Immobilienmakler Scout

The transfer tax and stamp duty are fees that are attached to your cost when you are involved in a transaction for houses for sale in Jamaica is usually at a percentage value of the land. Normally the value is in line with the sale price.

The transfer act states that transfer tax is 7.5%. There is a relief an amount of $10,000.00 relief where the value of the land is $150,000.00 or less. The type of home does not matter. It is usually a misconception that Jamaica beachfront houses for sale attract a much higher transfer. This is simply not true. However there are some exemptions to these Jamaican property taxes.

Exemptions

1. Transfers of property by Jamaican Government and Local Authorities.

2. Transfers to government or Local Authorities of Jamaican land for purposes such as roadways and other reservations in sub-divisions.

3. Transfers by way of gifts to approved institutions of property to be used exclusively for charitable purposes.

4. The Principal place of dwelling of spouses (Joint Tenancy or Tenancy in Common) In the event of death only.

Stamp Duty – Payment of Stamp Duty is governed by the Stamp Duty Act. The stamp duty payable on land is approximately 5.5% of the full value of the land/dwelling.

Certification of title:

Once a property is registered it is given identification by way of Volume and Folio numbers in the Register Book of Titles. The original Title is kept at the Office of Titles and entries are made thereon whenever something affecting any interest in the land is brought to the attention of the Registrar of Titles. For example, a transfer, a mortgage, death of a part owner, grants of easement and so on. This is standard for all houses for sale in Jamaica.

The land owner gets the duplicate Certificate of Title on Registration. Duplicate Certificate of Title has to be submitted to the Registrar for endorsement of all transactions affecting the land.

The Conveyance or Transfer of Houses In Jamaica For Sale Exercise

This normally begins either between seller (vendor) and buyer (purchaser) or between either one of the aforementioned parties and a Jamaica real estate dealer or Jamaica property agent. Purchaser or an attorney should inspect the Duplicate Certificate of Title. This is vital as some homes in Jamaica for sale come without sale agreements and hence no transfer might have taken place. A title proves exactly who the owner of the land is.

The usual form of Purchase and Sale Agreement sets out inter alia:-

(1) The legal names, registered address and gainful occupation of the contracting parties.

(2) Full description of the house in Jamaica for sale – including size or actual dimensions, registered location, and the identifying folio and volume numbers of the Certificate of Title, in the case of both registered Jamaican buildings and land. In the case of land with a Common Law Title, the size, description, boundaries and other relevant details.

(3) Purchase Price – in words and figures to avoid mistakes and misunderstandings.

(4) Completion – the effective date when the final payment for transaction is anticipated to be collected and the full sale completed, that is, transfer effected, cheque and titles exchanged.

(5) Cost of transfer – unless otherwise agreed, this usually states that each party should bear half the cost of Stamp Duty, Registration Fee and Attorneys Costs.

Payment of Jamaica real estate agents commission – paid on the Completion of the transfer of title and the closing of the transaction.

Fees on sale and purchase of land

1. Transfer tax – 7.5% of market value (Vendor only)

2. Stamp duty – approximately 5.5% of Market Value

3. Registration fee – Approximately 2% of Market Value (or $2.00 per 1,000)

4. Attorney’s costs – As per Scale – Jamaican Bar Association (effective 1st June 1991)

5. Surveyors Identification Fees:

(i) Values up to $500,000.00 = $1,500.00, thereafter, 0.1% up to 1 million, thereafter, $1,000 per million. Plus Research and Title fee/charge of $400.00.

(ii) Properties in excess of 1 acre or Irregular Boundaries a traversing fee is added. Fee depends on length of traverse.

(iii) If land is outside the corporate area $6.00 per mile.

6. Valuation Fees:

Kingston Jamaica Corporate Area

Corporate Area: Cost $3.00 per 1000 of the market value and $150.00 for travelling and incidental expenses. Minimum fee of $1,000.00 plus travelling and incidentals $1,150.00

Outside Corporate Area – (Beyond 15 miles from Kingston Jamaica) 3.50 per 1,000 of the market value plus travelling @ $3.50 per mile minimum fee of $1,500.00 plus travelling.

7. Mortgage Costs: (Building Societies)

(1) 1% application fee (Saver)

(2) 2% application fee (non Saver)

(3) Life Insurance – amount differs according to age.

NB. No longer will Compulsory Society take an assignment of Existing Policy.

