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Seven Steps For a Quick Real Estate Sale by R. Eric Bramlett

The longer a piece of property stalls, the greater threat it poses to your marketability and profit. There are 10 simple things you can do to enhance your home’s appeal, get warm bodies through the door and close the deal sooner rather than later.

1) Open houses
This is one of the most popular weekend activities. Letting people walk through your home – touching it, feeling it, picturing their children playing in your backyard – is a highly effective way to generate interest. However, an open house is only as effective as the traffic it generates. Without some other key home-selling strategies, you may find your open house events sorely disappointing.

2) Perks
Creativity is key in some areas where the housing market has peaked, leaving sellers at their wit’s end. Throwing in perks like a cash rebate disguised as a “decorator’s allowance” or homeowner’s association fees for a year can be very enticing. It can also be considerably cheaper than letting your property languish on the market, forcing you to slash the price. One of the standard incentives is to cover closing costs for the seller. When including perks, be mindful of the buyer’s perception. You don’t want to seem over-eager, because they will then question your motives and probably use that against you in price negotiations.

3) Hire the best
Hiring a good agent with years of experience and knowledge of the market and its current trends is crucial. For Sale By Owner properties are generally preyed upon by opportunistic investors who plan to flip the property and see this as a way to take advantage. If you don’t have the knowledge and the real estate savvy, get somebody on your side who does. Hiring a good agent will generally bring you a higher sale price, and is worth any commission you may have to pay out in the end.

4) Make a map
Just as real estate investors create a plan for their investments, sellers must map out their selling plan. What is a reasonable price for that market and how far would you be willing to come down off that price? Set a date on which you will reduce the cost if the home has not yet sold, as flexibility is key. A good agent should have the know-how to help you with mapping out your strategy.

5) Get organized
Cleaning out all your personal stuff can make a prospective buyer start viewing the home as their own. A clean, open, clutter-free space leaves room for imagination and creativity. Does your home have a wealth of storage space? Show it off by cleaning and organizing your closets and cabinets. Above all, make sure the home stays clean. Nothing kills a deal faster than seeing hairbrushes and dirty dishes lying around.

6) Get chic
An interior decorator with an eye for design can be your best friend. Their skills can entice buyers and help transition the house from “your home” to a “show home.” Spring for new end tables, pillows, decorating accessories, fresh paint on the walls and ceilings. You may even want to remove your old personal effects, such as family pictures. Small details like setting the dining room table as if you were about to host a dinner party can also help prospective buyers picture themselves in your home.

7) Professional photography
Just as professional models attract jobs by using professional photographers for their head shots, so should you give your home top-notch treatment. Quality photos of not just the exterior, but several different rooms on the interior, can enable prospective buyers to take a “virtual tour” of your home. Internet shopping is becoming increasingly popular as an essential step that precedes an actual home tour. It is important to gain interest up front with these photos, and a professional can help capture the true essence of your home. It is a worthwhile investment to drive up interest and foot traffic.

Eric Bramlett is the Broker and co-owner of One Source Realty in Austin Texas. Visit Eric’s Austin Real Estate Guide, visit his Tulsa Real Estate company’s website, & his Austin Lofts website. He has seen considerable success in real estate, and looks forward to many more years in the business.

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The David against Goliath VoIP Services Challenge by

Have you ever wondered why the large telephone service providers have not pioneered VoIP services for their customers? With all their vast profits made, why have they not brought out the fantastic features of service that VoIP enables and given them to their customers? Just what is it that holds them back? Why is it that small companies have been the ones to push the service out? Just what is happening out there?

Anyone who uses VoIP services may well ask these questions and many more. Just what is the situation and why is it turning out the way it is? Looking at some of the events over the past few years will indeed answer these questions. Really we can go back to say, the year 2002, when any real VoIP service began in earnest. However from the standpoint of the large phone companies, the challenge they faced back then was the cable company's, cell phone company's and the like slowly eating away their customer base.

