Pros and Cons of Using the Internet to Sell or Rent Your Property

Anybody who is looking to sell or rent a real estate property, wants to sell it quickly, and that too at good price, but a layman might not even be aware of exactly what’s the good price for his/her property, let alone managing to get that price. This is why majority of people goes for real estate agents for buying, selling, or renting their properties.

A real estate agent or broker can assess your property and give you an idea of the right price according to neighboring communities and the overall situation of the real estate market. They can also help you with marketing, home staging, and closing a deal, except that they will charge a hefty fee or commission for their services, precisely the reason why many people prefer to avail one of those online property portals or classified websites for finding a buyer or tenant for their homes or offices.

But just like any other option, selling or renting a property via internet, without getting any help from a real estate agent might save you some bucks, but it has its fair share of disadvantages as well. So, while I am all for making the most of Internet, you must have an idea of the downsides, so that you can do something to deal with these shortcomings. 

Let’s have a look at some pros and cons …

Advantages:                                                         

        I.            

          1. Save on the Commission Fee:

As earlier suggested, real estate agents will be charging hefty amounts for their services. If all you are looking for a buyer or tenant for your property, which is located in a big city, you can easily catch the attention of many interested parties by simply putting an ad on property portals or classified ads, and that too for free. You can also upload some pictures and floor plan, and you will be getting calls from interested buyers or people looking for rental property, in next to no time.

      II.      2. More Control:

Using Internet to sell or rent your property means that you will be free to make your own decisions. Not that dealing with a real estate agent will bound you to listen to their advice, still some of them might talk you into a deal that you will regret later on. Remember that they will be looking to get the deal done ASAP because that is when they will be getting the commission, and sometimes your might miss a good prospect in hurriedness.

    III.       3.Clash of Interest:

If your real estate agent has many properties on hand, and they are expecting bigger commissions from other properties, they will be keener to sell or rent those properties sooner than yours, while making you wait. Turning towards the Internet and doing it yourself means that you can make a wholehearted effort and attract the potential buyers without wasting any time.

    IV.     4. Learning:

Property portals are not just used for selling or renting properties, they can help you in more than one ways. For example, you can compare property prices in your neighborhood and decide the right price, you can also get some handy tips from their knowledgebase, or you can initiate discussion or post queries at their communities.

Disadvantages:

        I.           

         1. Time Consuming:

Remember that not only you will have to take all calls from interested parties (including some at odd timings), asking all sorts of questions and making weird offers. That is quite time consuming, as well as annoying, not to forget that even if you have uploaded pictures of your property, many people will be interested in visiting the home, so you will have to take out time and arrange a visit for many interested buyers or tenants.

      II.     2. Negotiation:

Real estate agents are usually quite good at persuading and price negotiations. That’s part of their job and something that they are doing day in and day out. You might not be as good as a professional agent or broker at communicating or convincing when it comes to persuading buyers or renters to go for the property.

    III.      3. Documentation

All real estate transactions, doesn't matter if it is renting out a property or selling it; need to have some well documented agreements. A real estate agent will be able to help you with the legalities and nitty-gritty of a transaction; you’ll have to be extra careful and vigilant while handling it yourself.

Farah is a contributing writer for a London loft conversion company, that specialize in planning and carrying out high quality loft conversions in London, Hertfordshire, and Essex.

Related articles

• Does Your House Need a Professional Stager to Sell? (50plusfinance.com)
• When To Use a Real Estate Agent (50plusfinance.com)
• Property Investment in Today's Economy (50plusfinance.com)
• Maximizing Renovation Bucks: Where to Invest (50plusfinance.com)

3 Benefits of a College Degree

 (Photo credit: pennstatelive)

In this age of globalization and competition, a college degree has become a must for all those who wish to work in knowledge based organizations. Here is what a college degree can mean to you:

Strong Knowledge Base

A college degree increases your ability to understand the subject in depth. It gives you the time to absorb the subject through a practical and focused approach. It teaches you the application of theoretical aspects of the subject, it gives you the education requirements for you career choices, enhances your writing and speaking skills and gives a broader exposure to the subject and everything related to it.