(4) Mortgage Indemnity: 7% of sum being Insured applies when Mortgage in excess of the standard two thirds – 90% Mortgage.

(5) Stamp duty on Mortgage

(6) Registration Fees on the Mortgage

(7) Attorneys Costs

(8) Valuation Fee

(9) Surveyors Identification

(10) First Month Mortgage Payment

Mortgages: – $1.00 per 200 x 25% or 0.65%

These outline all the costs associated with buying houses for sale in Jamaica. It is important that both the vendor and purchaser understand the fees associated with this Jamaica real estate transaction.

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg

Source by Colin Scott

Buying pre-foreclosure is said to be very prosperous in return. What say you? There are abundant of advantages in buying pre-foreclosure and 1 of them is getting under market value pre-foreclosure home. If you are an investor, then for sure buying pre-foreclosure is prosperous. However, no matter investors or home buyers, we should anyway first to understand pre-foreclosure in order to get handsome return, shouldn’t we? For great bargains are always earned.

Pre-foreclosure is the first stage of a home being foreclosed. This happen when the home owner has missed at least one payment and is now considered delinquent on the loan. The home owner will then receive a Notice of Default, which is a formal warning sent to the homeowner. The homeowner will be given a certain period to respond to the borrower regarding the solutions of the un-paid payment/loan. In this state, foreclosure home owners are considered to be very motivated to look for home buyers to buy their house.

To go any further about buying pre-foreclosure, we have to first understand the psychology of the foreclosure homeowner. In most of the cases, the owners are dealing with negative events in his life that has caused him to fall behind in his mortgage payments. It could be the outcome of illness, divorce, job loss, family illness or other monetary obligations that have grown out of expectations. Therefore, foreclosure home owners are very distressed when things come to worse where borrowers send in the warning of foreclosure. Because this will not only make their home being fore closured, it will also leave a bad mark in their credit history, causing a long term consequences.

Remember, we as investors or home buyers could always help those foreclosure homeowners. If we are able to buy their foreclosure home with some amount above their mortgage balance, homeowners could settle part of their financial problem which helps much in either financial expect or psychology expect. Thus, buying pre-foreclosure is a win-win situation for both buyers and homeowner, where we can get a under market value foreclosure home while homeowners could settle their unpaid home loan.

However, there are challenges in buying pre-foreclosure. Out of them, the biggest challenge of buying pre-foreclosure is getting the attention of homeowner. Great deals attract people. Thus, acting fast and effectively will help you to reach homeowners with better and deeper impressions. This is why real estate listings are important. Whenever a new pre-foreclosure home is unfolded, you can be the first person to review its details in the foreclosure listings. Besides, we could get info on the pre-foreclosure properties in foreclosure listings too. Foreclosure listings are just a necessary tool in order to buy a great bargain of pre-foreclosure.

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg

Source by Shawn Daren

Baranoff Elementary School, home of the Baranoff Buffaloes, is one of the top-rated schools in the Shady Hollow Austin neighborhood. Built in 1998, this young facility has dazzled both school administrators and parents alike. „My daughter just started kindergarten this year at Baranoff,“ enthuses one parent, „and she has learned so much. She’s already reading second grade level books.“

To no one’s surprise, the Texas Education Agency also has glowing things to report – the 2008-2009 „school report card“ for Baranoff includes Gold Performance Acknowledgment commendations for student performance in reading, writing, mathematics and science. TAKS scores were also impressive, with 97% of Baranoff students passing in math and writing, and 98% passing in reading/ELA. The school enjoys a student-to-full-time-teacher ratio of nearly 17 students-per-teacher, which almost certainly has had some bearing on the school’s success. Baranoff Elementary also benefits from close partnerships with local industry leaders like 3M and AMD, as well as a Peer Assistance League partnership with Bowie High School.

However, academics isn’t the totality of a Shady Hollow school experience. „Helping others and our sense of community is a strong value here at Baranoff,“ says PTA president Theresa Keannini. To that end, Baranoff students gathered 425 coats in the 2009 Coats for Kids drive, and have raised money for sister school Blazier Elementary’s library.

