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| Brought to You By: Randy Elgin | |
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Randy Elgin
10999 W IH10; Suite 175
San Antonio, TX 78230
210-232-2310
Want to Sell Your Home Fast? Get My Free Guide
Preparing your home for sale can make the difference between getting the price you want - or ending up disappointed.
Discover some easy things you can do by requesting my free guide, "50 Tips to Prepare Your Home for a Speedy, Top-Price Sale."
Just reply to this email and I'll send it right out to you.
Recipe: Chicken Piccata
Serves 4
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
- 1/4 cup flour
- 4 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons capers
- 6-ounce jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
- 1/4 cup chopped green olives
- 1 ½ tablespoons chopped parsley
- 4 tablespoons butter
Lay chicken breasts between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and pound to 1/4-inch thickness. Dredge chicken in flour, patting off any excess.
In small bowl, stir together lemon juice, capers, artichoke hearts, olives and parsley.
In large non stick skillet over medium heat, warm 1 tablespoon butter until melted.
Add chicken breasts to pan, sautéing until golden, about 3-4 minutes each side, and cooked through.
Remove chicken breasts and reduce heat to low and add remaining butter to pan. Stir until melted; add lemon juice mixture, continuing to stir until hot.
Spoon some sauce over each chicken breast. Serve immediately.
Ask the Agent
How should I prepare my home for sale?
You want your home to show well, which means getting rid of clutter and making sure it is clean, neat and well maintained both inside and outside.
1. Remove all clutter. Pack or store anything you do not need. Donate the rest to your favorite charity or having a garage sale.
2. Store your valuables or lock them up in a safe place. This includes jewelry, collectibles, artwork and medicines in your medicine cabinet.
3. Eliminate smoking odors and pet odors.
4. Paint the inside and outside with neutral colors, steam clean carpets or replace with new carpeting or flooring. Stage the furniture and accessorize with pillows, plants, candles and other accessories.
5. Curb appeal matters. Manicure your lawn and trim trees and shrubs. Plant new flowers. Mend broken fences or gates. |
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How to Prepare for the Spring Housing Market
Spring is the time of year when sellers and buyers gird up for what has traditionally been the most important season for buying or selling a home. Following are some ways to prepare:
Sellers
- Sellers should be aware that there's a lot of competition for buyers in the spring. That means sellers should do everything possible to differentiate their home from others, including the following:
- Polish windows and floors, rake the yard, mow the lawn, and add flowers in containers.
- Wash blinds and curtains and have carpeting cleaned.
- If a seller has spent the winter renovating to sell, new pictures should be taken to show the renovated space to best advantage.
- Consign dark linens and towels to storage and add bright or pastel accents in baths and bedrooms.
Buyers
- Buyers should have a good idea of what they want, how much they can spend and the neighborhoods they're interested in. Buyers should also:
- Have a network of experts in place, such as a real estate agent, lawyer, home inspector and mortgage broker.
- Obtain a copy of their credit report, and if there are errors, clear them up.
- Approach several lenders for preapproval.
- Decide before shopping for a home the most they're prepared to pay.
Slowing Down: The Fast Route to Happiness?
 Simplicity may well be the defining value of 2012. With money tight, most of us are homing in on essential needs.
Ironically, while many of us are "going simple," we still find ourselves frantically busy. We still need our Twitter accounts and smartphones. We work more hours, cram too much into our days and find it hard to sit still.
Hence, the "slowdown" movement. Everyone from the slightly off-the-wall International Institute of Not Doing Much to psychologists and our family doctors suggest we slow down.
In 5 Reasons to Slow Down Your Life Today, and How to Do It, blogger Henrik Edberg offers simple suggestions for slowing down.
One is to lower your stress by continuing to do the things you do but doing them more slowly.
Running from errand to errand? Don't stop. Just slow your pace. Take a deep breath and force yourself to relax.
But after years of pushing ourselves farther and faster, will we be able to slow down? And if we do, will we fall behind? Will we miss out on Facebook or life?
Maybe, but does it really matter? The simplicity movement sorts out what's important. The slowdown movement helps us achieve it. What's not to like about that?
How to Become a Master Raconteur
 People who long to enthrall audiences with their stories can do so by following a few simple rules.
First, good raconteurs offer a unique insight into the human condition. They captivate an audience by bringing life experience to the tale.
Good storytellers also use their personality and history to create a yarn that is relevant and important to the audience.
They use body language, gestures and facial expressions that suit both the story and storyteller.
Good storytellers also pick stories that complement their personality. A witty story may fall flat in the hands of a poet, while a much-heralded raconteur may not be able to instill the passion in a tale of lost love.
Good storytellers are comfortable with their stories.
They bring characters to life and make the audience care about them. They use dialogue skillfully to enhance characterizations.
Storytellers also need to remember that it's always about the audience. A skilled storyteller is constantly gauging the audience's interest and involving them.
Atmosphere helps create the magic, so a good storyteller weaves the setting into the story. The audience should almost believe they are there.
The magic doesn't happen spontaneously. To become master storytellers, individuals must practice and establish the gestures, facial expressions and body language that support the story.
Wondering How Much Your Home is Worth?
How has the price of your home changed in today's market? How much are other homes in your neighborhood selling for?
If you're wondering what's happening to prices in your area, or you're thinking about selling your house, I'll be able to help.
Just give my office a call for a no-fuss, professional evaluation.
I won't try to push you into listing with me or waste your time.
I'll just give you the honest facts about your home and its value.
And maybe I'll also give you the "inside scoop" on what's happening in the housing market near where you live!
Just give my office a call or reply to this email to arrange an appointment. Alternatively, stop by at the office.
Green Your Home: Save Now and Profit Later
With apologies to Sesame Street's Kermit the Frog, it is easy being a green homeowner. And it may be profitable, too.
To green your home you need to invest in a number of energy and water-saving measures that result in lower energy costs. While the initial cost of your green investment may be higher, greening your home can give you an immediate saving of 30% to 60% off your energy costs. Incentives offered by government and local electricity distribution companies will help too.
Best of all, when it's time to sell, you've increased your home's resale value - some say by as much as 10%.
A simple change of habits can start you on the road to a green home: For example, toasters, microwaves, computers and TVs steal "phantom power" - even when they're not in use. Unplug them for lower electricity bills.
Going greener may be as simple as installing energy efficient lighting, upgrading your appliances to Energy Star-rated products and switching to low-flow toilets and water-saving shower heads.
Outside, planting large deciduous trees on the west and south sides of your home moderates the temperature. The result: lower heating and cooling costs and an attractively landscaped yard.
To kick it up a notch, you could really reduce costs with energy efficient windows and insulation. A high-efficiency furnace will quickly pay for itself; as will an energy friendly air-conditioner.
You may even opt for installing solar panels to reduce your dependence on the electricity grid.
And when you're renovating, why not consider a green reno, using toxin-free building materials, cork or bamboo floors and low VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) paint.
Ready to sell? Don't forget to trumpet your green investments. They may just sell your home. |
| his newsletter and any information contained herein are intended for general informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal, financial or medical advice. The publisher takes great efforts to ensure the accuracy of information contained in this newsletter. However, we will not be responsible at any time for any errors or omissions or any damages, howsoever caused, that result from its use. Seek competent professional advice and/or legal counsel with respect to any matter discussed or published in this newsletter. This newsletter is not intended to solicit properties currently for sale. |
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