Latest Articles by Aasbury

Purchasing Foreclosures: the Basics

Tue, 26 May 2009 11:54:11 -0500

In this challenging economy there are many homes coming available due to foreclosures. As buyer, there may be opportunities to buy in your area as a result. You can purchase homes in foreclosure at different stages in the process. Properties can be bought before the foreclosure procedure is completed, at bank auctions, or homes that don't sell at auction as REOs. All these types of sales can be complex to complete so be sure to hire an agent who has experience with your particular type of situation.

To avoid foreclosure, sometimes a home owner will accept a buyout on their property for less money than is owed to their lender. This practice is called short selling because the owner is selling their property for an amount short of what is owed on it. Sometimes this happens to avoid foreclosure, though it can also happen in the case of fallen property values. Be aware that short sales can take longer than regular sales to close.

Other ways to buy foreclosures are to buy at a public auction or buying bank owned or REO properties. These properties are often priced for less than what is owed on them because the bank does not want to hang on to a bunch of properties. These bank owned properties cost the bank money, so it is in their best interest to clear them out as quickly as they can.

In some cases when these kinds of properties are bought, they may come with tenants who have refused to move or angry tenants who expressed their anger with property destruction when they vacated. Be aware that these are your responsibility to deal with as the buyer, if these possibilities are more than you want to deal with then foreclosures might not be the best option for you.

Do not think that buying distressed or foreclosed properties means easy money. There can be many stresses in purchasing real estate, particularly if you are not prepared for the possibilities that may occur. The best way to make your way through purchases of distressed properties is to ensure that you are as informed as possible and that you have an agent or lawyer working on your side.

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For information about Minneapolis condo rentals, go to MinnesotaLoftsAndCondos.com. There you can search all Minneapolis lofts for rent, in addition to getting the latest market information for the Twin Cities area.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com

Beautifying Your Bathroom for Buyers

Tue, 26 May 2009 11:53:24 -0500

The bathroom is one space in your house that everyone spends a good portion of their day and one of the spaces that prospective buyers will respond well to if they find it inviting. Depending on the condition of the bathrooms in your house, there are a variety of treatments that you can apply to boost up its charisma.

First, look at the condition of your counters and cabinets. If your counter tops are worn, consider replacing them; there are many inexpensive options for replacement counters. If the laminate counter tops are in poor condition and you can't afford to have them replaced, consider painting them. There are some good products for this purpose and will look much better than a worn counter surface. Likewise, if your cabinet doors are looking dated or discolored they can be refinished or refaced. If your bathroom just has a vanity, then shop around to see if just replacing that is in your budget.

Next, paint your bathroom. Make sure you fill any holes in the walls and seal any seams around the bath, shower, or sink with fresh silicone caulking first. A fresh coat of paint brightens up the room, even if you paint it the same color as before. Remember to paint the ceiling as well; freshly painted ceilings look clean and reflect the light in a small room better. Refrain from getting too adventurous with stenciled or wallpaper borders; a new owner will likely have different tastes than you.

In addition, baskets or bins that can go in the cupboards to organize bathroom items will help keep the room organized. When your house is being shown, all personal items should be off the counter tops and toilet tank so it is imperative that there is ample room for these items to be stored away.

Now, to complete the fresh new look, purchase mats or rugs, counter top accessories, and a shower curtain in colors that accent the colors in your bathroom. Consider having an extra mat or rug to put down for when your house is being shown so that it looks fresh and unused. A vase on the counter top with fresh or silk flowers makes the room more inviting as well. Finally, fill a basket with rolled guest towels and fancy soaps or lotions to place on the counter top to give your bathroom a luxurious spa atmosphere that any prospective buyer would find inviting.

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For information about St. Paul lofts, go to MinnesotaLoftsAndCondos.com. There you can search all Minneapolis homes, in addition to getting the latest market information for the Twin Cities area.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com

Never Say Die: The Eccentric Architecture of Arakawa + Gins

Tue, 19 May 2009 15:25:48 -0500

Architecture has, and continues to be, constructed with the goal of marrying form and function in a purposeful and aesthetic way. Perhaps it's time for loftier goals.

