How to search for the perfect lot

Oftentimes, we get folks that come to us with ideas on building their dream home-they just need to find a place to put it. I've tried to put some tips together for you to assist you in finding that perfect lot based on past experience.
Start with a desirable location-you want to start by thinking of things like commute to work, neighborhood ammenities, area schools, access to major thoroughfares and access to activities that you and your family enjoy.
Think about your overall budget-as a rough rule of thumb, you want your lot to be one fifth or less of your total budget for building.
Study your target area-as realtors, we have the ability to search for lots in an amazing amount of ways. We can do it by street, by zip code, by neighborhood, by map grid, by lot size, by schools or by radius. Furthermore, you can set up a ticker that notifies you immediately of any new listings or price changes for existing lots that can show up directly on your email, PDA or mobile phone. The early bird gets the worm, how cool is that?
Study the features of the land-figure out what's important to you. Do you want acerage, low maintenance, a view, trees or running water on your property? Also, look for things like the levelness of the lot. As a rule of thumb, the more level the lot, the more cost effective the home to build.
Become an expert on the comparable sales of lots in the area-a realtor can help run comparables for the past year to make sure that you are getting a good deal. A bank appraiser will ultimately verify this but you should have time to get that done while in the contractual phase of acquiring the land.
Verify that the lot is buildable-sometimes unforseen things like drainage and utility easements can harm what should be a wonderful building experience. Make sure that a proper survey is done and all factors are considered in your evaluation stage.

Tips for Selling Your Home

In today's competive market, it is essential more than ever to make your home stand out among the rest. You can do this in a variety of ways. Here are some tips that I have picked-up over the years that may help you.

Offer financial assistance-many buyers need help on closing costs or down payment assistance. Sometimes the the only thing standing in the way of getting your home sold is the initial cost of the transaction. If you can assist the buyer in that, you will set yourself apart.

Make sure your home shows well- the money you spend per hour to a good designer will pay huge dividends when your home shows better than your competition.

Interview and get references on a good real estate agent- a good way to kill a potential transaction is by hiring a bad agent. You need someone who is a good negotiator, marketer and advisor with good business skills and follow up. Look for local stack rankings to narrow down your list of the successful ones.

Make sure you can be found- most people shop online today for homes initially. They look to see pictures, prices and descriptions of homes in their area of interest. Make sure your home is accessible in the Multiple Listing Service and such popular websites as http://www.realtor.com