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November 7th, 2011 Top 10 Scam of 2010

Top 10 Scams

Now that you know, be on the lookout

1. Job Hunter Scams

Pitch: We will match you with a perfect job that’s ready and waiting for you.

Target: Bank account and/or Social Security numbers

Result: Victims must pay a fee to be considered for a job. Out of money and still don’t have a job.

2. Debt Relief and Settlement Services

Pitch: We will help you eliminate most or all of your debt (for a fraction of the amount you owe).

Target: Collection of upfront fee(s) in order to “settle your debts”.

Result: Potentially leave the consumer drowing in even more debt than they started with and completely ruin their credit.

3. Work from Home Schemes

Pitch: Fire your boss! We can teach you the secrets to making money online, assembling items at home or being a mystery shopper.

Target: Employees tired of the same 9-5 routine.  In some cases, the unknowing worker fence stolen goods.

Result: Instead of getting paid you can end up losing hundreds – if not thousands – of dollars in legal trouble.

4. Timeshare Resellers

Pitch: We will help you get our from under your costly vacation property and do it fast.

Target: Collect several thousand dollars to cover fees.

Result: After paying the fees the seller never hears from the company again.

5. Not so “Free” Trial Offers

Pitch: Try a free offer and never be charged – unless you want to continue the offer.

Target: Repeated monthly billings.

Result: The free trial offers seem easy the consumer is repeatedly billed every month and is difficult to cancel.

6. Rogue Home Repair/Roofers

Pitch: We can get that tree out with half down, and fix your roof for a fraction of what that guy is going to charge you.

Target: Upfront fee(s) to get the job started.

Result: Homeowners are often stuck with either an unfinished or never started project and are out the initial money as well.

7. Lottery and Sweepstakes Scams

Pitch: You have won a large lottery or sweepstakes and just have to cover taxes before receiving your money.

Target: Payment under the guise of “covering taxes” or other bogus “fees”.

Result: The victim wires the oney but the prize or money never arrives.

8. Advance-Fee Loan Scams

Pitch: Your or your business qualifies for a large loan but you must pay some upfront fees.

Target: Upfront fee(s). Often more than  a thousand dollars.

Result: The victim wires “the fee” to the scammers but never receives the loan.

9. Over Payment Scams

Pitch: Oops, I accidently send you too much money. Would you please wire some back?

Target: Any amount of money that is wired back.

Results: Transaction is reversed and the victim is our the money wired back to the scammers.

10. Identity Theft

Pitch: Hi, this is a very legitimate business, we need to confirm some information today, is that ok?

Target: Gathering personal sensitive information to open lines of credit or just straight stealing money from victim’s account.

Result: Victim is left spending countless hours trying to repair all of the damnage the thieves have done or are still doing.

Remember, always research a business with the BBB before you sign any contracts or hand over any money http://www.bbb.org/.

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August 16th, 2011 Water Conservation Tips

Here are a few tips to consider during this drought.

1. Turn faucet off when brushing teeth or shaving.

2. Install a faucet aerator on your bathroom sink.

3. Install a faucet aerator on your kitchen sink.

4. Install a toilet tummy in your toilet tank.

Other ways to converse water throughout your home:

In the Bathroom:

Install a water-saving shower head.  Older heads use 5- 10 gallongs per minute (gpm).  All new fixtures use approximately 2.5 gpm and offer equal water coverage and force.

Many high water consumption problems stem from toilets which slowly leak water because of bad valves, improperly positioned float arms or defective overflow tubes.  Place dye tablets in your toilet tank.  After several minutes id you see the dye enter your toilet bowl you know you have a leak.

Consider installing a high efficiency toilet (HET) that only uses 1.28 gallons/flush.

Shorten your showers. Take short showers instead of baths.  To make it fun for kids, turn it into a game to see who can get the most “squeaky clean” in under 3 minutes.

Place a bucket in your shower to capture the water that runs while you’re waiting for it to get hot. Use the water to water your plants and trees.

In the Kitchen

Rinse dishes, vegetables and fruits in a filled basin, rather than under running water.

Water your plants with left-over rinse water.

Wash only full loads in the dishwasher. Use the “light-wash” setting when possible.

Consider buying a high efficiency dishwasher that will save water and energy.  Some water districts and homeowners associations give discounts for this.

Keep a jug of chilled water in the refridgerator for drinking to avoid running the water until it gets cold.

In the Laundry

Wash only full loads of clothing.

Hand wash single garments.

Consider buying a high efficiency washing machine that will save water and energy. 

Outdoors:

Raise your lawnmower blade to at least three inches; taller grasss holds soil moisture better.

Clean the driveway and sidewalk with a broom instead of a hose to save hundreds of gallons of water.

