10 Surprising Things that Increase Home Value

Looking to increase your home’s value, but you’ve already exhausted the traditional value increasing methods such as updating the kitchen and bathrooms? Here are 10 surprising things that you may not have realized can increase your home’s value.

Roof repairs

As you’ll read in this article, having your roof repaired is one of the best home improvements you can make before the winter months hit, and it could mean the difference between having a seamless winter season and dealing with expensive repairs due to ice damming. 

It makes sense, then, that inspecting your roof and making any necessary repairs is one thing you’ll be sure you want to do before listing your home. Homebuyers, after all, want to make sure that the next home that they invest in, well, offers a well-built roof over their heads. If once you’ve repaired your roof, it promises to last another three to five years, you’re set. As an added bonus, repairing any unsightly flaws in your current roof will improve your home’s curb appeal.

Foundation repairs

Similarly, home buyers want to be sure that the home they are going to invest in is built on a strong foundation. Be sure that your home’s foundation is keeping the home up off the ground without any apparent cracks or failures.

Trees

As this article details, trees planted throughout a neighborhood can raise property values throughout the entire area. Even trees planted in a neighbor’s yard can raise the value of your own property by potentially thousands of dollars. In one study, homes that had “street trees”—trees planted between the sidewalk and street—sold for on average $7,130 more than homes without street trees. 

To get the most property value out of your landscaping, plan your landscaping early on, allowing for trees and shrubs to mature for when it’s time to sell; you’ll see on average a 12% increase in the perceived value of your home. And a strong overall first impression? That’s worth up to 27% in increased perceived value.

New outdoor lighting

On a similar note, it’s a good idea to consider updating your home’s outdoor lighting before you put your house on the market. As with landscaping, lighting can contribute to a better overall first impression of your home. Updated outdoor lighting won’t just give your home a better ambiance at night, either; it will also give your home a more modern feel during the daytime.

New front door

Installing a new front door is another way to instantly boost curb appeal, and it’s a home improvement that many homeowners overlook. Just be sure not to veer too far away from the mainstream here as you replace your front door. This is also a good time to update your front door’s locks.

Deep cleaning

At this point, you may have guessed why this one made the list—a deep cleaning is the ultimate way to improve the first impression that buyers have of your home. This includes having the interior of your home professionally deep cleaned, as well as having your home’s exterior siding and pathways powerwashed. 

Really, not enough can be said about how giving your home a strong buyer's’ first impression boosts the home’s value overall. One major plus to this item on the list is that it’s by far the cheapest.

Green lawn

Another point for curb appeal? Yep.

External dwelling units

When you consider the fact that so many young adults are headed back to their parents’ homes for a break from rent, this one makes a great deal of sense. Having an additional “tiny home” on your property can increase home value by up to 34%.

Coffee shops

Okay, so this one is a little out of your control as a homeowner. But according to an article published by Time magazine in February 2015, a Starbucks opening in the neighborhood—within a quarter mile, to be exact—actually boosts local property values. When you consider the fact that for many a morning coffee is a daily ritual on the way to work, this one may not be all that surprising after all.

Walmart

Here’s another that’s outside of the homebuyer’s control, but it’s something to be aware of nonetheless. For many homebuyers, living near a Walmart offers the ultimate convenience. In fact, researchers at the University of Chicago concluded that living within a mile of a Walmart store could raise a home’s value by 1%-2%. And if that Walmart is located within half a mile of the home, the property value can increase by an additional 1%.

Know Your Basics about Working with a Debt Collection Agency

Once you have made up your mind that you will avail a collection agency service, to settle your accounts and close the books of old debtors you need to know how to work with them.

Your first step will be to list the accounts that are to be recovered in the debt collection agency’s form manually or load it electronically on their set format. Try to provide as much accurate data as possible to improve the amount recovered.

The minimum data that are required to be supplied to your debt collection agency are:

• The accurate name, address and telephone number of the debtors
• The name of the debtors’ closest family- in most cases, the spouses.
• The information about any mail that has been neglected and/or returned.
• The occupation of the debtors and their spouse and their job phone number.
• Any referring names of family, friend, neighbors of the debtors.
• A brief about any disputes, written or verbal
• The date of last payment, if any, the order date and the due date of payment.
• Additional contact numbers -mobile phones, fax, etc.
• Any other known names of the debtors -nicknames and aliases.

All the information is supposed to be with you, when your customer signed for a credit application.

Any specific notes that you have kept regarding any of the errant customers should also be supplied.

The debt collection agencies need you to cooperate on this matter, for making their task and your recovery easier. Most of these agencies have the knowledge and skill to get you favorable results. Getting them aware about the nature of your business and its dealing is also essential.

Some of the collection agency services are specialized. They only deal with business that is governed by certain laws of the state. If your business or service falls under these categories, it is essential that you find a debt collection agency, which is specialized in the particular field.

Do not allocate a single account to multiple agencies. If you decide to change your debt collection agency make sure that they do not have any of your account lying with them. Since the payment of these agencies is made after your debts have been recovered do not expect very quick results.