The school is named for Dr. Timy Baranoff. Dr. Baranoff has been teaching in the Austin area since 1963. Her service to the education of children in central Texas has been recognized with the Sallie Beth Moore Award, the L.D. Haskew Award, and the Outstanding Elementary Teachers of America Award, among others. She remains involved as the president of the Austin Retired Teachers Association. „Timy is a very child-focused individual,“ says Debra Sansom, Baranoff Elementary’s Principal. „Her entire life has been dedicated to young people and their education.“

Just like its founder, Baranoff Elementary isn’t ready to rest on its laurels. Among its continuing initiatives to improve its services to Shady Hollow, the school has recently completed an eight-classroom addition, and is working to implement hands-on science education at all grade levels and to expand extended-day activities such as choir and volleyball. It seems only fitting, considering the poem Dr. Baranoff wrote to share her feelings when she heard she was being honored by having a school named after her:

I sat still for a moment and thought what that meant

To receive such an honor was indeed a special event

It was amazing, incredible, my heart gave a leap,

I couldn’t breathe for a moment, then I thought,

‚there’d be promises to keep’…

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg

Source by Philip Myers

Homeowners, and their real estate agents, are often confronted with many relevant decisions and/ or options. One of those is deciding when staging a home may be called for, and when it is might not be necessary. This is a balancing act, especially when utilizing the skills and expertise of a professional stager, because of the expenses/ costs involved. Therefore, the decision should not be taken lightly, because, for most, their house represents their single largest financial asset. In my over a decade, of being a Licensed Real Estate Salesperson, in New York State, I have witnessed the amazing benefits, quality staging, has delivered, as well as realized, the circumstances, where staging was not worth the expense! This brief article will review 5 reasons, selling a house, might benefit from being staged.

1. Doesn’t show well: The reality is, some houses show far better, than others! Sometimes, the way it already is decorated, works well. Perhaps it only needs a little de – cluttering, or moving around. However, there may be instances, when certain rooms or areas, require a potential buyer to have a little imagination, which might benefit from staging. I once listed a lovely house, and was unable to stage it, initially, because there was a tenant in it. When the tenant moved out, and it was staged, it sold the first weekend!

2. Odd – sized or shaped rooms: Is there something about a particular room, which might make a potential buyer, have difficulty appreciating it? Is the size and/ or shape, a challenge? Then, it’s time to seek, at least some sort of partial staging!

3. Warm – up a space: Does the house have any spaces, which negatively impact, the beauty of the rest of the home? How might this space be transformed from a negative, to a positive, or at worst, neutral scenario? Some areas of a house, just need something, to warm – up, the space!

4. Buyers without imagination: Although wise buyers possess the imagination and talent, to visualize what might be, and prioritize what we refer to, as the bones, of a house, many do not have this quality! Staging is an important tool, to combat buyers without imagination!

5. Attract more buyers: The Realtor has done several Open Houses, and there have been a number of viewings, yet the house, hasn’t sold, and much of the feedback, speaks about some cosmetic feature of the property. Doesn’t it make sense, one might potentiate the possibilities, and attract more buyers, after professional staging!

Home staging is not for every situation, but is often, a valuable tool! Discuss this with your real estate agent.

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg

Source by Richard Brody

The ample amount of online information regarding how to hire a real estate agent can be helpful for homebuyers and sellers, but finding the right one can still be a challenge. Professional agents should have the necessary skills and expertise to help find exactly what the client desires. These four qualities can clue in buyers and sellers that a real estate agent is a great choice.

Suggests Realistic Prices

When planning to sell a house, it is recommended to get listing presentations from several agencies. They will provide the market prices of comparable homes, as well as the amount of time it usually takes to sell similar properties. Working with professionals to ensure that a home is priced appropriately will make the process less time consuming and stressful.

Works Full Time

Some real estate agents connect home buyers with sellers as a part-time job; however, it is wise to choose one who works in the industry full time to get the best results. Such professionals are in a better position to provide accurate recommendations and tips as they have more experience and a deeper understanding of the industry. A full-time agent will likely spend more time scouting for a home on various listings or showing prospective buyers the house to ensure that the clients acquire or sell a property quickly and at the right price.

Charges an Appropriate Commission

In most states, the commission ranges between five and seven percent and is split between the selling and buying agents. Ask agents about commission rates when putting a home on the market or beginning a new home search. This is an ideal method to ensure that all parties understand the agreement. Also, be sure to ask about any offered rate rebates, as some companies actually pass on a percentage of the commission to the seller or buyer.

