FSBO Jane

As most of you know, and from the title of my blog, I am an advocate of the “for sale by owner” model. I have had much success with the company Buy Owner who operates the web site buyowner.com. Recently I have been inundated with emails telling me that “my favorite FSBO is out of business.” Most of these emails are from real estate agents who forget I can Google their name and find out who they are. So it was time to get some answers.

The Daily Business Review posted an article indicating that Buy Owner’s assets had been turned over to Michael Moecker and Associates for liquidation. But, it also said that they were an Assignee for the Benefit of Creditors, also known as ABC. This is an alternative to bankruptcy. Now granted that Michael Moecker and Associates is known for liquidations, it seems they don’t plan on liquidating Buy Owner. How do I know this? Because the company is still running. You don’t run a company to liquidate it, you just liquidate it.

It seems that Buy Owner is still alive, although like most real estate companies in this market, they are struggling. But this is the time to thrive. Investors and flippers want to make as much money as they can, that makes FSBO the best possible was to sell a property.

Oh, and to all those people sending nasty emails to me, here’s more news. ForSaleByOwner.com IS part of the Tribune bankruptcy. Apparently it is going to be split off to some smaller entity. ByOwner.com is on auction. That’s right. The owner is auctioning off his assets but shows no financial statement indicating how much income the assets generate. To me, that seems a bit shaky.

I have to give Michael Mocker and Associates credit for seeing an opportunity here with Buy Owner. While the other two major FSBO’s are either in bankruptcy or bailing out in fear, they have decided to put time, effort, and money into keeping the last standing FSBO around. If I were in a position to do so, I would swoop in and scoop up all three companies and corner the entire FSBO market. But that’s just me.

I found this quick tip while reading the Buy Owner Blog. Apparently there are kilowatt electric usage monitors that allow you to find out how much energy each of your appliances and electronics use! So my advice is to purchase one of these devices, to keep track of how much energy each of your appliances use, and to replace the ones that use the most energy! When replacing these, you should opt for appliances with Energy Star ratings. If you don’t replace them, you could unplug items when you aren’t using them, such as your hair dryer or toaster.

I searched the web for one of these devices and found this one, called a Kill A Watt. It has a handy LCD display, and it keeps track of how much energy your appliances use by day, week, month or year, and it keeps track of how much each appliance costs you! I was impressed. The cost for one of these monitors ranges from $20 to $80, and you can find them at most electronic stores, such as Home Depot or RadioShack.

My favorite blog to keep up with, the Buy Owner Blog, added a new category of blogs. If you are selling your home and moving to a new city, or you are searching for a city to relocate to, this category is for you. If you are looking for a place to vacation, this category is also for you.

It’s called Featured City and is located under the Buying Tips tab. Each blog focuses on a different city that Buy Owner works in or around. The blog provides helpful information on the city, from population and weather conditions, to local attractions and the distance to surrounding cities. If you’re interested in the city once you learn more about it, the blog lists houses, condos, apartments or the like that are for sale in that city. Click on the link and read more about each available residence. It’s as simple as ever!

Cities that the Buy Owner Blog has covered thus far include Aurora, IL, Lakeland, FL, Marietta, GA., Hialeah, FL and more. Check back often, as a new featured city seems to be added every week or so.

I love finding green furniture or home products that are not only good for the environment but also beautiful. The above table is an example of just that.

Designed by Katrin Arens, this table is made from reclaimed wood beams and adds a rustic charm to any home it’s placed in.

Want to see more? Head over to KatrinArens.it.

Image Credit: Katrin Arens

Don’t waste energy by lighting up your bathroom or a small bedroom with a nightlight. The light remains on all night, wasting energy while you sleep. Even if it’s a motion-activated nightlight, energy is still used through the plug. Instead, try to make one of these eco-friendly, energy-efficient “sun jar” nightlights. It’s basically a mason jar with a solar garden light, a rechargeable battery and an energy-efficient LED lamp. By placing the jar in sun during the day, these materials work together to collect sunlight that will keep the jar glowing throughout the night. It makes a perfect nightlight without having to be plugged in and without using energy!

To read more about the perks of these jars, visit green living ideas.

To read the components and the easy-to-follow directions to make your own sun jar, visit Instructables.

Looking to move to a city that is known for its farmers markets, its clean air supply or its biking paths? The green, eco-friendly way of living is skyrocketing in popularity. According to this article from kiwimagonline.com, the Natural Defense Resources Council began a “Smarter Cities” project that highlights the greenest cities going into 2010! If you are on the verge of moving, and green living is an important aspect to where you live, check out these cities:

• Seattle, for its energy-efficient kits that are distributed to residents and local businesses, in order to lower their emissions.

• San Francisco, for its citywide organic gardens, and its recycling and composting programs.

• Portland, for its green building construction and its effective space plans.

• Oakland, for its green training programs available for residents and businesses, and for its abundance of farmers markets and locally grown food.

• San Jose, for its doubling of green jobs that are available, and for its plans for businesses run on solar power.

• Austin, for its plans to build homes in energy-efficient ways.

• Sacramento, for its widespread use of the best public transportation in the country.

• Boston, for its plans to use alternative fuel resources, and for its popular transportation system.

• Denver, for its successfully implemented water conservation and waste reduction plans.

• Chicago, for its green architecture, its first green skyscraper and its LEED projects that outnumber any other city.

Decide what is most important to you in the green movement and head to that city of choice! Or take these ideas and use them to implement a green living movement in your town or city.

