Latest Articles by KCole

Can You Make Money Flipping Real Estate?

Sat, 15 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0600

One of the most common things you'll see on television today are the info-mercials. Basically what an info-mercial does is buy a slot of television time and use up a whole show's worth of time advertising a given product or service. Many are like myself and think they're the biggest waste of good television time there is. It's a typical scenario in America, you wake up from a nightmare and can't go back to sleep. You go to your living room and you turn on the television to relax you. In the good old days of television you could catch classic things like Gunsmoke or Star Trek in the wee hours of the morning, but now what do you catch? Info-mercials. Just great! You go from one nightmare into another. Or did the previous one even end yet? One of the most common things they talk about is buying land for low prices and selling it for higher prices in a short period of time. This process is called 'flipping real estate'. They have testimonials from people who are 'self-made millionaires' from doing this. Claims of making a hundred thousand dollars per month are not uncommon. Is there any truth at all to these claims?

During the course of this research I learned a few things about flipping real estate. I learned there are two basic methods to making this process work.

Do It All Yourself - Some are able to buy foreclosed properties very cheaply and then sell them much higher for a substantial profit. It may sound easy, but it's not trust me. Many of these homes are in need of repairs to a certain degree. Depending on how much you need to pay out for repairs and how much the house sells for determines if you make a profit or not. Many of these investors opt to do the repairs themselves and thus save the expense of paying another party to do it. This reduces risks and makes the chance for profits greater. The ones who do it themselves only sell a few homes per year and do not boast the huge profits that others claim to.

Do It As A Business - This type of real estate flipping is where everything is literally relegated to others. The investor finds the properties and secures the purchase, but that is all he does. He then secures the services of people he has as a regular crew who goes to these properties and sees to it they are in sellable shape in a timely manner. These investors sell fifteen houses or more annually. Even with paying a crew they have a pretty good margin for profit.

So can money be made flipping real estate? Yes - if the circumstances are favorable. This business venture like others is a gamble, there's nothing guaranteed. Flipping real estate may be just the thing you need to make the money you've always wanted, but then again that may not be your niche in life. And speaking of flipping, with regard to info-mercials I'm doing some flipping as well, but I'm not talking real estate. First I flip the bird, and then I flip the channel.

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This article is free for reproduction but must be reproduced in its entirety including live links and this copyright statement must be included:
Copyright © 2008 HomeImprovementScout.com

Source: http://www.articletrader.com

French Country Kitchen Design and Decor Tips

Sun, 26 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0500

The most captivating room in a French country home is often the kitchen because it serves as the social gathering point for good food and conversation with friends and family. You can add this rustic charm to your kitchen by focusing on the colors, fabrics, furniture and decor. Bringing these characteristics into the design of your French country kitchen is easier than you may think. Many hillside houses in the southern region of France are fairly small and so are their kitchens. Their French owners focus on warm colors and maximizing available space with functional earthy furniture and old-age accessories.

Warm Colors - Almost all rural French kitchens have warm appealing colors. Sunny yellows, gold, rustic red, azure blue and dark hunter green create that warm and elegant French country hillside feeling. Walls are often painted a buttery yellow or light cream color to accentuate the natural light. Creamy stucco walls with dark olive green and rich burgundy accents will immerse your senses in the ambiance of a quaint vineyard home in the south of France. Tuscan sun-drenched color can be emphasized with terra cotta tiles or a worn wooden floor.

Cabinets and Furniture - Cabinets and furniture in a French country kitchen design should utilize indigenous woods like cherry, walnut and pine. Kitchen cabinets should be light or moderately colored and can be painted or stained. The kitchen table can be square or round but much of its appeal should come from the rough and natural tone of the wood. Imprefections in the cabinets or furniture wood are desirable and add character. If you plan to replace kitchen furniture, focus on large pieces with clean curves with natural or lightly painted surfaces. Simplistic and elegant furniture made of rustic hardwoods should be complimented with accent pieces of wrought iron, marble and terra cotta to create that old world south of France charm.