Has Experience in the Area

A buyer who is interested in purchasing a full-time residence should pick an expert who specializes in selling such properties in the area. On the other hand, people who are looking for investment properties are better off working with someone who has been facilitating such deals with other investors for years. It is also important to note that most professionals in this industry have multiple specialties.

Even if a candidate meets these four qualities, organize a face-to-face meeting with the home expert to get a full picture of his or her skills and expertise. Most professionals are more than happy to speak with potential customers to answer questions. Finding a real estate agent by following these guidelines will make the entire process of buying or selling a home far simpler.

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg

Source by Alfred Ardis

The leasing of a shopping mall is a specific strategy relative to the location, the property type, the customer demographic, and the landlord. All factors come together to contribute towards a successful leasing outcome and tenancy mix.

It should be said that a successful leasing strategy will contribute towards the greater the benefit of the property. More customers will be encouraged to visit the property and purchase goods or services. On that basis retail leasing is quite special.

Here are some tips to help you with leasing a retail mall in today’s property market:

1. Understand the vacancy factors that apply to the precinct or location. An excessive number of vacant tenancies will have an impact on market rentals and incentives. Check out the factors of supply and demand that apply within the region. Look for any new property developments that could have an impact on tenant movement and market rentals.
2. Understand the types of incentives that can be offered by the landlord to attract tenants. Also understand the requirements of tenants when it comes to incentives in today’s market. Any vacancy that you have available for lease needs to be matched to the prevailing market conditions. That will include the rental types, and the incentives offered. The landlord needs to adjust to the prevailing market conditions. Get some details of comparable rentals and other properties nearby to help the landlord understand the packaging of their vacant tenancy.
3. It should be said that a lease incentive cost should be recovered through the rental structure over the lease term. In other words, any money that is lost or offset in the incentive availability should be recovered by rental growth and escalation across the lease term. You can do this calculation through an assumption of market rentals and a discount cash flow calculation. The net present value of the deal can be compared across the duration of the lease.
4. Successful leasing executives usually have a substantial database of retail tenants to contact. Any new leasing opportunity can be offered through the database to targeted tenants, anchor tenants, retail specialists, franchise groups, and other industry professionals. Any vacancy can be directly marketed to these groups through cold calling, direct contact, e-mail marketing, and direct mail.
5. It is acceptable and normal to market a vacant tenancy through the generic media. That will involve newspaper advertising, and Internet listing. There are costs associated with that marketing activity and the landlord should contribute towards those costs.
6. Most successful leasing transactions occur through the involvement of the leasing executive and direct marketing to the right people. I go back to the point that the database for each broker or agent is quite important to converting more commissions and listings.

It should be noted that any quality property in a good location will create good inbound enquiries. If you are selective with your property appointments and vacant tenancies, you will create more churn and activity in property leasing.

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg

Source by John Highman

Best Road Trips for Adventure: Explore the edges of the map on these remote roads.

Classic American road trip destinations, Death Valley and The Pacific Coast Highway both have names promising adventure. Death Valley and the ghost towns, narrow canyons and open deserts around it are like an invitation for tough guys and people looking to escape society’s bars, while the Pacific Coast Highway promises the clear beauty of American beauty oceanside – dramatic cliff-faces, beaches, secluded coves, mountainous forests, and protected wildlife.

Best Road Trips for Luxury: Wind in your hair freedom in style.

These road trips are made for honeymoons. Best case scenario the car is something sleek, open topped and Italian. The clear seas, bright villages and stone churches of the Amalfi Coast between Positano, Sorrento, Ravello and Amalfi, are well stocked with small boutique hotels, hidden coves and intimate cafe terraces on which to watch the sun go down, and make for the classic eloper’s dream. A trip along the French Riviera between Nice and Monte Carlo reeks of playboy chic, especially if you happen to win money in any of the casinos lining the route. For lovers by title, the Romantic Road from Heidelberg Castle to Neuschwanstein Castle, runs along the old trade route between medieval towns and fairytale castles.

The Karakoram Highway follows the route of the old silk road up to one of the world’s highest altitude passes amongst some of the world’s highest scenery round K2, Nanga Parbat and Gasherbrums I-IV. The Carretera Austral or Southern Highway runs on a largely unpaved odyssey through Patagonia, stopping at remote towns along the way.

