Opening Doors Blog

The ABC’s of good gardening are pretty simple: Start with the right plant in the right spot, give it the soil it loves and water it needs, and then keep watch for any pests or diseases that might attack it, so that you can nip them in the bud. [...] Read More

There are some common signs that can alert you to a home that is getting prepped for sale. If it is a particularly nice home or a particularly popular neighborhood, you could finds that the home ends up being sold before it hits the MLS. The early bird catches not the worm but the new birdhouse of course. [...] Read More

A strong move by the Bank of America Corp. (BAC) - the nation's largest bank comes amid evidence that mortgage companies have signed documents in foreclosure cases without verifying the information in them. The Bank of America said Friday, October 8th that it will halt sales of foreclosed homes in all 50 states as they look into reports about mortgage servicers who signed foreclosure documents without reading them, this is a practice known as "robo-signing." This move is expanding a crisis at a dangerous time for the US real estate industry. [...] Read More

Get the most out of yur mower by following these simple maintenance steps. Clean the mower. With the gas tank empty, turn the mower on its side. Give it a good spray with a hose, especially the underside. [...] Read More

Whether the ad is in the newspaper classifieds or posted on the internet, real estate ads can be marvels of creative writing. You need to decipher the abbreviations and read between the lines. Here’s a sampler. [...] Read More

Having the correct lawn mower for your yard can minimize the time and effort you put into mowing. A riding mower is needed only for the largest lawns. Because of the danger of tipping, it’s not appropriate for any lawn with steep slopes. A push-type power mower is suitable for most lawns. [...] Read More

Even the most carpet-like lawn can develop problems. If your lawn is not healthy and you can’t diagnose the trouble, dig up a patch of soil and take it to a reliable nursery or the local Cooperative Extension Service for analysis. Here are some common situations. [...] Read More

Agents really don’t like it when you work with more than one of them at the same time and you can’t blame them. They could drive you all over the place looking at homes and spend hours researching tax records and recent sales prices for you, only to see you actually buy with one of their competitors. So there goes their payday despite all that work. In most cases your contract with a buyer’s agent will stipulate that they alone are representing you. [...] Read More

Most large real estate companies have relocation specialists who are tuned in to the specialists who are tuned in to the special needs of people who are moving great distances. For example, if you are using an agent affiliated with one of the big, national franchise companies to help you sell your old home, that agent can give you a referral to an agent who specializes in relocations in your new community. [...] Read More

As a rule, you should use a complete lawn fertilizer, one containing nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium. Apply at a rate that provides 1 pound of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet of lawn in each application of fertilizer. Pay attention to how much fertilizer is being used, so the entire lawn will receive the same amount. Do not over-fertilize, it is not good for the lawn and can contaminate the local water through fertilizer runoff. [...] Read More