HOW TO SELL YOUR HOUSE FASTER

Ask any realtor and they'll tell you: houses that sell within the first five weeks of their listing are most likely to fetch their asking price. The longer your house lingers on the real estate listings, the more pressure you'll feel to knock the price down - and the less likely it is to sell without some incentives from you, the home seller. Even if you don't have to sell your house fast, it's the best way of getting the price that you want for it. Put your home sale on the fast track with these tips and tricks from professional Realtors.

Find a Realtor

Your best option for selling quickly is to give the job to a professional, and let their experience guide you. A realtor knows all the ins and outs, as well as what selling strategies work best in your area. They can help you set the right selling price for your property (which is the second most commonly offered piece of advice to help your home sell quickly), offer concrete suggestions for improving the chances of a sale, hook your home into the Multiple Listing Service, and guide you through every step of the selling process.

Choose your Realtor carefully, and accept their advice. He or she knows what will sell your house. A good Realtor will suggest most of the house sell tips listed below.

Set The Right Price

Every Realtor asked said that the most important factor in selling a home quickly was to price it right. Further, the most common mistake sellers make is pricing too high. Experienced real estate agents strongly suggest starting from the average price in your area and working from there, rather than starting with your desired net gain. Your best gauge to determine the right selling price for your home is the recent selling prices of similar homes in your neighborhood. Your realtor is the best source of those prices - they have insider access, after all.

Prepare Your Property BEFORE Listing It

There are a number of things you can do to make your property more appealing, and they should be done before you start showing it - and this is called home staging. 'Staging' has been known to make home sell faster. The key is being sure that your house looks its very best from the start. Now is the time to make needed repairs. If it needs sprucing up, get that done first. Fresh paint, trimmed bushes, mowed lawns and immaculate cleanliness are all important factors in making your home attractive and saleable.

After Listing, Keep The House Immaculate

Be ready to show the house at a moment's notice. Make sure you pack up the junk and rent a storage unit as clutter and junk will erode the potential equity your house will bring. If there are too much 'junk' in a room it makes the room look smaller and distracts the buyer's attention. Perform a thorough house cleaning. Make the windows shine and wipe down the baseboards. Keep the sink empty and wiped, and make sure that the bathroom and kitchen are spotless. Don't forget to eradicate unpleasant odors. It's important that your house should look as close to move-in condition as possible - all the time!

Fade Into The Background

When the house is being shown, be as unobtrusive as possible. If you've contracted with a Realtor let him or her do the selling. If you're doing the selling yourself, be available to answer questions and conduct a brief tour - but give the prospective buyers plenty of 'alone time' to explore and kick the tires.

Offer Incentives To Make The Asking Price More Attractive

Got a buyer that just loves the house, but needs a little extra boost to make the commitment? There are a number of incentives you can offer as an alternative to lowering your asking price. This is another place that a good realtor can make valuable suggestions based on their own experience. An offer to cover buyer closing costs, for instance, can bring the up-front expenses of buying your home into range for a first-time buyer struggling to meet a down payment, points and closing costs.

Other common incentives include a 'decorating allowance' or including household items and appliances in the purchase price.

Take Advantage Of Employer Help If It's Available

If you're relocating for work, check your company's relocation assistance plan. Some may cover the cost of long-distance selling, or even purchase the home and resell it, depending on the circumstances.

There you have it. Apply these tips to sell your house fast as the peak home selling and buying season is upon us.

Mortgage Rates Plunge ... New Lows!

Mortgage rates plunge, flirting with new lows

By Les Christie August 3, 2011 NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- As Congress and President Obama hammered out a debt deal over the past week, mortgage rates plunged -- hitting new lows in some instances. The 30-year fixed rate, usually the most popular choice for homebuyers, fell to 4.45% from 4.57% last week -- its lowest point since last November, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. level. "Refinance application volume increased, but even though 30-year mortgage rates are back below 4.5 percent, the refinance index is still almost 30 percent below last year's level. Factors such as negative equity and a weakMeanwhile, the rate on the less popular 15-year fixed plunged to a new record low of 3.52%, down from 3.67% a week earlier. The up-front points lenders charged dropped as well, to 0.78 from 1.14 for 20%-down loans, according to the industry group. A homebuyer financing a $200,000 mortgage could save $14 a month and pay $720 less at closing based on the current points. The rock-bottom interest rates drove up total mortgage applications -- both for purchases and refinancings -- by about 7%, compared with a week earlier, said Michael Fratantoni, the Mortgage Bankers Association's vice president of research and economics. While the increase may seem substantial, he noted that applications are still well below last year's job market continue to constrain borrowers," he said. On Bankrate.com Wednesday, a 30-year fixed was available that carried an annual percentage rate of just 4.03%. The overnight average was 4.37%, the site reported. Mortgage rates are following bond yields lower, explained Greg McBride, Bankrate's chief economist. The yield on 10-year Treasury notes hit 2.6% on Wednesday down from 3.03% the last week of July. "The plunge in Treasury yields is because we've been hit with a string of poor economic readings," said McBride. Those include a weak GDP report and slowdowns in manufacturing, consumer spending and hiring. With rates so low and home prices down more than 30% from peak, there has probably never been a more affordable time to buy a home. For some buyers though, "Time is of the essence.," said McBride. "The loan limits (for Fannie/Freddie mortgages) drop on October 1 so acting now for closing by Sept. 30 is important for buyers in the upper price levels."

