Texas Land Trusts Top

TPWD: News Release — Nov. 24, 2003/Texas Land Trusts Top 1-Million Mark in Acres Conserved Maincontent Local Navigation print friendly search Regulations Publications Outdoor Learning Kids Game Warden Grants Get Involved Shop FAQ Calendar Español Experience Texas Fishing & Boating State Parks & Destinations Hunting & Wildlife Land & Water Doing Business Home Land & Water Land Private Tltc News Articles Links: What's a Lone Star Land Steward? Preserving Texas's Cultural Heritage Turning Brownfields Green Private Landowners Wildlife/Agricultural Tax Exemption Nov. 24, 2003 Texas Land Trusts Top 1-Million Mark in Acres Conserved AUSTIN, Texas -- Private landowners working with Texas land trusts have now conserved more than 1,307,681 acres of land, according to new statistics from the Texas Land Trust Council. The new acreage total sets another record, an increase from last year’s record total of 995,122 acres, a figure roughly comparable to the size of the entire Texas State Parks system. There are 39 land trusts in Texas. Some are national organizations with active Texas chapters, such as The Nature Conservancy and the Trust for Public Land. But most are regional groups unique to Texas, such as the Katy Prairie Conservancy and the Valley Land Fund. “Land trusts have sometimes been behind-the-scenes players, working quietly but effectively to protect open space and wildlife habitat,” said Robert L. Cook, TPWD executive director. “But today the visibility and conservation role of land trusts in our state is growing. These organizations are increasingly important to private landowners who are looking for help to address our biggest threat to wildlife, which is loss of habitat.” According to the Natural Resource Conservation Service’s 1997 National Resources Inventory, Texas led the nation during the 1990s in converting rural prairies, forests and coastline into shopping centers and houses, farms and factories. Texas loses about 283 square miles of rural open space to development each year. Land trusts join ranchers and other landowners together to combat these threats, and they represent the fastest growing conservation movement today, according to Carolyn Vogel, who works with the Texas Land Trust Council at the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. “With Texans searching for ways to address conservation at the local level, the number of land trusts has multiplied with 22 new land trusts established in Texas in the past 12 years,” she said. The Protected Lands Inventory Survey asked Texas land trust members about acres conserved in their operating area, conservation methods used, and conservation purposes such as providing wildlife habitat or protecting water quality. Lands conserved include cactus-studded deserts, mile-high mountains, sunny coasts and dense forests. “Today Texas has close to 21 million people,” said John Hamilton, Texas Land Trust Council board president. “In 25 years, the population is expected to grow by 50 percent to more than 30 million people. Our open spaces are under tremendous stress that is only going to multiply.” For a directory of Texas land trusts, plus information about tools such as conservation easements and links to other resources, see the Texas Land Trust Council Web pages ( http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/landwater/land/private/tltc/ ). TH 11/24/2003 Contact Us | Help | Accessibility | Media | Site Policies | Complaints | Intranet | State of Texas | TRAILS Search | TexasOnline | Compact with Texans Texas Parks and Wildlife Department , 4200 Smith School Road, Austin, TX 78744 Toll Free: (800) 792-1112, Austin: (512) 389-4800 Content of this site © Texas Parks and Wildlife Department unless otherwise noted. Last modified: October 12, 2005, 12:46 pm