Higher pay package

A college degree could make a difference of at least $30,000 in the annual pay package that you can command than without it. Even a 2-year associate degree is better off than just a high school certificate.

Greater potential

College education can open up more job opportunities than you imagine. The general perception of bachelor’s degree holder is that this person is more equipped to deal with the challenges of work as compared to one without it. So if you have a college degree in your hands then you are better to attract more jobs your way.

So go ahead and get yourself a college degree, you will be glad you made the decision

Related articles

• Cost of a Bachelor Degree Around the World (savingnspending.com)
• 3 Ways to Keep Learning in Retirement without Paying for an Expensive Degree (50plusfinance.com)
• A Basic Cost-Benefit Analysis of Advanced Degrees (savealittlemoney.com)
• Teaching Teens to Save Money (50plusfinance.com)

Fleet Management Tips for a Growing Business

In general terms, fleet management is the process of maximizing the return on investment companies make in their equipment. In practical terms, this means getting as much production as possible from the equipment, at the lowest per hour cost, over the longest period of time, while obtaining the highest sales value at end of life. In order to do this, an owner has to monitor and manage the company assets through modern business techniques and technology.

The first step in proper fleet management is to obtain the vehicles in the most cost conscious way. Contract hire is one way to make vehicle acquisitions.

Contract hire is a type of vehicle lease. This type of lease allows you to hire a vehicle on a long-term basis with payments made for every month of use. The amounts that you are charged will be based on the amount of driving you do using the vehicle, which is measured using the mileage and value of the vehicle. In addition to mileage and the van's value, other factors that will influence your rental fee include the length of the rental period and the resultant depreciation at the end of use. Contract hire is one of the most popular ways business pays for its equipment.

Vehicle tracking: Just as it sounds, vehicle tracking is the process of knowing where a piece of equipment is at a specific time and date, or where it has been over a period of time. Functionally this means answering questions as diverse as “are they where they can be the most productive?” and “where did they go today?”

Theft mitigation: Closely related to traditional vehicle tracking, theft mitigation allows a construction company to know if a piece of equipment is being stolen. Data gathered for theft mitigation includes when a piece of equipment is started outside of normal working hours, when a piece of equipment is moved (with or without engine start), when the equipment is being transported and where the equipment is at any time.

   

Productivity: Managing productivity means being able to understand when and how much a piece of equipment is running, idling, working, moving, etc. This information should be specific to the tasks the piece of equipment is performing as well the project on which it is working. For example, a backhoe might be working but not moving about the job. The system needs to account for this.

   

Maintenance: Knowing how much a piece of equipment has been running, idling and working allows a construction company to know an equipment’s hour meter reading very accurately and in real-time. In addition, sensors on the equipment can identify when and measure how long or how far a piece of equipment is being run in reverse, how many lifts or dumps have been made and a host of other activities. This knowledge makes it possible to accurately employ a very effective preventive maintenance program.

   

Operator behavior:  While you can’t directly measure operator behavior, you can infer it from other data collected while the operator is using a monitored piece of equipment. Knowing when a piece of equipment is started in the morning, how much time the equipment runs during the day how much time the equipment idles during the day, how much time the equipment moves during the day and how much it worked can be interpreted to get a reasonable view as to operator behavior. This is particularly powerful when management has the ability to look back over months of data and identify trends.

Increased efficiencies and increased profits are the main goals of modern fleet management. The majority of these increases can be obtained through the implementation of new fleet management methods or the enhancement of existing fleet management processes. 

Related articles

• How to Prevent Theft & Improve Warehouse Security without Spending Heavily (savealittlemoney.com)
• What Is A Car Lease? (savealittlemoney.com)
• Winter Energy Saving In The Office (50plusfinance.com)
• Car Insurance Driving You Mad? How to Reduce Your Premiums (50plusfinance.com)

Five Benefits of Having Natural Daylight in your Offices

office setup (Photo credit: Rob 'n' Rae)

If you walk through the office after lunch and notice that your staff seems a bit sluggish and maybe even drowsy, it might not be the lunch they just ate. Take a look around the room; are there blinds on the windows? The problem with the lack of energy and therefore the lack of productivity could be the fact that they are sitting under artificial lights. 