Decor and Accessories - Search for items made of natural materials when choosing of accents and accessories for your French country kitchen. Hanging pots, often made of copper, add functionality and give that vintage feeling. Wrought iron and ceramic are typical old world Tuscany kitchen classics. Provencal fabrics are normally straight or plaid patterns with matching or contrasting colors. You can choose bold yellow or reds to brighten the room or light blue or cream to soften the look. Toile is common in the region with blue, red or black patterns offset on a white or cream background. Just be sure the fabrics blend with the walls, artwork and decor. Focus your accents, pictures, fabric and accessories on traditional French motifs including roosters, olives, vineyards, grapes and lavender flowers.

Finishing Touches - Since gardens are a natural extension of almost all houses in the south of France, liberal placement of flowers will add the finishing touch to your French country kitchen design. Hang dried, silk or fresh flowers from wrought iron fixtures and add them to pots, window boxes and vases. Hydrangea and geraniums are plentiful in the south of France and commonly visible within French country houses.

Whether you decide to go all out or prefer a lower budget approach focusing on furniture, decor and accessories that are aged, comfortable and earthy will bring the quaint elegance of the French country hillside into your home.

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For more information on French Country Kitchen Design, Decor and other Interior Decorating Tips visit www.inhomeimprovements.com
This article is free for reproduction but must be reproduced in its entirety including live links and this copyright statement must be included:
Copyright © 2007 Kristi Cole

Source: http://www.articletrader.com

Closet Organizers Help DeClutter and Enhance Interior Design Aesthetics

Sun, 10 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0500

Removing clutter and organizing your home is the holy grail of most home owners. There are endless possibilities for organizing your closet, pantry, garage and other spaces using closet organizers. Don't tolerate cluttered and disorganized spaces any longer.

With a properly designed closet organizers, shelves, drawers, hanging rods, and other features can be easily adjusted, added or removed, and reconfigured as often as you wish as your needs change. Components can be built to last using durable and attractive wood that wipes clean with a cloth for easy maintenance.

Most closet systems are made from melamine panels which is constructed from a melamine resin with decorative paper, thermally fused to an industrial grade of particleboard or medium density fiberboard (MDF). Panels are supplied with decorative faces on one or both sides. A 3/4" thick material is typically used for extra durability and strength.

If you are the do-it-yourself type, you can easily build your own closet organizer. Start by dividing your clothes into two or three groupings organized by height. Determine the width and height each group requires. Be sure to allow space so the clothes will not be crammed together. Determine how much shelf space you need for sweaters, non-hanging shirts and other similar furniture and accessories. Also determine how much rack space you will need for shoes. Allow some extra room for growth.

Draw a diagram of your system on graph paper adjusting for the measurements you took in the first step. Make a materials list including wood, edging and shelf supports. Be sure you have the right tools to complete the project. You will need a power saw, level, drill, hacksaw, hammer and a square. If you are the DIY type, this should be a simple project. Find a good book or plan to use as a guide.

If you prefer to buy pre-built wire kits from you local home center, these are easier to install and as a rule cost less. Often these kits can fit your existing space without modification. Follow the steps above for determining the size of the area and the types of storage areas that best suite your needs. Take the essential facts to you local home center or closet store and work with a specialist to select the right materials.

There are several features or components that make up closet organizers including drawers, shoe racks, hanging baskets, pant racks, hutches, corner shelves, fixed shelves, hanging rods, hampers, tie racks, and ironing boards. Properly plan for each feature to fit your specific needs and maximize your space.

Organizational features such as pull-out tie and belt racks, valet rods, shoe shelves, velvet lined jewelry drawers and hidden hampers can all be part of your custom closet system. The possibilities are almost endless with the latest accessories and accessories available. A properly designed storage system will complement your decor, integrating functionality and style, while adding value to your home.

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Kristi Cole is a home remodeling consultant at InhomeImprovements.com where you will find tips to help control clutter by installing closet organizers.

This article is free for reproduction but must be reproduced in its entirety including live links and this copyright statement must be included:
Copyright © 2007 Kristi Cole

Source: http://www.articletrader.com

Installing Low Voltage Landscape Lighting

Mon, 16 Apr 2007 00:00:00 -0500

Having your outdoor landscaping look beautiful both day and night can be as simple as installing low voltage lighting. Low voltage lighting is available in abundance of styles and can add emphasis to key elements of your home or garden at night. Outdoor lighting will also make it safer on your walkways after the sun goes down. Low voltage landscape lights are easy and safe to install even if you are electrically challenged if you follow these simple instructions.

