Search Real Estate Property the Easy Way by Taking a Ride with Staged for Success on the Pittsburgh Foreclosure Bus
By Christine Emmick
In today’s economy, foreclosures are inevitable, but the current market is great for Pittsburgh. In February of this year, Pittsburgh was named one of the best places to ride out the recession by Business Week. With a solid job market and plenty of affordable housing, Pittsburgh and the surrounding tri-state area could see home prices actually increase over the next decade. This is good for the local real estate market, especially since real estate is on sale right now. The market plunge has caused the Pittsburgh real estate value to dip slightly, about one percent according to real estate market reports found at Zillow.com. With news like this now is the time to buy.
Real estate foreclosures present exciting buying opportunities for first time home buyers and those interested in investment property. You could comb through the real estate property listings filled with bargain basement money pits or go to one of those questionable real estate auctions requiring thousands of dollars cash up front to find foreclosures. Or you could take a ride on The Success Bus. Staged for Success, the premier staging company in the Pittsburgh region, is hosting real estate bus tours in many Pittsburgh regions. This hassle-free way of looking at real estate from Staged for Success takes you on a comfortable bus ride, using their gasoline, and lets you examine properties that are worthy of your time and money, with no pressure to buy any of the houses they show.
A ride on The Success Bus lasts from about 10am until 4pm and features full viewing of approximately twelve foreclosure properties. These real estate listings are hand selected so you won’t waste your time looking at houses that need torn down and made into a parking lot. The real estate tour also includes advice from experts in the Pittsburgh real estate markets and experienced negotiators to help get the best price for the home. Not only that, Staged for Success provides lunch, including chips, drink and sandwich. For those that choose to make a purchase, take any of the classes available on their website or use any of their staging services, they offer 25 to 50 percent off their services. The cost of the tour is only 50 dollars per person or 90 dollars per couple and you receive a full refund of the tour admission when purchasing a home through the program. For upcoming tour dates and Pittsburgh neighborhood locations, visit www.thesuccessbus.com or call 724-757-9291. For any questions about the online home buyer’s class, visit the Staged for Success website at www.mystagingpros.com.
It’s time to get on the bus!
Content sponsored by Staged for Success, a full service home and business staging company serving the greater Pittsburgh area. For more information about Staged for Success, visit their website at www.mystagingpros.com.
Christine Emmick is a freelance business and real estate writer based in the Pittsburgh area. You may contact Christine through her blog site at www.activerain.com/cemmick.
Showing posts with label real estate. Show all posts
Showing posts with label real estate. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Get Your House Ready to Sell This Spring
Strategic Home Improvement Increases Your Home Value, Inside and Out
By Christine Emmick
Spring is a great time to do home improvement and when you’re selling a home, you need every one of those investment dollars to count. When a home buyer looks for houses for sale, curb appeal is not the only important factor anymore. Multi-photo listings and virtual home tours mean you need to have your house looking its best, both inside and out, before the real estate agent does a home appraisal.
Start with your home interior. Tackle the clutter and get rid of anything you do not use at least on a weekly basis. Give away what you don’t use, throw away the junk and store the rest. You’ll find dozens of storage facilities listed at uhaul.com. Then decide whether you’ll hire a carpet cleaner or carpet installer. If your carpet is more than five years old or it is stained, it’s best to replace it with new, neutral colored carpet. Finally, get a few estimates from a painting contractor to give the interior walls a fresh look. Again, make sure you choose neutral house paint colors.
Next tackle the outside of the house. Attack the clutter here as well, and then consider new improvements like roof, windows, siding and exterior house paint which will ultimately raise the sale price of your home. Again, keep with neutral shades and be sure to choose colors that complement one another. In general, avoid blue with reds, and any purple, pink or orange hues. Also, make sure to get a copy of the insurance certificate of any roofer, window installer or painter before they do any work and check the references for each contractor as well.
Don’t forget the landscaping. People get their first impression of a property from the landscaping and simple inexpensive changes, such as adding an accent shrub or replacing mulch, can make a big difference. A general landscape contractor can bring an established landscape back to life, but it’s best to hire a landscape architect to re-design a badly maintained site. Early spring is the perfect time to hire a landscape contractor since most are eager to get to work after the off season.
You can do all this yourself, if you have the time and resources. Most people selling a house don’t have time to check a contractor’s references, let alone have the experience required to inspect their work. This is where a good staging company, like Staged for Success comes in. A staging company hires experienced contractors for you who have a proven record of reliability. Also, the staging company is often times able to negotiate a better contract price than a homeowner, mostly due to the volume of business they bring to that contractor.