13 Ways to Cool Down Your Summer Workout!

You waited all year for summer to arrive, dreaming of all the activities you could do if only the weather was nice. But now that warm weather has arrived, the extreme heat and humidity can make it difficult to spend any time outdoors—let alone exercise. While exercising in the heat is generally safe for most people, taking a few extra precautions will help you stay cool and prevent problems associated with the heat.

Danger Signs to Watch For
Normally, your body cools off as sweat evaporates from your skin. But when heat and humidity rise, that sweat can't evaporate as quickly. The combination of hot weather, high body temperature and exercise can be dangerous and even deadly.

Heat exhaustion can occur when your body gets too hot, resulting in physical symptoms like weakness, muscle cramps, dehydration, dizziness, confusion, rapid heart rate and headache. Staying hydrated and getting out of the heat can help prevent and treat heat exhaustion. If left untreated, heat illness can worsen, causing symptoms like confusion, unconsciousness, vomiting, troubling breathing, and skin that feels hot and dry (a sign that the body isn't sweating). These are signs of heat stroke which is deadly and requires immediate medical attention.
But you don't have to give up exercise just because it's hot outside.
These 13 tips will help you beat the heat.

1. Get your doctor’s okay. If you are new to fitness or taking any medications, check with your health care professional before exercising in the heat. Newcomers to exercise will be more sensitive to the heat, and some medications can impair your body’s ability to regulate temperature.

2. Wear "wicking" fabrics. While cotton is comfortable, it doesn’t wick away moisture very well. Choose a loose-fitting polyester/cotton blend instead, or synthetic fibers designed especially for wicking during exercise.

3. Protect your skin.  Apply sunscreen with SPF 15 (or higher) to prevent sunburn—even on cloudy days. Use an oil-free formula that won’t interfere with your body’s ability to cool itself down and select a sweat-proof variety to prevent sunscreen from irritating your eyes. Clothing with tight weaves, sunglasses, and a lightweight hat with a brim can also help block the sun’s harmful rays.

4. Drink often. Hydrate your body before, during and after your workout by carrying cold water and drinking it often. Switch to a sports drink with electrolytes if you will be exercising for more than an hour.
5. Perfect your timing. Sun, humidity and pollution levels are most intense during the day, so you're at greater risk for dehydration, sunburn and heat exhaustion during this time. To minimize the effects of the weather, work out in the early morning (before 10 a.m.) or late evening (after 7 p.m.).

6. Check air quality. Before you head outside, get current reports online or on your local radio station. Lower your exertion (intensity) level during physical activity on days with extreme heat and high smog. This dangerous weather warrants easy walking, relaxed cycling or light gardening instead of vigorous exercise.

7. Acclimate to the heat. Even the fittest people can have trouble exercising when it's hot and humid. Start by exercising in the heat for only a few minutes each day and gradually increase the amount of time you can tolerate outdoors.

8. Seek shade. Parks, trails and other tree-lined areas can help you stay cooler than direct sunlight.

9. Monitor your heart rate.  If your intensity level rises above your target range. slow down or stop to avoid further stress.

10. Listen to your body. If you notice any symptoms of heat illness (see "Danger Signs to Watch For" above), stop your workout. It's not a good idea to "push yourself" in extreme heat. If you feel bad, use common sense and discontinue your workout.
11. Know when to stay inside. If temperatures climb above 90 degrees Fahrenheit, take your exercise in an air-conditioned environment, such as the gym or shopping mall.

12. Avoid extreme temperate changes. Don’t go from blistering outdoor heat to a shockingly cold air-conditioned building. Try to cool yourself down gradually before exposing your body to cooler temperatures.

13. Take a dip. Water exercise is a great alternative in hot weather. Water keeps your body cool and reduces how difficult you perceive your workout to be. Be sure to drink plenty of water even while swimming to ensure that you are properly hydrated.

Hot weather isn't the time to take risks. Even healthy people should take it easy in extremely high temperatures and everyone should understand how to exercise safely and effectively at the height of the season. Summer brings many fun and exhilarating opportunities to get outside, so enjoy yourself!