Category: Real Estate

Be the One to ‘Bring Help Home’

A natural disaster can bring a community to its knees. But with the help and hard work of NAR members, the REALTORS® Relief Foundation (RRF) is there to help pick up the pieces.

RRF is holding its second annual online silent auction Nov. 7–9 – coinciding with the REALTORS® Conference & Expo in New Orleans – to raise funds and increase awareness of the foundation’s mission: “Bring Help Home.” A full 100 percent of all donations goes directly to victims of tornados, hurricanes, floods, fires, and other disasters that result in the need of housing-related assistance.

In addition to participating in this year’s auction, YPN members can also support RRF by donating auction items such as gift baskets, gift cards, electronics, trip packages, hosted events, and more. The deadline to submit donated items is Sept. 15. All companies donating items will be showcased with their company name, URL, and logo. Download the silent auction donation form.

Last year’s auction raised $55,000 for RRF. This year’s fundraising goal is $100,000. Here’s how it works: Online bidding will take place over 48 hours, opening Nov. 7, at 3 p.m. CST, and closing Nov. 9, 3 p.m. CST. Anyone can bid via computer or mobile device from anywhere in the country. Go to the auction site, www.biddingforgood.com/rrf to register to bid. Registration is required to bid on items. Items will be available for preview before the bidding period opens. Winning bidders will be notified via e-mail at the close of the auction. Not interested in bidding?  You can show your support by clicking the “Donate Cash” link on the auction site to make a tax-deductible contribution to RRF.

The REALTORS® Relief Foundation started in response to the 9-11 terrorist attacks. REALTORS® and others raised $8.5 million for 1,300 families who lost a loved one to help offset their mortgage or rent. Since then, the foundation has raised another $16.5 million to provide mortgage and temporary housing assistance to nearly 9,000 families in 41 disasters. Most recently, $1.4 million was distributed to those suffering severe damage or total loss of their homes caused by Hurricane Sandy, massive flooding in Colorado, and EF4 tornadoes in Illinois and Arkansas.

Erica Christoffer is a senior editor for REALTOR® Magazine and manager of the YPN Lounge. Connect with her at echristoffer@realtors.org.

Source – Realtor.org

Mow in the Know: 5 Common Mowing Mistakes to Avoid

1. Cutting too short. Each time you mow, only remove about one-third of the grass blade. Shorter clippings break down more easily, allowing some of the natural nitrogen to return to the soil. If you cut too much at one time, the long clippings can cause stress on the grass, inhibiting healthy growth. Removing only a small amount of the blade each time you mow is a good practice and will give you the best quality turf.

 2. Mowing pattern monotony. We all have our habits, but mowing your lawn in the same pattern all year is one you need to break. Mowing grass in the same direction all the time can mat down the turf and inhibit growth. By varying the pattern in which you mow your grass, you will avoid missing or double mowing areas and reduce wear on the turf. This will encourage a healthier, more beautiful lawn.

3. Bagging it. Though bagging clippings is a common practice, mulching is much more beneficial to your lawn. Mulching returns essential nutrients, such as nitrogen, back to the soil. As noted above, removing only a small amount of the grass blade each time you mow produces shorter clippings that can decompose more quickly and discourages the development of fungus diseases. Many mowers, like the John Deere 100 Series, have mulching capabilities built in. If you do decide to bag, be sure to compost your clippings and reuse on site.

4. Ignoring the roots. A common lawn care mistake is only managing the parts of the lawn you can see. Caring for the grass roots and soil is one of the most important things you can do now to ensure healthy growth year round. Consider taking a soil sample and having a local university extension program or your local landscape supplier provide a soil analysis. The results will give a measure of fertility based on nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium levels, and can help determine the best type of fertilizer to use throughout the year.

5. Blunt mower blades. A dull mower blade will shred grass blades creating entryways for disease. Sharpen the mower blade to a thickness of about 1/64 of an inch to keep the blade strong and not too razor sharp. Be sure the blade is balanced to warrant a clean cut and avoid damage to the mower.

 

Source – Realtor.org

Pinterest Board Tips for Real Estate Pros (Part 2)

Pinterest boards are the second most important part of your Pinterest account. Last month, I talked about optimizing your Pinterest profile in the kickoff of my series on using Pinterest in your real estate business. The goal of your profile is for a Pinterest follower or potential client to be able to quickly get to know who you are and what you do in one glance.

Now let’s dive into using boards. Each Pinterest board is a collection of one topic, think of it as a cork-board where you are “pinning” information for safe keeping. However, on Pinterest, it’s all about others finding the valuable information you are providing.

Your Pinterest boards should be a mix of your personal interests and real estate related topics. Here are the four categories a real estate professional should have in their top 12 boards.

  1. Interests: e.g. cooking, recipes, exercise, fashion, kid stuff, etc. Be authentic!
  2. Real Estate: This screams “I sell real estate.”
  3. Home related: organization, kitchens, home decor, home staging, etc.
  4. Community: neighborhood parks, stuff to do around town, local restaurants, etc.

Why are your top 12 boards so important? 

Your top 12 boards are your prime real estate in Pinterest, this is what a potential follower will see when they give your profile a glance. So you want the top 12 boards to be a good mix of the four categories above.

Here’s a glance at my profile:

And my top 12 boards:

From my top 12 boards you can see that:

  • I sell real estate in Arizona, specifically the Phoenix area;
  • I have community boards for Scottsdale, Tempe, and Chandler things to do;
  • I have kids;
  • I like healthy recipes;
  • I’m involved in Pinterest for real estate.

The statements above need to reflect you. What do you want someone in one glance to know about you?

Remember, the largest category of pins on Pinterest is “Home,” so you have the opportunity to include all kinds of home related boards.

Here are my home related boards – some are also real estate related:

  • Home Decor – Bedroom Furniture
  • Home Decor – Living Room
  • How to Paint – Home Makeover
  • Home Storage & Organization

My boards that reflect real estate:

  • Arizona Real Estate
  • Best Phoenix Neighborhoods
  • For my clients (Phoenix area Real Estate)

Community based boards – these drive potential clients from my local market. When they search Pinterest using keywords from my market, my boards and pins show up:

  • Scottsdale Fun! Best Things to Do With Kids
  • Chandler Fun! Best Things to Do With Kids (I have several of cities, I’m only mentioning two.)
  • Arizona Stuff to Do!

Boards that reflect my personal interests:

  • Kid’s Healthy Eating
  • Healthy Eating- Smoothies
  • Kid’s Rooms

In next month’s Pinterest article, I will talk about the importance of keywords in Pinterest. In the meantime, if you want to get a good list of real estate keywords for your Pinterest boards, you can head over to www.pinnablerealestate.com, I have a free list of keywords that are perfect for real estate professionals.

Charlie Allred a Phoenix based real estate broker with Secure Real Estate, and is the author of the upcoming book “Pinable Real Estate: Pinterest for Real Estate Agents.” Learn more at her blog: www.PinnableRealEstate.com.

Source – Realtor.org