Arakawa and Gins are two artists and architects that have worked together for over 45 years. Troubled by the notion of mortality, the two have decided that they're never going to die, and are working to outlaw death for everyone. One way they're doing this is by creating residential spaces that will extend the lives of those who live in them.

Their self-made anti-death philosophy is known as "reversible destiny" and their building designs are based on something they call "procedural architecture." Their design methods create unusual structures that "steer their residents to examine minutely the actions they take...and recalibrate their equanimity and self-possession, causing them to doubt themselves long enough to find a way to reinvent themselves." What this heady explanation means is that the houses they build are challenging structures, designed to keep their residents off-kilter at all times. By living in a perpetual funhouse, you're forcing your body and mind to stay active and seek new answers to problems. This could then lead to a new way of approaching life and facing obstacles from a new, enlightened perspective.

Arakawa and Gins could be onto something. There's been a great deal of discussion in the medical community about brain plasticity, and about how stimulating the brain will help keep neurological problems like Alzheimer's at bay.

In terms of the physical challenges inherent with their structures, Arakawa and Gins believe that the body can be challenged to greater health as well. They feel that their disorienting spaces can help improve one's immune system, and even recommend their designs for seniors who have health problems and mobility issues. As Arakawa explained, even if people are forced to crawl on the floor like a snake, the health benefits will be worth it.

While most people want a living space that oozes comfort, for Arakawa and Gins, comfort is a harbinger of death. As Madeline Gins explains, "comfort is rife with anxiety, and elation comes when you erase that." By living in a home that challenges your senses and is difficult to get around in, "everyday you are practicing how not to die."

Their first American structure is known as the Bioscleave House, or Lifespan Extending Villa. It is located on Long Island NY, and cost $2 million to build. The home has remained unoccupied since the project was completed.

There are no doors on any of the rooms (bathroom included), thereby forcing you to reassess your need for privacy. The walls meet at strange angles and are painted with a multitude of bright colors. The concrete floors are hilly and covered with smoothed-over bumps that make walking a challenge, and the windows are set at varying heights so you can't orientate yourself with the horizon. The kitchen is sunk into the center of the home and is practically unnoticeable. Fortunately, there are brightly colored poles to help the unbalanced. Altogether the home has a cheerful yet dizzying effect.

An instruction manual comes with the home, and a waiver must be signed before entering.

Innovative design that challenges our notions of home and life—this is what the architecture of Arakawa and Gins does for us. They force us to question things that we take for granted such as comfort and the inevitability of death. While the author of this article may prefer to live in a house that is relaxing and comfortable, it's good to know that there are still people out there who are questioning limits, challenging perceptions, and working to achieve something we all want—to outsmart death.

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For information about St. Paul MN condos, go to MinnesotaLoftsAndCondos.com. There you can search all Downtown St. Paul condos for sale, in addition to getting the latest market information for the Twin Cities area.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com

Will Senate Spit or Swallow the Cramdown Bill?

Wed, 08 Apr 2009 12:13:30 -0500

Struggling homeowners who've been considering filing Chapter 13 bankruptcy may soon receive good news. A new piece of legislation referred to formally as the "Helping Families Save Their Home Act," or more commonly as the "cram down bill," is on its way to the Senate.

Designed to complement President Obama's strategies to quell the nation's foreclosure and economic crises, the cram down bill would allow bankruptcy judges to modify the terms of a person's mortgage if they face losing their property to foreclosure.

Under the proposed bill, judges could reduce the loan's interest rate, lengthen the loan term, and decrease the principal amount owed. All of these actions would ultimately result in lower monthly payments for the homeowner, and allow him and his family to remain in the home.

