Distant moves
Moving miles away from your old place requires you to hire a moving company unless you have a big truck and a lot of hands to help you pack, load and unload in the truck, unpack, and arrange all your stuff in your new house.  You load everything in the truck one time and unload then in your new house once.

Short moves
Let’s say you are just moving to a condominium right around the corner from your rented apartment.  Normally, it would just take you less a few minutes by foot to get there and now that you have to transfer all your stuff there, do you think you need a hire a moving company to do that?  Not a good idea for your pocket.  But, good news! You have a car and it’s like magic when it looks smaller when you load your stuff in it.

Confidently, it would take you a number of trips from your old rental apartment to your new owned condominium and you would be worn out before you get everything at your doorstep.  But there’s a good news in making short moves, your friends!  And another good news is that there are moving companies that let you rent a small truck.  Well. if you can afford it, why waste your energy?

1. Fence the property to create a sense that the property is safe and that anyone or everything behind it are safe.

2. Improve your property just right and don’t make it look so expensive or home buyers won’t have a second look.  You can paint the exterior, mow the lawn, add some ornamental plants, but avoid putting expensive decors.

3. Stage the interior according to the financial capacity of the potential buyers.  Emphasize the strong points of the house and avoid putting expensive furnishings.

4. Location is a very important factor in buying a house and with your property located in a declining neighborhood, you must price your property realistically, entertain bids, or drop the price if it’s necessary.

Above all else, hire a real estate agent who knows the neighborhood very well and has the experience in selling properties in declining neighborhoods.  They can strongly point the attractive features of the property and be able to convince any potential home buyer.

First time buyers might want to consider buying homes especially foreclosed homes if they are into real estate bargains. Basically, foreclosure is a process by which homeowner losses their home due to non-payment of mortgage, insurance, or tax. Consult your real estate agent to advise you on the financial aspect of the buying process. Contact the trustee of the foreclosed property.

Finding a real estate agent who specializes in foreclosures is a very important decision. If you found one, the first thing to do is to ask your local agent to prepare for you a CMA report of properties. And don’t hesitate to inspect the foreclosures whenever possible in order to determine its condition and compare its market value.

Search for foreclosed homes in your area with clear criteria in mind. You can be overwhelmed with the sheer number of foreclosures flooding the market that can give you thousands of choices with prices that are significantly low. Before looking into the listings, know what you are really looking for so that your active search is productive and efficient. You may also consider looking into Federal Housing Administration, Veterans Administration or Department of Housing and Urban Development for foreclosed properties in your area. In your active search, know the seller of the property, determine potential cons, and also look into existing liens on the foreclosed property.

1. Picnic
2. Camp out in a tent
3. Go to an amusement park
4. Go fishing
5. Go swimming
6. Go to the beach
7. Watch sunset
8. Water balloon fights
9. Road trip
10. Visit grandparents

There is so much fun when the whole family is spending time together not only this summer, but everyday.  Summer means sun and outdoor fun.  While you are out, you may wonder if you need to just let your AC on but you are afraid of that your bill may soar high at the end of the month.  Should you leave your AC on or turn it off?

The answer is, Yes!

Here’s the explanation — The truth is that you will use less energy when you shut the AC off especially if you will use it hours later or when you leave for work.  On the other hand, AC will work efficiently in cooling a hot house than turning it on and off just to maintain the temperature.  Rather than turning it on and off when you’re at home, it is important to take note that AC is working efficiently if it’s running full speed.

So far the cheapest way to stay cool this summer while saving AC energy is by opening a window.  The weather is fine so why not open a window and let the cool air get in your home.

We recently moved a client that had a large sectional sofa and when we got to the new home it was too large for the family room. We ended up taking it to donation. Had they known ahead of time they could have put it on Craigslist or another site and possibly gotten a few dollars for it. On moving day they were just happy we could haul it away for them.

Moving day can be stressful and trying to decide furniture placement while the movers are standing in front of you can add to your stress level. A little planning ahead can save you time, money and sanity.

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There has been many technological advancements; cartons, containers and packing materials have improved thousand-fold over the years! There is lots of information out there on how to approach it and many services you can hire for help with sorting, packing and transporting.

As I allowed my thinking thread to wander further back, I wondered how people transported things throughout time. As it turns out historically, people really didn’t move around much. What they had to move, they basically carried on their backs in skins, rough cloth pouches or bags. In cultures where there were no pack animals, women typically did most of the heavy carrying, to leave the men free to protect them as they went along. Dogs might have been harnessed to carry or drag things, and even as cultures became exposed to horses, they often continued to move things by dragging.

It is said that the Chinese invented the wheelbarrow, and this method of moving things was extremely useful, as even someone small could move heavy loads. Chaises were also designed on a wheelbarrow model, allowing people on foot holding only two long poles to pull others.

In the Middle Ages, Kings and Queens of England would often go on long treks called “progresses” throughout the kingdom, visiting lords and noblemen often for the purpose of ensuring their loyalty.. The royals’ entourage would include basically the contents of their entire castle, staff, animals and accoutrements, including bed linens, clothing, etc., all transported by cart and coach. The host nobles were expected not only to house, but also feed every person on the crew, and their animals. The royal guests themselves were privy to the highest treatment of all. It was not uncommon for the noblemen to be bankrupt after one of these extended visits, which were regarded as a burdensome “privilege.”
It wasn’t only hard on the noblemen. The cortege of maids, footmen, coachmen, and lesser attendants were responsible for making their majesties comfortable in any venue, for packing, cleaning, airing and repacking every item at each moving stage. Moving boxes were heavy, cumbersome wooden crates or trunks, bound around with metal, requiring heavy keys (which also needed to be managed). No one enjoyed these month-long sojourns except the royalty.

As time moved along and the wheel had been invented and there we covered wagons it began to get easier. Still you did not have packing boxes but were lugging around wooden crates and heavy trucks. There weren’t moving vans or even roads so I wonder how many china pieces were broken during a long trip. The decision to move was not made lightly that is for sure.

So the next time you have to move think about how much easier we have it than our ancestors did. It’s not going to make it any less inconvenient but does help to put things in perspective. Aren’t you happy you don’t have to suffer with outdated methods of transporting your belongings?

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