When installing low voltage landscape lighting, it's important to remember that you are still working with electricity. Always shut the power off before working and don't touch the wires near electrical panels. Make sure your hands are dry and wear rubber gloves for improved insulation. Consult your manufacturer's safety directions and always check with your utility company before digging so they can inform you of the location of underground wires or pipes.

Install the Transformer - The transformer should always be installed near a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) outlet. A GFCI outlet is designed to protect you from severe or fatal electric shocks. Because the GFCI detects ground faults, it can also prevent some electrical fires by interrupting the flow of electric current. The GFCI monitors electricity flowing in a circuit and quickly switches off power to that circuit if the current flowing through the circuit differs by a small amount from that returning. The transformer should be installed within one foot of the GFCI outlet and at least one foot above the ground. If an area away from the house, you can install a small post in the ground near the receptacle and mount the transformer to the post. Add a weatherproof cover to protect the transformer from sun and rain. Keep the transformer turned off or unplugged while installing the lights and wires.

Arrange Lights - Lay out the landscape lights and cable on top of the ground where you want them installed. Leave approximately eight to ten feet in between each light and keep the first light about ten feet from the transformer. Assemble the lights fixtures and attach the cables to the fixtures. Most lights come with quick connectors to simplify installation. Position the two parts of the connector over the cable and snap the two parts together. Strip the ends of the cable wire near the transformer and connect them to the transformer’s terminals. Turn the system on to test the lights to ensure they work properly before burying the cable. If one or more of the lights do not work, check the connections making sure the connectors pierce the cable.

Bury the cable - Using a small garden hand shovel, dig shallow trenches about three to five inches deep in which to bury the cable. Lay the cable into the trenches leaving a small amount of slack at each light fixture to allow for light adjustment if necessary. Carefully fill the trenches with soil or mulch to cover the cable.

Finishing Touches - Attach the light fixtures to the ground stakes following the manufactures instructions. Carefully push the stake into the ground until the light is the desired height while ensuring the light is straight. If the ground is too firm, slice the dirt with a hand shovel first and then push the light into the slice created with the shovel.

If installed correctly, you should have a soft nightly glow rather than your yard lighting up like a football field. For more advanced installations, you can purchase a transformer that allows multiple cable connections allowing you to install individual cables to separate zones. This provides more flexibility in lighting and better illumination in certain zones if desired.

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Kristi Cole is a home remodeling expert offering outdoor landscaping ideas at www.inhomeimprovements.com

Source: http://www.articletrader.com

Does Your Home Real Estate Agent Really Work For You?

Thu, 08 Feb 2007 00:00:00 -0600

If you are thinking of buying a new home, it is in your best interest to know the difference between seller, buyer and dual real estate agents. Using the wrong type of agent could affect the cost of the house you buy and have important legal implications. Read on to arm yourself with an understanding of the difference and how to use it to your advantage when buying a home.

There has been frequent discussions over the past few years about buyer's agents and seller's agents. Real estate law has evolved to require that an agent list who they are representing. This is normally done early in the process through a formal disclosure document that you must sign that clarifies whether the agent is representing the buyer or seller. A seller's agents represent the seller. Most real estate agents who show and market houses are seller's agents. They may be friendly to you as a potential buyer, escort you around town to show you multiple homes and help you through the offer process. However, the agent is more often than not working for the seller and looking out for the interests of the seller. On the other hand, buyer's agents actually work for the buyer and have an obligation to look out for the interests of the buyer. There are also dual agents, but we’ll come back to that in a moment.

Typically, this has nothing to do with who actually pays the agent. Why should you be concerned about this? If you are the buyer, you should seek a good buyer agent because of the financial, legal and ethical implications. A seller's agent has a fiduciary responsibility to the seller not to you as the buyer. Accordingly,during the negotiations a seller's agent will be aligned with the seller. Here's a real life explanation to help clarify. Suppose an agent learns that the seller must relocate for a new job, has become highly motivated and is now willing to accept $25,000 under the home's list price. If the agent is a buyer's agent - working for you - he/she will be obligated and probably excited to tell you this data. However, if the agent is the seller's agent aligned with the seller - he/she does not have to convey this information to you and may keep secret the message initially in an effort to get the best offer from you.

