You have done the work to prepare your home for sale. You have cleaned, de-cluttered, painted, mowed, and mulched. Now it is time to open your doors to potential buyers. Find out how to make the most of each showing.

When buyers make an appointment to see your home they have already made several important decisions. They have selected your neighborhood as a possible location. Your lot and exterior style appeals to them. Your price is within their range. If the floor plan and interior style works for them, and if the buyers feel a sense of trust in your home, they will move to the contract stage. Here are some tips to help you make the most of this important step in the sale of your home - the showing.

1. Setting Showing Appointments

Homes may be shown by appointment with the Realtor, appointment with the owner, or by using the house key placed in a lockbox. The lockbox is a popular system in many areas, and facilitates showings by all members of the local Multiple Listing Board. To arrange a showing, agents must first call your home or cell number. If you do not answer, they may leave a message, and proceed with the showing. Most lockboxes record the agent’s identity and time of showing. Whether your home is shown by special appointment or by the lockbox system, the objective is to make your home easy to show to potential buyers. This is your first contact with the buyer, and you should make them feel welcome in your home.

When you receive a call from a Realtor for a showing, keep in mind that he/she is showing lots of homes, and it is difficult to set precise times. Be flexible on the timing, and allow a window of one hour for arrival, if possible. If you are going to be at home, you may ask the Realtor to alert you when they are 15 minutes away. You may occasionally receive a last minute call, with the visitors already in your driveway. If you are prepared for a showing, invite them to come in. If you are not ready, let the Realtor know that you need some time to prepare. Always thank Realtors for trying to show your home. You need them to come back!

2. Consider Children & Pets

If you have children it is very important to educate them on the showing procedure. They should know that real estate agents will be calling for appointments to show their home, and they should know how to respond. If they are at home by themselves during the day, they will need to let in the agent and buyers, and vacate the house during the showing. They may wait in the backyard or go to a neighbor’s house. Televisions and video games should be turned off. Hopefully, they will know how to tidy up the kitchen. Children must know that an advance phone call by the agent is required for a showing. They must not allow entry to anyone who comes to the door without an agent.

Pets pose special problems for showings. If pets are left in the home during the day, leave a note alerting the agents that a pet is in the house. Give instructions as to how your pets should be handled. For example, “Cat must not be allowed outdoors.” Often pets are fearful or uncertain about strangers entering the house when you are not home. Many people are afraid of (or allergic to) pets, and are not happy to encounter them in the house. It would be best to crate your pets during showings, place them in a restricted area, such as the laundry room, or take them out of the house. Keep in mind that a great variety of people may enter your home, including children. If there is any uncertainty as to how your pets will react to strangers, you should remove them from your home during showings.

3. Provide Lots of Information

Have brochures laid out on a table for prospective buyers. Anticipate the information that would interest your buyers. Examples are: a copy of your survey or floor plan, photos of neighborhood amenities, school information, neighborhood newsletter, nearby country club, golf course, etc. Answer their questions early. Remember, prospective homeowners are choosing a home and community - a lifestyle.

4. Don’t Hang Around

Do not be present for the showing. Sit outside or run an errand. When you are there, buyers may feel that they are intruding. They will not discuss changes they might make to your home, or how they would use the space. This could limit the time spent in your home. Never take over the showing or attempt to sell your house. You do not know the buyer’s special interests, and may inadvertently turn them off. Remember that this not a social visit. Buyers need to make an emotional commitment to your home. They usually need some quiet time to experience your home and sense how they would enjoy living there. Your presence is distracting and inhibiting to potential buyers.

5. Appeal to Buyers With Sights, Sounds and Scents

People gather impressions about your house from all senses - sight, sound and smell. Improve your home’s appeal to all senses. Leave blinds open, and consider removing some screens. Natural light sells houses! Increase the sizes of your bulbs if the light is dim in certain areas. Put on some instrumental music, but keep it very low and mellow. Do not leave televisions on. Have the temperature cool in summer and warm in winter. Use pleasant scents, such as candles or potpourri. An unpleasant odor will have a very negative impact on a buyer’s reaction to your home. In particular, cigarettes and pet odors are a turn-off. Do not try to mask an unpleasant smell with another smell. Work toward a clean, fresh smell.

6. Have a Safe Showing

Keep in mind that the public will be entering your home, and consider their safety and yours. Do you have rugs, wires or small toys that could be stumbled over? Buyers should be able to move easily from room to room. You may need to remove some furniture to keep traffic patterns open. Leave your stairs completely free of clutter. Replace any missing handrails. Remove valuable objects from tables where they may be accidentally bumped. If you use candles for a nice scent, do not leave them burning when you leave the house. Do not leave money, guns, medicines, jewelry, x rated magazines or any personal items in public view. Consider your security, and the buyer’s safety as you prepare your home for viewing.