Journeying between Marrakech and Essaouira via the Atlas Mountains is going a bit out of your way, but the trip south, through spectacular desert scenery, amongst the snow capped sky scrapers of the Atlas Mountains and along ridges over lush, hidden valleys will take you to the edge of the Sahara, as well as into the Atlases before the coast lays out in front of you at Essaouira.

Best Road Trips for Sightseeing: Drive by some of the world’s best sights.

For scenic days packed with distractions and attractions and evenings spent in comfortable B&Bs, a trip along Ireland’s Antrim Coast Road, past the Mourne Mountains, Carrickfergus Castle, Bushmills, Dunluce Castle, the Giant’s Causeway and the Glens of Antrim, or on America’s Blue Ridge Parkway, though the Great Smoky Mountains, are great family road trips.

Finland’s 1000 Lakes Trip is an eight or nine day Scandinavian family classic. Ex Helsinki it weaves around the beautiful lake country, between the 187,000 lakes, with overnight stops in cozy country towns. The Reykjavik to Akureyri Route by Geysir, the Reykjanes Peninsula and the Snæfellsnes Peninsula is another excellent choice for sightseeing and you can do it in a day, taking snaps along the way or go slow and admire the sites.

Hawaii’s Hana Highway, from Pa’ia to Hana, is a much shorter trip, but with plenty to see, from bamboo and eucalyptus groves by waterfalls to panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean that you’ll remember for the rest of your life, while the Overseas Highway from Miami to Key West, which runs for 113 miles over 43 long, flat, straight ocean bridges, is the road trip equivalent of island hopping.

Best Road Trips for History: Retracing historic routes.

Follow in the unpaved footsteps of Che Guevara between Santa Cruz and Vallegrande, as he travelled though Bolivia and was finally laid to rest, or trace the Viking’s first inroads into Canada on the Viking Trail. Past the Norse landing site at L’Anse aux Meadows, and though the Gros Morne National Park, for the rock art and remains there, this trip also passes between pretty coastal towns most of which have a local Viking museum in which to house the local relics.

Route 66 is the classic road trip route into American folklore, following the old commercial route between rural villages. From the fields of Illinois, Kansas and Oklahoma, to the deserts of Texas and New Mexico to the coastline of California, this road is also referred to as Main Street USA.

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg

Source by Bea Metcalfe

Heidelberg Castle, or Schloss, is a labyrinth of interesting rooms and fascinating legends. Reality and fable come together when you see the Tun – a mammoth wine barrel, and you learn about the dwarf – the barrel’s mythical protector.

Heidelberg Schloss rests on a mount above the city along the Necker River in Germany. Part of it lies in ruins, blown-up by the French in 1689 during the Nine Years War. Many legends arose from the ruins including ghosts and witches A favorite is about the Tun and Perkeo the Dwarf.

Within the castle is a gigantic wine barrel that holds 220,000 liters, or 58,100 gallons. It is referred to as the Heidelberg Tun. Germans call it the Großes Fass. Built in 1751, it consumed 130 oak trees.

The Tun is mentioned in literature by the following famous authors: 

• Jules Vernes, Five Weeks in A Balloon
• Mark Twain, A Tram Abroad
• Victor Hugo, Les Miserables
• Washington Irving, The Specter Bridegroom

As a monthly visitor to Heidelberg, I heard about the Tun, but like the Alps or the Grand Canyon, you must see it in person to appreciate the scale. Why did someone need a barrel of that size? Apparrently, the castle was sometimes under siege. The Tun provided enough wine for a long defense. Before the tramway was built, some casualties likely occurred when soldiers rolled individual barrels up the steep slope to the the castle.

As you admire the Tun, you will hear about Perkeo the Dwarf. Perkeo was the jester under the local ruler, Elector Karl Phillip. Among his duties was protecting the Tun. The dwarf was a hard drinker who guarded and sampled a limitless amount of wine. He never turned town a drink. Perkeo is Italian for’why not?‘ – the answer someone received when offering him a cup. Consuming only wine, the dwarf lived a long life. Poor Perkeo substituted wine with just one glass of water and died the next day.

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg

Source by Mark F Weber

„If you use Emotion and Love to drive your sales and your business, you will create Loyalty Beyond Reason. And I promise you, you will build relationships and enjoy a business that exceeds beyond your wildest expectations“

First of all, before you decide to start your cleaning business, make sure this kind of work is right for you. You will need to be in good physical condition. Cleaning is very hard strenuous work. You will need to have good customer relation skills. You will need to have basic office skills and some accounting skills.