How do the debt collection agencies get paid:

Some of these agencies charge a monthly fee, while some charge per call. But most of the agencies charge commission on the basis of the amount recovered. This commission varies upon the “collectible” factor of the debt. If an account is 60 days old and the debtor is easily traceable, it is likely that the debt can be recovered easily. 

In such cases generally 25% of the amount is charged as commission. Accounts that are smaller in amount, but are aged more than a year, are likely to be charged more. If there is a steady flow of accounts every month the debt collectors charge a flat rate of 18% on all recovered amounts.

Some of these agencies also offer additional services at a flat rate that does not depend apart from deb. You need to ask each agency you contact about any such additional service that they provide.

There are multiple debt collection agencies working all over the U.S. Check their websites and the tally with the type of collection agency services that you are looking for. You will find a perfect agency that is best suited for your purpose and your business.

About Author: Rob Sanders, the owner of an audit firm discusses the best ways to work with a debt collection agency. He clears some of the doubts regarding their payment structure for debt recovery and other collection agency services. 

What is Forex and How to Get Started?

Benefit from Forex

There are various trading platforms which an investor can employ in order to try and maximise profit when they deal in investments. One of these is forex/FX. Forex refers to the foreign exchange market and is by sheer volume the largest market for trading in the world, with the big international banks as the main traders. 

Private individuals as well as companies are also assisted by non-bank forex entities. Essentially, Forex is about trading currencies whereby one currency is bought and another sold, simultaneously. 

Speculation is often at the heart of forex deals, meaning that the buyers/sellers often have no intention of taking delivery of the currency they are trading in; the whole idea is to speculate with the currency and to try and make it worth their while that way.

Getting Started

When you want to start using forex as an investment tool forex as an investment tool, there are certain ways to go about the process – free webinars or you can attend seminars, which will be of great benefit. Often big companies will lead you through the process by showing you the ropes by way of a risk-free practise account. 

 The internet is also a very helpful tool to get you started and of course, well-known names in the world of investment markets will give great information. Some advice: Remember that past successes never guarantee success/profit in the future. Forex, like all monetary vehicles, depends on current conditions in the market, and should be viewed as such.

Trustworthy Brokers

To help you to get going, it is a good idea to choose a trustworthy broker such as CMC Markets that will offer you lower ‘spreads’ (i.e. the difference between buying and selling currency), someone who is registered with a reliable body that oversees his/her/their activities according to internationally accepted procedures and support as far as news and data are concerned.

Know the Terminology

Before you start trading, make sure you understand some basic terms such as ‘Ask Price’ (the price at which you can buy a currency) and ‘Bid Price’ (the price at which you can sell the currency) and ‘currency rates’ (the rate at which one currency trades against another, e.g. the rate at which the British Pound trades against the US Dollar).

These are available online, and with the help (if necessary) of a reliable broker, you should be able to get a good grasp of the terminology and processes before you commit. 

Once you begin, you will be able to follow which economies are strong and which are not; you will want to get rid of those currencies which are perceived to be weak and, vice versa, you will want to acquire the currencies of those stronger economies. On a daily basis follow the trends and ask for advice from the specialists when necessary.

Tips

As you are starting out, remember the following: Do not gamble, i.e. do not commit to trade more than you are willing to sacrifice. Make sure you have a reputable broker and search the internet for basic terms and their meaning before you start trading. Once you have a basic grasp of the process, start slowly until you feel comfortable to trade more aggressively.

Need To Send Money To Loved Ones? Six Tips To Make Sure Your Money Is Protected

Sending money is always a bit worrisome. There is a loss of control when it leaves your account and you want to make sure that it gets to the right place without any major fees or security problems. In the past, some systems have been hacked and people have lost money. For that reason, it is important to send money securely. There are six important tips to keep in mind.

Secure Platform

Firstly, use a secure platform such as a bank or credit card to send funds. Do not use third party systems where you lose control and hand your money to someone else to hold for a period of time, no matter how brief. The major banks and credit card systems such as Visa and Mastercard are preferred.

Electronic Payment

Do not use cash. If you want to send cash, first put it on to a card or have it converted into an electronic payment at a payment service location. Do not simply send money in a package or through a friend. It is too easy to disappear without accountability.

Fast

Use a reputable, online service that is extremely fast so the recipient will immediately receive the funds. For example, if sending money to Mexico you can use sharemoney.com. Your recipient will often get the money very quickly, especially if it’s during the hours of the banks you’ve selected.

Cheap

Make sure that the service is cheap. Compare the rate you are receiving for the currency conversion as well as any upfront payments to other services. The cost should not be more than a few percent of the transfer, no matter how small it is. For larger fund transfers, the cost should be less than a percent.

Track Record

Use a platform that has a successful track record of multiple transfers in the past. With this track record you know that your funds will be secure.

Referral

If you have a friend that has used a money transfer service in the past, you may want to seek a referral from them. Using this referral, you can be more trusting of the service and feel confident that you can complete it safely. Otherwise, you can ask your friend for help with any problems that arise.

Overall, the tips above help to make sure that the money you send is safe, secure and protected. IT’s important to take extra security steps when it comes to your money.