I recently saw a news article about this program, and thought it important enough to share.

Efficiency Vermont has launched a refrigerator recycling program that offers free pick up of old, energy-wasting refrigerators and freezers, a $30 rebate check, utility bill savings and state-of-the-art disposal and recycling of the appliances.

(more…)

Improve Your Credit Score

• Watch the calendar. If you aren’t doing so already, start paying your bills in time for the payment to process well before the due date. If you always apy on time but find you have accidentally missed a payment, call the company and ask to have the problem waived.

• Order a copy of your credit report. Check for incorrect entries (such as a late bill for a relative of the same name, or a junior instead of a senior) If there are inaccuracies, immediately file a dispute.

• Maintain low balances. Try to keep a wide margin between your spending and your credit limit.

Bennington VT, Buying

Efficiency Vermont recently sent out an email with the following message:

(more…)

Bennington VT — It’s often said, “What’s Past is Prologue.” In real estate, the past can indeed determine the future, when buyers choose to restore or preserve a historic property. “Opportunities abound for those wanting to purchase a historic home, but so do questions about the soundness of the investment,” says Troy Richardson, Owner/Broker of the RE/MAX Maple Leaf Realty.

Before making an investment in history, Richardson recommends that potential home buyers consider these questions:

• What regulations govern local historic buildings and districts?

• Does the house need extensive restoration?

• Are original or substitute materials available for repairs?

• Are craftsmen who are knowledgeable about historical materials and building systems available?

• How will the house be appraised?

(more…)

Real estate professionals are very often faced with a question from buyers that has nothing to do with houses: “What are the best schools in the area to which we’re moving?”  When you relocate, the most important thing you’ll be moving is your child, and you want to be certain you are making the right choice for education.

(more…)

Expansive Education Platform Gives RE/MAX Agents A Leg Up in Advanced Designations and Training

(Denver, CO, Sept. 21, 2009) – RE/MAX International, Inc. recently announced that it has aligned with REALTOR® University, the National Association of REALTORS’ (NAR) Online Education Destination, to give members of the global real estate network, access to an additional 400 hours of online designation, certification and professional continuing education.

Combined with RE/MAX International’s industry-leading education platform, RE/MAX University (RU), RE/MAX Affiliates are positioned to be the most trained and educated real estate agents today.

“Education, training and professional designations are critical for real estate agents in today’s market. We know it makes a difference for a homebuyer or seller,” said Tom Kramig, Vice President of Multi-Media and Education. “Consumers value the RE/MAX brand, the technology and the resources available through the network, but it’s the RE/MAX agents who outpace others in education and training, that help homebuyers and sellers navigate a complicated market.”

Through REALTOR® University, NAR offers a variety of professional designations and certifications which uniquely position real estate agents to be experts in certain niches of the market. RE/MAX Associates can sign up for several of these designation courses like e-Buyer, ABRM, Real Estate Professional Assistant (REPA) and more, and receive 5% off the total cost of the designation. RE/MAX University also delivers educational programs to its Associates through classroom training, online streaming video, downloads, conferences and via RE/MAX Satellite Network (RSN), the company’s exclusive satellite TV network.

“REALTOR University, along with its technology partner, Learning Library, Inc., continues to raise the bar for web-based real estate education,” said Ken Burlington, NAR’s Vice President of Education Services. “We are pleased that RE/MAX will provide their agents with direct access to REALTOR University and an enhanced online learning experience through convenient access to courses and exams, as well as, tools and information they need to earn continuing education and designations.”

RE/MAX Associates have more advanced professional designations than agents from any other real estate network. For example, RE/MAX agents are uniquely qualified to manage foreclosures and distressed property as more than 6,000 RE/MAX Associates have earned the Certified Distressed Property Expert (CDPE) designation – more than any other national real estate network. And because nearly a third of the market is foreclosures and short sales, RE/MAX agents have the advantage in helping buyers and sellers navigate distressed properties.

Bennington VT — Many consumers think that any home they might want to purchase will be listed on real estate Web sites or in newspaper sections, whether sold through brokers or by owners. And indeed, most properties can be found this way. But limiting any search to just these channels can eliminate many prospects for a new home.

“The ‘hidden’ options of auctions and foreclosures can open up greater possibilities,” says Troy Richardson, Owner/Broker with RE/MAX Maple Leaf Realty. In some cases, these purchase methods can even offer opportunities to consumers who might not otherwise be able to purchase a home.

Properties are auctioned by motivated sellers for a variety of reasons, but the reasons rarely have any effect on the property itself. In the recent housing market, foreclosure has become regrettably familiar. But this creates a situation where banks and other mortgagees have a surplus of properties that they would rather divest themselves of than own.

Auctions and foreclosures can be found in most every area, too, and in almost every market segment: single-family homes, condos, resort and multi-unit properties.

Yet many consumers may be unaware of these purchase options or are reluctant to pursue them, due to a lack of knowledge. Certainly learning the ropes to these “alternative” homeownership paths can be difficult, and the cost of making a mistake can be steep.

However, working with someone who understands these industry niches can smooth out the process. “Real estate professionals who know how to manage both traditional transactions and those conducted through less well-known purchasing methods can help guide consumers through the intricacies of such alternative-method purchases,” says Richardson.

