000 $1,700,000 $1,800,000 $1,900,000 $2,000,000 $3,000,000 $4,000,000 $5,000,000 $6,000,000 $7,000,000 $8,000,000 $9,000,000 to No Maximum ------------ $10,000 $20,000 $30,000 $40,000 $50,000 $60,000 $70,000 $80,000 $90,000 $100,000 $110,000 $120,000 $130,000 $140,000 $150,000 $160,000 $170,000 $180,000 $190,000 $200,000 $210,000 $220,000 $230,000 $240,000 $250,000 $260,000 $270,000 $280,000 $290,000 $300,000 $310,000 $320,000 $330,000 $340,000 $350,000 $360,000 $370,000 $380,000 $390,000 $400,000 $410,000 $420,000 $430,000 $440,000 $450,000 $460,000 $470,000 $480,000 $490,000 $500,000 $550,000 $600,000 $650,000 $700,000 $750,000 $800,000 $850,000 $900,000 $950,000 $1,000,000 $1,100,000 $1,200,000 $1,300,000 $1,400,000 $1,500,000 $1,600,000 $1,700,000 $1,800,000 $1,900,000 $2,000,000 $3,000,000 $4,000,000 $5,000,000 $6,000,000 $7,000,000 $8,000,000 $9,000,000 Bed(s): Bath(s): No Minimum ------------ 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 6 + 7 + 8 + 9 + No Minimum ------------ 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 6 + 7 + 8 + 9 + Square Footage: No Minimum ------------ 500 + 1000 + 1250 + 1500 + 1750 + 2000 + 2250 + 2500 + 2750 + 3000 + 3250 + 3500 + 3750 + 4000 + 5000 + 7500 + 10000 + 15000 + 20000 + LAS VEGAS HOMES MLS NUMBER SEARCH MLS Number: LAS VEGAS HOMES HOMEFACTS NUMBER SEARCH HomeFacts Number: Information Utility Connection Form Selling a Home Buying a Home Choosing a Realtor Relocate to Las Vegas Contact Us Las Vegas Homes 8290 W. Sahara Ave Suite 200 Las Vegas, NV 89117 (702) 939-5167 (800) 758-7071 Click here to Email Us Las Vegas Homes Property Data updated on Thursday, December 29 at 06:00:01 AM Home Page Real Estate for Sale ** Just Reduced ** ** New On Market ** Previews & Luxury Homes Property Watch Open Houses Relocation Services Real Estate Career? Master Planned Living High-Rise Living Mortgage Services Customer Services Search For a Realtor Our Offices Agent Login © 2005 Las Vegas Homes | Las Vegas Homes Site Map | Las Vegas Real Estate Links Las Vegas Homes by Zip Code | Las Vegas Real Estate by Community Real Estate Technology by Premier Technology Services

Selling Home

MSN Money - 6 reasons your home isn't selling MSN Home Hotmail My MSN Sign In Money S earch MSN Money: Help Home News Banking Investing Planning Taxes My Money Portfolio Loans Insurance Banking Home My Accounts Bill Pay Mortgages/Loans Services Credit Reports Financial Tools Track your bills Resources Decision Centers Home Buying Guide Home Financing Your Credit Rating Financial Privacy Better Banking Credit Card Smarts Bankruptcy Guide Commentary Index Related Links Manage Debt More on Budgeting Print-friendly version Send this to a friend Tap your home for extra cash Mortgage rates in your area Your credit score in seconds Home mortgage FAQs Find It! Article Index Finance Q&A Tools Index Site Map Recent articles by Bankrate.com: • Will I lose my frequent-flier miles? , 10/6/2005 • Should you insure your airline tickets? , 9/26/2005 • 10 after-the-disaster do's and don'ts , 9/21/2005 More... Related Articles Speed your home sale with these fast fix-ups The hidden financial truth about remodeling Smart -- and stupid -- ways to pay for your remodel The Basics 6 reasons your home isn't selling advertisement So, you're in agony because your home has languished on the market week after week. Here are some culprits that may be keeping buyers away in droves. By Bankrate.com Has your lawn grown up around that "For Sale" sign? Have the wasps moved into the lock box on your front door? Did you just receive an invitation to your real estate agent's retirement party? If so, chances are your home sale fizzled. Here are the six most-common reasons why homes don't sell and what you can do about it. Your home is overpriced Optimistic home sellers love to parrot the old adage, "There's a buyer for every home." But they often leave off the qualifier: "at the buyer's price." Find a loan that's right for you at the Loan Center The fact is that buyers, not sellers, ultimately determine the market value of a home. You can ask for the moon and set your listing price well above comparable properties in your neighborhood, but at some point it will be up to you, the seller, to accept what the buyer thinks your home is worth. Overpricing is the most common reason homes don't sell. When you ask an unrealistic price, it sets in motion a process that often works against you. Here's why: Most real estate agents, and hence most qualified buyers, will see your new listing within 30 days. If it is overpriced by as little as 5%, it will be duly noted and interest in your property will wane, especially if you show no intention of coming off your asking price. You likely already priced out buyers who might have qualified for financing at a more reasonable price. Even if you manage to find a buyer at your inflated asking price, the property may not appraise at that figure and the financing will fall apart. Your real estate agent may have approved or even suggested the inflated asking price to secure your listing. Conversely, other agents often use overpriced properties like yours to help sell their own listings. ("Here's what they