Florida Real Estate

4Brevard Relocation Brevard Florida Real Estate - SpaceCoast Homes for Sale - Coldwell Banker SpaceCoast Home Finder Team Richard & Ana Webb and 127 Professional Realtors (321) 480-5514 9am to 10pm eastern eMail: Webb@4Brevard.com Let our team help YOUrelocate to Orlando's Seaside Suburbs 40 minutes due east SELLERS Thisbuyer-oriented website can sell your home. Go where BUYERS go - 4Brevard.com Click towns within our Brevard Real Estate eMagazine Cape Canaveral Cocoa Village Merritt Island Viera Palm Bay Satellite Beach Cocoa Beach Melbourne Titusville Rockledge Suntree Indialantic In 2002 Brevard ranked 6th hottestmarket in the U.S. We've gotten hotter (see MarketTrends ). Instantlysee ALL Brevard homes(not just ours) with PICTURES! Explore Central Florida living, excitinglifestyles in the SpaceCoast complete database of ALL Brevard property: Merritt Island, Cape Canaveral, CocoaBeach, Melbourne. (Click underlined links for moreinformation) VIP Program Search for Homes Now Click for Instant eMail Updates Customized Search Click for Brevard MLS Instant Home Finder with Pictures Bookmark 4Brevard.com for help with your move. Click for Wow! Homes Click topic for details: Besides help findinga home, this buyer's agent helps you get adjusted to a new place. The links onthis homepage are your first step; just click the underlined words. Thanks forstopping by! Use our great resources to make your move easier. School Selector Job Finder Rentals Vacant Land Mortgages Surf Report Fishing Guide What's to Do? Explore Brevard County in Pictures & Video Market Trends Brevard County Parks & Recreation Property Tax Exemptions Avoid Buyer/ Seller Mistakes Brevard Neighborhoods eMagazine Orlando Flights (40 minutes due West) Tourist Development Council showsyou why people come here to play and stay. Beaches, surfing, wildlife, fishing, golf, attractions, shuttle launchschedule, calendar of events, where to stay, travel deals.How about nightlife ? Discover Brevard . Waterfront Experts Brevard enjoys 230 miles of coastline. My team specializes in oceanfront, Indian Riverfront, and Banana Riverfront homes andcondos, some with tricky navigation. We're Realtors and boaters who know the waters. Buyer's Agent We are relocation specialists, investors, and Buyer's Agents.Fees are totally paid by home sellers, but by Florida law, a buyer's agent worksexclusively for YOU! Listing agents work for the SELLER! Every call answered by a licensed Realtor. Call now. Send us eMai l This site won The Real Estate Library "Pure Gold" award for design, accessibility, content, and relevance. and --

Denver Real Estate Denver

Denver Real Estate Featuring 1,773,932 Opinions! Join | Login | Logout | Help | User Page SEARCH FOR: SEARCH FOR: -- Topics Computers & Internet Education Entertainment & Media Features People Politics Products Sports & Recreation Travel, Food & Culture WebLists Computers & Internet Education Entertainment & Media Features People Politics Products Sports & Recreation Travel, Food & Culture RateLocal Atlanta Directory Austin Directory Boston Directory Chicago Directory Cleveland Directory Dallas Directory Houston Directory Las Vegas Directory Los Angeles Directory Miami Directory New Orleans Directory New York City Directory Philadelphia Directory San Francisco Directory Seattle Directory Washington DC Directory More Cities Shortcuts Recent Comments New Additions Top Reviewers User Search RateItAll Contributors Advertising Sponsorships Web Site Directory Content RateLocal Shop Computers Photography Electronics More Categories RateItAll Gear Company About Us Press Room Company FAQs RateItAll Blog Privacy Policy Jobs Newsletters Contact Testimonials Help Help FAQs WebList FAQs Site Rules WebList Buy Back RSS Help Terms of Service Now In: RateItAll.com > Local > Denver Directory > Denver Real Estate Denver Directory Use this section to find and share opinions about this city's local businesses and merchants. To find a specific merchant and browse its reviews & ratings, drill down through the index on this page. To learn more about RateLocal.com, click HERE . RateItAll Local Get Listed. Get Noticed. Learn more Hottest Topics TV News Personalities Actors (Current) Best Guitarist of All Time Actresses (Current) TV Drama Shows (Current) Hottest WebLists Deserving of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? (by garjen55 (11) ) Male TV Characters as Role Models (by mrnocal (0) ) Most Obnoxious Public Figure of All Time (by CastleBee (60) ) Things that Advertise an Individual's Status as Lower or Working Class (by SZinhonshu (34) ) Disney's Animated Masterpieces (by excelsior30 (3) ) BROWSE DENVER REAL ESTATE Showing LOCAL TOPICS 1-7 of 7 Denver Architects Denver Interior Decorators & Design Denver Movers Denver Property Management Denver Real Estate Agents Denver Real Estate Developers Denver Storage Showing LOCAL TOPICS 1-7 of 7 Search | Send Us Feedback | Create Your Own Ratings List | Privacy Policy | About Us | Site Rules | Business Services © 1999-2003 RateItAll.com, Inc.