For more information no these cities and their green endeavors, click here.

Many of us are in the midst of celebrating the special holidays with our family and friends. Soon, 2009 will end, and 2010 is right around the corner. This time of year always makes me sentimental. I tend to make a habit of sitting down with a mug of hot chocolate and making a list of what I’m most proud of accomplishing each year. The list I will never forget creating is the year that I sold my house FSBO and moved into a new place to make my own. What an accomplishment!

If you can’t write that on your list this year, don’t worry. There’s always next year. At the end of 2010, you can check off buying and/or selling FSBO on your list, and you can feel just as great about it as I did! As a past user of Buy Owner, my advice is to let them help you through the process. I’m telling you, using this company will help you accomplish your goals with so much less stress than if you were to do it any other way.

Why? Because they hand you all the tools you need to accomplish your goals on your own, and for free. You can search thousands of houses on their website, you can choose exact features that you want to search for in a house, you can work at your own pace, and you can obtain tons of free information on everything you need to know in the process of buying and selling your home FSBO by reading their Buy Owner Blog. The articles are split into categories, such as Buying Tips and Selling Tips, to make is easier for you to find exactly what you’re looking for. Seriously, this blog is a godsend.

Happy Holidays!

What do all of these have in common?

• Seaside homes in the Hamptons.
• Mansions in the Hollywood Hills.
• Humble abodes in wine country.

They’re vacation homes. They’re trophy homes. They’ve been recession-proof.

Although a good number of homes across the U.S. fell privy to foreclosure proceedings and their sales prices fell short of market value in the last few years, there are plenty of places that will always sell. And why is that? They are always in high demand.

Most of the properties situated in a New Yorker’s favorite getaway, a star’s preferred LA neighborhood or a West Coaster’s ideal summer spot are not used for permanent residence. These homes are a luxury, which means that the current owners (and future owners to come) can afford to pay a lot of money for these pricey pads.

It is obvious what makes these abodes vacation homes, but what gives them a “trophy” status? The Hamptons, the Hollywood Hills and places like Martha’s Vineyard have long been associated with America’s elite… the money makers. The neighborhoods are a sort of Who’s Who of well-to-do celebrities, socialites, doctors, lawyers and the like. How many times have you seen a character in a TV show or a film just dying to take a trip to one of these fancy spots?

Aside from wanting a place where they can enjoy a little getaway from the stresses of everyday life, many owners of these luxury properties are also benefiting from renting them out when they’re not using them. Someone out there is going to travel, and if you’ve got a place in any one of these popular destinations, you’ll most likely make bank on visitors coming in each weekend, or even for a week at a time. Foreigners from Europe and Asia are also coming over and purchasing homes in these “exotic,” sought-after locations to capitalize on the endless money-making opportunities.

I’ve always said you should invest in a vacation home. But do you think you would spend the money just for the elite status of being located in one of these hot spots? I think I’d prefer to own a country cottage on Lake Michigan somewhere. A heck of a lot cheaper!

For awhile, it seems as though the Apple “There’s an app for that…” iPhone commercials were interrupting every one of my favorite TV shows. So I’ve been thinking, are there good real estate-related applications for the average homeowner? Absolutely!

Here’s my top five:

1. Dictionary of Real Estate Terms: This $2.99 app boasts over 3,000 real estate-related terms! A “lite” version is available, at no cost, but it contains ads. It also doesn’t have the bonus features found within the $2.99 app such as a saved search history and email options.

2. CalcsFree Mortgage Calculator: Easily determine your mortgage by making quick calculations based on the loan amount to be borrowed, your monthly income and other expenses. You’ll even see estimated tax savings. It’s a great FREE app, but be advised that the minimum loan that can be entered is $20K.

3. AroundMe: Have you moved to a new neighborhood? This FREE app identifies your locations and quickly gathers info to let you know what’s around you: banks, bars, coffee, gas stations, hospitals, hotels, movie theatres, restaurants, shops and taxi cabs. You’ll find out the location and contact info of the business.

4. iHandy Free Level: Now your phone can be used to hang pictures and shelving units completely straight! You may have to calibrate the level each time you want to use it, but it’s a simple task. And best of all, the app is FREE!

5. A Home Decorating Book: What Would You Do With This Room? My 10 Foolproof Commandments to Great Interior Design: Pretty long title for an iPhone app, right? Well, this FREE app sure packs a big punch! You’ll get insider tips on color scheme, window treatments, lighting and more.

How would you like a dwelling that lasts forever, no matter what? Even in the midst of natural disasters, or war, your house is favored to win the battle. It is so soundly built, more so than any other building in the world, that if something was to destroy the entire world, your house would be one of the last buildings to go.

What am I talking about? Old missile bases, referred to on http://www.missilebases.com/ as 20th century castles! Built with millions of taxpayer dollars, in order to make them as secure as possible, this bit of real estate could seriously be worth more than any other real estate someday. Due to international regulations, missile bases are not built quite like these for sale.

Numerous bases are available, located all over the U.S., such as in Kansas, Missouri, Indiana and Georgia. From the outside, you can hardly tell that a base resides there. Inside, the space is enormous. Some are quite beat up and need work, while others are surprisingly beautiful.

From what I read, the prices range from $275,000 to $2.5 million. To view these real estate castles for sale, and to learn more about the history of these bases, click here. Once you see them, the thought of owning one will just blow you away.