Loan modification is not a new solution for distressed homeowners, but lenders currently only modify loans on a voluntarily basis. Lenders have all the power, and homeowners are subject to whatever agreement the bank sets out. With the new cram down legislation however, bankruptcy judges will be able to override stubborn lenders, and help families save their homes

While the cram down bill would certainly help those who are facing bankruptcy and foreclosure, the bill also has the potential to strengthen our economy as a whole.

Wherever there is a foreclosure, the property value of every home on the street is affected. This in turn upsets the economic viability of entire neighborhoods and communities, then states, then the nation.

With global markets in such dire straits as they're currently in, it's critical that the number of foreclosures in this country is quelled. The cram down bill is but one measure planned to help achieve this goal.

Mortgage companies, some moderate Democrats, and a large number of Republicans are opposed to the cram down bill, arguing that it'll only make matters worse. Not only do lenders face the prospect of losing money on these modified loans, but some believe that a proposal like this only serves to reward the financially irresponsible, and punish those who practiced fiscal restraint.

While it is certainly true that many Americans purchased homes that were beyond their means, it is also true that lenders must own their share of the responsibility for issuing loans to people who had no reasonable hope of affording them. Regardless of who is to blame, the time has come to look forward. No one can change what happened, so it's time to pull together and come up with practical solutions.

Banks and major corporations have received bail-out funds, so perhaps it's time to bail out those who truly feel the brunt of the economic crisis—the average homeowner.

With layoffs occurring in record numbers and property values continuing to plummet in some regions, many Americans are feeling this recession with acuity. People are struggling to feed their families, fear is setting in, and the economy is slowing down even further. Perhaps the cram down bill will give desperate homeowners a much-needed break—a bail out if you will, so that they won't end up on the streets. Perhaps with their new monthly savings, they can pump money back into the system, and invigorate this slumping economy. How novel a concept—economic revival from the bottom up.

The cram down bill is slated to be taken up by Senate after the April recess.

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For information about Minnesota lofts, go to MinnesotaLoftsAndCondos.com. There you'll find Minnesota real estate listings including homes for sale in St. Paul, Minneapolis, and surrounding areas.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com

Major Don'ts for your Website Copy

Thu, 26 Mar 2009 14:33:09 -0500

Websites are becoming the norm among progressive realtors around the country. In addition to displaying property listings for the various markets that you serve, it's also important to talk about current happenings in your local housing market, and introduce visitors to your company. Your goal with a website is to acquire new leads, and having good content is one way to do just that. Unfortunately, not all realtors know how to create good quality content that their visitors will want to read. Read on to learn about some of the worst things you can do with your website content.

Duplicate Copy

If you prefer to produce the content for your site yourself rather than hire a professional writer to do it, the last thing you should ever do is perform a simple copy/paste job of another website.

One writer in the industry discovered that her client "Bob," had copied all of his content from a competitor's website—with the internal links intact! When visitors to Bob's site clicked the links that were sprinkled throughout the on-page content, they were taken to Bob's number one competitor's website, thus exposing himself as a content thief.

Plagiarizing content—whether it's from a competitor's website or from a local chamber of commerce site—is unethical at the very least, and in more extreme cases can lead to charges of copyright infringement. In addition, duplicate content damages your site's rankings in top search engines like Google.

Search engines have become much more sophisticated in the last few years in terms of detecting duplicate content, and will only rank sites with unique content at the top of their results page. If your site has copied text throughout, it will be virtually invisible to the search engines, thus making it nearly impossible for potential clients to find you.

Going SEO Crazy!

A little knowledge is indeed a dangerous thing, and SEO is no exception. SEO, or 'search engine optimization,' is all about getting your website to rank highly for certain keywords that users are known to search for.

Organic placement of these keywords is the goal, but some agents add keywords to every second sentence, making the text clunky to read.

Google penalizes site owners for having too many keywords, or "keyword stuffing," but even if your site isn't flagged, it's important to think about user experience when doing any SEO. Visitors to your site actually read what you put up, so be careful with how many keywords you squeeze into the text. Always keep readability foremost in your mind when producing content for your pages, or else you'll end up with spammy looking text.