7. Set the Stage

Consider using a staging service to help you present your home. It should be perfectly clean and clutter free. Homes generally look better with furniture, but they must not appear crowded. Your furniture and accessories should give your home a very general appeal. Avoid strong political, personal or artistic statements. The focal point should be the house, rather than your family. Use decorative objects, such as pillows, framed photographs, books, fresh towels and flowers. Create a mood with natural and lamp lighting and soft music. The goal is to make potential buyers feel that they could move right in. Home buying is an emotional process. You must build a sense of trust and attachment to your home during the short time that buyers are in your home. They must positively imagine themselves enjoying your home and gardens.

Showing your home is an important part of the sales process. You only have a short time to gain the buyer’s interest in your home. Their time in your home should be handled with care and respect for their time. Each showing is important. Remember, you only need one buyer, but you don’t know which one.

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There are some very positive things about using MySpace.  MySpace can also be a dangerous place to be.  Read more in this article to help keep your kids safe on MySpace.

There are some very positive things about using MySpace. People can connect, express themselves and make new friends.  Unfortunately, MySpace can also be a dangerous place to be.

People who use MySpace may be publicly embarrassed or even worse may put themselves in danger.  If you or your children plan to use MySpace or already doing so there a few tips that may come in handy.

Always remember that everything shared on MySpace is out there for everyone to see.  This means that you are sharing private information with people who pose no threat and also with those who could prove to be dangerous.

If there are things you don’t want everyone to know, do not post them on MySpace. Also, think twice before you give out your phone number, home or business address, specific whereabouts or IM screen names.

You may not want to give out information that tells people where you will be at a certain time.  It’s great to be able to tell your friends where to meet but just remember that this information will be going out to everyone who has access to MySpace.

There may be times when you read things on MySpace that are inappropriate or contain harassing comments or hate speech.  Do not hesitate to report these kinds of things.  You can discuss the inappropriate materials with an adult and then report them to either MySpace or the authorities.

These safety tips should help keep you and other MySpace users a little safer when you use the site.

Yes, MySpace has many positive aspects.  The important thing is to remember to keep yourself and your kids as safe as possible when using the site.

You may be one of those people who are very trusting and never worry about anyone misrepresenting themselves.  You may have kids that are rather naïve about sites like MySpace and don’t think there are folks out there who would lie or hurt them.

These things are not true.  While the majority of people using MySpace are pretty much truthful about who they are as well as their intentions there will always be predators.  Not everyone who frequents MySpace is who they say they are.

It can be a lot of fun to meet new people on MySpace and develop friendships.  Do not meet people you have met at MySpace in person.  This is often where trouble begins.  When you agree to meet a stranger you could be asking for a very dangerous situation.

Think about what you are posting before you do it.  You can’t get it back and it will be available for everyone to see.  You may want to post a photo that is a little questionable.  Just remember you could have a parent, teacher or employer see that photo or read about your latest behavior at a party.

If you have kids who are using MySpace do not hesitate to check it out.  Set up rules and guidelines for any children or teens who are using MySpace.  Tall about the problems and dangers of using the site.  Talk about their profile before they post it and keep communication open about who they are corresponding with and what information they are sharing. 

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If you love picnics in the country side, a portable grill is a must. The free bbqs in parks just cannot do the same job. But it is not easy to select the right portable bbq. Find out what features to look for, to get a grill that you would truly enjoy.

If you love picnics in the country side, a portable grill is a must. The free bbqs in parks just cannot do the same job. But it is not easy to select the right portable bbq. Find out what features to look for, to get a grill that you would truly enjoy.

Buying a good portable barbecue is tricky, because many of them disappoint customers with their poor performance. Since a portable grill should be lightweight they are usually small, which means that they often cook your food unevenly or even burn it. Cleaning is also an issue - some models are notoriously difficult to clean, and some are so much trouble that their owners don’t use them more than once.

However, there are several models of portable gas bbqs on the market that are well-designed and don’t have these problems. Here, we list some top-of-the-line models that will make you an excellent steak without any trouble.

Weber Q Gas Grill

When you think “barbecue”, Weber is usually the next thing that comes to mind. And for a good reason - Weber makes grills of excellent quality that can always cook you an exceptional meal. Weber Q grill is large for a portable - it has 280 inches of grilling area. You can take it with you on picnics and it is also suitable for small backyards. Like the larger Weber models, it provides open gas grilling - real grilling, in other words. Its lid and body are cast aluminum and it has an easy to use push button ignition. With this grill you can use a standard 14.1 ounce propane tank.