So then, what is a dual agent? Now and then your will find an agent that says they are acting in a dual role; meaning they are acting as a buyer and seller agent. Be careful in this situation. As a buyer you may want to stay clear of a dual agent. Realistically, the dual agent cannot fully support the buyer's interests without adversely affecting the seller and visa versa. There are some exceptional agents that can operate effectively in the dual role. However, as a buyer, you should be cognizant of the possible conflict. If you want the lowest price on a home, seek a creditable buyer's agent whose loyalties are aligned only with you.

You may be curious about who really pays for a buyer's agent. Normally the selling agent lists the property in the MLS ("multiple listing service") and shares the commission with the agent who brings the buyer. Frequently, the seller's agent and the buyer's agent divide the real estate commission 50/50. This means that although the buyer's agent is working for you, the seller is funding the commissions to the buyer's agent. On occasion you may find a house where the selling agent does not agree to split the commission with the agent who brings the buyer and in that case you would have to settle who will pay for the buyer's agent.

Knowing the financial, legal and ethical implications of buyer, seller and dual agents is important to you as a home purchaser. Prior to engaging in any real estate transaction as the home buyer, find yourself a good buyer's agent with at least 10-12 years of experience in your market. They will have a fiduciary responisibility to act in your best interest and have the experience to help you negotiate the lowest price for the home.

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Kristi Cole is a real estate and home improvement expert at www.inhomeimprovements.com

Source: http://www.articletrader.com

Staging Your Home for a Quick Sale

Thu, 18 Jan 2007 00:00:00 -0600

Every home seller wants to ensure they get the most money when selling their homeand get buyer offers immediately. Properly preparing or 'staging' your house before you list the house for sale can help get that sold sign up quickly. It is urgent these steps be taken before you list the house because the first few weeks the house is on the market are the most important.

Clean thoroughly - This is the one time when you need your house to be spotless - both inside and outside. Potential buyers will be turned off by dishes in the sink, a ill-smelling litter box or dusty furniture. Professionally steam clean your carpets. Remember, you want to create a lasting impression - a positive one. Clean your windows, wipe down floor molding, clean counter tops, replace moldy or aged caulking and even clean your garage. Prepare yourself and your family for the challenge of keeping your home spotless for the duration of the pre-sale listing. Reward your children for helping and keeping their rooms clean.

Remove clutter - To ensure your house looks as big and roomy as possible you will need to remove clutter and excess furniture. Proceed with one room at time. Work through every closet, drawer and cabinet of every room. Sort items into three groupings: things you must leave in the room because it is a necessity, things you need to keep but can keep at an alternate location and things that you can discard. Your motivation as you de-clutter is to make your home look as spacious as possible. Keep in mind that prospective buyers will look into closets, cabinets and even drawers as they walk through your home.

Take away excessive furniture - Leave only those furniture items that are necessary and those items that reflect the purpose of the room. If furniture blocks a pathway, move it to storage. This is not the time to save money and store everything in the garage. You need to remove clutter from the garage as well so it looks as spacious as the rest of your de-cluttered home.

Neutral Colors - While you might love that vivid red family room, many potential buyers will be turned off by vivid paint and carpet colors. Most buyers walk through a house and try to visualize how it will look with their furniture in the home. They may find this difficult to do if the color set up clashes with their furniture and accessories. Think neutral and warm to appeal to the widest audience. Repaint rooms and strip wallpaper that does not fit this neutral definition. Replace carpeting that is not neutral in color or is highly worn. Once the walls and carpeting are neutral colors, you can add back some color with tactful accents and accessories.

Show off key elements - Take advantage of unique or key features of your home. If you have beautiful hardwood floors, don’t hide them with a large area rug. Removing the rug and polishing the hardwood floor will show off this key element of your home. For fireplaces, be sure to thoroughly clean the inside of the fireplace and spruce up the mantel with some small topiaries or other decorative accents. Take advantage of other key features of your home and accentuate them so they become a focal point of the room.

Curb Appeal - After tackling the inside of your home, you need to clean up the outside as well. First impressions are lasting. Potential buyers will gain their first impression of your home as they drive up for a showing. Paint the exterior of your home and window trim if needed. Trim your bushes and trees. Mow and edge your yard weekly while the house is on the market. Remove leaves and weeds from your flowerbeds.