When you see an open hydrant, errant sprinkler or broken pipe, tell the property owner, local authorities, or your Water Management  District.

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June 21st, 2011 The Bright Spots For The Housing Market

The good news: Even the worst markets won’t depreciate more than 5% or 6% in the year ahead, according to Veros. That’s a relief from the double-digit drops in the past.

But the top markets aren’t expected to see runaway growth either: The strongest markets in the country aren’t expected to appreciate more than 4% in the year ahead, according to Veros.

Below are the markets expected to perform the best in the next year, along with their projected home-price increases:

  1. Bismarck, N.D., 3.8%
  2. Wichita Falls, Texas, 2.6%
  3. Buffalo/Niagara Falls, N.Y., 2.1%
  4. Honolulu, 2%
  5. Anchorage, Alaska, 1.9%

The strength of the local economy has a lot to do with the strength of its housing market.

“Bismarck’s unemployment rate is 2.9%. No one is worried about losing their job, and prices reflect that,” Fox said. He also pointed out that commodities are strong, and North Dakota produces a lot of them — from natural gas to wheat.

Top large cities include Washington, D.C. and Boston.

Recovery could be years away

From a national perspective, RealtyTrac is predicting that the market will bottom out, in terms of sales and pricing, this year. But the recovery will appear flat two years after that, with meaningful appreciation occurring in 2014 or 2015, the company projects.

However, it’s also worth noting that while economists speak of a national bottom in housing prices, individual markets bottom at different times, said Jim Gillespie, chief executive of Coldwell Banker Real Estate.

The Case-Shiller index, for example, may provide a snapshot of prices in 20 large cities, but it’s not indicative of every market, he said.

Furthermore, most home buyers intend to be in the home they purchase for seven to 10 years, Gillespie said. And Sharga said that’s enough time for a buyer to recover from any early losses right after they purchase.

“If you’re looking at being in a property more than a couple of years, you will certainly be able to weather that storm,” Sharga said.

“If you’re a buyer, it’s still a good time to be in the market,” he said. “No one is going to be able to time the bottom locally or nationally… the only way you know you’ve hit bottom is when prices come back up.”

(Information obtained from Amy Hoak, MarketWatch)

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June 9th, 2011 Sheppard AFB contributes to our region’s well-being

The Texoma area is the recipient of a very large gift – the military families and civilians assigned to Sheppard Air Force Base.

These families help protect our freedom in the United States and abroad.  They are willing to give their lives that we might continue to live in a free country.  They work together here and on foreign soil.  They are not all American military.  Many are from Europe and other parts of the world.  We should forever be grateful to these individuals and their families.  As local hosts of our military guests, we need to ask each other what we can do to continue showing our support and appreciation.

The Texoma area receives much more than just protection of our freedom.  Sheppard contributes 20 percent to our area’s economy.  That equates to over one billion dollars coming in to Texoma each year from Sheppard.

It goes without saying that Sheppard is not just about dollars and cents.  It also is about what these military families provide to assist this area with events and functions throughout the year.  Many of these events like FallsFest, would not be possible without the asisistants of our military friends.  These families have needs which include medical, education, housing, restaurants, churches, shopping, and many more.  As they receive the many benefits and services our area provides, they continue to give back so much more than they receive.

Sheppard Military Affairs Committee (SMAC) is continuing the Partners in Freedom Campaign to raise funds to support this military installation, and hopefully bring more missions to Sheppard.  This effort could possibly protect the base from being included in another round of BRAC cuts.  If you have not yet been contacted regarding a contribution to SMAC, please consider going online to Partners In Freedom/SMAC and learn more about what is being done to try to protect Sheppard.  Information online will also assist those desiring to make donations.

The large role Sheppard plays in our education system continues to make a positive impact on student and faculty lives.  Many of the students go through the International Baccalaureate Program offered at Kirby and Hirschi High School.  This is quite an intense curriculum with very strict disciplines.  The program is a drawing card for many military families, escpecially for Euro Nato Joint Jet Pilot Training (ENJJPT) Program  participants.  Hopefully the Wichita Falls ISD will continue to support our military families with the International Baccalaureate Program.

Another way for business to support our military is by offering them a discount when they patronize your business.  Many of our current businesses continue to advertise and offer military discounts.  Please inform them that you offer a discount before they have to ask for it.  This makes such a positive impact on those who are here serving our country.

The North Texas area continues to hold its own in the housing market.  We have been very fortunate that we have not seen the negatives the national market has experienced.  Our home sales, even though they slipped some, have been fairly steady. The MLS has been flooded with hundreds of new listings and foreclosures.  All in all this area is still a very good place to purchase a home – and the value is remarkable.  With the interest rates very low and bonds programs available it makes this a perfect time to find that first time home or your dream home.