Richardson is one of more than 50,000 members of the Real Estate Buyer’s Agent Council (REBAC) of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®, who have attained the Accredited Buyer Representative (ABR®) designation. As the world’s largest association of real estate professionals focusing specifically on representing the real estate buyer, REBAC is “The Voice for Buyer Representation,” with more than 50,000 active real estate professional members of the organization throughout the world.

Whether down the traditional route transacting business through a seller’s agent or along less-traveled paths of finding auction and foreclosure properties, ABR-designated REALTORS® make a buyer’s best interests their own.

To receive a free Homebuyer’s Toolkit, visit www.REBAC.net or call 800-648-6224.

Bennington VT, Press Release

The following link will show you the full story on The Bennington Banner website.

C-r-r-razy for classics Bennington Car Show returns to area this weekend

The article is incorrect in the statement, “Bluto said that if the weather cooperates, RE/MAX Maple Leaf Realty will offer hot air balloon rides. He said the balloon ride proceeds would go to either Dollars for Scholars or a youth Rotary program.”

RE/MAX Maple Leaf Realty is raising funds for the Bennington Early Childhood Center in Bennington VT. If you are interested in our charity, please visit the Bennington Early Childhood Center website.

Bennington VT, Community Information, Pownal VT

Anybody who will be selling a property in the spring should get a jump on curb appeal by working now on beautifying the lawn.

Here are some key tasks that will lead to a green and healthy yard in the next selling season:

Calculate the total lawn area to learn how much seed and chemicals are required.
Treat weeds with an herbicide.
Test the pH level and, if indicated, add lime.
Plant ground cover like pachysandra and hardy ferns in low-light or slopping areas.
Before preparing, seeding and fertilizing the rest of the lawn, consider whether there are areas that might be better candidates for stepping stones or another attractive alternative to plantings.

Source: Charlotte Observer, Nancy Brachey (09/05/2008)

Bennington VT, Selling

Real furnishings, actual home photos, Patent-Pending process and unmatched realism distinguish the Virtually Staging Properties (SM) approach.

ATLANTA, Sept. 15 /PRNewswire/ — When Atlanta Realtor and professional home stager Krisztina Bell took her substantial experience from staging hundreds of vacant homes and went “virtual,” she became a leader in what has quickly grown to be a national trend in a tough real estate market. Virtually Staging Properties(SM)( )(http://www.virtuallystagingproperties.com), the business Krisztina and her husband, Jay, founded has been featured for its work in the San Francisco Chronicle, The Chicago Tribune, Real Estate Business and California Realtor, as home owners and real estate professionals turn to the new process of virtual staging as one the most cost-effective measures to help sell vacant homes. This new technique generates strong buyer traffic, at a fraction of the cost of traditional home staging, long recognized as one of the most effective means of marketing a property.

Virtually Staging Properties(SM) uses its patent-pending process to transform vacant listing photos into professionally-designed interiors using a proprietary library of attractive furnishings, accessories and artwork. The resulting images are almost indistinguishable from traditionally decorated rooms, with a realism and authenticity unmatched by other virtual techniques.

For an investment of as little as $225, the seller or agent can have their “empty box” listing photos transformed into a warm and inviting on-line home. Photos can be placed at the property so that when buyers arrive, the “staged” photographs provide the needed vision and inspiration.

“With 87 percent of buyers using the Internet to search for their next home, vacant homes are at a distinct disadvantage,” says Jay Bell. “Nearly all are uninspiring, with each one looking just like the next one, and the next one after that. A vacant property needs to stand out for some reason other than having the lowest price,” he explains.

Virtual staging ensures that buyers immediately recognize the rooms pictured, remember the property among the hundreds they preview on-line, envision themselves living in the home and, most importantly, want to go visit the property. In accordance with sound business ethics, Virtually Staging Properties does not utilize its design service to hide flaws or misrepresent the subject property. Further, the company requires its customers to inform potential buyers that the property has been virtually staged. The service is available in packages of three to five staged photographs, with prices ranging from $225 to $325.

Agents and homeowners around the country have used Virtually Staging Properties to drive buyer traffic to their vacant properties. According to Kelley Hughes-Liao, an Illinois Coldwell Banker agent, “We had a beautifully renovated but vacant condo that didn’t show well on the Internet – our largest target market. I needed the extra edge to drive buyer traffic into the home, and this did the trick! My property sold quickly. Lots of folks were stunned – including other agents.”

Nancy Campbell, VP of Sales for a Texas-based home builder, used the service to virtually stage their model home. “The home really pops now,” she says. “We love the results and I know from past experience our showings will really take off.”

“While there will always be strong demand for traditional home staging, this virtual technique is an affordable solution for cash-strapped sellers who want to turn listing views into real buyer traffic,” explains Krisztina Bell. “It’s a perfect example of how new technology can help sell homes, even in today’s difficult market.”

To view before and after examples, go to www.virtuallystagingproperties.com or call 404-949-9797.

If you are thinking of selling your vacant home, and are interested in using this service to sell your home in the Bennington VT real estate market area, please call Troy Richardson at RE/MAX Maple Leaf Realty at 802-447-3210.

Bennington VT, Selling