The only downside of Weber Q portable bbq is the price - it is usually about $200, which is rather high for a portable grill. But if price is not the main issue, then the Weber Q is one of the best small grills you can get. You can also check out other Weber Grills and bbq

Grill-4-All Portable Grill

This grill is smaller, but it has some very impressive features. It weighs 15 pounds and gives you 190 square inches of cooking space. Made of stainless steel, it is very easy to clean and will last for years. It also heats quickly and evenly. You can use any fuel you like for this grill, because it is convertible to gas, electricity or charcoal. When not in use, you can put all the parts inside, so it is compact and easy to carry around.

Additionally, you can get a swivel boat mounting with this grill, 32 inch legs to stand it on, and a small kebab rotisserie system.

Weber Smokey Joe Gold

This portable charcoal grill is a smaller version of the Weber Kettle Grill. It has a porcelain-enameled bowl and lid and will last for a long time. It provides you with enough space to grill six burgers at once. This unit also has a locking lid, so you can carry it easily or lock the lid on the side of the grill as a wind shield. And the best thing is the price - unlike expensive sophisticated gas portable bbqs, this grill usually goes for under 50 dollars.

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MySpace is an online site that is very popular with teens and young adults. The people who log on to MySpace think nothing of revealing all kinds of personal details.

MySpace is an online site that is very popular with teens and young adults. The people who log on to MySpace think nothing of revealing all kinds of personal details.

There are lots of rules that are supposed to be followed by everyone using MySpace. The owners of MySpace review the site for sexually explicit photos because they are not allowed. MySpace also uses a search engine to scan the site for profiles of members who may be too young for the site.

MySpace is concerned with the safety issues and works with law enforcement agencies to investigate and prevent illegal activity. The problem is that kids often do not realize that there may be people using MySpace who are not their friends and intend to do them harm.

MySpace can also be risky because predators have a young persons profile right in front of them and can instant message them. Predators can look for exactly the type of person that interests them and work on any vulnerabilities the child may have.

Kids often do not tell their parents when they have been sexually harassed online. Many times parents do not even know their children have a space on MySpace. These two things combined point to a really risky situation.

Young people may think they are safe if they dont give out their address. They often dont realize that a predator can easily figure out where they go to school or are employed if they post pictures of themselves standing in front of their school building or the place where they work.

MySpace can be a risky place to be. Parents can lower the risks when they know what their kids are doing online.

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Gas prices are at an all time high and there is no indication that they will be coming down any time soon. What if we could show you how to easily save 20% or more on gas? Here are some great tips that are guaranteed to save you big at the pump.

Start keeping track of your gas mileage so you can see how much you are paying and what you are or will be saving. Many cars will automatically tell you this in the digital display. If yours does not, the easiest way is to write down the amount of gas you put in at your next fill up. Then erase the odometer (press the single long button on your odometer display). When you get near empty, divide the miles driven by gallons used. This will give you your miles per gallon. This is good to know as it can tell you when something is wrong with your car. It will also show a noticeable improvement when you incorporate some of the tips below.

Make sure your car receives all necessary car care and treatment so it is functioning at its best. This will help ensure the best fuel economy as an ill tuned car can easily be running poorly and cost you 10-20% or more in additional fuel costs. Remember good car care goes a long way with fuel economy.

Slow down. That’s right, the National Institute of Highway Safety has stated that we get better gas mileage if we stick with the speed limit. As we increase our speed our fuel efficiency drops fast along with our driving safety. It is a big drop of as much as 10,20 even 30% all depending on how fast you go.

Remove excess weight from your car. Many of us have extra items in our trunk that can add considerable weight to the car and greatly reduce your fuel economy. This is a no-brainer.

Make sure your tires are inflated to the correct tire pressure. Over or under inflation can effect you fuel economy. Purchase a tire pressure gauge and use it at every fill up.

Turn off the air conditioning in town. When you are driving at slower speeds or with a lot of stop and go driving the air conditioning will greatly increase your fuel usage and decrease your mpg. At highway speeds researchers have found that the air turbulence caused by your windows being down actually reduces your gas mileage more than having the air conditioning on. For maximum cooling make sure you close your vents when you have the air on (many cars need you to reset this every time you turn on the car).

You could really save by finding alternative transportation – walking, ride the bus, car pool, or even riding a motorcycle (some get 50+ mpg). But that would greatly inconvenience most of us, so use the above tips, care care and treatments, and ideas to increase fuel efficiency and economy so that you will feel less of a pinch at the pump.

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