Trying

November 23, 2009

How to Secure Your Home While Trying to Sell Your Home

 

With the current stalemate in the housing market, and with burglaries increasing on homes that are on the real estate market, I decided it would be appropriate to address a major problem that comes with selling a home: burglary. Your home is a perfect target for burglars while you are trying to sell it. It may be the only time a burglar can find your home unoccupied at night, and it may also be the only time when the security system is left off or disconnected. In addition, neighbors may not be as suspicious about individuals passing by the home to ‘check it out.’ This all translates into one big opportunity for those would-be thieves, so how can you secure your home while trying to sell your home?

The first thing that comes to mind when selling your home is being wise about those individuals who schedule appointments to see your home. Burglars may take the opportunity to check out your home to see if there are any valuables, as well as look for any possible break-in points or problem areas. In the end, what you must do is screen individuals looking to schedule an appointment. Take down their names, personal information of some kind such as employment, and in general take notice of the disposition of the individual. Do they sound pushy, aggressive, or suspicious in some way? If so, you have the right to reject their appointment. If you do screen appointments when a would-be burglar calls, they will become worried about the situation or they will just abandon their plan and move on. Either way, this is the first step in securing your home.

The next thing you can do to secure your home more efficiently while selling your home is related to showing your home. If an individual does want to see your home, and you have taken the initial step to screen the individual, there is more you can do to provide safety to yourself and your home. First of all, keep a cell phone on your body at all times while showing, and if necessary you can put 911 on your speed dial. Generally speaking, you should never allow someone to look at your home that has not scheduled an appointment. If an individual stops by unannounced, just tell them you are busy and would like to schedule an appointment. This way you can make the necessary arrangements before showing the home. Also, make sure your children know not to let anyone in, regardless if they have an appointment. It has been shown that younger age groups are home most frequently when a burglary or assault occurs in the home. It is also more appropriate, if possible, to show the home with a close friend or family member accompanying you. If a burglar realizes you are not alone, he will not be as keen about assaulting you to rob your home.

This brings up another point. If in the event you are assaulted while showing your home, most burglars say they would not put up a fight as long as the person being robbed does not put up a fight. So, if after taking all of these security measures you are assaulted, it is much more important for you to save yourself than save your possessions. However, it is always wise to carry around some kind of personal defense device such as pepper spray, which can be used readily for self-defense.

Something else that has started occurring recently, with the advent of technology, is the virtual tour to sell your home. If you choose this option, be judicious in how you portray your home. Do not film valuables, or even any of your belongings if possible. If it appears that your home does not have anything inside of it, a burglar has no motivation to go breaking into your home.

Make sure to keep your home up even if you are not there all the time. Mow the lawn, trim the trees, pick up the newspaper and take out the trash. As previous articles show, burglars look for these signs in order to determine what home should be broken into. Check out ‘The Tell-tale Signs that Your Home is Ready for Burglary’ for more information regarding those burglary signals. Finally, let trustworthy neighbors know that you will not be at your home if you are living elsewhere so they can keep an eye on things.

In conclusion, selling a home can be one of the most stressful experiences at the time, but it can be eased by taking correct measures in home security. This way, even during slower housing markets, you will not lose even more assets and hairs than you may be losing just trying to sell your home.

Gavyn Smith is an associate editor for the home security resource secure24seven. Please visit his site if you would like to see more about home security or read additional home security articles.

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November 22, 2009

Trying to Sell Your Home in a Down Market



Like everywhere else in the world the housing market in Indianapolis has tanked, leaving way too many homes about to be owned by the city and left vacant. It is no secret that the economy is having trouble. Layoffs are happening everywhere and if you have been trying to sell your home you are probably starting to tear your hair out. Here are some things to consider if you want to sell your home quickly and to get as much as you can for it:

1. Do all of your repairs and renovations before you put your home on the market. Newly repaired and renovated homes have higher asking prices than those homes that leave repairs and renovations for the new owners. What’s more, a newly repaired and renovated home will look better which will make it more enticing to buyers.

2. Be ready to move out as soon as you get an offer. Put anything not immediately necessary into storage and live as simply as you possibly can. This way you will be able to sell your home to someone who might need to move in very quickly. Being able to turn the house over quickly will also make realtors happier to work with you and will raise the incentive for them to get your house sold quickly.

3. Keep your house and yard as clean and well kept as possible. If your yard and home are messy when people come to view it, you are less likely to sell the home in a timely fashion. You want things clean and neat so that prospective buyers have an easier time envisioning their own things in the space. If your home and yard are cluttered they won’t be able to clearly picture the space that you are offering and will be less inclined to make an offer on your home.

4. Consider renting. While the Indianapolis housing market is taking a nose dive, more and more people are being forced to find rentals. Consider renting out your home in the short term. You can hire a property management company to take care of finding a tenant for you and doing all of the repairs. Of course, hiring a property management company cuts down on the amount you’ll receive in rent each month but as long as you have your home insurance and mortgage payments covered you should stay afloat.

5. Reconsider moving. Indianapolis is a great place, why are you selling your home? We can understand moving to a different neighborhood within the Indianapolis city limits, but do you have to leave town? Perhaps you can find better employment or your family can join you here! Staying put would certainly be a lot easier to deal with than putting your house on the market, finding a buyer and finding a new place to live.

Indianapolis is a great place, but like everywhere else is having a hard time keeping everyone housed. Good luck with your sale!

For more information on selling your home, visit http://www.indianapolismicroblog.com and http://www.indianamicroblog.com.

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October 30, 2009

Trying To Find Land In Southern Indiana For Sale???

Moving house need at least 2 acres, wanting 5 acres at reasonable price or payments. Looking for south of greenwood or maybe in another state. Arizona, Texas, Ohio,Kentucky,and Oaklahoma.

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