If you are planning on leaving your full time position to start a cleaning business, make sure you have at least six months of savings. Or keep your full time job and start out part time.

Research all the aspects of the cleaning service business. From customer service to advertising, taxes, employees, insurance and bonding, what to charge and how to clean a home professionally. Cleaning your own home and cleaning professionally is totally different. Learning how to clean professionally takes a lot of time. When a client pays for your services they expect to come home and find their home spotless.

Getting those first clients takes time, persistence and patience. You will not get a hundred clients overnight.

Obtaining Those First Clients The hardest part of starting your own cleaning service is obtaining those first clients. Most clients want to know how long you have been in business and want references. The best thing to do is let clients know that, yes, you are new to the business but that you have thoroughly researched all aspects of the cleaning business and assure them that you know what you are doing and that you are quit capable of cleaning their home to their specifications. Be confident. I can’t stress this enough. Clients love to see confidence. It relieves their worries and lets them know that their home is in good hands.

References: To get a few good references when starting out, ask some friends or family members if you can clean their home for free or at a discounted rate. The sound of working for free may not be appealing but it will be worth it to get some good testimonials.

When cleaning those first homes, go for quality, not how fast you can clean the home. Cleaning efficiently takes a long time, but you will get to the point where you can do a thorough cleaning in a short time. After cleaning make sure you go back and double check all rooms to make sure you didn’t miss anything. Impress those first clients and word of mouth will spread soon.

Advertising Your company image is everything. Before you start advertising, decide what image you want to portray on your advertising material. Your image is very important. Be consistent with all your advertising. If you have a logo be sure to use it on all your advertising materials. I think it is best to have a website developed before you start advertising. When advertising, stick with the same logo and colors.

Advertise in Local Paper: Start by running a text ad in your local newspaper. Try to come up with an eye catching ad. Do not sell your services on low rates, sell your services on your quality of work and what you can do for the client that other companies don’t. There is a lot of competition in the cleaning service. You have to stand out from the rest.

Magnetic Signs or Lettering for your Vehicle: Having your business name and contact information on your vehicle is a great way to advertise. We use the vinyl lettering. The lettering looks much more professional than the magnetic signs.

Flyers: You can print nice flyers on your home computer, but I would suggest investing in some professional flyers. Hang flyers at Hair Dressers, Laundromats, Restaurants, Bakeries, Grocery Stores, etc. Put flyers on car windows at local groceries stores and businesses. You can even go door to door in neighborhoods you would like to work in. You cannot put them in mailboxes. but you can put them in the front door.

Door Hangers: Door hangers are a great way to get new clients. Pick the neighborhood you would like to work in and hang the door hangers on the doors. When people get flyers or ads in their mailbox they usually throw them away with the junk mail. But if there is a door hanger on the door they will take the time to look at it.

Business Cards: Start passing out your business cards to friends and family members. You can also ask your local businesses if you can leave some cards on their counters.

Referral Program: A great way to obtain new clients is through a referral program. Offer existing clients a discount when they refer a friend. You can give your existing clients a discount when the friend uses your services three times.

Website: These days people live very busy lives so they use the convenience of the internet to shop for the services they need. A lot of working women will shop for services while at work. Everyone that has a business should have a website. It shows clients that you are serious about your business and allows them research your business in their own time.

Cleaning Products: By using all natrual products, you can offer your clients a healthy cleaning experience and protect ourselves against harsh chemicals. Clients love the natural cleaning products with essential oils. They come home to a healthy clean home filled with the wonderful scents of aromatherapy essential oils.

Tip: Always carry hand sanitizer and wash your hands often while cleaning homes. Wear gloves when cleaning bathrooms. You will be exposed to a lot of different germs in clients homes.

Remember most customers prefer that you bring your own cleaning supplies. That way they do not have to worry about going to the store for cleaning supplies before you clean. Some customers have special cleaners for certain appliances or floors in their houses. These customers usually will have these cleaners on hand for you to use. We almost always use the customers vacuum cleaner. That way you do not have to carry a heavy vacuum from house to house.

