Posts tagged: how to get more sales in real estate

This is an article that everyone needs to read. The facts are these, that sometimes a nursing home will actually teach and train a new resident or patient to be incontinent. How does this happen? How can something like this happen in this day and age? I will type here how this happens with an example of a forty-five year old female patient who entered a nursing home for short term care for therapy.

Here is the story:

At the hospital, the patient was not incontinent, never had accidents and was able to sleep and live without wearing diapers, just like in the regular world. Then the hospital transferred the patient into a good nursing home so that she could get short-term therapy for an injury to her left leg. She would need the therapy, physical therapy in order to learn to walk again. She now had the use of only one leg.

Immediately when she got to the nursing home, the nurse, who would be caring for her, asked if she wanted to wear a diaper. The patient hesitated answering because she thought that question was odd. After all, she did not need a diaper, nor did she want to wear a diaper. The nurse proceeded to say things like, well, in case you have an accident. The patient was basically, politely talked into wearing a diaper while at the nursing home, even though it was against her better judgment to begin wearing diapers at her age since she did not need diapers.

As in all nursing homes and hospitals, when patients are wearing diapers, they are told to go in their diapers. After all, that is what a diaper is for, correct? So this patient, at times, would just go in the diapers, using herself to have a bowel movement, since she was wearing the diaper. What it amounted to was that it was easier to dump in the diaper than it was to get a nurse to come to help her out of bed, then help her to the bathroom. The patient became increasingly afraid of falling and was made o think that diaper would stop falls and the diaper would also stop the patient from calling the nurse to help her to the bathroom. After all, make the nurse happy because she is the one who will be around most, for emergencies and all.

But from the beginning with this particular nurse who talked the patient into wearing a diaper, the patient and probably many other patients were put in diapers for the convenience of the nursing home, not for the convenience of patients. The patient did in her diaper one day and the nurse became a little upset about what happened, and then the nurse convinced the patient that she had an accident. When indeed, the patient had no accident, but instead the patient dumped in the diaper BECAUSE she was wearing a diaper and because when the patients rang for help, they had to wait and wait for someone to come and help them. Family members witnessed how long it took a nurse to come there one day, just to change the diaper. So the nursing home gave so many mixed messages to the patients that the patients eventually became confused as to why the heck they were in diapers to begin with.

So, many times, nursing home patients are automatically put in diapers for convenience. The homes make the patients lose their dignity — they do not need diapers yet they are emotionally forced to wear diapers. This is a large, important issue that city officials need to look into. And when looking into it they need to realize that patients are reluctant to disagree with the nurses that give them daily care. So if a nurse even hints that a patient should wear diapers, guess what? That patient will be wearing diapers before you know it.

First, the diaper was put on for the sole convenience of the nursing home, and the patients were talked into wearing diapers IN CASE THEY HAVE AN accident. So patients complied by saying, okay, put me in a diaper. But what some patients did not realize was that by wearing diapers, that gave the staff more permission to not come quickly when the bell is rung because the staff knows the patient in in a diaper and they will not have to clean sheets if there is an accident. In other words, accidents are approved of, rather than having a patient in no diaper and rather than having a patient need to be escorted back and forth to the bathroom which TAKES more time for nurses to do, they encourage the patients to wear diapers.

By wearing diapers, ambulatory patients who just need assistance going to the bathroom, are encouraged to be LESS independent. They are now encouraged to stay in bed more simply because they are wearing diapers. The less bathroom trips , the more bed time, and the less bathroom trips, the less walking a patient does. After a week or so, the patients wonder why they are not as strong as they were when they were in the hospitals and no one makes the connection that the diaper is actually making them weaker and weaker because they are out of bed that many times LESS. As each day in the diaper passes, the patient becomes less independent and more dependent on staff to change diapers.

This whole procedure is wrong. There are SOME patients that need diapers due to medical reasons , but for the most part, many patients are simply talked into wearing diapers for convenience. It is insinuated that if they are wearing a diaper they will not have sheets accidents and it is insinuated and implied that the staff will be happier with the patient if the patient is wearing a diaper. Happy staff equals happy patient, correct? Incorrect. Just because the staff is happy that they have so many less trips to the bathroom, that does not mean the patients are happier. The patients are taught and trained to be incontinent and they are taught and trained to be happy that they are wearing diapers JUST IN CASE.

What happened to your relatives in the nursing homes? Were they put in diapers for convenience? Are they still wearing diapers? Do they seem less independent now that they are wearing diapers?