are asking. Now would you like to take a second look at that first house I showed you?") "If you have a house that really should be priced at $200,000 and you've got it listed at $260,000, you are trying to compete against homes that really are worth close to $300,000 and all of a sudden your home really is not competing well," says Jeri Fisher of Jeri Fisher Real Estate in Missoula, Mont. "You want to compete with what is available out there among homes similar to yours." If your home remains on the market for too long, agents and buyers may begin to wonder if there are other, perhaps more serious reasons why it isn't selling. "It becomes shopworn, the same as a jacket hanging in the store week after week," says Fisher. "People are aware that it has been on the market a long time and agents stop showing it." Your home doesn't 'show' well Your home is competing against shiny new houses in those pristine subdivisions out in the suburbs with their attractive prices, incentives and community amenities. Face it: Even the best old house needs a little makeover if it hopes to attract a qualified buyer. The good news is most of the work will be cosmetic and relatively inexpensive: a new coat of paint, a few attractive window boxes, a thorough cleaning of floors and carpets. Voila! The place may look good enough to reconsider. A good real estate agent can advise you on where your time and money are best spent. "Price and condition are two things that the seller can do something about," says Fisher. "I always give people my 'honey-do' list. I think paint is probably a seller's best friend because it makes things smell fresh and look fresh. If it's time to paint, it's time to paint. It's the best return on investment." You're in a bad location Nothing has a greater effect on your home's value than its location. Your humble abode might be worth a king's ransom were it located in Palm Beach, Aspen or San Francisco. It might even jump thousands in value just two streets over in the next (and far superior) school district. "If you're in one of the higher-ranked schools around here, you're going to add $50,000 to $100,000 to the price of the same house," says Lenn Harley, a broker with Homefinders.com Inc. in Maryland and Virginia. The point is, location rules in real estate. If your home's location is less than desirable, your options are somewhat limited. A good real estate agent will do his best to help you accentuate the positive and eliminate the negative of your circumstances, say by using foliage to screen off offensive adjoining properties or dampen traffic noise. The best way to compensate for a poor location is to reduce your asking price or offer attractive incentives such as seller financing or a lease option with rent credit. You have a lousy listing agent Yep, they exist: Real estate agents who mislead, misfire and misbehave. Their bad advice can cost you plenty in time, money and the sheer hassle of keeping the place show-ready 24/7. The agent from hell will allow you to overprice your home ("Here's what I can get for you if you list with me!"), not market it properly, fail to screen for qualified buyers, be unresponsive to interest from other agents (if they sell their own listing, they don't have to split the commission) and keep you totally in the dark throughout the process. What's more, if your agent is abrasive, arrogant or otherwise difficult to work with, other agents may not want the hassle of showing any of their listings to prospective buyers. You are battling competition or market conditions We've all heard the terms "buyer's market" and "seller's market." In real estate, market conditions are affected by any number of external forces, some of them predictable (the weather, sort of), some of them unpredictable (the local economy, interest rates, public optimism or pessimism). In a "hot" or seller's market, homes go fast. Inventory (homes on the market) may be low, meaning less competition for you. Chances are better that you will get your asking price in a hot market; in fact, it is not uncommon to even be offered more than your listing price. But in a "flat," "cold" or buyer's market, sales slow to a trickle, inventories grow and buyers can find bargains, especially when they know the seller is motivated (i.e., paying on two mortgages). If you're trying to sell in a flat market, you're not only competing against all that vacant new construction, but against rentals as well. In this case, be prepared to settle for less than top dollar, or wait to sell until the pendulum swings once again in your favor. You have ineffective marketing Gone are the days when an agent could simply place your listing with the local multiple listing service, hold a halfhearted open house and wait for another agent to bring forth a buyer. Today's top performers launch a multilevel marketing plan that includes listing tours for area agents, newspaper and even TV ads, weekend open houses, listing fliers and placements in local real estate publications. Computers and the Internet also have changed the face of real estate. According to the National Association of Realtors, today more than one-third of all home buyers use the Internet for house hunting. The best real estate agents are computer-savvy. They have your listing in color on their laptops to show clients and communicate frequently via e-mail, a particular boon when working with out-of-town buyers. Suffice it to say that if your real estate agent isn't listing your home online through the company Web site as well as with the local MLS, you may not be getting the exposure necessary to find a buyer. "There are those who just put the listing in the multiple and pray it will sell and those that put a lot of effort into marketing their listings," says Fisher. "Unfortunately, with this weird system of compensation we have, they all get paid the same, whether they know nothing or have many years of experience." 