Not Having Listings on your Site

In the early days of the internet, people could get away with putting up a website that had nothing more than a company's logo and contact information. Now however, real estate buyers are looking for more than just an advertisement—they're looking for listings. If you don't put property listings on your site, you're simply not being competitive in today's market. Visitors will leave and go straight to a competitor that does have an IDX feed on their site.

One note regarding listings: there is a lot of debate between real estate agents who argue whether one should require visitors to register with their site before they can access a property's full listing details. Some say that visitors will get annoyed with the registration requirement and go somewhere else, while others contend that registration is the best way to get viable internet leads. After all, by registering with your site, each person must provide you with their contact information and tell you what they're in the market for. You can then utilize this information when you call them for the first time.

The Excessive Use of CAPS

In internet etiquette, writing in all caps implies that you're shouting. It's seen as unprofessional and spammy, so try to avoid it as much as possible. If you want to make a line of text stand out (like "Click here for your free home evaluation."), use bold or italics instead. If you're comfortable with html, you could even make the line appear in block quote formation, or put it in a highlight class to really draw your visitors' eyes. By writing the line as "CLICK HERE FOR YOUR FREE HOME EVALUATION," you're yelling at the visitor and making your content look tacky.

When writing content for your website, remember that user experience is your number one priority. Provide real estate relevant information, have your listings prominently placed, and always write original material. You'll demonstrate to users that you're a realtor who's keeping up with the times, and the search engines will love you too.

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For information about Minnesota lofts and condos, visit MinnesotaLoftsAndCondos.com. There you can search all loft and condo rentals in Minneapolis, in addition to getting the latest market information for the Twin Cities area.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com

Needing Some House Therapy? Call in a Remodeling Coach

Mon, 23 Mar 2009 15:05:07 -0500

If you're thinking about doing some renovations or redecorating in your home, you may be feeling overwhelmed by the prospect of having to decide which changes to make, and then find a reputable contractor to do the work. Have no fear, as there is a new branch of home improvement specialists whose job it is to assist you with your renovation project.

Known as remodeling coaches or house therapists, these professionals are often former contractors who have decided to utilize their skills in a whole new way. They guide homeowners through the renovation process from beginning to end, and act as a liaison between homeowners and laborers who are working on the project.

Acting as an intermediary between homeowners and contractors is a very beneficial role that remodeling coaches play because they're intimately acquainted with the construction process. They're better able to translate the homeowners' goals to the contractors, and in turn, better communicate to the homeowners what their expectations should be regarding the time, cost, and finished look of the project. Having someone who is able to 'speak both languages' can help immensely in clearing up any misunderstandings or conflict that comes up during the renovations.

In addition to making the communication process smoother between owner and contractor, house therapists are also available to help couples work out their own conflicts about a remodeling project.

Renovations are difficult, and can put a lot of strain on the people living in the home. It's important that couples are in agreement about the direction that their renovation projects should take. If one party feels like their views aren't being heard or respected, conflict can result, which only makes the process of remodeling more challenging. This is why having a third-party on hand can help.

House therapists are not only well-versed in the art of construction, but they can also lend an impartial ear to couples who are in disagreement over changes in the home. A house therapist can help feuding couples set remodeling priorities based on cost vs. benefit, rather than on personal preference.

This is an important function of a coach because in a buyers' market, homeowners need to make smart decisions about how much to invest in renovations and decide which projects take precedence over others. It can be overwhelming for homeowners to know what to do—whether it's to fix up the kitchen, or expand the master bedroom. This is where a house therapist can help. They can quickly turn a mountain into a molehill, and make the homeowners' decisions that much easier.

In addition to helping homeowners prioritize their home improvement projects, remodeling coaches can also help people create realistic budgets and project timelines. They can also screen potential contractors for the job, watch that the project progresses in a timely fashion, and make sure that the workmanship is up to par.