The fall in revenue from landline fees (around $20.00 per line every month) has been ringing alarm bells. This has resulted in these major phone companies being forced to spend billions on enlarging their networks to give support to such as internet access as well as television. All this in the hope of keeping their position from being whittled away even more and of course their profits. In this is the irony.

The more that people have turned to using broadband facilities, the more the opening came for small companies to spring up, utilizing this new technology. Patents were applied for, for the various VoIP systems being invented to utilise the high speed broadband internet. So all this now makes life more tedious for these large telecoms organizations as the small VoIP company's have patented their VoIP systems. However, they are always dependent to a large degree on the networks connections of the large telecoms organizations.

Inevitably, from the innovation of such as Skype and Vonage, Verizon, Futurephone and many others there has been the expected skirmishes. In the USA in 2004 SBC sued AT&T for avoiding access charges by routing calls over its Internet backbone. Now SBC has acquired ownership of AT&T and has accused the VoIP Company - Futurephone of similar misdoings. That case is still ongoing. On the meantime Fututephone has ceased trading. We have also seen battles between VoIP company's such as that presently going on between Verizon and Vonage. Verizon claiming Vonage is infringing on their patents filed. Vonage who was leading much of the technological advance initially has been beset with a whole raft of problems and lawsuits. The situation increasingly looks messy.

Whilst in the USA the large phone network companies are still digging their heels in when it comes to any serious attempt to establish their own VoIP for their customer base. They are increasingly watching with hostile eyes these ‘thorn in the side VoIP Company's.

However, recently there has been a softening of attitude in Europe with Deutsche Telecom's recent announcement that it is taking a stake in Internet phone services. It has done a deal with Jahjah one of the new start ups as Jahjah allows people to use the traditional landlines and cell phone net to make low cost calls. So there appears to be some 'thawing of the ice' when it comes to being friend or foe. This is a very significant change in attitude, but we have to ask, will this eventually influence or soften the likes of AT&T in the USA.

Another new company with patent pending VoIP is Global1touch. They also are going down the right road just as Jahjah. Their customers enjoy the use of both Internet connection as well as through the normal landlines and cellphone connections.

To sum up, the history of activity within the telecom industry clearly shows that the stance, the pressures and the desire to keep a status quo by the large telecom organisations clearly took their eye off the potential of VoIP to them. However, we could ask – are they letting them have all the difficulties and problems to solve and eventually snap them up at a price later? Who knows?

So if you want drama, power struggle and real live action you don't need the Ewen's of Dallas. This all keeps out attention riveted in the real world. Who knows how the plot will turn out? What will be the next twist in the saga to emerge? Who would have thought that when you pick up your phone to make a call all this is going on – the battle between the David's and Goliaths of the telecom world. Let's face it we are talking of a Trillion Dollar Industry. No wonder we see all this intrigue.

Michael Moore is a known article writer on VoIP, broadband & telecommunications. You are invited to read some of these here http://www.megamarketingsystems.com/flashads/adnewsm.htm

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Learn Spanish for Fun and Job Offers! by jorchav

On August 20, 2007, a search on the database of CareerBuilders.com, the nation's largest employment network, using the job qualifier 'bilingual' yielded 12,613 jobs (160 pages worth) posted within the last 30 days. The three largest categories were Sales (4646 job offerings), Management (3739) and Customer Service (3708).

[Try it out! Search on 'bilingual' and look at which jobs are available in your city, state and/or job specialty.]

Clearly there are employment opportunities out there looking for bilingual people to deal with the growing Hispanic population. No one is born bilingual, they had to learn. It is easy to learn conversational Spanish. So if you want to enhance your resumé, you might consider adding conversational Spanish to your capabilities.

The best way to learn conversational Spanish is through an interactive-audio digital Spanish learning course. A number of these are available on the Internet 24/7 and can be downloaded and put to use in a few minutes time for $100 or so. It's fast and inexpensive.

Forget the classroom drudgery you might have encountered in high school, tediously learning vocabulary and conjugating verbs! The best modern learning methods use a conversational approach, much like you learned yout native English. You start with a few simple words and phrases, interact and begin to expand these.

