Selling Home

Smartmoney.com: Real Estate: Sell Your Home — Fast Thursday December 29, 2005 3:32 PM ET U.S. Markets close in: :28 Search (choose an option below) Quote Charting Earnings Ratings Competition Financials Profile Key Statistics Insiders Site Search News (Enter Symbol) advanced search SmartMoney Select My Portfolio Tools Maps Stocks Advanced Trading Funds ETFs Personal Finance Autos Career Journal College Planning Debt Management Health Care Insurance Life LTC Insurance Real Estate Retirement Tax Guide Economy & Bonds Small Business SmartMoney TV SmartMoney Magazine SmartMoney University Business Travel Technology SmartMoney Mobile Holiday Survival Guide Select Homepage Stock Screener Market Map 1000 Fund Screener Stock Compare Fund Map 1000 Fund Compare XStream Quotes More... Portfolio Tracker Watchlist Calendar Intraday Alerts News Alerts Sector Tracker ETF Center Map of the Market XStream Quotes Stock Screener Stock Compare Price Check Calculator More... 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The Market Now ForexTV Futures Life Stages CEO Interview Sturm Screen Mossberg Report Subscribe Give a gift Customer Service Media Kit Editorial Calendar Custom Publishing Investing 101 Taking Action Strategic Investing Quizzes More... Please enable javascript to properly view the menu. Site Map DJIA 10789.06 -7.20 Nasdaq 2219.66 -9.28 S&P 500 1255.08 -3.09 Rus 2000 679.31 -0.77 10 Yr Bd 4.36 -0.01 DJTA 4248.75 24.82 Wil 5000 12585.54 -25.30 S&P 400 743.20 -0.93 Nas 100 1655.52 -11.58 Sign up now for FREE SmartMoney.com Newsletters Enter your email address below Personal Finance : Real Estate : Selling : Sell Your Home — Fast Real Estate Sell Your Home — Fast By Stacey L. Bradford Click here for more stories by Stacey L. Bradford . In This Section A Seller's Checklist Choosing a Broker Wisely Selling Without a Broker Taxes When You Sell Your Home More... Related Content Ask SmartMoney Who Gets the Home? To Rent or to Buy? Advertisement 4.25% APY with hsbcdirect.com Online Savings. Earn 8X the national savings average and make money into big money. No minimums. No monthly fees. Member FDIC. Email This Story Print This Story Save This Story Send Us Your Comments Add this column to your News Alerts (New!) IF YOU'RE LOOKING TO sell your home in a matter of days rather than months, you might want to take some tips from 32-year-old Mona Ross Berman. To get her Washington, D.C., townhouse ready for sale in early 2004, the interior designer went through every room, sweating the details. She rearranged furniture, added sophisticated coffee-table books and strategically placed vases and throw pillows to create a cozy environment. She then organized every closet to showcase her ample storage space. Finally, she removed all personal items, including her wedding photos, so potential buyers wouldn't associate the house with someone else. "I think that if you can get a home to show well, it can get you [better results] than it really should," Berman says. Her strategy worked. Within four days of placing her property on the market, she had five offers in hand. Long gone are the days when you can simply throw some cookie dough into the oven and get an offer for your house. Thanks to the Internet, home buyers are more sophisticated and demanding than ever before. At a bare minimum, would-be sellers need to dispose of clutter and make any necessary repairs. But to really make a property stand out from the crowd and sell quickly, sellers might need to do the following. 1. Hire an Interior Designer A well-decorated home will sell faster and for more money than one that looks frumpy. That's why more and more sellers are hiring interior designers to do everything from rearrange furniture and paint walls a neutral color to rent artwork. This service, known as "staging," can cost anywhere from a few hundred dollars for a small job to several thousand dollars for high-end properties, says Patricia Dugan, a realtor with The Corcoran Group. Experts across the country agree that the investment is worthwhile for most properties. According to 2002 data from Coldwell Banker, staged homes in the San Francisco Bay area spent just 25.3 days on the market and sold at the asking price, while "non-staged" homes languished on the market for 48.2 days and sold for 2% below the asking price. This information is based on more than 3,000 homes sold between Jan. 1, 2002 and Oct. 31, 2002. 