I am not speaking about regular patients who NEED, who medically need to be in diapers because they are incontinent, I am speaking of patients who have not been and who are not incontinent, and these patients are politely convinced, persuaded by staff to be in diapers. And all the while the staff is politely insisting they wear diapers JUST IN CASE, the nurse says, if you want to , it is your choice. It is your choice if you want a diaper. She states that to the patient and keeps stating IN CASE you have an accident. Basically , she is instilling the idea in a patient that she will have an accident and it is better for the patient to have a diaper. The patient agrees just to please a staff member.

Yet the moment a patient agrees to please these staff members, that is the moment that the patient becomes less independent. And is not the purpose of rehab to have the patient MORE independent? So the nursing home is giving the patient a mixed message. The first message is that you are there for short-term therapy, and yet, you need to wear a diaper JUST IN CASE.

What about your relatives? If you relative is there for short-term therapy and your relative is NOT in medical need of diapers, then should your relative be in diapers? Probably not. IF there is no medical need for the diaper, why is the patient wearing a diaper? Other reasons, yes, Virginia, the staff wants patients in diapers to prevent falls.

Why are there more falls with patients who do not wear diapers? There are more falls because when the bell rings, when a patient rings a bell for a nurse to come to aid someone to accompany someone to the restroom, the patient has to wait and wait and wait, and so frustratingly, some patients, decide to get up on their own and walk to the restroom instead of waiting so long for a nurse to come. So patients learn that they will wait and wait and wait, so they better have a diaper on. That is the implied message and that is the reality of the situation.

Patients wait. Those patients that are wearing diapers can eventually dump in the diaper rather than have wet or soaked sheets or poop in sheets. So patients are taught, systematically taught that they need diapers even though it is their choice, it is their decision; these places make it so that the patient really has no choice in the matter. What their real choices are is these:

1. They can wear wait and wait and wait and wait when they need to have a bowel movement or urination. And wait and wait and then have an accident on the sheets, on their clothing, all over them OR

2. They can wait and wait and wait and wait after they ring the bell and then they can try to get to the restroom on their own since they are waiting so long, and then risk a fall or actually fall OR

3. They can opt to wear a diaper and if they are waiting too long, they can just dump in the diaper.

If you were a patient and you knew you were there temporarily which choice would you take? Would you risk falling when you might be in there for the reason that you need help walking? Or would you risk pooping or urinating all over your clothes or sheets and then having the nurse extremely upset with you? OR would you say, okay I will have a diaper on JUST IN CASE? This is what patients and staff do. The staff , SOME staff, train the patients to become incontinent just for convenience of staff because there is no time for them to help patients to the bathroom. Remember with some patients, the staff might have to do some lifting, and with other patients it might take a long time to walk a patient to the rest room and the staff does NOT have the time. These nursing facilities who follow these policies of telling patients to wear diapers JUST IN CASE are doing harm to patients. They are teaching patients to become less independent, while the main goal for most short-term therapy patients is to become MORE independent not less independent.

If you ever are a patient that has this situation, TELL them you do not want to wear a diaper. And then document how long it takes for the staff to come to your aid after you ring the help bell for assistance to go to the bathroom. Document each time so that you are not made to wait and wait and wait and wait and then mess your sheets. When they let you wait and wait, they are merely training you to wear diapers and training you to become like a baby and become more dependent on them to change your diaper.

Here is advice for patients who are able to go to the restroom by themselves, just tell the staff that you do not medically need diapers and that when they come to your aid when they should come to your aid, there will be no accidents. AND best of all , if there is an accident, the staff will handle that and not let you wait and wait and wait and wait while you lay in your accident.

The ONLY time that patients should be in diapers for convenience is when patients are traveling outdoors and or making short or long trips by ambulance, ambulette or access-a-ride. In these cases, it makes sense for patients to use diapers. The reason? When you are outdoors the restrooms are usually so far away and some are not wheelchair accessible. And you just never know if there will be a bathroom anywhere. So, it is important to use diapers only for traveling because if you are outside and have an accident on your clothing, you will be outdoors in wet clothing, and especially in winter, you are putting yourself at risk for illness by staying in wet, or soiled clothing for the length of your trip outdoors. However, once indoors at the nursing home facility, and once indoors at your residence, if you do not medically need diapers, you should not be wearing diapers at all.

Just because a human has an accident because they were waiting too long for help, that is not a reason why people need to wear diapers inside of nursing homes. Lets help make things better not worse for our relatives and for patients inside of these nursing homes.

