http://www.openingdoorsllc.com The Latest Real Estate News, Tips For Homeowners, & Comprehensive Hub For Turning Your House Into A Home Wed, 11 Jan 2012 20:30:18 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 http://www.openingdoorsllc.com/2011/06/03/real-estate-investing-activity-up-it-this-good-or-bad-for-you/ http://www.openingdoorsllc.com/2011/06/03/real-estate-investing-activity-up-it-this-good-or-bad-for-you/#comments Fri, 03 Jun 2011 20:30:28 +0000 http://www.openingdoorsllc.com/2011/06/03/real-estate-investing-activity-up-it-this-good-or-bad-for-you/ http://www.openingdoorsllc.com/2011/06/03/real-estate-investing-activity-up-it-this-good-or-bad-for-you/feed/ 0 http://www.openingdoorsllc.com/2011/06/03/the-key-to-selling-homes-like-a-top-pro/ http://www.openingdoorsllc.com/2011/06/03/the-key-to-selling-homes-like-a-top-pro/#comments Fri, 03 Jun 2011 20:24:51 +0000 http://www.openingdoorsllc.com/2011/06/03/the-key-to-selling-homes-like-a-top-pro/ http://www.openingdoorsllc.com/2011/06/03/the-key-to-selling-homes-like-a-top-pro/feed/ 0 http://www.openingdoorsllc.com/2010/10/30/pruning-and-renovating-a-hedge/ http://www.openingdoorsllc.com/2010/10/30/pruning-and-renovating-a-hedge/#comments Sat, 30 Oct 2010 15:32:49 +0000 maryjane http://www.openingdoorsllc.com/?p=4016 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.]]> http://www.openingdoorsllc.com/2010/10/30/pruning-and-renovating-a-hedge/feed/ 0 http://www.openingdoorsllc.com/2010/10/29/hallmarks-of-a-good-real-estate-agent/ http://www.openingdoorsllc.com/2010/10/29/hallmarks-of-a-good-real-estate-agent/#comments Fri, 29 Oct 2010 15:16:09 +0000 maryjane http://www.openingdoorsllc.com/?p=4012 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.]]> http://www.openingdoorsllc.com/2010/10/29/hallmarks-of-a-good-real-estate-agent/feed/ 0 http://www.openingdoorsllc.com/2010/10/28/pruning-shrubs-and-trees/ http://www.openingdoorsllc.com/2010/10/28/pruning-shrubs-and-trees/#comments Thu, 28 Oct 2010 15:07:57 +0000 maryjane http://www.openingdoorsllc.com/?p=4008 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. ]]> http://www.openingdoorsllc.com/2010/10/28/pruning-shrubs-and-trees/feed/ 0 http://www.openingdoorsllc.com/2010/10/27/real-estate-agents-professional-designations/ http://www.openingdoorsllc.com/2010/10/27/real-estate-agents-professional-designations/#comments Wed, 27 Oct 2010 14:30:53 +0000 maryjane http://www.openingdoorsllc.com/?p=3977 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).]]> http://www.openingdoorsllc.com/2010/10/27/real-estate-agents-professional-designations/feed/ 0 http://www.openingdoorsllc.com/2010/10/19/sharpening-a-blade-and-garden-chemical-disposal/ http://www.openingdoorsllc.com/2010/10/19/sharpening-a-blade-and-garden-chemical-disposal/#comments Tue, 19 Oct 2010 12:58:12 +0000 maryjane http://www.openingdoorsllc.com/?p=4084 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.]]> http://www.openingdoorsllc.com/2010/10/19/sharpening-a-blade-and-garden-chemical-disposal/feed/ 0 http://www.openingdoorsllc.com/2010/10/18/home-touring-cheat-sheet/ http://www.openingdoorsllc.com/2010/10/18/home-touring-cheat-sheet/#comments Mon, 18 Oct 2010 12:49:06 +0000 maryjane http://www.openingdoorsllc.com/?p=4081 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.]]> http://www.openingdoorsllc.com/2010/10/18/home-touring-cheat-sheet/feed/ 0 http://www.openingdoorsllc.com/2010/10/17/handling-plant-disease-and-pet-problems/ http://www.openingdoorsllc.com/2010/10/17/handling-plant-disease-and-pet-problems/#comments Sun, 17 Oct 2010 12:33:23 +0000 maryjane http://www.openingdoorsllc.com/?p=4077 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.]]> http://www.openingdoorsllc.com/2010/10/17/handling-plant-disease-and-pet-problems/feed/ 0 http://www.openingdoorsllc.com/2010/10/16/choosing-the-time-of-the-month-to-close-matters/ http://www.openingdoorsllc.com/2010/10/16/choosing-the-time-of-the-month-to-close-matters/#comments Sat, 16 Oct 2010 12:22:40 +0000 maryjane http://www.openingdoorsllc.com/?p=4074 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. ]]> http://www.openingdoorsllc.com/2010/10/16/choosing-the-time-of-the-month-to-close-matters/feed/ 0