A house therapist can make all the difference between a home improvement nightmare and a successful renovation.

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For information about Minnesota lofts and condos, go to MinnesotaLoftsAndCondos.com. There you'll find Minnesota real estate listings including homes for sale in St. Paul, Minneapolis, and surrounding areas.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com

The Nitty Gritty of Starting a Compost

Tue, 10 Mar 2009 15:00:41 -0500

Composting has been around for many years as an easy way to add nutrients to a garden, but the activity is also a great way to reduce the amount of waste that ends up in our landfills. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reports that as much as 24% of the solid waste in landfills is comprised of food scraps and yard cuttings, which could be composted instead. Composting is a simple step that you and your family can take to help take care of the earth.

To begin your foray into the world of composting, you will need a bin. While containers aren't technically needed for composting, they do improve its aesthetics, and help keep pests out of your pile. You can build your own simple container, or invest in a large bin or tumbler, depending on how much work you want to put into your composting.

Place your bin in the backyard or in some other place where it isn't too noticeable. If you don't maintain your compost properly, it can start to smell bad and attract pests—neither of which your neighbors will appreciate. On the other hand, you'll want your compost to be convenient for you and your family. If it takes 10 minutes of trekking through bush to get to the compost, no one will want to maintain it.

You will also want the container to be located in a spot where there's a bit of shade. Shade will keep your compost from overcooking in the sun, which can turn into a stinky pile. You'll also want to put your compost within easy reach of the hose, as you'll need to water the heap regularly.

Once you have chosen a location for you bin, you'll need to collect what are referred to as "green" and "brown" materials. The "greens" refer to things like grass cuttings, plant trimmings, food scraps like fruits and veggies, coffee grounds, and rinsed egg shells (no meat or dairy please). "Brown" materials include dry leaves, strips of newspaper, wood chips, straw, and cardboard.

The green ingredients add nitrogen to your compost pile, while the browns produce carbon—both of which are necessary for successful composting. Make sure that all ingredients you add to the pile are relatively small in size, as this will speed up their decomposition.

Start your compost by adding a layer of green materials to the bin. If you don't have enough food scraps collected yet, just add whatever yard clippings you have available for now. Next, add a layer of your brown ingredients. These will neutralize the smells that green materials can produce, as well as reduce the number of flies and bugs that your bin attracts.

Now that you have your green and brown materials together, you need to encourage the growth of microorganisms. These microscopic critters break down both the brown and green materials, speeding up their natural decomposition, and turning your scraps into compost.

To get your bacteria growing, you need to add a bit of water to your pile. Unfortunately, gauging how much water to add to your compost heap can be tricky business. If you add too much water, the pile becomes slimy and smelly. Water it too little, and the bacteria are unable to survive, leaving your compost pile stagnant.

You want your compost pile to be damp, but not sopping. If you think you've added too much water, add more of your brown ingredients to reduce excess moisture.

Oxygen is also necessary for the survival of microorganisms. To maintain adequate oxygen levels, you must aerate your compost bin on a monthly basis. You can do this with a pitchfork or other large garden tool, simply mixing your pile as if you were making a cake. If you have a tumbler-style composter, then you just have to turn the crank.

As the microorganisms happily chomp their way through your vegetable scraps, they produce heat. This heat "cooks" the ingredients in the bin, quickening their transformation into usable compost.

If you can maintain correct oxygen, water, carbon, and nitrogen levels in your bin, you will have completed compost within a few months. You will know that the compost is ready to add to your garden when it resembles soil. It should be dark in color and smell like dirt.

Once the compost is ready, just add it to your garden or to potted plants. Compost provides plants with valuable nutrients and protects them from drying out. It can also help maintain a healthy soil pH, and help protect your plants from disease. Composting gives you all this, and is a great way to reduce, reuse, recycle.