Each and every LESS bathroom trip makes your patient less independent and makes them more dependent on you, on staff and when they get home they will be in a condition worse than they were when they arrived at the nursing home for healing.

What are your thoughts on this. I would like to hear from patients who were convinced by staff to wear diapers when they did not medically need to wear diapers. Did staff do this to you too? Please leave a comment or send a confidential email . Your connection is important. With unity, we can change the system. All patients, residents and families need to unite in getting better and quicker service inside of nursing homes so that people are not made to wear diapers when they do not medically need to wear diapers.

Yes, of course, if your medical condition is that you medically need to wear diapers then you should. No one is telling you to go against doctor’s orders. All I am saying is that you should NOT be in diapers for the sole convenience of the staff. And hundreds if not thousands of patients are put in diapers on a daily basis for the sole convenience of the staff.

Disclaimer: This article is written by a writer, observer, researcher, and author. I am not advocating walking around in the nursing home if you need help. I am advocating that patients do not wear diapers if they do not medically need to wear diapers. I am advocating that patients not be talked into wearing diapers for the sole convenience of the staff or in their own words, JUST IN CASE! No patient needs to wear a diaper JUST IN CASE when that patient never was and is not incontinent. It is ridiculous to wear a diaper JUST IN CASE!

It is in wearing diapers JUST IN CASE that makes patients less independent and more dependent and it basically teaches and trains patients to poop in their pants and to urinate in their pants when they do not medically need to do that. Let us give these patients back their dignity, and instead, let us run to help them , run to escort them to the restroom instead of letting them wait and wait and wait and wait. That makes more sense. Any patients who medically need to wear diapers should wear diapers. Any patients who have doctors orders to wear diapers for MEDICAL reasons, should wear diapers. That is all that I am saying. Please respond with your comments.

Did you hear about the woman who was found naturally-glued to her boyfriend’s toilet. They claim that she had been there for more than two years and that her skin grew around the toilet bowl making her permanently attached to the bowl. Why in the world did this woman sit there for two years? Here is a suggestion. Perhaps she had previously been in a nursing home. In some nursing homes, the practice is to let them sit on the bowl forever practically. Patients wait as time passes by, until someone has time to help them back to their beds. And patients know this. That is why so many residents and patients are literally afraid to enter into nursing homes and physical rehabilitation and care centers. They are afraid of losing their dignity. They know that they will be asked to either sit on the bowl forever without help of getting up OR they will lose their dignity by having to wear diapers when they do not medically have to wear diapers.

Here is the news story, yes NEWS story of the toilet-bowl caper . This is probably what bad nursing homes and bad rehabilitation and care centers are doing to our human beings. They are making people so afraid to go to nursing homes , that people say they would rather die than go to a nursing home, and some would sit at their homes glued to toilet bowls because of the fear that the nursing homes have put into them.

I need your input here. I need to hear from you. And you need to share your experience so that everyone else knows what is really happening inside of those nursing homes. The goals of staff , the personal nursing staff that ushers people to bathrooms are conflicting goals with having patients become more independent.

Please, I beg you to respond and let us hear your thoughts on this matter. Your input is greatly appreciated.

I updated this article on May 20, 2008.

Are you like most homeowners that want to save money on your electricity bill? If you’ve been seeing your prices rise, it may be time to make a change and figure out just what needs to be done to lower your energy costs. Conserving energy isn’t just about the money savings, though – you can reduce the carbon footprint of your household by adopting some of these practices and using these tips for saving energy in residential homes.

Turn off Lights

Some people have a habit of turning lights on and leaving them on even when they aren’t in the room anymore. If you’re one of those people, you may want to curb your habit and start turning the lights off when you’re not using them. Only turn them on when you need them and turn them off when you aren’t using them. Home electricians suggest making use of natural light coming into your home, opening the curtains wide.

Use LEDs

A residential electrician on Mornington Peninsula can help you switch all the lights in your home from traditional lights to LED lights, which burn less electricity and last longer than incandescent bulbs. This is one of the easiest and most popular changes to make when it comes to your home and its energy usage.

Buy Appliances

If you’re looking to increase your energy efficiency, one place to start is with your appliances. You don’t have to throw out your old appliances and get brand new ones, but when it’s time to upgrade your appliances look for ones that are rated as energy efficient. Some appliances can qualify you for rebates, so you get even more savings for your investments in energy efficiency.

Use the Thermostat

Another good idea is to have your home controlled by a thermostat, as this will allow you to manage just how much energy your home temperature regulation system is using. When you program your thermostat, you are able to control your savings and ensure that you’re using less energy.