As Realtors who have chosen to be involved in Sheppard and support the efforts of SMAC, we encourage and challenge all realtors and businesses to become more knowledgeable and support our friends at Sheppard.   Then take time to learn about SMAC and consider making a monetary contribution to the Partners in Freedom Campaign.  This would be a great way to do your part to help keep Sheppard.

I will be the first to say that if it were not for Sheppard and ENJJPT Program we would most likely have a tremendous decline in the real estate market.  Many businesses might close and schools would possibly drop to a smaller district.  This is a critical issue and we need your help!  It is time to continue a positive business climate in Texoma by support Sheppard AFB and SMAC.

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April 20th, 2011 Introducing QR Codes

Advantage Realtor Group is constantly looking for innovative ways to market our company, and during the last few weeks we have implemented QR codes into our marketing strategies.

What are QR Codes?

Quick Response (QR) codes are barcodes that are used to store data that can be decoded by smart phones at high speeds. Although QR codes have been in the mainstream for quite some time, it is becoming very popular in the Real Estate Industry. 

Uses & Benefits

At Advantage Realtor Group, we use QR codes to store our Virtual Tours. These barcodes are currently placed on our Flyers, Booklets, Homes Magazines Covers, Sunday Ads, and other property information.  In the not too distant future, we intend on adding a QR code to our business cards so persons could have direct access to our website.

For us, QR codes help us bring the Internet on paper. Although our publications have information regarding the properties, QR codes gives potential buyers an inside look of properties by simply scanning the code on the flyers without having to go inside. We believe that this strategy will help to increase interest in our properties. 

How does it work?

There are various QR Readers that can be downloaded to your smart phones that would be able to decode the QR codes.  Presently, we are using the Universal Property Code (UPC), a free app for Iphones.  We have also heard good reviews about Scanlife and Quickmark (works on most phones).  However, there are numerous options for QR Code Readers at various prices, so it is up to you to choose the one you think is best.  Once the Reader is installed, simply turn the Reader on and point it at the QR code; it will scan and display the data stored on the code, in our case, our virtual tour.   

We are always excited to be on the cutting edge of Business and Real Estate technology, so please join in our excitement and scan this code to view our Virtual Tours.

 

Let us know what you think.

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March 15th, 2011 Housing Scorecard Shows Increased Home Sales

Sales of existing homes increased nationally in January as home affordability remained high, according to the latest figures on the Obama Administration’s Housing Scorecard.  However, officials caution that the market  remains fragile, as prices are unsettled.

The housing market remains fragle as data through January 2011 paint a mixed picture of recovery.

Existing home sales ticked upward in January, but remained below levels seen in the first half of 2010.  Mortgage delinquencies continued a downward trend compared with early 2010, and foreclosure starts and completions remain below peak.

However, as lenders review internal procedures related to foreclosure processing, many foreclosure actions.

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March 3rd, 2011 Texas Home Sales, Median Prices Up

College Station (Real Estate Center) — Some 10,628 existing single-family homes were sold in Texas last month, according to the most recent Multiple Listing Services (MLS) data compiled by the Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University.  That’s a 2 percent increase over a year ago.

The median price was also up 2 percent from January 2010, at $139,100.  There was a 7.3-month inventory.

January 2011 MLS data for many Texas cities (current as of today) are available on the Center’s website.  Here is a sampling:

  Sales Change from Last Year Median Price Change from Last Year Month’s Inventory
Amarillo 122 Up 14% $122,700 Down 6% 6.9
Austin 1,066 Up 8% $186,300 Up 6% 5.6
Corpus Christi 175 Up 11% $128,500 Up 2% 9.8
Dallas 2,043 Down 8% $150,100 Up 7% 6.4
El Paso 339 Up 34% $127,900 Down 2% 6.6
Fort Worth 407 Down 12% $105,000 Up 2% 6.8
Harlingen 56 Down 20% $76,000 Down 11% unavailable
Houston 3,085 Up 8% $136,600 Down 4% 7.4
Lubbock 135 Down 3% $110,000 Up 2% 7
Odessa 50 Up 56% $136,700 Up 16% 4
San Angelo 63 Up 7% $118,900 Up 40% 6.3
San Antonio 951 Up 11% $143,900 Up 4% 7.7
Temple-Belton 77 Down 9% $125,000 Up 19% 8.1
Tyler 143 Down 11% $120,600 Down 13% 12.6
Wichita Falls 80 Down 10% $90,000 Up 3% 7.8
Texas 10,628 Up 2% $139,100 Up 2% 7.3
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February 24th, 2011 Remodeling your Kitchen on a Budget

The kitchen is one of the most popular rooms in a home, so why not make yours really stand out?  Whether you’re selling or simply want to upgrade, here are some simple tips and ideas to get you started without breaking the bank:

  1. Set a budget! Know what upgrades will give you the most value for your money and do your best to stick with your budget.
  2. Make a plan and do one thing at a time, especially if you’re going to do it yourself.