Bit by bit, by USING the words to express yourself and converse, you learn and go on to more and more complex words, phrases and sentences. 'See Spot. See Spot run.' goes on to 'How are you feeling today, Ma'm?'. You build conversational ability and competence by practicing Spanish conversation.

Spanish learning courses in MP3 format can be offloaded to your iPod or other portable audio device or burned to CD's so you can listen to them anytime, anywhere. You take your lessons when and where you choose, while driving your car, jogging in the morning, wherever, your choice.

A good course will have excellent native Spanish speakers giving you your, 'Repeat after me' lessons, so that you learn to speak like a native. Moreover, you have the lessons recorded so that you can brush up on your Spanish anytime, even the night (or morning) before your bilingual job interview!

Knowing how to converse in Spanish will not only make traveling in Latin America much more enjoyable and economical (since you can get out of the 'tourist traps' and go where the locals go!) but it will also make you more employable in the U.S.

So get a Spanish language learning course and get started! You can be taking part in conversations in Spanish in a couple of weeks, and be getting Good at it in 2-3 months. Become bilingual and open up a whole new world of personal enjoyment and new employment opportunity!

For information on where to find good Spanish learning courses, follow the links below.

For a great low-cost course to learn Spanish, visit: Learn Conversational Spanish
For a variety of language learning tools and Spanish courses, visit: Learn Spanish
Jorge Chavez Learned Spanish after he was 30, now is bilingual, with clients, friends and family who only speak English, and others who only speak Span

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The Best Cars for Your Teens by Kraig Johanssen

Teenage life involves several explorations. This is the time of one’s life where many of life’s crucial discoveries occur. And this is also the start of their wanting to own a car.

With summer season just around the corner, this is probably the best time to give your teens the car they want. But it is understandable for parents like you to have scattered ideas as to what car to buy. As you always remind your children when they were still small, safety is still the top priority in looking for the right car for your teens. Other factors such as price, economy of operation and reliability are just under the SAFETY umbrella.

But your teens, since they have not yet experienced much you did, would prefer styling and performance when looking for one. In this case, it is better to look for a vehicle that offers the characteristics that both you and your teens prefer, without compromising safety.

But you must take note that high-performance cars are often too dangerous for inexperienced young drivers. Plus, these cars consume a lot of gasoline. Performance, therefore, should be the last priority. This is also to ensure practicality.
Teens should have safe vehicles. And it goes with saying that larger vehicles are better; they will burn more fuel, though. Safety experts agree on that. And the larger the vehicle and the bigger the amount of cargo, the more fuel it burns.

Consumer Reports editors identify a list of new and used vehicles as appropriate for young or teen drivers. The 10 bests are the Ford Focus (from 2002 to present, except two-door models), Honda Accord EX four-cylinder (1998 to present), Honda Civic EX, Mazda 3, Mazda Protege ES (1999-2003), Nissan Altima 2.5 S four-cylinder (2003 or later), Subaru Forester 2.5X, Toyota Camry XLE V-6 and LE four-cylinder, Toyota Corolla LE (1999-present) and the Toyota RAV4 (models 2001- present).

Though larger cars imply a huge safety, Consumer Reports did not list trucks, only two SUVs and both are car-based compact crossovers. The magazine also does not recommend anything more than a four-cylinder engine for teen drivers.

Consumer Reports believes that they had a pretty good list in terms of reliability and economy of operation.

Really, the more high-performance the car is, the faster the teen driver will drive it. And the faster it goes, the higher is the risk of accidents.

The magazine understands that because of the size factors in crashes, there are strong arguments for putting teens in mid- or full-size pickups rather than in small cars such as the Focus, Civic and Corolla.

G. Chambers Williams III, a New York Times Editor, said that the more steel the kids have around with them whenever they are on the road, the higher is the possibility of their survival in a crash. Another point he would like to defend is that teens should go for pickups with only a front bench seat or a pair of bucket seats. According to him, the back seats are important for the occupants who might be a major distraction to the teen driver if they opt for the front seats. And if you opt for a vehicle with a pair of bucket or dash seats, your teen will be able to take just one other person along. And that is not fun for some teens.