Prepare for the showings - After you have staged your house and listed in on the market, be ready for the showings and set the right mood for the potential buyers. Be careful of what you cook. Garlic mashed potatoes may sound tasty, but the smell could linger into your unplanned evening showing. Strategically place air fresheners throughout the house, but use them in moderation. You should plan to leave the house for every showing. Be sure to take your pets with you; a barking dog can be a significant turn off for a potential buyer. Empty all trash cans and turn on all lights before you leave. Remember, patience is a virtue and you will need a great deal of it during this time. Showings can be a significant interruption and the effort it takes to keep your house spotless may seem overwhelming. In the end, it will be worth the effort and will help you find the right buyer early in the process.

If you follow these suggestions heartily, you may have second thoughts about selling your home now that it looks so appealing. You'll see the most potential buyers during the first few weeks the home is on the market. Capitalize on this traffic and be sure to turn up the charm during this critical time period.

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Kristi Cole is a well known writer and home remodeling expert at www.inhomeimprovements.com where you will find more tips on decluttering your home and increasing your curb appeal.

Webmasters and publishers, please feel free to use this article provided this reference is included and all links remain active

Source: http://www.articletrader.com

Understanding the Role Publishing Articles Plays in Search Engine Optimization

Fri, 12 Jan 2007 00:00:00 -0600

Every webmaster dreams of getting so much traffic from the search engines that it overwhelms the capabilities of their web hosting provider's network. Getting your site listed on page one for several relevant keyword phrases on the major search engines is the key to approaching this level of traffic. Getting there requires some hard work and a little knowledge about search engine optimization.

Content is King - If you have done any research on search engine optimization, you realize the importance of the content of your web pages. Your content must be optimized for the search engines and have optimal usage of your most important relevant keywords and keyword phrases. As you write user friendly content bear in mind you should be optimizing your pages with phrases that best match your overall theme. Search engines prefer this. You can then focus on link popularity and link quality to help drive traffic. More on those two strategies in a moment.

Key phrase Optimization - By optimizing your pages with the phrases that best match the overall theme of your site, it will improve the likelihood that users will find your site when searching for content like yours. You should hone in on short multi-word phrases unless your keywords are unique. First, find your optimum keywords and determine their popularity. Second, ensure your title and other meta tags use relevant and keyword-rich phrases.

Link Popularity - To increase your traffic, you must increase your link popularity. Link popularity essentially means the number of links on the internet that refer to your website. If you do not have an advertising budget, link popularity can generally be increased primarily in two ways. The first method is by exchanging links with other web sites with similar content. The second method is publishing articles online that relate to your site, including a link to your site in the article and then publishing the article on as many article directory sites as possible. Employing both approaches is the most effective; however, the latter is extremely effective because it creates multiple one-way links back to your site.

Article Publishing - Many webmasters search feverously for good site content - remember content is king. They either lack the writing skills or lack the ambition or initiative to write the content themselves. Webmasters with financial resources available often hire ghost writers. Those without money look to article repositories to obtain some of their content. This demand for content by other webmasters creates an opportunity for you to advance your site. Writing articles that relate to your content and publishing those articles within article directories ultimately pushes your link onto other webmaster's sites. Think of the potential here. You are getting a one-way link from every site that posts your article. This free method of advertising your web site is one of the best kept secrets of search engine optimization

Link Quality - Keep in mind, link popularity is important, but the quality of those links is equally important. There are two parts to link quality. First, sites that are pointing to your website should have related content. Search engines will give links from sites with related content more credibility. The second component to link quality is the actual words the other webmaster uses in your link. The focus is to ensure the links pointing back to your website include your most relevant keywords in the link title.

Search engine optimization requires a combination of these five elements. Highly optimizing your website content and obtaining high link popularity from quality links will absolutely upgrade your search engine rankings over time. Of course, as with many things, your level of effort at utilizing these elements is directly proportional with the results you can expect to get out.

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For more search engine optimization and article publishing tips visit www.articlecache.com

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Why You Should Use an Interior Designer on Your Next Home Remodeling Upgrade

Tue, 09 Jan 2007 00:00:00 -0600

A quality designer is as important to a remodeling project as a builder is to a new home construction. If you decide to work with one, the designer should bring a wealth of experience and product knowledge to the table to help you with your remodeling or new home construction project.

