Opening Doors Blog

In a perfect world, there would be some agents who only worked with sellers and others who worked only with buyers. The “Who represents whom?” question simply would not come up. But the real estate world does not work that way right now. Generally, there’s more money to be made listing homes than in representing buyers because, thanks to the MLS, the listing agent has an army of helpers trying to sell that home. [...] Read More

A beautiful lawn is usually not difficult to achieve as long as you follow some basic rules of care: Keep it mowed. Letting lawn grass get too long often leads to thin turf. Set mower blade high. Mow cool-season grasses to 2 1/2 to 3 inches high; mow warm-season lawns shorter, 1/2 to 2 inches high. Longer grass shades weed seeds, prevents them from germinating and keeps the soil cool and moist, reducing the need for watering. [...] Read More

Pay attention to the street lamps, signs, playground equipments or park benches that the developer has added if they are installed. Are they aesthetically pleasing or simply the minimum grade necessary to keep local governments authorities satisfied? Pay particular attention to any areas where the developer plans to put in a retention pond to hold a rush of water after heavy rain. [...] Read More

Although soakers, sprinkler systems and drip irrigation have all but replaced hoses in many of the traditional watering chores around the garden, every household without a sprinkler system still needs a sturdy hose. And even if you have an automatic system you still need a hose to wash the car and soak newly transplanted trees, shrubs and flowers. [...] Read More

One of the best ways to learn about a new neighborhood is to follow its community newspaper for a while. The big city daily paper might not print much about a developer’s quest to build a new McDonald’s branch or an upcoming bond referendum to build a new school, but the tiny newspapers will. You can ask local real estate agents if there are any small papers covering the community. [...] Read More

Ground covers require less maintenance than a lawn. Use these plants in areas that receive little traffic. Nearly any low-growing, spreading plant can be used for ground cover. The thicker and more vigorously a ground cover grows, the less you will need to weed the area and the less watering or other care it will need. [...] Read More

The most common of the contingencies mentioned in our previous blog post is the one that deals with financing, since the average home buyer can’t afford to fork over cash for a six-figure purchase. Make sure that the purchase and sale agreement includes a provision stating that your earnest money deposit will be refunded if the sale has to be cancelled because you are unable to get a mortgage loan. [...] Read More

Choose a variety of plants to form an ensemble rather than buying piece-meal and hoping that they will look good together. Most successful gardens will have the following: foundation plants of trees and shrubs as well as other trees and shrubs, a ground cover, some perennials, annuals and vines. [...] Read More

Once your offer is accepted an the contract(s) signed, a number of wheels are put into motion , some of which can affect whether you make it to the closing table for that particular home. Most of these variables are addressed as “contingencies” in your initial offer, and they should all be included to ensure a win-win situation for both parties. The most used contingencies include the financing or mortgage contingency, the home inspection contingency, the contingency on the sale of a home, and the clear title contingency. [...] Read More

Landscaping does not have to cost thousands of dollars. Here are some ways to rein in a landscaping budget. Do it yourself. Whether is it digging and laying a mulch path, mowing the lawn or fertilizing it, you will save hundreds of dollars and learn more about gardening if you do it yourself. [...] Read More