House Rent

Renting a House RENTING A HOUSE If you rent a house, rather than an apartment, you'll have some additionalconcerns: Lawn care and snow removal will probably be your responsibility. City codes require that lawns be mowed. If you think the landlord is providing either of these services, make sure your lease says so. Garbage hauling is not a municipal service in Champaign-Urbana. Unless your lease says that the landlord provides and pays for hauling, you'll have to call a private hauler and arrange service. Look in the yellow pages under "garbage." (Note: references in your lease to sanitary fees are for the sewer system, not for garbage hauling). Don't assume the garage comes with the house; make sure the lease says you are renting the "house and garage." If the house has no garage but you plan to park in the driveway, make sure the lease says Lessee may park in the driveway at no extra cost. Be sure the lease states the number of bedrooms in the house, especially if any bedrooms are in the basement or attic. If any area containing bedrooms becomes unfit for habitation while the rest of the house is still habitable, you'll be in a better bargaining position with your landlord if you can prove that the uninhabitable space was leased to you for living and sleeping purposes. Zoning laws prohibit more than four unrelated adults from living together in a single family home. The tenants, as well as the landlords, can be held liable by the city for violating the law. Enforcement is complaint-driven. If you live in Urbana near the U of I campus, or if you live anywhere and annoy your neighbors with noise or illegally parking cars on the lawn, you are a likely target for enforcement. See section of this handbook on " Zoning ." Be especially careful about including in your lease a list of all appliances that the landlord will "provide and maintain." Don't assume the washer and dryer in the basement will be repaired by the landlord if one breaks down. They may have just been left in the house by previous tenants. Protecting your deposit is a bigger job with a house. Many tenants report being charged at the end of the lease for leaving trash in the yard, damage to a porch, lawn care, cleaning out the basement, etc. Both when you move in and when you move out, you should take photographs of the basement, attic, front and back yards and the porch , in addition to photographs of walls, floors, insides of oven, fridge and cabinets and all fixtures. Damage deposit refund law does not cover houses (except in the City of Urbana). If the house is in Champaign, Savoy or anyplace other than Urbana, be sure your lease states the time period for refund of the deposit and requires the landlord to provide you with an itemized statement of damages within a certain time period. A sample clause appears in the section of this handbook on signing a lease. Return to Home Page Return to Table of Contents

