Karen Hoeve

The rules will state what percentage of units is allowed to be rental units. If you are planning to be a full time resident, you will want a complex which has a low percentage of rentals. (You also need to ask if the condos above you, below you, and to either side of you are rental units. This may be the reason why the condo unit is up for sale!)

We are always hearing about curb appeal and how it will improve our chances of selling if we pay attention to it. Well, technology has come up with a great way to help us to improve the curb appeal of our driveway, and this is also the latest idea so it will give your home the edge in the property market.

It is really quite easy to buy a home, and it is also a great idea right now, but what are the pitfalls involved? Well we all know the obvious foreclosure risks; I think most of us have read enough of that in the newspapers.

If the house is structurally sound, you just need to bring it up to snuff with the surrounding neighborhood. This is ideally a cosmetic job- one that'll require minimal funds and maximum sweat. You want to mine out a job you can do without hiring any outside contractors.

Although gardens have that illusion of being "green" just by their very nature, truth is, in most garden centers, the supply sources for many gardeners, you will likely find rows of chemical pesticides and nitrogen fertilizers, products that have been linked to serious illness and the production of carbon dioxide.

In 2004 Forbes magazine ranked Raleigh, North Carolina's Wake County Public School System ( WCPSS ), third in the nation for "Best Education in the Biggest Cities". It's no wonder, as Greater Raleigh is able to provide superior education opportunities in both public and private settings. WCPSS is a national leader on the education front.

Many older homes in cities today have their roots in the Arts and Crafts movement. With their squared, low-lying layouts and sturdy construction, these homes are often easy to spot, but generally not as widely recognized or studied as Victorian homes from the same era - they simply remain unclassified or incorrectly identified as ranchers.

The subprime mortgage crisis has been on the tip of everyone's tongue lately, and the housing market has cooled. Rather than being discouraged by this, smart investors realize that this is the time for deals to be had. We're in a buyer's market, which is an enormous relief for buyers who have watched the market balloon over the last decade.

It's a place to put your red hot pots and pans. It's where gallons of messy foods and discoloring liquids are spilled each year, where the sink overflows and where you cut the vegetables when you can't find a cutting board. The kitchen counter is where cans land when they fall out of the cupboard. It's where you stand to get things off the high shelf. It has to be tough.

Learning to generate leads might be the most coveted skill in the real estate industry. For agents and brokers it's simple: the more people you contact, the more deals you'll close, and the more commissions you'll earn. A big part of the challenge is turning those contacts into clients, but a successful initial meeting, phone call, or email, can make all the difference.