Staged for Success, the premier staging company in the greater Pittsburgh area, provides free consultations to all prospective staging clients and offers online classes for both those looking to buy and sell a home. Try the Home Buyer Class if you want to know more about real estate agents, credit scores. The Home Sellers Class, which is geared to help you make the most of the selling process, gives details on what to look for in a real estate agent, as well as the particulars on how to make your home look its best. You can reach them at their website, http://www.mystagingpros.com/, or by telephone at 1-877-615-3294.
Spend some time on home improvements this spring. This is the way you “Set the Stage” to sell your home successfully.
Content sponsored by Staged for Success, a full service home and business staging company serving the greater Pittsburgh area. For more information about Staged for Success, visit their website at www.mystagingpros.com.
Christine Emmick is a freelance business and real estate writer based in the Pittsburgh area. You may contact Christine through her blog site at www.activerain.com/cemmick.
By Christine Emmick
Spring is a great time to do home improvement and when you’re selling a home, you need every one of those investment dollars to count. When a home buyer looks for houses for sale, curb appeal is not the only important factor anymore. Multi-photo listings and virtual home tours mean you need to have your house looking its best, both inside and out, before the real estate agent does a home appraisal.
Start with your home interior. Tackle the clutter and get rid of anything you do not use at least on a weekly basis. Give away what you don’t use, throw away the junk and store the rest. You’ll find dozens of storage facilities listed at uhaul.com. Then decide whether you’ll hire a carpet cleaner or carpet installer. If your carpet is more than five years old or it is stained, it’s best to replace it with new, neutral colored carpet. Finally, get a few estimates from a painting contractor to give the interior walls a fresh look. Again, make sure you choose neutral house paint colors.
Next tackle the outside of the house. Attack the clutter here as well, and then consider new improvements like roof, windows, siding and exterior house paint which will ultimately raise the sale price of your home. Again, keep with neutral shades and be sure to choose colors that complement one another. In general, avoid blue with reds, and any purple, pink or orange hues. Also, make sure to get a copy of the insurance certificate of any roofer, window installer or painter before they do any work and check the references for each contractor as well.
Don’t forget the landscaping. People get their first impression of a property from the landscaping and simple inexpensive changes, such as adding an accent shrub or replacing mulch, can make a big difference. A general landscape contractor can bring an established landscape back to life, but it’s best to hire a landscape architect to re-design a badly maintained site. Early spring is the perfect time to hire a landscape contractor since most are eager to get to work after the off season.
You can do all this yourself, if you have the time and resources. Most people selling a house don’t have time to check a contractor’s references, let alone have the experience required to inspect their work. This is where a good staging company, like Staged for Success comes in. A staging company hires experienced contractors for you who have a proven record of reliability. Also, the staging company is often times able to negotiate a better contract price than a homeowner, mostly due to the volume of business they bring to that contractor.
Staged for Success, the premier staging company in the greater Pittsburgh area, provides free consultations to all prospective staging clients and offers online classes for both those looking to buy and sell a home. Try the Home Buyer Class if you want to know more about real estate agents, credit scores. The Home Sellers Class, which is geared to help you make the most of the selling process, gives details on what to look for in a real estate agent, as well as the particulars on how to make your home look its best. You can reach them at their website, http://www.mystagingpros.com/, or by telephone at 1-877-615-3294.
Spend some time on home improvements this spring. This is the way you “Set the Stage” to sell your home successfully.
Content sponsored by Staged for Success, a full service home and business staging company serving the greater Pittsburgh area. For more information about Staged for Success, visit their website at www.mystagingpros.com.
Christine Emmick is a freelance business and real estate writer based in the Pittsburgh area. You may contact Christine through her blog site at www.activerain.com/cemmick.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Investing in the Future of Real Estate
Mary B. Smith - Pittsburgh, PA
In today's unstable economic climate, it is more important than ever to take hold of one's own future. With unemployment rates rising and investment in the stock market producing less than favorable results, real estate continues to be a sound investment for the future. It opens opportunities for financial success to anyone with the right knowledge and a small amount of determination.
Jim Toner knows this fact well, going from rags to riches while building his own success through real estate investments. Twenty years ago, Toner lived in a one-room apartment furnished with plastic lawn furniture. Today, he resides in a beautiful home with his wife and two children and can easily afford luxury cars and vacations. Even more important than the luxury comforts is the peace of mind that comes with financial stability, a peace of mind that everyone strives to achieve.