2. Hire an Organizer A lovely décor will get you only so far. To really get the buyers chomping at the bit, you need to highlight your home's storage space as well. That means everything should be clean and organized — closets, bathroom vanities, the garage and basement. It might sound trivial, but your home's sale really could rest on whether your linen closets can comfortably store your towels. If you identify more with Oscar Madison of "The Odd Couple" than with Felix Ungar, it might make sense to hire a professional organizer for $75 to $100 an hour. This is especially helpful for those who've lived in their homes for many years and don't know how to dig themselves out of the mess. Some organizers will even help run a yard sale that could end up paying for their services. If you're not sure how to find this type of service, ask your realtor. Most have a list of pros at their fingertips. 3. Hire a Photographer Up to 74% of home buyers start their search online, according to the National Association of Realtors. Indeed, the Web has become such an important marketing tool that all the realtors we spoke with encourage their clients to hire a professional photographer, which can cost as little as $100, for their online snapshots. Think of it this way: If someone doesn't like how your home looks on the Web, he or she won't bother to make an appointment to see the property in person. Is that a risk you're willing to take? While putting photographs online isn't exactly new, there are some emerging trends. Six years ago it was OK to have one outside shot of the house, says Tara Rogers, director of marketing for Real Living, a Columbus, Ohio-based real-estate firm. Now, some potential buyers want to see up to a 10-picture slideshow detailing multiple rooms before they commit to a walk-through, she says. Dare to post small, grainy pictures, and risk little foot traffic in your home. 4. Try Marketing Gimmicks Despite impressive national home-sale figures, some local markets are starting to soften. For example, homes in the western suburbs of Boston are starting to languish on the market for up to 90 days after previously selling in just 15 to 30, says Nelson Zide, co-owner of ERA Key Realty Services, a Framingham, Mass.-based real-estate brokerage. Zide recently started implementing marketing gimmicks to increase the number of potential buyers to walk through his clients' homes. "I haven't done this in 12 or 13 years," he says. What strategies does he use? Rather than slash the asking price, he might encourage condo owners, for example, to pay the maintenance fees for a full year, or ask home owners to provide buyers with a cash rebate that's marketed as a decorating allowance. Nine times out of 10, such gimmicks cost less than it would to drop the asking price enough to attract a buyer with a smaller budget, says Zide. It's just one more way to get a potential buyer excited about your home. 5. Hold Open Houses The benefits of an open house are debatable. Industry experts agree that they tend to benefit realtors more than home owners. (After all, it's a great way for realtors to get new clients.) But that doesn't mean that they can't work. The key is to hold them at various times of the day and week so that folks with busy schedules can squeeze in a viewing. Real Living's Rogers says her company's agents make sure to schedule open houses on Saturdays, as well as in the evenings so people can stop by after work. Another technique more people are implementing is to hold open houses at the time of day when their house shows the best. If you have a beautiful garden, show it off during the morning before the flowers start to wilt. If you have a stunning view of the sunset, make sure people get to see the late-afternoon light. In other words, if there's one thing that you love most about your home, be sure to share it with potential buyers. For more on selling your home, read our recent article . 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Home Loan