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To find Minnesota lofts and condos for rent, go to MinnesotaLoftsAndCondos.com. There you'll find detailed information about rental properties in St. Paul, Minneapolis, and surrounding areas.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com

Home Sale Contingencies

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0500

If you're a homeowner who is buying your next home, a home sale contingency should be on the list of things to add to the paperwork associated with buying a new home and selling your old one. Not having a home sale contingency can damage your finances and even endanger your home ownership.

Basically, a home sale contingency is an agreement that no legal transfer of mortgage debt will be conducted while you are still trying to sell your old residence. It gives you time to obtain what you need to conclude your purchase of the new home. Most importantly, perhaps, it prevents you from having to shoulder two mortgages.

As advantageous as this can be for a home buyer, to the seller, it can be a black mark against you. The seller wants to sell their house; not wait for you, the buyer to determine whether you can buy. They don't want to sign a contract that will allow you to slip out of the deal, penalty-free, while they miss out on other offers. Usually, they don't know anything about you, other than that you're in the market for a house (providing you sell your old one), so they have no way of knowing whether you're serious or not about their property.

Sooo... is there a middle ground?

A slow market can mean that sellers are more open to an offer with a home sale contingency attached to it. Having a realtor who knows the market and the trends can be invaluable at this point, since you will be in a better position to bargain.

Showing the seller proof that your present property is likely to sell soon might also help your cause. Treat this as if you were trying to sell the house to the person you're hoping to buy from; show them pictures and information about the house and how market trends are in your favor. Show proof that other homes in the neighborhood have sold easily and for around the price you're asking. If your house is in a good neighborhood or next to a top-rated school, let the sellers know. Since they're going through the home-selling process themselves, they will likely appreciate what you're telling them about the likelihood of your house being sold quickly.

You can modify the home sale contingency into a delay of sale (promising that you will buy the house even if you haven't sold your own) and obtain a bridge loan. A bridge loan is a loan that you get to cover possible expenses (such as a second mortgage) while you wait for your house to sell. The great thing about a loan like this is that, while it can pay for your expenses, it also can help reassure a seller that you will end up buying the house, even if you don't sell your own by the end of the date indicated in the home sale contingency. If you don't need to use it, you promptly pay the loan back and move in to your new home.

Avoiding the whole home sale contingency by negotiating a long-term/flexible closing date that will allow you to house-hunt while still living in your old home is probably the better choice, if you can manage it. Get the advice of a real estate professional concerning the best way to market your home while you hunt for your next property.

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For info about the Minneapolis loft and condo market, go to MinneapolisLoftsAndCondos.com. There, you'll find beautiful South Minneapolis condos, plus listings from many other Minneapolis areas.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com

Home Purchases Via P2P Lending

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0500

The Internet has opened up new vistas for the potential homeowner. Person-to-person/peer-to-peer (P2P) lending has become the latest in money acquisition and investment trends. But is it reliable, is it safe, and what are the implications of defaulting on a loan taken out in cyberspace?

One of the big movers in the P2P world, Prosper Marketplace (prosper.com), opened its virtual doors on February 5, 2006. A little over 2 years later, they are the largest U.S. P2P lending marketplace, featuring loan requests from all over the country. Loans are requested for a wide variety of reasons: from mortgage consolidations to sending little Johnny to college.

Prosper began with a simple premise: Connect people with the funds and the willingness to invest them with people who needed funds and were willing to pay interest on them. Add to that area for people to explain why they should be the person you invest in and you have a system that is, in ideal circumstances, both lucrative and strangely intimate.

However, Prosper.com currently only allows a spending cap of $25,000. For a lot of home buyers, this won't be enough. So, P2P lending agencies that do support loans of the amount needed for a down payment have sprung into being... or are trying.

Home Equity Share (homeequityshare.com) is one such. The idea is that you, the buyer, want to put 20% down on the home of your choice. The problem is that you currently have 0%. Or 5% Or 10%, but nowhere near the magic 20%.