What to Charge I mentioned earlier that you should sell your services on your quality of work and not your low rates. If your rates are too low, clients will think that your work is sub-standard and that you are not experienced. Also you want to attract the clients that can afford your services. I made the mistake of pricing my work too low when I first started out. Cleaning is hard work, charge what you are worth. As the old saying goes „You get what you pay for.“

Some companies charge by the hour, some charge by the room, some charge a flat rate per home and some charge by the square foot. I think it is better to charge by the home, not by the hour. If a client knows they have to pay one set fee, they don’t care if you take 2 hours or 5 hours. Also your clients will know what they are paying up front and won’t have to worry about added expenses.

No two houses are the same. And there is no set charge for all homes. You have to clean for awhile yourself to get some experience and to work out a system to clean efficiently. Only you know what you want and need to make. Decide what you need to make hourly to cover all expenses and still make a good profit.

A word of advise: Make sure when you start your company that you charge what you would charge if you had employees. Some people make the mistake of under charging when they start out just to get customers and then later on when they grow and need to hire help they aren’t making enough money on their houses to pay help. Don’t under price your work. Cleaning homes is very hard physical work and you didn’t get into this business to work for nothing.

New Construction Cleaning If you decide to do this type of work you will need more equipment. You will need ladders, window cleaning kits with long extensions, a shop vac, etc. These types of jobs are usually 2 to 3 person jobs. New construction cleaning requires a lot more cleaning. You may have to remove stickers and labels from windows and bathroom showers, sinks and toilets. Some require that you clean the vents to remove dust from construction work. There will be ceiling fans to clean, scrubbing floors, and cleaning woodwork to remove dust. New construction cleaning rates depend on the area you live in.

Insurance and Bonding. You need to be an honest person and somewhat personable. People will need to trust you to be in their homes. Most clients are concerned about having someone new in their house, with good reason. You should be bonded and fully insured. Liability insurance rates depend on your insurance carrier and where you are located. Each person you hire will increase your liability insurance. It’s well worth the cost. You can pay quarterly or yearly. You can purchase your bond through your local insurance company. You will need to renew the bond every year. *Note: if you hire employees and cover them under your insurance, they must be an employee on payroll and not a sub-contractor. If you employ them as a sub-contractor your insurance will not cover them. If they are a sub-contractor they are required to carry their own insurance. You

Hiring Help If you start out cleaning the homes by yourself, you will eventually get to the point where you need to expand your business. Start out with one part time employee. Train her and let her take your place one day a week. Then have her take your place 2 days a week and so on. This will give you the free time that you need to market your business and obtain more clients. After you get more clients you will be able to hire more part time help. Eventually you will be able to stop doing the cleaning yourself and just run the business end, which is the only way you will be able to grow your business. When training new employees, always, either train them yourself or have a lead person train them. Make sure there is a lead person on each and every cleaning job. Employees have a tendency to slack off when they are on their own.

Growing Your Business You will eventually get to the point where you have enough employees and lead people and you will be able to stop working in your business and start running your business. You will find that after awhile it will get to be too much trying to clean everyday and at the same time giving estimates, answering calls, scheduling, doing book work, obtaining new clients, etc.

Remember one of the most important qualifications for a cleaning service is TRUST. A client has to know they can trust you alone in their home. After you acquire a few cleaning positions ask the clients if you can use them for a reference. Most of the time they are more than willing to let you use them for a reference. This is how you build your business and acquire new clients is through referrals. Be dependable. Most clients will want to be set up on an every week or every other week schedule on the same day of the week. Try to always keep this same schedule unless the client asks you to switch to another day. If you have to cancel a cleaning date, make sure you try to reschedule at the earliest possible date to make up the cleaning.

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg

Source by Patti Page

Who are you going to believe about how the flat fee MLS industry works?

There are four „business models“ offering flat fee MLS listings in Florida:

1) National Website: They are not licensed in Florida but collect money and then refer you to a Florida discount real estate broker-who gets a portion of the fees collected. National websites are competent business enterprises that usually have a real estate broker’s license in one state but not in all states.

2) Florida part-time amateur flat fee website: There must be 70 or so of these „websites“ in Florida. They are licensed real estate brokers that do flat fee listings part-time or are testing the waters to see if they can make a few bucks at flat fee.

3) Florida broker that is masquerading as flat fee: They seem like flat fee but their business model is not consumer friendly and I see their business practices as questionable. They may or do take your buyer leads from Realtor.com and other sources for their own agents; or possibly charge a cancellation fee as high as $500; or hold your listing hostage until you pay up ($500) by only „conditionally“ withdrawing your listing from the MLS if you attempt to cancel and move to a full-service agent – your listing will be trapped in this „conditional“ status until you pay the ransom of $500.