Welcome to FHLB Cincinnati! -- -- Members Only Login User Name: Password: -- Terms and Conditions Privacy Policy Many documents on this site require Adobe Acrobat. Download Now Housing Workshops The FHLBank is holding regional workshops on the Affordable Housing Program (AHP) and Welcome Home program from January 19 through February 2 throughout the District. The AHP workshops will focus on the online AHP application, which opens February 1 with a deadline of March 31. Some of the topics included in the Welcome Home workshops are eligibility; program changes for 2006; and reserving, requesting and receiving funds. The Welcome Home program will open on February 1. FHLBank Cincinnati's Fourth-Quarter Dividend Approved The Federal Housing Finance Board's Office of Supervision has approved a fourth-quarter dividend of 5.75 percent per annum for the period October 1, 2005 to December 31, 2005, compared to 4.875 for the third quarter. This dividend will be paid in the form of additional shares of capital stock on December 31, 2005. FHLBank Closed Monday, December 26 and Monday, January 2 In observance of Christmas Day and New Year's Day, the FHLBank will be closed on Monday, December 26 and Monday, January 2. Happy holidays to all! Year-End Deposit Pricing, Advance Requests, and Funds Transfer Notices Due to the potential for volatility in the Federal funds market during the holiday season, the FHLBank has modified the following policies and procedures related to its services. The FHLBank will reserve the right to price funds from incoming wires received after 2:00 p.m. EST, at the prevailing rate at that particular time. In order to ensure same day credit for incoming wires, the wire transfer must be received by 3:00 p.m. EST . In addition, the FHLBank requires that all advance, securities, MPP activity and deposit program transaction requests, as well as outgoing wire transfer requests, be made prior to 2:00 p.m. EST on December 23 and 30. New Neighbors Hurricane Assistance Program The New Neighbors program was created by the FHLBank to provide housing assistance to households displaced by the 2005 hurricanes. Member institutions and their partner sponsors can obtain grants of up to $20,000 per rental or owner-occupied unit. The next deadline for rental applications will be announced in January, 2006. The New Neighbors Homeownership Program is an open window and available on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information, click here . CMA/Var 1 day 4.41% 1 month LIBOR 4.49% 3 month LIBOR 4.61% Reg Fixed 7.00 yrs 5.06% MMA 10 yrs 5.64% MMA 15 yrs 5.81% SPMMA 10-5% CPR 5.27% SPMMA 10-15% CPR 5.23% SPMMA 15-10% CPR 5.28% Rates Posted 12/29/2005 2:16:59 PM List of advance rates investor relations mark your calendar FHLBank 2006 Dates • holiday schedule • regional stockholder meetings • housing workshops • housing deadlines

Home For Sale

Property for Sale - Flats & Houses for sale - Property Search - Fish4 cars homes lettings jobs About fish4 | Contact us | FAQ's Search Buying Selling Mortgages Utilities Surveys Insurance Removals Estate agent directory New homes Overseas homes Find an estate agent Use our directory to find agents in your area. Location Agent’s Name Save adverts, set up email alerts... SIGN IN | Register myfish4 Homes for sale - search We have 295,639 homes for sale Location* eg Leeds or RG1 Minimum price £ £10,000 £20,000 £25,000 £30,000 £35,000 £40,000 £45,000 £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 £225,000 £250,000 £275,000 £300,000 £325,000 £350,000 £375,000 £400,000 £425,000 £450,000 £475,000 £500,000 £550,000 £600,000 £650,000 £700,000 £800,000 £900,000 £1,000,000 £1,500,000 £2,000,000 £3,000,000 Maximum price £ £20,000 £25,000 £30,000 £35,000 £40,000 £45,000 £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 £225,000 £250,000 £275,000 £300,000 £325,000 £350,000 £375,000 £400,000 £425,000 £450,000 £475,000 £500,000 £550,000 £600,000 £650,000 £700,000 £800,000 £900,000 £1,000,000 £1,500,000 £2,000,000 £3,000,000 Minimum bedrooms No preference Studio At least One At least Two At least Three At least Four At least Five Property type No preference House - Detached House - Semi-detached Flat/Apartment House - Other Bungalow Other Advanced search This weeks deals New homes Search exclusively for brand new property developments across the UK Home insurance Search great value insurance and learn about protecting your home. Surveys and solicitors Learn everything you need to know about surveys, auctions, convenancing and your property rights Find a mortgage Search every mortgage available in the UK via our mortgage guide Overseas Homes Use fish4's comprehensive search facility to find your dream home Discounts with British Gas Up to 190 of discounts could be yours, just switch through British Gas online ©2005 fish4 trading ltd. All rights reserved. | User terms | Privacy policy UI build: $Revision: 1.2 $, $Name: $ Code build: fish4_1_40_b02 Page:/homes Business:/vertical/homes/simplesearch.jsp Template:/containers/homes_home.jsp Render time: 27ms (0ms Action,27ms JSP, 0ms system)