Toner helps others gain that kind of personal freedom and financial security by helping those less fortunate through his involvement in community assistance programs and sharing his knowledge and experience in real estate. Toner, who was born and raised in Pittsburgh, feels a strong sense of responsibility to give back to the community. "It is my opinion that any part of a successful life must include helping others," says Toner, "this is why we make it a point to stay actively involved in community, national and international outreach services."
Toner achieves this goal by donating his time as head of the advisory board for the McKeesport branch Salvation Army. In addition, Toner acts as a board member of Frank McKinney's Caring House Project Foundation, a non-profit organization that helps the poor all over the world by providing shelter, food, water and even medical support.
They also help people in need within their own community via Hope Lives Foundation. This non-profit organization focuses on providing hope and basic needs to people that have slipped through the cracks of other charitable organizations and have nowhere else to go. The Hope Lives Foundation provides housing, food, clothing and monetary help with utility bills and security deposits.
Besides helping those in need, Toner also strives to help fellow community members achieve their financial goals by offering the benefits of his 20 years of experience in real estate. He shares these useful tools and insight through seminars and workshops. He also has the assistance of a complete team of local people who know how to avoid the risks and pitfalls when making a real estate investment. The Wealth Builders team is made up of local investors, familiar with the Pittsburgh real estate market, that assist and support local investors as they launch their own real estate investment business.
The Wealth Builders team is sponsoring a free seminar, complete with free beverages and appetizers. The seminar will cover all the basics of "flip" investing, rental real estate and more. This event will be held at Dave & Buster's Restaurant at the Waterfront in Homestead, PA on Saturday, January 31 at 12 noon. To register for this free event, call 412-673-9800 or go to the website, www.jimtonerswealthbuilders.com. Registration is required as space is limited.
Mary Smith is a freelance writer and aspiring author.
In today's unstable economic climate, it is more important than ever to take hold of one's own future. With unemployment rates rising and investment in the stock market producing less than favorable results, real estate continues to be a sound investment for the future. It opens opportunities for financial success to anyone with the right knowledge and a small amount of determination.
Jim Toner knows this fact well, going from rags to riches while building his own success through real estate investments. Twenty years ago, Toner lived in a one-room apartment furnished with plastic lawn furniture. Today, he resides in a beautiful home with his wife and two children and can easily afford luxury cars and vacations. Even more important than the luxury comforts is the peace of mind that comes with financial stability, a peace of mind that everyone strives to achieve.
Toner helps others gain that kind of personal freedom and financial security by helping those less fortunate through his involvement in community assistance programs and sharing his knowledge and experience in real estate. Toner, who was born and raised in Pittsburgh, feels a strong sense of responsibility to give back to the community. "It is my opinion that any part of a successful life must include helping others," says Toner, "this is why we make it a point to stay actively involved in community, national and international outreach services."
Toner achieves this goal by donating his time as head of the advisory board for the McKeesport branch Salvation Army. In addition, Toner acts as a board member of Frank McKinney's Caring House Project Foundation, a non-profit organization that helps the poor all over the world by providing shelter, food, water and even medical support.
They also help people in need within their own community via Hope Lives Foundation. This non-profit organization focuses on providing hope and basic needs to people that have slipped through the cracks of other charitable organizations and have nowhere else to go. The Hope Lives Foundation provides housing, food, clothing and monetary help with utility bills and security deposits.
Besides helping those in need, Toner also strives to help fellow community members achieve their financial goals by offering the benefits of his 20 years of experience in real estate. He shares these useful tools and insight through seminars and workshops. He also has the assistance of a complete team of local people who know how to avoid the risks and pitfalls when making a real estate investment. The Wealth Builders team is made up of local investors, familiar with the Pittsburgh real estate market, that assist and support local investors as they launch their own real estate investment business.
The Wealth Builders team is sponsoring a free seminar, complete with free beverages and appetizers. The seminar will cover all the basics of "flip" investing, rental real estate and more. This event will be held at Dave & Buster's Restaurant at the Waterfront in Homestead, PA on Saturday, January 31 at 12 noon. To register for this free event, call 412-673-9800 or go to the website, www.jimtonerswealthbuilders.com. Registration is required as space is limited.
Mary Smith is a freelance writer and aspiring author.
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