Consider the optimal temperature of your home and determine what’s comfortable for you, adjusting your temperature as you see fit. If you don’t have a thermostat, a residential electrician on Mornington Peninsula can install one in your home.

Unplug Electronics

This tip is common sense, but many people have a habit of leaving their devices plugged in even when they’re not being used. If you have devices such as computers or tablets charging or plugged in, unplug them when you’re not using them. Home electricians have noted that simply unplugging items can help you save tons of energy throughout the year.

With these simple tips, you’ll definitely notice a difference in your energy bill when that time of the month arrives. You’ll find that your savings increase as time goes on and your practices become second nature, leading to even more savings as time goes on and you continue to optimise your home’s energy use and efficiency.

What is a single level home?

A single level home is just as it sounds: It is a home–built on one level. Often referred to as a “patio home” or “slab home.” Not to be confused with a crawl space type foundation commonly used with mobile and modular homes. They are finished and appear the same as any home.

What are some of the benefits of a single level home?

Single level homes have no steps inside and rarely have steps on the outside. People with physical disabilities are obvious candidates for a single level home. Elderly folks or those looking to build for retirement also can benefit from a single level home. Just about anybody can appreciate not having stairs to climb after a hard day’s work. Not having the extremely dangerous hazard of someone falling down a set of stairs is a priceless benefit.

Eliminating the wet, damp, moldy, basement or crawl space that is constantly under the risk of flooding is another huge benefit! Single level homes do not require a sump pump or any type of mechanical drainage system to maintain.

Crawl spaces and basements are notorious for housing rodents, critters, insects, snakes and other reptiles. With a properly built single level home, keeping Mother Nature’s little creatures out of your new structure is easily manageable. Stairways consume valuable square footage as well as being expensive and complex to build.

A single level home is an excellent match for a hydronic, in-floor heat system. With proper planning the slab can operate as a “mass thermal storage system” that will store heat in the winter and provide natural cooling in the summer. This storage system is very energy-efficient and typically qualifies for price reduction incentives by energy providers such as electric companies.

How are single level homes built different from traditional homes?

Single level homes are commonly built with a Frost Protected Shallow Foundation (F.P.S.F.)” or “Monolithic Foundation,” This means that the concrete footings and the slab of the home are constructed as one unit, rather than the traditional footing.

In addition an F.P.S.F. has insulation both horizontally and vertically on the perimeter of the foundation. The size of the insulation is determined by a chart according to frost depth of each individual construction area. The 2009 International Residential Building Code references this in section R-403.3 in the code book. As with any foundation system it is extremely important to use quality building practices and materials.

Understanding the characteristics of the soil and environment is vital as well. “Clay” or “water saturated” soils are undesirable soils when building with an F.P.S.F. A soil that has natural drainage properties such as sand or pea gravel is more desirable. Water saturated soils tend to freeze and expand causing obvious problems with concrete and other building materials. A building site with water saturated soils can be rectified simply and affordably with a more desirable soil such as “fill sand”. One of the major benefits of an F.P.S.F. is the reduced cost compared to a traditional foundation, without compromising the integrity or longevity of the structure.

What about flooding?

Proper planning regarding the slab height according to the high water table in the building area is a sure way to keep a single level home safe from flooding. The use of a good water runoff plan is critical as well. Keeping the slab up higher than the ground and sloping the earth away from the house is vital. The use of “flashing” where the slab meets concrete walks, decks, etc. is extremely important. Common sense will go a long way when planning and building a structure of any kind.

Worried about tornadoes and high winds?

With the weather we experience in the Midwest, the idea of living in a home without a basement can be intimidating if not scary for some folks. There are several different types of storm shelters that will work for a single level home. A well designed, above ground, built-in storm shelter, will protect you and your family, and alleviate some of the fear that comes from tornadoes and high winds that have been known to have devastating results. There is also an option of a below grade storm shelter. These can be as simple as a mini basement which can double as a spare room.

Make your next home a single level home!

Single level homes are becoming very popular in the housing industry. “Why?” You may ask–there are so many reasons! The benefits are plentiful and the costs are affordable. The sky is the limit when it comes to designs, floor plans and options. They are innovative yet simple to operate and maintain. The conservative building practices used are in alignment with green building. They really are the home of the future.