There are numerous benefits of letting the sunshine in through the windows or skylights. Maximizing natural light in the workplace will result in more productivity and efficiency. Let’s have a look at some of these benefits. 

Increased Productivity

When you have the sun streaming in through the windows, the serotonin levels of your workers will be on the higher side. This will put them in a better mood, making them more active and keep the workforce bustling with energy. It might become a little noisier in there, but you shouldn’t mind that as long as they are accomplishing more.

Health Benefits

Your company probably loses a good amount of money and production when people call out sick. Having natural sunlight in the office will increase the production of Vitamin D. This will increase everyone’s immune system and have them at their desks instead of at home. Recent studies have shown a 15 percent decline in absenteeism when employees worked under natural light conditions instead of artificial lighting. So, by just “keeping the blinds open” (hypothetically speaking), your employees get better health and you get more work done. Need I say more? 

A Better Atmosphere

People are just happier when they have the sun shining on them, especially in the relatively cold regions or weathers. It means, everyone feels good about coming to work. They show up on time, don’t take too long on breaks and do not jump up at exactly 5 o clock. Remember, if you are keeping your shades drawn, your employees are not getting much daylight at all. They do not have a chance to get out during the day to soak up the energy. This can make them grumpy at work, and just as a smile is contagious, so is grumpiness. Who wants to go to a workplace, where everyone seems to be in a sour mood? 

Increased Sales

If your staff is some kind of a marketing or salesroom, having natural light will increase their creativity and salesmanship. Because they are more chipper, it will help them with customer service, lead generation, or sales. Not to forget that if your showroom has a lot of sunlight, even your customers will be in high spirits, hence more likely to do business with you. Sunlight has dual benefits when customers and sales are involved. 

Financial Benefits

Any time you use natural daylight to light up your office, and avoid having overhead lights on, you are saving money on your electricity bill. But that’s just one of the many financial benefits. As earlier mentioned, lower absence rate will mean you’ll not be paying for temporary help while also paying for an employee’s sick day, giving you more savings. Not to forget that an increase in production, and eventually in sales will also improve your bottom line.

When you consider all the advantages of using natural light in your offices, you will wonder why you didn’t think of it before. You may think it is the lower power bills, increased production and better sales that have you feeling so happy, but in reality, it is just the talk of extra sunshine that has you feeling great.

Scott Ryan is a home and office interior design expert, follow him on twitter.

Related articles

• Winter Energy Saving In The Office (50plusfinance.com)
• How to Successfully Manage a Workforce (savealittlemoney.com)
• How To Motivate Your Employees (50plusfinance.com)
• The Benefits of Being Self-Employed (savealittlemoney.com)

Tips for Buying Cheap Health Insurance

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In June 2012 the United States Supreme Court upheld the Obamacare – the individual mandate of the Affordable Care Act. According to the mandate every American citizen must have health insurance or pay a fine. This translates into millions of Americans having to get health insurance cover by the year 2014. With so many people looking for cheap health insurance, it is only fair to provide a few tips in order to make the task a little easy.

Many American find buying any kind of insurance a challenge because of the jargon involved. Not many know terms like deductibles and co-insurance, which make up important aspects of the offer document. Thus, the first thing to do for anyone looking to buy cheap health insurance is to learn a little about the subject. Resources like the Internet have made this chore far easier than imagined. All you have to do is run a quick search. Some of the topics you might want to cover are: what is health insurance, what are the benefits of having health insurance, what types of health insurance covers are available on the market today, what are the laws for health insurance covers in the US and in your State of residence, where all can you buy health insurance, what should you look for in a insurance policy, etc. Also, check out what the insurance providers mean by deductibles, premiums, co-pay and co-insurance.

Knowing your finances is always helpful. It can tell you rough how much you can afford paying out of your pocket in a year if need be. If your financial condition is not at its best, do find out about the various exemptions provided by the government and see if you qualify for any. You can also see if any insurance company is willing to offer a special discount to get your business. This is likely in case you already have other insurance policies from a particular insurance provider.