Sell House

Selling Your Home, Sell home, selling a house, selling house, sell your home - Home Services Mortgages Research Moving Zero Down Appraisals -- -- A Simple Guide for Selling a Home on Your Own Preface: Why sell yourself? Selling a home yourself, without an expensive real estate broker is easier than most people think. However, it will take some work on your part. You will be doing a lot of things that a real estate agent might normally do. Just follow the For Sale By Owner.com step-by-step selling guide below, and you'll not only save lots of money, but we'll make the house selling process as effortless as possible It's the money! Sellers save thousands of dollars not paying a 6% or 7% commission. For example, if your home can sell for $250,000, youd save $15,000 to $17,500 in commissions. Sell Your Home Fast. Because you are not paying an outrageous selling commission, you can afford to price your home more aggressively. The lower the price, the more likely it sells fast. You will still walk away with thousands in savings, but you'll just be doing it faster. It's so easy. Despite what a real estate broker may say, selling a house is not rocket science. They know that, and soon you will too. Just follow the simple selling steps below. And, if you have any questions, call us and one of our representatives will try to answer any questions you may have. You are not alone - For Sale By Owner.com will help you every step of the way. We are one of the largest and fastest growing real estate service companies in America. In fact, our web site is one of the top-five most visited real estate sites in America. Thousands of eager home buyers visit us everyday. Perhaps one of them is looking for a home just like yours. Over the past five years, we've helped sell thousands of homes, saving home owners millions of dollars. So let's get started. 8 Easy Steps to Selling a Home Yourself Step 1. Preparing your home to sell - make it look great Presentation is everything! Home buyers are attracted to clean, spacious and attractive houses. Your goal is to dazzle buyers. Brighten-up the house and remove all clutter from counter tops, tables and rooms. Scrub-down your house from top to bottom. Make it sparkle. Simple aesthetic improvements such as trimming trees, planting flowers, fixing squeaking steps, broken tiles, shampooing rugs and even re-painting a faded bedroom will greatly enhance the appeal of your house. Also, make sure your house smells good. That's right, clean out the cat box and light mildly scented candles. Invite a neighbor over to walk through your house like a buyer would. Get their opinion on how it "shows." The stuffed donkey in the family room may have to go to your in-laws for a while. Step 2. Pricing your home effectively Do not over price your home. Over-pricing when you sell a home reduces buyer interest, makes competing homes look like better values, and can lead to mortgage rejections once the appraisal is in. Over-pricing when selling a home is the single biggest reason why many "for sale by owner" home sellers don't sell their homes successfully. Remember: the home selling market dictates the price (not what you think it should be worth). One of the best ways to correctly price your house when selling is to find out how much other homes, similar to your own, recently sold for in your neighborhood. Talk to home sellers, buyers and check out the real estate listings in your local newspaper. Typically, if you set the price of your home at 5 to 10 percent above the market price, you are likely to end up with an offer close to your home's true value. Also, you may try calculating the cost per square foot of your home compared to the house selling prices in your area (divide list price by square footage of livable space). If your house has more features or other desirable qualities, you may want to set a slightly higher house selling price. The easiest way to accurately price your home is to contact your local home appraiser . Finally, set your house selling price just under a whole number, such as $169,900 rather than $170,000. Step 3. Get a real estate lawyer Even though it's an additional expense, it may be wise to hire a lawyer who will protect your interests throughout the entire transaction. An experienced real estate lawyer can help you evaluate complicated offers (those with a variety of conditions), act as an escrow agent to hold the down payment, evaluate complex mortgages and/or leases with options to buy, review contracts and handle your home's closing process. They can also tell you what things, by law, you must disclose to buyers prior to a sale and can also help you avoid inadvertently discriminating against any potential buyers. In some areas, title companies will handle all aspects of the transaction and have in-house legal departments that can assist you with legal issues that may arise. To locate a title company in your area, click here . Unless you're significantly experienced in the home selling process, having a real estate lawyer at your side provides peace-of-mind. You know you've got someone looking out for your interests, not just the buyers. To locate a lawyer in your area, click here Step 4. Marketing your home Exposure, exposure, exposure. That's how sellers sell their home fast. For Sale By Owner.com provides extensive home exposure because over 700,000 unique visitors come to the web site each month (that's Internet-speak for new people). In fact, For Sale By Owner.com is one of the top-five most visited real estate web sites in the U.S. getting literally millions of visitors looking to buy or sell a home. We spend tens of thousands of dollars a month to assure that For Sale By Owner.com is prominently placed on Internet search engines so buyers can easily find our site throughout process of selling your home. If your home is in a market where For Sale By Owner.com has a mass-distributed magazine, your home's exposure will be even greater because they can be found at thousands of locations frequented by buyers that include grocery stores, shopping centers, convenience stores and restaurants (the magazine is in over 40 markets nationwide). Writing your sell ad While For Sale By Owner.com allows you a 3,000 word description of your house (try to afford that in a newspaper ad), your advertising copy should be thorough yet short, simple and to-the-point. Long, flowery prose will not make your house sound more appealing. It will simply make it harder for the home buyer to read. Make sure to provide the critical facts buyers are looking for such as the house's number of bathrooms, a re-modeled kitchen, etc. Most home buyers quickly scan ads, so it is important that your house stands out. For example, you may want to add a theme-line such as "Priced below market" or "Great schools." Stay away from industry jargon and use language that makes home buyers comfortable. Survey our web site and see how others have written their ads. You will quickly see which are "buyer friendly." Copy their approach for your ad. Home Photos: Yes, a picture is worth a thousand words If you are taking a photo of your home, be sure that the home's yard/driveway is uncluttered. Remove bikes, garbage cans and parked cars. The same applies for interior shots. People are looking to buy your house, not your possessions. Think of furniture as props and the room a stage. Move things around if you have to. Also, take lots of house photos. Film is cheap...your home deserves quality. The more you shoot, the better the odds are that you'll get a few really good shots. Lawn signs