News Shorts

3 Ways To Get

The House You Want

In a perfect world, you’d fall in love with a new home, submit an offer, and have the seller accept it. The world, however, is rarely perfect. So how can you make your offer stand out when there’s competition for the home you want? Here are three hints that can help.

You must ask for a home inspection. A home Feldman offers the top five benefits of lawn aeration and seeding - and why you should have these essential services performed during the late summer to fall.

1. Shorten the timeline: Sellers want to move on. Offering a quick close lets them get to their own new home sooner and alleviates worries about the transaction falling through. Removing contingencies is a strategy to fast-track the closing timeline. You can work with your agent to determine whether waiving contingencies is a good option in your situation.

2. Make a cash offer: Nothing appeals to sellers like cash. When you offer cash instead of getting a mortgage, you eliminate the time for the mortgage to close. You also remove the risk of the mortgage loan not going through.

Don’t have the cash? There are still options. Companies such as Flyhomes make the cash offer on your behalf, close with the seller, then sell the home to you at the same price after your mortgage is finalized. That firm also supplies you with a Client Advisor who is your coach from start to finish, plus they’ll help you deal with title and escrow. As always, do your due diligence before signing anything.

3. Find out why the seller is selling: A great real estate agent will tailor your offer to the seller’s goals. A seller who’s lived in a home for a long time is likely looking for a buyer who will cherish the home as much as they did. In that case, you might choose to write a letter to the seller to accompany your offer. On the other hand, the home may be owned by an investor, who will be most interested in selling to the buyer with the highest price and best terms. (NAPSI)

Preventing Unwanted Bugs in the Home

With the shift to cooler temperatures, insects like to migrate to warmer weather. For homeowners during the season change, that can spell an uptick in bugs like spiders, lady bugs, cockroaches and more venturing indoors.

These uninvited pest guests can be an unwelcome surprise and cause undue stress for people wanting to create a warm and cozy space for their friends and family, especially during the upcoming holiday season.

1) Keep The Kitchen Clean: Bugs are always looking for their next meal, so places where you eat or store food are especially tempting. Avoid leaving food or dirty dishes out for long periods, and clean up food spills immediately. Sweep and mop hard-surface floors and utilize a vacuum on hardwood and carpeted floors weekly for anything that may have dropped under or between appliances. For everyday use, Raid® Essentials is safe to use in the kitchen, and around children and pets when used as directed.

2) Eliminate Moisture: Standing water in and around your home acts as a breeding ground and drinking fountain for pesky insects. Identify and repair indoor water leaks, wipe down the insides of sinks and bathtubs and run a dehumidifier in damp areas of your home, especially if you spot moisture-loving critters.

3) Clean. De-Clutter. Repeat: Keeping the inside of your home and garage clean and clutter-free not only makes it more inviting for loved ones, it also makes it less inviting for insects. Remember to recycle old boxes and stacks of newspapers where bugs like to breed and hide.

4) Block Entry Points: Insects can squeeze through tiny spaces, so check around your vents, utility pipes and other openings from the outside that might not be properly sealed. Add weather stripping and door sweeps to make it harder for bugs to gain entrance, and use products like Raid® Perimeter Protection, which kills a wide range of bugs and creates a long-lasting, consistent barrier for up to 18 months, all in one spray.

5) Create A Perimeter: To help prevent unwanted guests from making their way inside, move tree limbs, rocks, shrubs or other debris away from your house, as they can offer an easy bridge for pests to come indoors. These areas are also the perfect hiding spot for insects to hide and reproduce.

Worry less about unwanted guests entering your home and more about enjoying time spent with loved ones. To find the right pest solution, explore the Raid® Product Finder at Raid.com. (BPT) -

Top 10 SAFETY TIPS for wetweather driving

First and foremost: slow down! It takes longer to stop or adjust in wet weather.

• Maintain proper following distance (3 Second Rule). This needs to be increased in wet weather.

• Don’t follow large trucks or busses too closely. The spray created by their large tires reduces your vision. Take care when passing them as well; if you must pass, do so quickly and safely.

• Be more alert when driving in wet or slippery conditions. Watch out for brake lights in front of you.

• Turn your headlights on even in a light rain, or in gloomy, foggy or overcast conditions. Not only do they help you see the road, but they’ll help other drivers see you. If your car has daytime running lights you still should put them on, so vehicles behind you can see you better.

• Avoid off-road driving: it’s hard to judge the actual depth of puddles and you can easily become stuck, even in an SUV.

• Never drive beyond the limits of visibility. At night rainy roads become especially treacherous. The glare of oncoming lights, amplified by the rain on your windscreen, can cause temporary loss of visibility while substantially increasing driver fatigue.

• When driving through a puddle of uncertain depth, go slow. If it’s deeper than the bottom of your doors, turn around and find another route. Deep water can cause serious damage to a modern car’s electrical system. • Slow down! This should be obvious but it is also very important. People used to driving certain speeds on certain roads sometimes forget the need to slow down when inclement weather presents itself.

• Stay home. If you don’t absolutely need to be driving during inclement weather, keep the roads clear and spend some quality time with your family.

Buyer Beware: Tips For Buying New Products From Online Marketplaces

During the holiday season, shoppers everywhere are hunting for great bargains and unique items online. Today’s online marketplaces - where anyone can buy or sell new items - are numerous, offering a wide variety of products.

Examples include eBay, Facebook Marketplace, OfferUp and Swappa, just to name a few. But savvy buyers should be aware there are risks involved when buying from any of these types of marketplaces - including ending up with stolen or counterfeit merchandise, receiving an item that’s different from what you ordered, or never receiving it at all.

Unscrupulous sellers and fraudsters can show up on any of the many legitimate marketplaces, and they appear like any other seller. Because these sellers often hide behind fake accounts with fake names, and they aren’t required to provide or verify their contact information, it’s extremely difficult for law enforcement to catch them. Organized retail crime is a growing problem for all retailers, and for shoppers. “Shopping online provides endless opportunities to find great products,” said Mike Combs, director of investigations for Home Depot Asset Protection. “Shoppers just need to know the potential pitfalls, and be careful with what types of new products they purchase at any online marketplace.”

How can you protect yourself? You can buy more safely online by following these tips.

1. Purchase from the retailer directly, even for gift cards. It’s always best to purchase gift cards on the website of the brand or in its stores. The original issuer of the gift card, like a retailer, is not responsible if the gift card was purchased on an online marketplace and there is no value on the gift card or the value is less than what you were expecting. If you need to check the balance of a gift card, always go to the website of the brand that is issuing the gift card. Do not ever enter the full gift card number and PIN onto any other website. You may be giving the value of the card to a fraudster.

2. Check out the seller. Ratings, reviews and comments from other buyers can help you sense if they are legit. Contact the seller directly to ask questions about the item, as well as their return and refund policies, and make sure you are satisfied with their responses before buying.

3. Research the item. Do a search for typical prices of the item. Does their pricing seem too good to be true? Check the photo carefully to see if it appears to be a real item or stock photo. Photos should show more than one angle, or both outside and inside the package. Ask the seller for additional photos if you’re not satisfied.

4. If you have a problem, contact the seller, the marketplace and your credit card company. Make sure to keep digital copies of all emails and text messages between you and the seller regarding the purchase. Your credit card company may be able to withhold payment if there is a problem.

Armed with these tips and a little caution, you can enjoy your online holiday shopping safely. (BPT)