So where should you start?

Cabinets

Repaint or stain your cabinet doors and add new hardware.  This is one of the easiest and least expensive upgrades you can do that makes a big difference.  If you need advice on what works best with the cabinets you have, take a door into your local home improvement store and ask for professional advice.

Kitchen Counter Tops

Counter tops can be expensive if you’re going for granite, but that’s not your only option.  You can opt for concrete or granite overlay.  Do your research to find what suits your budget and style best.

Kitchen Floors

Your choices are endless when it comes to updating your kitchen floors.  From peel-and-stick tile to laminate wood flooring and travertine, the sky is the limit – but be mindful of your budget! Bring home samples of flooring based on your style and budget before you make a final decision.  Many real estate professionals agree that a kitchen remodel splurge should be saved for the countertops and not the floors, so keep this in mind when deciding.  You want to make sure you get great value from any upgrades you do.

Saving Money on Kitchen Appliances

If your applicances are in good working order and match in color and style, save your budget for more beneficial upgrades.  If your appliances look really dated or don’t match the new look of your kitchen, you may want to consider finding some great scratch and dent deals.

Did you know that appliances can be painted?  A professional paint job can turn your white appliances to fresh, new-looking ones.  You can also buy appliance-safe paint at your home improvement store and do it yourself.

Kitchen Lightening

Install modern lighting is amazingly simple if your kitchen is already wired for overhead lighting.  Can lighting can focus on important areas in the kitchen.  A new chandelier can make a big difference, and you can find options for less than $150!  To make an even bigger impact, be sure to install a dimmer switch.  You’ll be surprised what a difference a little “mood swtich” can make.

The options are endless for remodeling your kitchen on a budget. The hardest part is deciding which upgrades will make the biggest difference on the smallest budget.  Just be sure to do your research and to set realistic goals.  And last, but not least, enjoy the project by making it your own.

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February 22nd, 2011 Showers: How To Make Hot Water Last

by American Home Shield (AHS)

There’s nothing like a hot shower to take the chill off a cold morning.  If yours is leaving you cold, these simple maintenance tips can help:

  • Drain your hot water heater twice a year.  This will help remove built up minerals and sediment that can potentially harm your heater.
  • Wrap an insulated blanket around your hot water heater so it doesn’t have to work as hard to reheat water.  This will help you cut down on energy costs.
  • Replace your showerhead with an energy-efficient, or “low flow” model.  These use less water so they make hot water last longer – while also saving energy and money.
  • Install a hot water circulating pimp if your shower takes too long to heat up.  This is ideal for bathrooms far from the hot water heater as it keeps the hot water close by.
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February 9th, 2011 What is the Possible Future for Building Homes

Based on responses to a recent survey by the National Association of Homes Builders (NAHB), here are some ways in which builders can expect homes to change by as early as 2015:

  • Single-family homes will get smaller (74% of respondents said).
  • Homes will have more “green” features (68%)
  • Homes will have more technology features (29%).
  • Homes will have more universal access features (20%).
  • Homes will have more outdoor living features, such as kitchens and fireplaces (10%).
  • The average home size will be roughly 2150 sf.
  • Living rooms will merge with other spaces in the home (52%), vanish to save on square footage (30%), or become a parlor/retreat/library/music room (13%).
  • If the living room doesn’t vanish, it will likely decrease in size (76%).
  • Also downsizing are the entry foyer (66%) and dining room (63%).
  • Features “very likely” to be included in a new home in 2015 include a kitchen-living room combo (“great room”), walk-in closet in master bedroom, laundry room, and 2-car garage.
  • “Unlikely” features include 3 or more bathrooms,  mudroom, unheated porch, dining room, skylights, 3-car garage, 4 or more bedrooms, media room, and 2 master bedroom suites.
  • Homebuyers are “somewhat likely” to want universal design features such as stepless entries, 3-foot-wide doorways  and 4-foot-wide hallways, stepless showers that have seating, non-slip floor surfaces, and grab bars in bathrooms.
  • People seem likely to lavish more attention on the kitchen, ensuring that room will retain its status as the home’s social center.  Survey respondents said they are “very likely” to want double sinks,  recessed lighting, table space for eating and breakfast bars.  They’re “somewhat likely” to want a central island, walk-in pantry, recycling center, and desk/computer area.
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