February 2010 .
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February 2010 . |
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In this Issue:
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Ocala, Florida
Beautifully maintained home is perfect as a starter or for a retiree. Move right in to this 2 bedroom 1.5 bath home. Property 9/10th fenced. Workroom, inside laundry, two sheds - new roof 2006. Sqft Un Roof 1167.
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Happy
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Ocala Dream Living
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A Word from Carol Preparing A Home For Marketing Now that home selling is changing from a seller's market to a buyer's market, more thought and planning is needed to prepare a home for being shown and sold. In recent years, very little time was needed to sell a residential property. Many homes were sold within days of being placed on the market. Some sales were for prices higher than the asking price, and some home sellers had multiple offers. Today, it's a much different story. Inventories of available homes are up in most markets and prospective buyers are fewer in numbers and more demanding in selecting a property. Mortgage interest rates are rising.
Pending Home Sales Stabilize, Remain Above Year-Ago Levels (by Realtor.org) Washington, February 02, 2010 Pending home sales have leveled from a market swing driven by response to the home buyer tax credit, according to the National Association of Realtors®. The Pending Home Sales Index,* a forward-looking indicator based on contracts signed in December, increased 1.0 percent to 96.6 from 95.6 in November, and remains 10.9 percent above December 2008 when it was 87.1. In November, the monthly index had fallen by 16.4 percent from surging activity in preceding months.
Hairy Situation Getting a handle on hairballs will help keep your cat healthy. Clumps of indigestible hair tend to accumulate in cats' digestive tracts as a result of their frequent self-grooming. If coughing up hairballs is a problem for your cat, brush more frequently to cut down on loose hair, consider cat foods designed to help break down hairballs, and ask your vet about gels designed to help them pass back up more easily.
Improve Air Quality With Indoor Houseplants (by Home Depot) The plants in your home or office not only look great but may also be clearing the air of environmental toxins and helping prevent itchy eyes, drowsiness, headaches and lethargy, all common symptoms of an ailment known as sick building syndrome. Here’s a list of common houseplants, available in-store*, that clear the air of carbon dioxide as well as some volatile organic compounds (VOCs) found in many homes. Common Household VOCs Some synthetic building materials produce pollutants that get trapped in unventilated buildings. These harmful gases, or VOCs, can come from such sources as furniture, carpeting, building materials, cleaning agents, paints and solvents, as well as office equipment such as printers and photocopiers. |
We're back to being very competitive when offering a home for sale. Here are a few ideas for making your home more saleable: Try to visualize your home from the perspective of a buyer. Focus first on simple cosmetic enhancements, such as a needed coat of paint and new carpet. Make improvements in the front yard landscaping; giving your home enhanced "curb appeal." Give the house a thorough cleaning, and clear rooms and garage of clutter. Update the kitchen and bathrooms as inexpensively as possible with new paint and hardware. Stand out among the crowd with these types of projects that historically increase value.
Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said it’s important to recognize how the tax credit is skewing market data. “There are easily understood swings in contract activity as buyers respond to a tax credit that was expiring and was then extended and expanded,” he said. “These swings are masking the underlying trend, which is a broad improvement over year-ago levels. December activity was the fifth highest monthly tally in two years.” Buyers who have a contract in place to purchase a primary residence by April 30, 2010, have until (More)
Night Watch Does your veterinarian provide around-the-clock care following surgery?Problems associated with surgery are most likely to arise during the first 24 hours of recovery. If your dog needs surgery that requires an overnight stay, make sure a vet or trained assistant is available to monitor your pet throughout the night. If staffing is unavailable, look for another facility or ask your veterinarian if your pet may benefit by recuperating at home under your watchful eye.
Studies prove the cleansing power of plants In the late 1980s, a study done by the National Aeronautic and Space Administration (NASA) and the Associated Landscape Contractors of America (ALCA) revealed that common houseplants such as bamboo palms and spider plants help purify the air. In fact, at least a dozen common tropical indoor plants have been found to provide an attractive low-cost solution to reducing certain VOCs found in almost all indoor environments. Why tropical plants work best Tropical plants usually grow beneath dense canopies and must survive where there’s little light. These plants are very efficient at using less light to processing the gases needed for photosynthesis, the process by (More) |
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Hi, my name is Patti, I am Carol's Virtual
Assistant. If you have information related to Ocala or Real Estate please email
me, and I will try and include it in the newsletter.
Archives
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Sudoku The New Addiction! Just in case you've never played before. The object of the game is to fit the numbers 1-9 in the correct orders. You need to fill a number from 1 to 9 in every blank cell. A number must appear only once in each row, column and 3x3 block. Sounds easy enough. Don't give up. Once you get the hang of it, its very fun and challenges your brain. (If you don't see the game on the left please try refreshing your screen. You can use F5 or your refresh button.) |
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Carol J. Van Wagner, GRI, E-Pro, AHS, CeMS |
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