Homes sold by owners are advantageous for both the seller and buyer. If the house that is put up for sale sells for $200,000, for example, and the common commission rate ranges up to six percent of the selling price, then both the buyer and seller can save $12,000 – money that would have been used for an agent’s commission. And if the property owner dedicates a lot of time in finding the prospective buyer of his home instead of spending weeks or months finding an agent, then he will most likely dispose of his property in a shorter span of time.

There are various reasons why a person may sell his home. The homeowner may want to gain financing for a new home, obtain an ample amount to finance the mortgage of the property that is up for sale, or just want to move to another place.

Homeowners who adopt the “For Sale by Owner” method of selling assume the role that is conventionally played by the bank or the mortgage firm. Such a process, when adhered to, is advantageous both to the seller and the buyer. Naturally, homeowners contact real estate agents who will handle the transaction for them. But when the homeowners administer the selling by themselves, they are able to save on commission costs and also provide a good package for buyers needing to purchase new homes but facing difficulties getting bank loans.

For innumerable reasons, many individuals find it hard to obtain bank loans due to the strict requirements imposed by these money-making lenders. They may have the funds ready in their pockets and have stable jobs to sustain the monthly payments, but they just find it hard to settle for a bank loan. With the sale of a home by the owner, the process gets much easier.

It is, therefore, not surprising why homes for sale by owners are highly coveted. If you are a seller, you save yourself a great deal of money because you never have to pay commission costs. If you are a buyer, you can buy a house and lot without the terrible burdens of tremendous bank interests.

Rent is a waste of money, or is it? That’s what we’ve been conditioned to believe for the last few generations. Even when the real estate market is more stable and prices are steadily increasing, buying a vacation home may not be the best decision for your wallet.

Should you buy a vacation home that you’ll only use a few months a year? Let’s take a look at a simplified example to highlight what it costs to own a vacation home. You purchase a vacation home, and the monthly costs including mortgage payment, real estate taxes, insurance, HOA, or other maintenance and utilities are $3,000 a month. You use the home for three months a year, although you’re paying for 12. So, you’re paying $3,000 a month for 12 months or $36,000 a year and using the home for three months at an effective cost of $12,000 per month ($36,000/3). You could seasonally rent a similar home in the same area for $4,000 per month or $12,000 for the season. You’d be paying $24,000 extra a year owning the home versus renting it ($36,000-$12,000). Over five years, you would have spent $120,000 more to own the home ($24,000 x 5 years). Yes, the home might appreciate, but you would have to subtract buying and selling closing costs and a potential real estate commission from any appreciation.

Let’s say you purchased a home for $400,000 plus $8,000 in closing costs for a total initial investment of $408,000. Let’s assume it increased in value 5% a year (higher than normal market conditions). It would be worth about $510,500 at the end of the fifth year. If you sold the home and subtracted a 6% commission and $8,000 in selling closing costs you would net about $471,900. Your approximate profit would be $63,900, but remember you would have spent an extra $120,000 to own instead of to rent the home for those five years which would actually mean you spent $56,100 more overall (-$120,000+$63,900).

Keep in mind that the home might have needed repairs and renovation work, which would have added to your cost as a vacation homeowner. You would, however, pay off some of your mortgage balance which would be a benefit of owning versus renting. But, know that during the first several years of a 30-year mortgage, typically 75% – 80% of each mortgage payment is interest and not principal repayment. You may also be able to deduct the mortgage interest on this second home, but the bottom line is for this vacation home, the overall financial costs would be greater than the benefits.

Every situation is different, but now you have the tools to conduct your own financial analysis. Sometimes it makes financial sense for you to buy versus rent a vacation home, and sometimes there are non-financial reasons to influence your decision. It is, however, better to make a big financial decision with your “eyes wide open” rather than with blinders on. You may avoid financial disappointment or hardship later.

Please note that all information contained within this article is educational and should not be interpreted as financial advice. For advice that is specific to your needs and circumstances, you should consult a financial or tax adviser.

When it comes to finding an assisted living facility or senior housing for an older adult, the decision maker is normally one of two people; the older person themselves, or a close family member, such as a son or daughter. The selection of a nursing home is one of the biggest decisions you can make, as it will probably serve as the last place an older family member will live. The adjustment is a big one; going from a normal home with all of the freedoms, privacy, and features to an assisted living center can be tough. The way to best sell your nursing home, though, is to try and make it as much like home as possible, by providing all of the amenities and entertainment features that an older adult might have had previously. One way many centers have elected to do this is by ordering a bulk DirecTV service for nursing homes.