4) Florida licensed flat fee MLS broker that is established, trusted, transparent and paperless, specializes in Internet marketing and offers real customer support.
(Note: There is more than one trusted MLS flat fee firm in Florida but there are also plenty of firms that do fall into the # 2 and #3 categories above as well.)

Flat fee MLS requires more than simply inputting a listing into a local MLS…

1) Flat fee MLS sellers in Florida are 100% driven by control. They want their MLS listing correct at all times.

2) Third party websites such as Realtor.com, local MLS systems and IDX feeds to local real estate brokerage firms must be monitored constantly because listings do fall out of these systems. Technical glitches happen frequently.

3) Sellers make adjustments to their listing such as pictures, price, commission and their property descriptions. There are needed forms such as mold, lead-based paint and property disclosures.

4) The Florida Flat fee MLS broker is charged with the responsibility of buyer lead capture, agent showing requests, Internet marketing, trouble shooting, customer service, negotiating, editing and peace making. Flat Fee MLS brokers must be prepared to dedicate their time and energy.

Flat Fee MLS brokers must be prepared to dedicate their time and energy…

1) Taking $200 bucks and throwing a listing into the MLS as an afterthought is not what flat fee should be about. There are more moving parts that make up a „real“ flat fee MLS company than one can imagine. For example: Last week, Orlando Regional MLS just took over Venice Board of Realtors. When they did this conversion, it knocked out 53 Realtor.com „showcased“ properties from Mid-Florida Regional (Orlando area). It occurred on a Thursday evening and took the resources of the vice-president of Mid-Florida Regional and the Director of Operations and many phone calls to straighten out the major glitch.

2) Amateur or part-time flat fee MLS „website“ operators might not have the resources or experience to deal with such matters.

3) The flat rate MLS broker must be prepared to back up the customer with support and market effectively on the Internet.

4) If the MLS discount broker requests that you print out forms, fill them out and fax back, this means they have put no thought or investment into on-line automation. This means listing changes, edit, status changes will all be fax this-fax that….back to caveman days.

What to look out for before you list flat fee

1) If the flat fee MLS „website“ does not display the „listing agreement“, that should be a warning.

2) Carefully read the listing agreement „beginning-to-end“ before you give any flat fee company money whether a National or a Florida based service.

3) Understand the process and policy about how buyer leads from Realtor.com and other sources get to you, the seller, if at all.

4) Realize that many calls do go to the flat fee broker. As many as 70 calls a day can come into a flat fee MLS broker. Miss one, that could be your sale.

5) Consider and verify what the hours are for the flat fee MLS service.

6) Flat fee websites that offer just one marketing option are really just a „website.“ There are many marketing approaches besides just a basic MLS listing. What about marketing directly to Realtors®. For example, if a seller wishes to offer a 4% buyer’s agent commission, does the flat fee service provide a way to promote this higher than average commission? Some flat fee services do offer a Realtor eblast program which sends about 12,000 or so emails to all Ft Lauderdale, Miami, Orlando and Jacksonville real estate agent every 15 days. This is an effective marketing approach and Realtors do respond.

7) Flat fee sellers should think about contract representation. Contract-to-close flat fee programs help get the deal done faster. Having a seasoned real estate professional handle the contract negotiations results in a smoother transaction for the seller, as well, possibly netting a higher sale. One of the trickiest parts of negotiations is the possible- subsequent re-negotiations after the inspection. Negotiating an inspection report does mean re-roofing the house because some inspector or Realtor® says the roof is at the end of its „useful“ life. There is an art to getting the buyer’s agent, the buyer and the seller on the same page. As well, there are some important nuances that do help get more Realtor® showings such as allowing the flat fee broker to schedule showings (more professional), using an Exclusive Right of Sale (not Exclusive Agency Listing Agreement) and use a professional looking metal sign.

How to flat fee list in Florida and stay out of trouble

1) Read the listing agreement.

2) Call the flat fee service and ask how they handle buyer leads.

3) Call and verify the hours of operation.

4) Ask if there any penalties or conditions if you cancel the listing.

5) Ask if the listing company will „unconditionally „withdraw your listing from the MLS if you choose to cancel and go with a full-service agent.

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg

Source by Keith Gordon