Finding an interior designer - good interior design consultants are like good therapists. They don't tell you what to do, rather they guide you through a process of selecting options that best suite your style and provides the best outcome. So how do you find a amicable interior design consultant? Well, the best way is through word of mouth and recommendations from friends, family and others. Talk to your friends to see if any of them recently used an interior design specialist and if they would recommend the interior designer to others. Interior designer web sites can be helpful, but also visit local builders and model homes to obtain referrals. Another great source for referrals can be your local furniture supplier. Many furniture supplier retailers provide interior design referrals or have local designers that moonlight in the evening. Your local parade of homes or builder show rooms are also good sources.

First impressions - You should interview several interior design consultants before making your final selection. Be sure to review their portfolio of recent projects. Ask each designer about his/her education, training, professional affiliations and other credentials. Ask for referrals and contact their prior clients to determine if they were happy with the results. It's important that you develop a amicable relationship with your interior design consultant. Be prepared to show multiple photographs of what you desire. This will help you articulate your desires and help you determine if the designer's style aligns with what you are envisioning.

Focus on your desires - Many interior designers will appear to be listening, but then politely ignore your suggestions. This can be good and bad. It's favorable when the designer is very good at what he/she does, has taken the time to understand your desired outcome and then choose to discards the suggestions that do not fit with their overal design plan you have previously approved. It's bad when an inexperienced designer ignores your suggestions and then ultimately you are unhappy wiith the end results. An experienced designer will create a delicate balance between the two. It is important that you feel the designer is listening to you. You should also feel comfortable discussing your budget and feel comfortable saying no. In the end, you need to feel like there was a common goal between you and the designer.

Experience pays off - The ideal interior design consultant will have many years of experience working with builders, vendors and other suppliers. They should have expertise in fabric, appliances, furniture and other accessories. After listening to your desires, they should be able to take you to the showrooms, fabric stores and other vendors that will supply you with accessories that will develop and complement your individual style.

Selecting the right Interior Design Consultant will help ensure that when the home improvement project is finished, you love the results.

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Kristi Cole is an interior design and
kitchen remodeling expert at www.inhomeimprovements.c

Source: http://www.articletrader.com

Essential Home Buying and Selling Strategies

Tue, 02 Jan 2007 00:00:00 -0600

Whether you are buying or selling a home, you will face all kinds of people - people with a variety of backgrounds and personal preferences. By identifying their skills and preferences, you can form a strategy to help ensure you get the best price during the real estate deal. When negotiating the sales price or purchase price of a home it can be helpful to separate people into three broad types - analytical, visual, and intuitive - in terms of the way their thinking influences their behavior.

Analytical People - The analytical home buyer/seller is mostly influenced by financial, statistical and factual matters. As you might guess, analytic people tend to prefer occupations that require working with numbers such as accountants, financial analysts, auditors and tax consultants. They tend to be left-brain oriented. You can more easily persuade an analytical home buyer/seller by being fully prepared with information related to the financial or factual side of the home purchase or sale. You can possibly even down-play aesthetic or intuitive matters, like the quality or beauty of the home, what a good neighborhood it's in or how fair of a person you are to work with.

Visual People - The visual home buyer/seller will focus on how things look and feel. In terms of buying your home, they might actually pay more for the house than an analytical person. In terms of selling a home, they will emphasize the visually appealing aspects of the home. Many artists, writers, actors, interior designers and other people who work in creative jobs tend to be art conscious. As you might suspect, visual people tend to be right-brained thinkers. When selling your home to a visual person, consider emphasizing the appearance, condition, and quality of the home.

Intuitive People - Intuitive thinking home buyers/sellers are influenced more by how they feel about the home, you or home sale/purchase. People who work in jobs that require rapid analysis, diagnosis, and action are often intuitive thinkers. This includes dentists, attorneys, general managers and salespeople. Work hard to promote a strong bond with this type of home buyer/seller. While you should do this with all people, the intuitive home buyer/seller places more value on ensuring they work with people they like and trust.

Realistically, this is over simplified because you can't classify a home buyer/seller into a single personality style. Everyone has different experiences, emotions, and preferences that influence their behavior and cause them to straddle between the three personality types. The home buying/selling process further complicates the characterization because you are often not dealing directly with the buyer/seller, but rather their real estate agent. Because of the nature of their job, real estate agents must wear mutliple hats and are usually competent at straddling all three personality types. However, everyone including the real estate agent will have a stronger preference or alignment with one of the personality types. Once discovered, you can modify your strategy and approach accordingly.