First, what is bulk DirecTV? Such a service makes use of the programming offered by satellite television company DirecTV, but at a price that is more cost-effective for a facility with dozens of rooms to purchase. When a nursing home orders from a company that offers these bulk TV services, they’re able to pick out the specific channels they’d like to offer their residents, and can get each channel at a wholesale price per unit, as opposed to paying a traditional cable bill for each room to have access to the programming. Bulk DirecTV can also provide special features to organizations like nursing homes; for instance, special community information channels, music channels, and more. Depending on the company you work with, you could also gain some additional perks, like a DirecTV Upgrade system, which gives you the ability to add new channels for residents who request them, as well as an in-facility move theater setup.

This is just one step of a few you should take to make your nursing home feel as welcome and hospitable as possible to potential residents. Those who are considering their options for an assisted living facility will have many to choose from, and being the one that provides the most home-like experience and makes the transition as stress-free as possible for an older resident can benefit from doing so. If you provide the same television experience as a senior might have had in their original home, that could go a long way in having your facility be the one they choose.

With Michigan’s economy seemingly forever flagging the rest of the Nation, how to purchase foreclosed homes in Oakland County Michigan has been gaining interest among real estate investors.

There are several methods real estate investors can employ when deciding how to purchase foreclosed homes in Oakland Country Michigan.

We will discuss these here.

First, you can bid on a home when it is being auctioned off at the sheriff’s sale.

Here’s how this works.

When a homeowner misses 3 consecutive mortgage payments they will be in preforeclosure. At this point, their mortgage lender (bank) will pass their info to an attorney who will file the mortgage default information once a week for 4 weeks as public information in a paper called the Legal News.

28 days later, the home will be auctioned off at the local county courthouse steps to the highest bidder. So if you go to bid, you will be competing against other investors and also an agent for the bank, who will also bid on the home to make sure it doesn’t sell for a ridiculously low amount.

If the agent bidding on behalf of the bank wins, the property will be called an REO (Real Estate Owned). This is just a term used to denote a property that has gone through foreclosure and that was taken back by the bank.

Before you decide to learn how to purchase forclosed homes in Oakland County Michigan, you may also want to consider learning the short sale investment strategy.

This is a strategy in which you try to buy the defaulted mortgage note before the foreclosure auction.

Here’s how it works.

You contact the homeowner facing foreclosure and present yourself as an investor who may be able to help their situation. You’ll need the homeowner’s approval.

You will then contact the loss mitigation department of the homeowner’s lender and try to negotiate a discount on the defaulted mortgage. You will make the case for the homeowner’s hardship and why the homeowner will not be able to make payments on the mortgage. You will try to show how the property has flaws or other problems that will make the bank think about taking it back as an REO after the foreclosure auction.

If the bank accepts your short sale offer, you will basically create instant equity. For example, say the distressed homeowner owes $200k on the mortgage and that the home is worth only $195k. If you could negotiate a short sale for $150k, you’ve just created 45k in equity.

You will also be helping the distressed homeowner because they will get to avoid the foreclosure and the damage to their credit that this event would case. Of course, they’ll have to move out of the home since you will be the new owner, but they would have had to move out anyway if it went through foreclosure and the redemption period ended.

How to Purchase Forclosed homes in Oakland County Michigan

Another example of how to purchase foreclosed homes in Oakland County Michigan is to try to buy the property from the bank when it’s become an REO.

After the bank takes the home back after the foreclosure (assuming it is the highest bidder at the auction) they will now have a “non-performing asset” on their books. Banks don’t like non-performing assets for several reasons.

One reason is because the bank is in the business of lending money and making money on interest, not from holding real estate. Second, Federal Law requires that the bank have a certain amount of cash reserves on hand for every dollar of “non-performing asset.” This means that for every dollar of bad debt the bank has on its books, it has an opportunity cost in the form of “good money” that can’t be loaned out until that bad debt is eliminated.

In short, this costs the bank money.

Lastly, banks, being publicly traded entities, suffer when they have too much bad debt on their books. Their stock price suffers as a result. The faster banks unload their bad debt from the books, the better their stock prices will be.

So, if you can get a hold of REO lists, either through a mortgage broker, or through networking with other real estate investors, you can make offers on REO’s that banks hold. Some investors can pick up REO properties from banks for 40 to 50 cents on the dollar.

In summary, being an educated real estate investor on how to purchase forclosed homes in Oakland County Michigan can lead to big profits.