Enter Home Equity Share, which happens to have a person who wishes to invest in real estate, but doesn't want to have to deal with the home. They lend you the amount you need (through HES) and you both agree on how the money is going to be paid back. You might end up buying your investor's share or splitting the profits of a sale.

That's the ideal scenario. In reality, things might be more complicated. P2P lending online is still being ironed out. In Canada, companies like Community Lend (communitylend.com) are being stymied by regulation difficulties. The problem is that we're still waiting to see what is keeping Canadians from utilizing P2P networks.

Back in America, we're still waiting to see what the ultimate risk factor. Prosper's level of defaulters has been as high as 20%. Home Equity Share is still in its infancy and some blogs, like thebankwatch.com have indicated that it is still very much a high-risk investment.

However, the risk seems to be all on the lender's side when it comes to actual money. The only risk that borrowers appear to run is defaulting on the loan and the resultant hit to the credit score and the gentle attentions of collection agencies.

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For info about the Minneapolis loft and condo market, go to MinneapolisLoftsAndCondos.com. There, you'll find Northeast Minneapolis condos, plus listings from many other Minneapolis areas.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com

Pigeons and Assorted Pests

Fri, 04 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0600

Once a domesticated bird, roosting on rocky cliffs and protective ledges, the pigeon has evolved, now seeking refuge in today's busy cities. It has become one of the most common bird pests, lofting no longer on desolate stone bluffs, but on city balconies, window ledges and billboards.

Pigeons mate for life and are an extremely fertile bird; it's not uncommon for a pair to produce over ten baby pigeons each year. These squabs may begin mating as early as four months and tend to roost in the same area. With very few predators, and plenty of food, you can imagine how quickly they multiply.

With this increased population comes the inevitable mess from bird droppings. Pigeon feces is responsible for millions of dollars in property damage as well as posing serious health risks. It's a common carrier of serious diseases including encephalitis, salmonella and host for parasites such as fleas and ticks.

Managing These Pests

There are a number of methods available to control these pesky birds. Before you undertake any of these methods, be sure to clean the infected area thoroughly, removing all traces of their droppings.

I've listed some of the more popular systems for warding off pigeons, and you'll see that prevention is the most effective way to deal with these pests. Some frustrated residents may be tempted to poison or use other methods to kill the birds. Not only is this not an eco-friendly solution, but the methods can create adverse reactions from neighboring tenants. Moreover, the depleted population automatically attracts more birds looking for vacant spots to roost.

Don't Give Them a Reason to Stay!

Many times pigeons are encouraged take up residence by well meaning condo residents who insist on feeding them. This practice ensures you'll have unwelcomed feathered guests for life, complete with their babies and subsequent generations.

Visual and Audio Deterrents

Items such as owls, snakes, and ultra sonic signals are fairly cheap, but tend to have only temporary success. Once the birds figure out that the predator is not a threat, they will ignore it. Other audio signals include distress calls of startled or injured birds, and although this works with some species, it is not effective against pigeons.

Mechanical Barriers

These are available in a variety of shapes and sizes including spikes, and rounded coil shapes. They work well deterring pigeons, but not smaller birds such as starlings or sparrows. They require regular cleaning as they tend to trap debris.

Electric Devices

These are grounded, low-amp systems that repel birds with a pulsating shock. They are can be very effective, but can be expensive to install and may require maintenance.

Post and Wire

This inconspicuous and inexpensive system has been used in Europe for over 20 years. Stainless steel wire is attached to posts at differing intervals which deter birds from landing. It's effective against pigeons and gulls, but not starlings or sparrows.

Bird Netting

Netting works well to deter all species of birds, it's inexpensive, and almost invisible in appearance. This is an excellent first choice when bird-proofing an area.

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This article was submitted by the writing team for the Asbury Group. They represent a unique group of REALTORS® focused on the lofts and condos market in the Minneapolis real estate area. They have detailed information on the surrounding areas such as Elliott Park real estate, MN.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com