Premiums, deductibles and covers vary widely from company to company. Thus you may want to keep your details handy to compare different insurance providers and their services. Keep your family’s medical history in mind; make a note of your pre-existing medical conditions; whether you regularly take any specific medication, whether you are partial to a particular doctor, etc. This can be helpful in getting a more accurate quote. Since September 2012, insurance companies are required to use a standard form that shows the prices of each insurance plan. This form has been specifically designed to be easy to understand and includes details such as co-payments and deductibles for your convenience. This aspect makes comparison easy and effortless for the customer.

Even though all insurance companies may seem the same, it is imperative that you look for a company that is, first of all licensed, reputable, and known for its customer service. Having the best health plan is not nearly enough if you have to spend hours on the phone to dispute a denial or get clarifications about any aspect of your coverage. Poor customer service can result in future stressful situations becoming even worse. Go online to look through customer blogs and testimonials to get a clearer picture of the company in question.

The government is working hard to make sure that every citizen of our great nation can afford health insurance. The Affordable Care Act is a step in that direction. In the coming years many aspects of health insurance may be subject to change, therefore be sure to not blindly renew your existing health plan in the future. Take the time to do some research and find the best deal for you before signing the dotted line.

Bio

Jack is a freelance writer for the http://www.bestinsurance.com/ . Having worked in healthcare industry for years, he understands the importance of having a health plan. He often writes about how to find cheap health insurance in the US, ten things to know about health insurance before you buy a policy, how to choose the ideal health plan for your family, etc. He also blogs about movies and music albums.

Related articles

• 6 Ways to Lower Your Car Insurance Costs (savealittlemoney.com)
• 4 Things to Consider When Shopping for Life Insurance (savealittlemoney.com)
• How the Affordable Care Act will Affect Seniors (50plusfinance.com)
• Types of Life Insurance and How They Work (50plusfinance.com)

Guidelines In Investing Your Retirement Money

Retirement (Photo credit: Tax Credits)

Enjoyment in life does not have to end when one retires from his job and leaves work. In fact, it should be the time when one should sit back, relax, and reap or enjoy the fruits of his labor, so to speak.

But even during retirement, you should manage your finances and watch your expenses. Remember, you are no longer at work and you have no other means of earning an income. So unless you take care of your hard-earned retirement money, you may lose it through unnecessary spending and you may find yourself penniless one day.

When preparing for retirement, the first thing you should do is set aside money for your needs as well as for emergency purposes. Living expenses for food, clothing and shelter must not be disregarded. Similarly, an emergency fund that you can use in the event of illness, natural disaster and other unforeseen events must likewise be taken care of.

When all of these have been placed into your financial budget, it is time to explore your investment opportunities. As this is your retirement money, you need to be careful about the businesses that you want to put your money into. Many people have made the mistake of putting their retirement money into wrong investment ventures and end up losing much of their hard-earned money.

To avoid this, you need to avoid putting your money into high-risk investments to ensure that you have a secure financial base in the future and thus avoid bankruptcy. Although you may balance high-risk investment with low-risk financial opportunities, it is not a good decision to make.

Here are sound investments where you can invest your retirement money:

• Treasury bonds – As many financial experts would say, treasury bonds are one of the safer options for investment. Unlike stocks, they have a fixed rate of interest, which means you know the constant growth rate of the bond.
• Certificates of deposits – These are like money in time deposit term but in this type you will be penalized if you withdraw your money earlier as scheduled. However, if you have an individual retirement account (IRA), you can save and withdraw without penalty once you reach age 59.
• Annuity – This is another option that financial advisors recommend. You can invest your money into an annuity where you can save or deposit money in a lump sum or in small amounts over time before you retire and receive back regular payments like a salary when you retire. You can choose from different kinds of annuities such as fixed annuities which has a set rate of interest, indexed annuities with a fluctuating interest based on a particular index, and variable annuities where you can choose how your money will be invested and whose rate of return will depend on the performance of your investments.

This guest post was provided by DebtSuccess.com, the debt management experts specializing in debt consolidation, debt relief, credit repair, tax debt, debt settlement and more.

Related articles

• Should You Use Retirement to Pay Off Debts? (50plusfinance.com)
• How to Save Money for Care Home Fees (savealittlemoney.com)
• Personal Money Management: How to Save More Money Easily (50plusfinance.com)
• 5 Healthy Financial Habits To Build Wealth (50plusfinance.com)