In the past decade home sales have gradually become a buyer’s market. Although this is good news for the buyer, it is becoming somewhat of a nightmare for those who are trying to sell their home. Because of this, sellers often have to dramatically drop the price of their homes in order to make the sale, resulting in huge losses. However, there are ways of increasing the chances of making the sale without the seller having to take a big loss. The following will be a list of seven tips for successfully selling a home in a slow market.

1) Appearance is key- When looking to buy a home a buyer will naturally gravitate to houses that have a nice appearance. Fixer-uppers are not as popular as they once were. The first thing that a seller should do is to fix anything that may catch the eye of a potential buyer. For instance, the yard should look immaculate at all times. If the gutters on the house are drooping, that will be the first thing people will notice. If there is chipped paint on the house, paint it. It is worth the money to stage your property for curb appeal.

2) Be flexible- Be prepared to make yourself scarce on weekends if needed for the realtor to show the house. Keep things tidy at all times for any last minute appointments made by perspective buyers. Try not to limit the times that you are willing to provide access to the home.

3) Keep the home at market price- If you are stuck in the mind-frame of making big dollars from the sale of your home, chances are your house will be on the market for years. The best way to drive away potential buyers is to put the house up for sale above market value. Keeping the house for sale at a reasonable market price means that there will be more interest in coming to an open house, therefore bettering your chances of making the sale. It is a well-known fact by realtors that if the price is right, there is a buyer out there for every house.

4) Find an agent with an extensive sales track record in your town- A good realtor will know exactly how to determine fair market price for your home. He should also have a record of being able to sell a home within three or four months. A realtor that is experienced in selling property in your particular neighborhood will be able to take you through the process efficiently and in a timely manner. If you have a realtor who doesn’t have many years of experience, this will waste valuable time and money while he is still working on perfecting his craft.

5) Give the home have a warm and welcoming feel- If the walls in your home are painted in vibrant colors tone them down with neutral shades of tan and beige. This will allow perspective buyers to picture their own furniture in the home without distraction. Set the mood with lightly scented candles in the bedrooms and bathrooms. Soft calming music in the background will give the buyer a relaxed comfortable feeling. Buy new linens for the beds and throw pillows for the sofas. Give your home that “homey” feeling that everyone is looking for.

6) Do your research- Go to open houses and check out the other houses that are on the market in your area. See what they have to offer a potential buyer. If they have a cozy seating area in the master bedroom, create your own cozy seating area to entice those potential buyers. You would be surprised at the things you can do with just a few over-sized throw pillows and a window with a view. Gather ideas from other houses and use your imagination for the rest.

7) Offer incentives to potential buyers- When a buyer is interested in purchasing your home but wants you to come down on the price, try using other incentives instead. For instance, you may want to offer to pay the buyer closing costs. This is always tempting to buyers since it will save them money, allowing them to have more money for a down payment. Some sellers choose to throw in appliances such as the refrigerator, dishwasher or washer/dryer.

In a buyer’s market, the seller has the task of being inventive in finding a way of moving his property. Making the sale is not always a piece of cake, but with a bit of effort, it can still be done quite successfully.

Senior citizens need love, care and attention just as a child requires. But, due to some unavoidable conditions, it becomes difficult for the family members to make adjustments amongst themselves. Also, caring for the elderly is a bit tricky. They need medical professionals and nursing care round the clock depending upon their physical state. Fortunately, there are elder care homes that provide care and protection to senior citizens who are vulnerable and need help. Some of the important senior care services are:

Nursing facility: Some senior citizen homes are provided with intensive nursing care professionals who are ideal option for highly dependent patients. People suffering from acute dementia, Alzheimer’s disease or critical ailments require 24 by 7 support. Nursing facilities of such kind are, sometimes, not possible to attain at home. Thus, these senior citizen homes are good option for keeping highly dependent elderly people.

Assisted living: With the growing age, people are not able to do all of their daily chores, especially those related to outdoors, on their own. They need help in buying groceries or for carrying out the banking procedures. Public dealings of various kinds require agility of mind which fades away with age. Thus, residences with assisted living facility help elder citizen live on their own and also provide assistance wherever required.

Independent living: There comes a stage in life when the people who have just retired from the job feel like giving complete time to themselves. They do not feel like staying bonded or burdened with family responsibilities. The period of life after job is the time when they can pursue what they actually loved but could not do so due to family obligations. So, for such group of people, there is an option of independent living too. Separate apartments, fully furnished in all possible ways, with home assistants are designed to suit the lifestyle of elderly people and on a meager rent, senior citizens can choose to stay there for as much time as desired.