You best learn a home buyer/seller or real estate agent's personality type during small talk and by asking general questions. This can be done casually early in the discussions. As you begin learning more about the home buyer/seller or real estate agent, be thinking about the three personality types and think about comments, questions and/or arguments that will help persuade the various types of people. Be aware, just because you are dealing with a visual thinking person, does not mean you can ignore or fudge the financial aspects. Doing so is naive and will leave you vulnerable. Once you determine the type of person you are dealing with, don't act like you have special insight about that person. Continue to act as you would normally while inwardly work on your strategies, comments and arguments to fit the type of person you're dealing with.

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Kristi Cole is a home improvement and remodeling specialist at www.inhomeimprovements.com

Webmasters and publishers, please feel free to use this article provided this reference is included and all links remain active.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com

How to Host a Wine Tasting Party

Tue, 26 Dec 2006 00:00:00 -0600

You don’t have to be a wine expert to host a fantastic, fun and educational wine tasting party. This is a great way to socialize with your friends and learn a little about wine at the same time. Hosting a wine tasting party is an excellent way to expand your taste buds, find great inexpensive wines that you enjoy and expand your knowledge of wine.

You can focus your wine tasting party on a particular style or theme that may compliment the dinner you will be serving later in the evening. For example, if you intend on serving a nice tomato based pasta dish, ask your guests to bring a bottle of Merlot that is under $10. Setting a price limit helps prevent that one guest from trying to buy the best wine by bringing the most expensive wine. Here is the basic process that you should follow for each bottle to do the tasting:

1. Place each bottle of wine in a brown bag and number the bag so the guests cannot see the label. For a more classy approach consider using decorative wine bags to cover the bottles.

2. Prepare your table setting with glasses, crackers and some water for each guest. Crackers or bread can be used, but they should be of a neutral flavor. Stay away from flavored crackers so you can truly clear the palette. Crackers and cheese may seem like a great idea, but it should be avoided because the cheese will actually influence the flavors of the wine. If your guests may be hungry, a nice loaf of French bread can be used instead of crackers.

3. Be sure to have a separate container for those guests who want to pour out the excess wine. Remember, this is about fun, education and friendship. Getting intoxicated is not the objective here and will most certainly deaden your taste buds.

4. Open the first bottle of wine and fill the glass only about 20%. For red wines, you may want the wine to breathe somewhat by pouring off about ½ glass from each bottle. For white and blush style wines you may want to chill slightly before serving.

5. We recommend rating each wine according to the following three senses: sight, smell and taste. You may find that you like the look of one wine over another, but prefer the aroma of another. You may also find one wine with a wonderful aroma, but it may be too bitter for your liking.
- Sight - Examine the wine and make notes about the color, clarity and transparency of the wine. Rank the color of the wine on a scale of 1 to 10 based on your personal preferences.
- Smell - Swirl the wine around in the glass to help awaken the aromas and take a good sniff of the bouquet and aroma. Rank the wine on a scale of 1 to 10 based on your personal preferences.
- Taste - Take a small sip and roll the wine over your tongue inhaling slightly to release the full flavors. Different parts of the tongue register different tastes so be sure to roll the wine around in your mouth. Try to focus on the characteristics of the wine such as the body, acidity, tannin (bitterness), sweetness and fruitiness of the wine. Also be sure to focus on the aftertaste of the wine. Again, make notes on the flavors and subtleties of the wine and rate it on a scale of 1 to 10 based on your personal preferences.

6. Once all of your guests have finished tasting the wine be sure to clean your glass or start with a fresh one. Also be sure each guest cleanses their pallet by eating a small cracker and/or drinking a small amount of water.

After you have cycled through all of the wines, have each guests finalize their notes and identify their most and least favorite wine for each of the three senses: sight, smell and taste. Also have each individual pick their all-around favorite and least favorite wine. Begin comparing notes for each of the wines. Once the favorites are identified by each individual, remove the bags from the wine bottles to identify the winners and losers. If serving a meal afterwards, offer your guests some of the wine just sampled with the meal. This will further expand on the tasting process as foods are introduced to complement the wines. This can be a fun and exciting way to host a wine tasting party in your home with some of your friends.

Of course, please drink responsibly and select designated drivers to ensure the safety of your guests.

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