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What are ENERGY STAR Qualified New Homes? : ENERGY STAR What is ENERGY STAR? | Newsroom Search What are ENERGY STAR Qualified New Homes Features of ENERGY STAR Qualified New Homes Benefits of ENERGY STAR Qualified New Homes Homebuyer Resources New Homes Partner Locator For Residential Building Professionals PRODUCTS HOME IMPROVEMENT NEW HOMES BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT PARTNER RESOURCES -- Home > New Homes > What are ENERGY STAR Qualified New Homes? -- -- What are ENERGY STAR Qualified New Homes? ENERGY STAR qualified homes are independently verified to be at least 30% more energy efficient than homes built to the 1993 national Model Energy Code or 15% more efficient than state energy code, whichever is more rigorous. These savings are based on heating, cooling, and hot water energy use and are typically achieved through a combination of: building envelope upgrades, high performance windows, controlled air infiltration, upgraded heating and air conditioning systems, tight duct systems and upgraded water-heating equipment. These features contribute to improved home quality and homeowner comfort, and to lower energy demand and reduced air pollution. ENERGY STAR also encourages the use of energy-efficient lighting and appliances, as well as features designed to improve indoor air quality. Here are some questions commonly asked about ENERGY STAR qualified homes: Look for this label when buying your next home. How does a home earn the ENERGY STAR label? The ENERGY STAR label is earned only after the home's energy efficiency is verified, either by an independent third-party such as an accredited home energy rater or Builder Option Package (BOP) verifier , or by adhering to the quality control procedures established for HUD-code manufactured homes . What types of homes can earn the ENERGY STAR label? Any single-family or multi-family residential home that is three stories or less in height can qualify to receive the ENERGY STAR label. This includes traditional site-constructed homes as well as modular, systems-built (e.g., insulated concrete forms, structurally insulated panels), and HUD-code manufactured homes. Can existing homes earn the ENERGY STAR? Yes. Existing homes can be qualified for the ENERGY STAR label if they meet ENERGY STAR's performance guidelines. However, it is not always practical or cost-effective to bring an existing home to this level of efficiency. Nevertheless, the energy efficiency of existing homes can often be greatly improved using cost-effective retrofit techniques. Visit Home Improvement to learn how. Do energy-efficient homes look different? No, builders and developers constructing ENERGY STAR qualified new homes do not have to alter their architectural designs. An ENERGY STAR qualified new home can be built in whatever style the consumer prefers or is most popular in a particular geographic region. Does an energy-efficient home cost more? No. An ENERGY STAR qualified new home actually costs less because you will spend less on your new home's utility bill each month. These energy savings can more than offset any increase in mortgage payments needed for the improved energy features and can result in a positive monthly cash flow. Further, ENERGY STAR financing partners offer special mortgage packages for buyers of ENERGY STAR qualified new homes. How will I know if a home is labeled ENERGY STAR? Look for the ENERGY STAR label, which should be prominently displayed on the circuit breaker box. You can also ask your builder for the home's ENERGY STAR certificate. This optional certificate indicates that the home has been verified to meet EPA's ENERGY STAR qualified new homes performance guidelines. How can I participate in ENERGY STAR as a home industry professional? ENERGY STAR currently partners with four main types of home industryprofessionals: homebuilders, home energy raters, utilities and other sponsoring organizations, and home lenders . After completing and signing a partnership agreement, partners can take advantage of the widely recognized ENERGY STAR name, logos, and a variety of other marketing resources. Other home industry professionals can promote ENERGY STAR as well. Features of ENERGY STAR Qualified New Homes > Products | Home Improvement | New Homes | Business Improvement | Partner Resources Newsroom | Privacy | Contact Us | Site Index EPA Home EPA Search DOE Home DOE Search