Care at home: Some NGOs or care for senior citizens have designed programs to provide health care assistance to those elderly people who need assistance at home. Not all people are interested in moving out of their houses at old age. They love the familiar environment of home and prefer staying among the memories they built there over the years. Also, moving to new residence is something they cannot afford too, due to poor health or financial restrictions. Thus, senior care services at home are ideal solution for such elderly people.

Everybody can do their bit by contributing to any of the causes related to senior citizens care. They can contribute to the building expense of the health care home for elderly, or sponsor the assisted living program of any such needy person.

Health care programs for elderly require volunteers, professionals, and resources. Some donors may also choose to provide their services free of cost, or sponsor food and medicines for the residents of health care homes. All of these options are sure to earn you lot of mental peace as well as tax benefits.

As the temperature drops, problems arise especially to those living in log homes. Before the snow flies, make sure to inspect the condition of your logs. Pay attention to the areas of your home that are subject to splashing or accumulation of heavy snow.

Take the following pieces of advice to maintain your log homes cozy and energy – efficient during winter.

* Know your maintenance duties to deal with before winter starts

Inspect the chinked joints of your log homes. Pay special attention to seals at corners and in vulnerable locations close to the ground, where rain or snow from previous winters may have weathered or loosened the sealant. If the sealant is damaged, pull it off and replace it.

Sometimes, what you only need is touch up gaps. In other instances, you might have to remove the sealant and replace it. Never add new sealant on top of the old, loose materials because this will only join the old one allowing air and water in your log wall.

Spray your log walls with a garden hose to determine if the wood preservative has been compromised. If water beads and runs off, they’re ok. If the wood darkens and stays damp – or you find gray or black splotches on the logs – its time to reapply a preservative.

Give your gutters a thorough cleaning, and make sure downspouts are free to carry water away from your home. Position splash blocks so water can’t reach the logs. Trim shrubs and don’t forget to rake leaves – they absorb moisture like a sponge and create conditions favorable to wood rot.

Call a professional to checkup your heating system thoroughly. Make sure that the furnaces, boilers and heat pumps are in good condition and do not forget to replace the filters. Check the fireplace chimneys if there are birds or chipmunks nesting there. Install a damper in the flue.
Examine the window glass seals and check if they’re carefully intact. Look if the area between the double – pane windows is clear and not cloudy.

* Prevent critters from hollowing up your log homes

Do not just sit there and wait for the critters. Remember the medical saying that it is always important to prevent than cure? This is also true to our case during winter season. So, get up and look for any opening in your roof which can allow critters to enter. Make sure to cover up the soft ball – size openings by heavy gauge wire mesh. Do not use light window screens because these can be easily chewed by these not so friendly creatures. Remember to check the crawlspaces that can provide entry to chipmunks, mice, squirrels and the like. After all, they are tenants during winter that do not pay rent at all.

* Avoid the formation of ice dams in your roof

When moist air inside your log homes settles underneath your roof, snow on top of it will melt; thus, ice dams form. The said melted water runs down the roof until it hits the overhung unheated roof and freezes. The ice tends to accumulate and forms a dam in that part of your roof and a fabulous ice sculpture will be formed. However, your problem will start here because this ice formation can destroy your gutters and create leaks into your roofs.

But don’t panic. You can still do something about it. If you log home has an attic, always inspect it regularly to make sure that the insulation layer is intact. Just in case you’re just on the planning stage of having a log home, you still have the chance to prevent this worse scenario. Involve yourself in the construction part of building your homes. Be sure that the workers will install vapor and insulation barriers to prevent having ice dams.

* Make sure window glass seals are intact

Create a seal that stops air and water as close to the surface as possible. Keep water from getting behind the trim. If you prefer to have the caulk seal visible around the window and door trim, remove the trim and seal behind it before replacing. But remember that exposed cavities between logs and trims provide habitat for the insects during warm weather. Thus, make sure your window glass seals are intact. If there is cloudiness in between the double – pane windows, that means the seal has been broken. Call a window manufacturer or window company to replace the glass units.

* Check your wood burning place

During winter, everyone loves to sit in front of the roaring blaze set in the fireplace. If you don’t want to spoil your ultimate time to warm your body, get ready for the winter. Install glass doors to prevent the warm air to go out.

Consider the installation of dampers to the chimneys. When the fireplace is not in use, cold air settles in the chimney and flows through the damper back inside your home. A top damper seated on the op of the chimney and prevents the water and air to come in.

These are just some of the tips we can check out when the winter season comes. This will definitely ensure the safety and comfort of the log home owners.