REAL ESTATE BROKER PAGE

NYS DOS, Division of Licensing Services, Real Estate Broker Menu Department of State Dos Homepage | Corporations | Licensing | Local Government | Fire Prevention & Control | Commissions REAL ESTATE BROKER PAGE [ Acrobat PDF File Download Information ] Typeable PDF Form Information ] -- FORM DOWNLOAD INSTRUCTIONS: To ensure accurate printing from within Acrobat Reader, please uncheck the "scale to page" or "shrink oversized pages to paper size" settings on the Print Dialog box. What's New? Effective July 1, 2005 , the Division of Licensing Services replaced the real estate salesperson and broker walk-in examination system with an online reservation examination scheduling system for our Albany, New York City, Franklin Square, Hauppauge and Newburgh exam centers. To schedule an examination or for more information, please clickhere . IMPORTANT ADVISORY: Section 442 of the Real Property Law previously prohibited a real estate broker from paying any part of a commission to an unlicensed person, firm, corporation or LLC if the payment was intended as compensation for a service that would require a real estate license. Accordingly, the amendment of August 10, 2004 , permits a real estate broker to pay the commission earned by a licensed associate broker or salesperson to an unlicensed corporation or unlicensed LLC , if each of the shareholders of the corporation or each member of the LLC, is an individual who is licensed and properly associated with the real estate broker as a licensed associate broker or salesperson. This amendment does not entitle the associate real estate broker or real estate salesperson to be licensed or to advertise in the name of the corporation or LLC, nor will the records maintained by Department of State, Division of Licensing, reflect the name of the corporation or LLC. A licensee may NOT use the name of the corporation or LLC on business cards. LICENSING FORMS/GENERAL INFORMATION SCHOOL INFORMATION Albany, Franklin Square, Hauppauge, New York City and Newburgh Exam Information and Schedule (online) January-March 2006 Exam Information and Schedule Real Estate Qualifying Course Approval Application - 9/04 Download (153KB PDF Form) (2 pages) Binghamton, Buffalo, Plattsburgh, Rochester, Syracuse, Utica and Watertown Exam Information and Schedule (Walk in) January-March 2006 Exam Information and Schedule Real Estate Qualifying Course Approval Renewal Application - 9/04 Download (128KB PDF Form) (1 page) Real Estate License Law - 10/04 (Real Property Law, Art. 12-A, plus Related Statutes and Laws) Download (186KB PDF File) (63 pages) -- Real Estate Continuing Education Course Approval Application - 4/05 Download (18KB PDF Form) (2 pages) License Application and Instructions - 5/05 Download (21KB PDF Form) (7 pages) Real Estate Continuing Education Course Approval Renewal Application - 4/05 Download (12KB PDF Form) (1 page) Real Estate Branch Office Application and Instructions - 11/02 Download (7.15KB PDF Form) (1 page) Real Estate Instructor Application - 4/05 Download (32KB PDF Form) (2 pages) Credit Card Authorization Form - 1/04 Download (112KB PDF Form) (1 page) Fax and phone numbers for obtaining an application Technical Real Estate Instructor Application - 4/05 Download (12KB PDF Form) (2 pages) Additional Forms: (These forms are not suitable for reproduction on the Internet. See Ordering information ) Broker Change of Address Salesperson/Associate Broker Change of Association Salesperson/Associate Broker Termination of Association Uniform Irrevocable Consent and Designation/Foreign Corporation Uniform Irrevocable Consent and Designation/Individual and Partnership Reciprocity FAQ for Applicants for Real Estate Broker/Salesperson Licensure About the DOS Return to DOS Home Page DOS Accessibility Statement DOS Privacy Statement

