Living with ants is as much as a problem as living with killer bees. They are annoying and bothersome and just plain outright nasty. To see their long trail of nonsensical travel is so "Yuk." As the environment goes green and everyone is trying to cut down on electric consumption, plastic water bottles and buying electric cars, does it not make sense to kills ants the "green way."
Sometimes you feel as you just want to leave those little critters alone as they do look helpless, until one of those real nasty red ones comes your way and bites you right on the bottom of your foot. As you limp around for days on end trying to balance, you have an evil thought come into your head about how you can possibly annihilate the whole tribe.
We all can tell you of stories of ants and how they have played an important part in history. The story of King Solomon is unique as he died standing up supported by a wooden cane. He was never known to have died until the ants gnawed away at his cane and he fell. Even ants have a purpose in this life.
As to keep everything sensible and clean, here are some of the best natural remedies.
1. One of the best ways to get rid of ants is to lay talcum powder wherever you see the ants and any place you expect them to show up. It is best to use scented talcum powder. As long as they see the powder, they will disappear. But surely as there will be a sun tomorrow, they will return when they sense there is no talcum powder. So be armed with extra bottles.
2. The second best thing to use is straight vinegar. You can use raw which is better for everything, but I think that ants are not on a health diet. So being raw is more expensive, you may want to go with a generic one. You can use either apple or plain. Just place the vinegar in a squirt bottle and squirt the vinegar everywhere. On the sidewalks, doors and even the kitchen counters.
3. The third way is plain ole cinnamon. Just sprinkle it everywhere. I suggest you put some cinnamon oil in the vinegar bottle. Why not have two shots for the same squirt?
4. The fourth way is black pepper and you can sprinkle it just like the cinnamon, but if you really want to make those pesky creatures angry, mix it with some turmeric powder. Ouch, that burns!
5. There are many suggested sprays from some liquid soap and water to hydrogen peroxide and lemon. They all work, just pick the one that works best for you.
There are more that don't work as well, but why should they be listed here? These are some of the best and they work. As with all pest that invade your home and your lives, doing what is necessary for the safety of your children should be your top priority.
As a former Broker-owner I can tell you I was chosen many times strictly on referrals. When anyone is looking to find the right real estate agent I would agree this would be an excellent beginning. Look to whom your friends and neighbors recommend. I remember once I went to an open house and met a woman who hated her agent. She referred me to her friend strictly on a chance meeting.
Funny that referral brought me many other clients. Sometimes you can get a lot of business strictly by being in the right place at the right time. This happen to me more than once. Did you ever notice how people just plain don't like their agent. Why do you think that is? It is because the personal touch has gone out of real estate. When looking for the right real estate agent, look for someone who has time for you.
Your best friend is your agent:
I had some clients in Downey, California and they were so good. Their daughter had cancer and she lost her hair and then her feet. She was only ten years old, but she never gave up. She just loved her new home and it had a swimming pool. She went swimming every single day and she was a survivor. She use to go to the men's bathroom because she wore a baseball cap and she did not want to not fit in.
Real estate is a lot like that like girl with cancer, you have to be a survivor and she you have to keep swimming around till you succeed. Many times a Realtor is chosen because they are different. I went around in gym shoes and a sweatshirt when I door knocked and I use to really drawl out my accent like, "How ya'll doing today, I am a Realtor." They would look at me and just smile. Their first question to me was, "Where are you from?" I just smiled and then would laugh and I'd say, "Why ma'am I am from Kentucky." Back then I was not Muslim of course.
I got more doors opened and yes my very first listing with being different. So rule number two in choosing an agent, look for someone who could be your best friend and confidant.
More agents lose sellers because they just don't care. I would go back all the time after the sale is over and visit and "chew the fat" so to speak and of course when I was there they would tell me they were thinking of refinancing their home or buying a second home and of course they thought of me. I remember once my clients of the girl who had cancer told their friends, our Realtor is our friend and she comes to our home all the time. I was reliable.
