Author Archive

Beware of Contractor ScamsYear after year, home remodeling fraud costs consumers thousands of dollars and considerable stress and aggravation. Another scary thought is that a big part of the people targeted for this type of scam are elderly persons. Contractor fraud is a criminal activity pulled by scam artists on consumers. They tend to prey on senior citizens and singles, taking advantage of their willingness to trust others who sound believable. Sadly, it’s a different world today. It is best to be cautious when seeking workers. Among some fairly obvious tactics, here are some things to watch out for. Read More→

Toxic Terrors That Affect Homes

Posted on September 29, 2010 by

MOLD

Toxic Black MoldMold in houses has become one of the most popular scares in recent years. Although it has been around since before caveman days, our industry is always out to find something new to charge thousands of dollars to correct. Most molds, even black in color are not the toxic poison type of mold that causes illness in people. The temporary fix is to use a 50/50 mix of bleach and water to clean the surface. This does not kill the mold, it just removes the surface visibility and unless you take away the moisture or cause of the mold it will return. For mold remediation of black mold and mold infestation, please refer to my article on mold in your previous issues of REIP magazine. If you have significant mold in sight, one of the brands of product I recommend is Microban. It is highly effective in handling problems associated with mold, fungi, bacteria, germs and so on. You may find it by calling a janitorial supply company from your yellow pages book. Read More→

Seal The Deal With Curb Appeal

Posted on September 29, 2010 by

Curb AppealCurb appeal is one of the most important aspects of any real estate transaction. For me, it is the curb appeal that defines everything about my deal. How much will I offer? How much will it take to rehab the property? How does it compare to the surrounding living conditions? Simply stated, if the curb appeal is not very good, I know that I can buy the property for a discounted price. And that’s what my business is all about. Buying distressed homes and then raising the curb appeal through repairs to the property that not only raise curb appeal, but also the value too. Here are several ways that I use to bring up the value of houses to maximize my profit at resale. Read More→