Home Mortgage

Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs Primary Mortgage Loan Page | Home | About WDVA | Current Events | Forms & Brochures | News & Publications | Federal Veterans Benefits | State Veterans Benefits | Eligibility | Education Programs | Emergency Grants | Employment Assistance | Help for the Homeless | I Owe You Program | Job Retraining Grants | Loans | Military Funeral Honors | Transportation to VA Medical Appointments | Veterans Cemeteries | Veterans Homes | Veterans Memorials | Veterans Museum | Veterans Service Offices | Women Veterans | Veterans Links | Site Map | Contact WDVA | Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs "Making a difference in the lives of Wisconsin Veterans" > Home > State Veterans Benefits > Loans > Primary Mortgage Loan Home Loan How to Apply | Requirements | Eligibility Current Interest Rate 5.99% Don't miss out on the ADVANTAGES of a WDVA Primary Mortgage Loan! Finance up to 95% of the purchase price of an existing home or cost to construct a new home. Refinance the balance due on mortgage loans. 30-year Fixed Rate -Lower monthly principal and interest payments that will never increase. Low down payment (5% down). Low closing costs, no points . No prepayment penalty. WDVA pays the loan origination fees of veterans with 30% or more service conected disabilities. No private mortgage insurance (PMI). Lenders require PMI for loans with less than a 20% down payment. Wisconsin offers a state veterans home loan program, entitled the Primary Mortgage Loan (PML), that is different from the USDVA Home Loan Guaranty Program. The state veterans home loan may be used for: Purchase or purchase and improvement of a single family home or condominium. Construction of a new single family home. Purchase of certain existing 2 to 4-unit owner occupied residence. (Must be occupied as borrower's principal residence.) Refinance of the balance due on existing mortgage loans used for purchase, construction, or improvement of a residence. COMPARE MONTHLY PAYMENTS for a $250,000, 30 year, 5% down Conventional WDVA Savings Rate 5.85% 5.99% P&I $1,475 $1,497 PMI $163 $0 Payment $1,638 $1,497 $141 SAVE $1,692 ANNUALLY Requirements The state veterans home loan is available to: Eligible Wisconsin veterans. Members and former members of the National Guard and Reserve who have completed 6 years of continuous service under honorable conditions. Unremarried spouses and dependent children of eligible deceased veterans. Eligibility Before you can apply for a loan you must establish eligibility for Wisconsin veterans benefits and then obtain a Certificate of Eligibility. Contact your County Veterans Service Office for assistance. If you have had past benefits with WDVA, you can obtain your Certificate of Eligibility on our Web site. How To Apply Bring your WDVA Certificate of Eligibility to a participating lender when you apply for your state veterans home loan. Local banks, savings and loans, credit unions, and mortgage brokers participate in our home loan program. For More Information For loan-specific questions, call 1-800-WIS-VETS (947-8387), or email the Loan Section . For eligibility and application process questions, contact your County Veterans Service Office . The information above regarding WDVA loans is not all-inclusive and may change without notice. WARNING: The WDVA receives a statewide support lien docket listing all individuals who have a delinquent child-support obligation in Wisconsin. According to state law, the WDVA may not approve a Primary Mortgage Loan or a Home Improvement Loan for any applicant on the docket unless the applicant provides one of the following items: Provides a statement signed by the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development or its designee showing that all delinquent obligations have been paid. A copy of a child-support repayment agreement that has been kept current for the six month period before the date the WDVA receives the application as long as no lien exists. Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs 30 W. Mifflin Street • Madison, WI 53703 (608) 266-1311 or toll-free 1-800-WIS-VETS (947-8387) Legal Notices and Disclaimers Email: Webmaster