Look for a reliable agent:
When choosing an agent, look for someone who keeps their word. If the agent says to you that they will call you at 6pm and they do not call you back, fire her. If she promises to show you home on Tuesday and then when you go for the appointment, she is not there, fire her. A Realtor is as good as her word. She needs to be a seasoned agent with many sales under her belt and she must work at a reputable company.
An agent is as good as her backing Broker. If you want to have a good agent go with one that you can find five years from now. If you work with a agent from Dog pile Rentals instead of C-21 Jervis you may regret this decision. Few real estate transactions close without some type of problem. Look for a reliable agent.
Never choose an agent based on commission:
Commission should be your last consideration. That referral I got from the woman who hated her Broker wanted me to lower my commission and to sell their home for a higher price than I suggested. I told them no thanks and proceeded for the door. The man told me, "Wait, we want you to sell our home." I told him very nicely that I would be doing you a disservice by lying to you about the price and I do not cut commissions. I left that home thinking that was the last I would see from him.
The next day I signed the listing on the property and yes it sold in three days. Go with an agent you can trust, who is reliable and who will stand their ground. Never sign a contract with a desperate agent. Desperate agents have no money for advertising, will cut corners on flyers and promoting your property also. They don't have to drive a Mercedes, but they do have to have ethics.
Friends never die:
As I look back at my many friends I had in real estate I am amazed. My husband told me once, "I wished you treated me as good as you do your clients." I did treat my clients like gold and they remembered me. I remembered when they were getting a divorce or when some died. I was always their friend and when the little girl died I went to the home to see the memorial and to pay tribute to one of God's fallen soldiers. As sad as that day was, it proved one more thing, that helping those people get that beautiful home to make the little girl's life happy before she died was more important than commission.
Look for a friend, but most of all look for a Realtor (member of the board of Realtors) not an agent. Look for a seasoned Realtor and one who has ethics not someone int he bars every night. There are millions of Realtors available and your choices are many but there are very many bad Realtors, hopefully these tips will help you chose the correct Realtor for your very next transaction.
This is a buyer's market and there are hundreds of foreclosures available. Now that President Obama is putting forth a new plan to aide the short sale market, more and more homeowners will be looking to sell their homes quickly. So buying your dream home just maybe easier than you thought.
Oh if life was just that simple to get my dream home for less and much less through a foreclosure sale. Does it not make sense if you are going to buy a home that it would be a foreclosed home? Yet, better buying a home from a seller who is in foreclosure to save him from going through the process. Well, I sure wish it was that easy. Read on about how to do this:
All the Internet is a buzz about foreclosures. I am sorry, but foreclosures have been popular since I first started in Real Estate back in the 80's. People or investors have been buying them up like crazy, renovating and then place them back on the market and becoming rich. Those investors are now writing books on how to become a millionaire with no money down. Things have changed since the 80's on how to buy foreclosures, but the deals are still there.
Buyer Beware Should be Stamped on Every Foreclosure Sale:
A first time home buyer cannot and I mean cannot show up on the courthouse steps and purchase a home without legal representation. First you must be willing to pay cash for the home in many states such as California and second you have to be willing to satisfy all the liens against the property. Most lien holders will show up on the steps also to get their money.
A smart way is to have a title report before going to the auction and see exactly what is showing against the property. Then you need to evict the owner of the property, which is not that easy to do. After you evict the tenant, you need to make the repairs done by the angry tenant. The costs are mounting here and your once very good deal for your dream home, just may end up costing you more than one that is currently on the market.
Where to Look for Foreclosures:
There are a number of ways to buy foreclosures. As I have discussed above, the best deals are on the court house steps, but this is also the most dangerous way to buy. Understand that if you purchase through a bank or other government owned place the price will be more. The good part about most foreclosures on the market is that the tenant will be evicted at this point and some repairs will be made except for HUD homes. They do allow you to finance the repairs necessary on the home.
The places that have foreclosures are:
1. HUD homes through sealed bids.
2. FHA homes
3. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac homes
4. VA homes
5. Bank REO's (also known as the loss and mitigation department)
6. IRS and the Marshall's Office
7. Local real estate office
Websites That Have Foreclosures for Sale:
One of the main websites to search for all listed foreclosures is Realtor.com. They are the largest researched site on the web. Every home that is listed on the MLS (multiple listing service) will be available to them and no other place will have more. There are many sites that advertise foreclosures and they charge for their service. This is not necessary and most of the time a rip-off.