Lawn signs are one the most important marketing tools for home sellers. They attract attention to your home. Professionally-produced signs (like the ones we can send to you) telegraph to home buyers a "quality" image of your house. Directional signs also help drive buyers to your property, especially if you do not live on a busy street. Open houses Open houses are sometimes a good way to attract buyers to your home. Typically, real estate agents conduct open houses for two reasons; 1. Clients expect them 2. They are a good way to attract buyers, not just for the open house but for all houses for sale in the Real Estate Agent's area (yes, your competition). The fact is that very few houses sell due to a open house itself. Home Brochures/Information sheets It is a good idea to create an information sheet (with a photo) about your home to give potential buyers. Consider printing copies of your ad from For Sale By Owner.com to give to people who visit your home. The MLS The MLS or Multiple Listing Service can also help market your home, particularly to real estate agents who may know of buyers seeking a property like yours. The MLS is a directory used by real estate agents to announce to other agents that they have a home for sale. In many selling markets, For Sale By Owner.com can put your house on the MLS (for an additional fee). However, if a real estate agent finds you a buyer after seeing your home on the MLS, you must usually pay that agent a 2.5% to 3% commission (the law states that all commissions are negotiable, however). You are your home's best salesman As every salesman knows, to be effective you have to really know your product. And who knows your home better than you? Certainly not a real estate agent, who, in all likelihood, has spent only a few moments in your house before showing it to prospective buyers. Sell your neighborhood as well as your house. Show enthusiasm, but don't get caught-up talking too much about how "your daughter spent the best years of her life in this very room." Step 5. Negotiating an offer on your home When a home buyer makes an offer (this is often presented to you directly from the buyer or through their lawyer), you should consult with your attorney. Buyers and sellers have an Attorney Review Period, which is usually three days, to cancel or amend the offer. The offer becomes a contract at the end of the Attorney Review Period, and is binding. Many of your home's offers can be complicated and contain special clauses that favor the buyer. Purchase price isn't everything. Carefully consider the purchase contract's other terms and conditions. Too many contingencies can leave loopholes and cause a deal to collapse. Especially avoid contingencies that favor the house's buyer, such as linking the escrow closing date to the buyer's sale of their current home. If the buyer insists on such terms, include a so-called kick-out clause in the contract that will allow you to consider other offers if the buyer isn't able to sell within a certain period of time. Assess your buyer's financial qualifications Is the buyer pre-approved? How much of a loan is the buyer seeking? Unless you are in an active market, lenders tend to shy away from underwriting a deal in which the purchase price is higher than the nearest comparable sale and the buyer is putting less than 10% down. If this is the case, your buyer may not be able to obtain financing. Know the home selling market How you judge an offer also can depend on market conditions. If the selling market is slow, you may feel vulnerable, especially if circumstances are pressing you to sell. Make sure any offer you accept does not keep you in escrow longer than 30 days. In a hot market where multiple offers are likely, be wary of countering more than one offer at a time (you could end up in legal trouble if two buyers both accept your counter offer). Also be wary of offers that promise more money but contain poor contract terms (long escrow, multiple contingencies, etc.). If you feel the home's offer is insufficient, make a counter offer. Rarely is a first offer the buyer's absolute highest price they are willing to pay. Negotiating is part of the home selling process. Again, your lawyer should review the details of all offers. Step 6. Home inspections All standard real estate contracts are going to give the prospective home buyer the right to inspect your property - so be prepared. Under a general inspection you are obligated to make major repairs to appliances, plumbing, septic, electrical and heating systems - or the buyer may cancel the offer. The inspection will also include your property's roof, as well as a termite inspection (in some states, house sellers must provide proof that the home is termite free). If you are concerned about how your home will fair when inspected, you may want to visit your local inspector . They can conduct an inspection for you before a potential buyer has one done. This way, you can address the problems before a buyer stumbles upon them. Once the inspections are complete, the buyer makes an application to a mortgage lender. Step 7. Buyer appraisals and other details The mortgage lender will order an appraisal of your home to make sure they are not paying more than the house is worth. They may also order a surveyor to make sure that the property boundaries are properly laid out. They will also order a title search to determine if there are any liens against your property. These tasks are all the responsibility of the buyer and/or their attorney. At this point too, the mortgage company will issue a commitment . Again, the buyer (and their attorney) must complete all conditions listed on the mortgage commitment. Prior to closing, you should notify your lender that you will be paying off your mortgage. After a closing date has been agreed to, you should contact your utility providers and advise them of your final billing date. Step 8. Closing The day of the closing , the home's buyer will do a "walk through" of the property to make sure all agreed repairs are completed and that the home is in the same condition as when the buyer made their offer. If problems arise that this point, the closing can still take place with funds held in escrow to remedy the problem. Closings usually occur 30 - 45 days after you have signed the sales contract. Depending on what state you reside in, you may close with an attorney, or with a title company. At the closing, all monies will be collected, any existing loans or liens will be paid, the deed will be transferred, and insurance will be issued insuring a free and clear title. The home seller will receive the proceeds of their home in one to two business days after the closing. Conclusion This step-by-step home selling guide is a general overview of the process when selling a home. Each state has slightly different laws and customs as they relate to the transaction process. Selling a home yourself can be time consuming, but the financial rewards can be tremendous. With help from For Sale By Owner.com , we try to make the process of home selling on your own as easy as possible. For Sale By Owner.com Your experts in selling a home on your own. -- Privacy & Disclaimer Partner With Us Career Opportunities Press Room Contact Us Buying A Home Your Credit Report Terms and Conditions Home Selling Tips Selling Your Home © 1997-2005 For Sale By Owner.com Your source for selling a home on your own. We make the home selling process a cinch. Sell real estate, sell a home, and sell your house, fsbo. Real estate selling, home selling, house selling. Site Map Home