Opening Doors Blog

The last couple of weeks have seen many reports in the news reporting a surge in real estate investing activity and a return to the market by many investors who have been on the sidelines. So is this a good or bad thing for real estate investing companies and individual investors, and what are the[...] Read More [...] Read More

If you want to make flipping houses easier and start selling your homes for more, then you may want to take some notes from some real estate agents who have been selling their own properties. [...] Read More

Some hedge shrubs, such as boxwood, can be trimmed to just a couple of feet wide, while more sprawling shrubs, such as hibiscus, will need 8 feet or more. Because pruning stimulates new growth, prune evergreen ad most deciduous hedges in spring. However if your hedge produces spring flowers, wait until after they bloom to do any cutting. [...] Read More

Most home buyers start their home shopping on the internet. Once you have engaged the help of a buyer’s agent there is no reason you should abandon this valuable tool. You want to work with an agent who is completely plugged in and unafraid of technology. A good agent will send you emails with links to new listings that have just popped up on the MLS. [...] Read More

Many plants don’t need severe pruning, just remove dead or diseased wood, and cut off the spindly shoots and suckers from roots and lower branches. Shrubs that are getting too tall may need thinning and shaping to control their size. [...] Read More

Real estate agents can earn a number of professional designations from NAR and its affiliates. Three of those designations in particular, are good indication that the agent has at least invested more than the minimum required amount of time and training in the real estate business. Look for the designations ABR (Accredited Buyer’s Representative), GRI (Graduate, Realtor Institute) and CRS (Certified Residential Specialist). [...] Read More

Hold the tool in a vise to sharpen a garden-tool blade. Use a coarse file or a second-cut file to reestablish the bevel along the cutting edge. To create a sharp digging edge use a smooth file or a sharpening stone. Keep the file angle consistent and the pressure uniform. Stroke in one direction only. [...] Read More

Go ahead and make yourself a little cheat sheet. Use it as a guide, but customize it with your own hot-button wants and needs. If you absolutely have to have a sunny room for sewing, put that down on your cheat sheet. If you hate electric heat, mark that down. You're the only one who’ll be living there. In fact, you and your spouse could even draw up your own versions of a cheat sheet, allowing each of you to focus on the features most important to you. [...] Read More

Disease or pest infestation can cause plants to look sickly even if they are fertilized and watered well. Prevent the problem from occurring, or nip it in the bud, by following these procedures. [...] Read More

There are a few more issues to take into consideration if you are trying to determine whether to close in late December or early January if you are purchasing your home at the end of the year. In some states, the homestead exemption is one of the most obvious reasons to make sure your loan closes on or before December 31. For example, in Florida, state law provides the home owner a $25,000 exemption from real estate tax assessment. [...] Read More