When searching for your dream home it is best to contact several real estate agents and ask them to search for the best deals and to call you when they have what you are looking for. It is not necessary to commit to one Realtor, but commit to the one who brings you the best deal. Contact your local title company and ask for a list of all foreclosed homes. Once you get this list start sending out letters to the homeowners offering to buy their homes.
Many foreclosed homes can be bought with little money if you are dealing directly with the homeowner. Many times you can agree to assume the loan or do a lease on the property. With more and more foreclosures everyday, creative financing is ever popular. Sad to see a family lose their home, but if you can help them out of a bad situation it is better. Remember to always check with an Attorney before agreeing to any deal if you are going through a private owner.
For sale by owners have now been given luxury online sites to sell their homes for no money or small fees. It is a new concept that has been developed lately and it is a very smart concept. But, still the problem is, what do you do once you have a buyer who wants to buy your property? With no knowledge of how to write a contract or how to finance a loan, maybe there should be an air of caution here.
Advertise your home here for "FREE" with no fees and no Realtor's commissions. Does this type of advertising grab your attention? It should, as it is an unheard of ideal until recently. Many sellers are actually thinking of advertising at these websites, as evidence by the great numbers of listings that are there. What are the pros and the cons of this kind of transaction?
Pros for selling your home on the web:
1. There is no Realtor's commissions, so that may help you in getting more for your home or reducing the price by the amount you would of paid a Realtor.
2. Independence. You can advertise as you like and hold open house when you like. No more late night showings and no more last minute open homes.
3. First hand knowledge of everything happening in the transaction.
4. Now you must do all the work, but that is okay, cause you are getting all the money, right?
These sites are making their money somehow. Nothing is for free. The majority of the people calling you from this listing will be Realtors and Mortgage Brokers. Both of them looking for business. The odds of you selling your home on-line is small and then after you do get someone to whom you think wants to purchase the home, how do you write up the contract?
Cons against this type of selling without a Realtor:
1. Without a Realtor, no contracts and no help. Realtors are worth their weight in gold. One mistake on a contract can cost you thousands of dollars. Most of the time, the Realtor can get a buyer to pay more for the home and costing you no more in money than if you sold the home yourself and received less money.
2. Who will finance the home? You have no experience in banking and have no clout or knowledge on how to close a deal. Which bank will you use and how will you pressure any bank to help you with the appraisal. Many times the deal will fall through strictly because the loan needs help in closing.
Now the banks are refusing class A buyers. 1 out of 6 qualified buyers are being refuses and especially buyers with income under $50,000, In a recent article, they stated that 25% of all buyers who made less than $50,000 are being turned down for loans. What about the appraisal and how can you fight a low-ball appraisal?
3. Which escrow and title do you choose? A smooth investor could and may take advantage of your inexperience. A ethical escrow company will protect your interest. An unethical company will charge you huge fees and look after the buyer only.
4. One of the major concerns should be, is who is coming to see your home. Realtors will screen buyers and be present with them when they visit you. A person calling up over the Internet could be the "Boston Strangler."
There are many dangers involved in dealing with the internet, sometimes a person will get lucky and find someone who will pay cash and buy your home, but the odds are around 1 percent. In the end 80% of all "For Sale by Owners" end up with a Realtor after he has spent a few thousand dollars on advertising and signs. They are extremely frustrated and usually are thrilled to have anyone help them.
Your alternative could be to hire a Real Estate Attorney that charges $400 an hour. If you really want to do this yourself, then go to the local Board of Realtors and ask for a reputable escrow and title company. Ask them for help in getting some forms. They will be more than glad to sell you some contracts.
You can go to some sites that teach you how to fill out the forms, but you do not know anything about contingencies or necessary clauses that belong in the contract. What about arbitration? Do you agree to arbitrate? Do you want to give a home warranty plan and how much is the net sheet? So many questions, that will make you think long and hard about trying a "For Sale by Owner" sale.