Chevrolet Silverado Classic and Ford F-150 and other brand-new regular-cab full-size pickups cost about $25,000 or less. This cost is about just the same when you opt for a new small car. The editor also recommends compact-midsize pickups, which are usually less expensive than the full-size models and easier to operate. Most of these are offered with ample fuel-efficient four-cylinder engines. And that is what economy means.

Famous for their long-term reliability and economy of operation, the Toyota Tacoma and Nissan Frontier, Ford Rangers, Chevrolet S10s, GMC Sonomas and the new Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyons are among the options. The Mazda B-series trucks with quality Mazda exhaust gasket also belongs to the choices.

G. Chambers Williams III said writes that when you balance the rollover potential with the overall structural safety of SUVs, these vehicles might also be a good choice for some teens. Vehicles like RAV4, Honda CR-V, Honda Element, Mitsubishi Outlander, Ford Escape/Mercury Mariner/Mazda Tribute, Chevrolet Equinox/Pontiac Torrent/Saturn Vue, Suzuki Grand Vitara, Kia Sportage, Hyundai Santa Fe and Hyundai Tucson are examples of crossovers that you might also want to consider.

He also suggests Nissan Xterra, Nissan Pathfinder and Toyota 4Runner because according to him, these are the best truck-based SUVs. Latest wagon models such as the Toyota Matrix/Pontiac Vibe, Suzuki Forenza, Scion xB and Scion xA are also recommended. He stated that those aforementioned smaller vehicles provide few structural protections but they offer higher economy operation.

All V6 engine using cars are also recommended because they are fun to drive, at the same time economical. Examples of this are the Mustang, Mazda 3 and the Altima - the last two are in the latest Consumer Reports list. The magazine also stated that all Volkswagen models are fun to drive as well as economical on gas.

Those were Consumer Reports’ recommended vehicles. But the last decision is still in your hands. Just choose the right one; the vehicle that will not compromise your teens’ safety. After all, that is what parents always remind their kids: “Take care!”

If you want to get some details regarding your Mazda exhaust gasket needs, always visit only your trusted sources. Kraig Johanssen is a native of Connecticut and holds a degree in Software Engineering. He now works at a software development firm in Alabama. His love for writing and great interest on cars makes him a proficient contributing author to various automotive magazines.

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Portugal, one of the best destinations in Europe by Ilidio Lopes

Country on the south-western Europe. Located on the west part of the Iberian Peninsula, Portugal occupies an area of 92,152 km2. It is bordered by Spain on the east and north and by the Atlantic Ocean on the west and south.The Portuguese territory is divided in three parts: the mainland, the autonomous region of Madeira and Azores which have their own administration.

The mainland is divided into 18 administrative district : Viana do Castelo, Vila Real, Bragança, Braga, Porto, Aveiro, Viseu, Guarda, Coimbra, Castelo Branco, Leiria, Santarém, Portalegre, Lisbon, Setúbal, Évora, Beja and Faro; the districts are divided into municipalities (311), which are subdivided into civil parishes.

The autonomous region of Azores is an archipelago of 9 islands, divided in three groups: the western, the central and the eastern. The islands of Flores and Corvo are part of the western group, the islands of S. Jorge, Terceira, Faial and Pico are part of the central group and the islands of S. Miguel and Santa Maria are part of eastern group. The autonomous region of Madeira is an archipelago formed by the island of Madeira and Porto Santo.

The capital of Portugal is Lisbon. Other cities of more importance are Porto, Coimbra, Setúbal, Aveiro, Braga and Faro. The Portuguese terrain has several different forms. On the north of the Tejo river, it is very rough, with mountains, except the coast plain, and with an average height above 400 meters. These mountains are crossed by valleys and rivers.

On the south part of the Tejo river the terrain is formed by rolling plains, with low altitude, where the plains prevail. The highest mountains are located on the north of the Tejo river, and the most importants are Serra da Estrela (1991 m), Serra do Gerês (1508 m), Serra do Marão (1416 m), Serra do Montemuro (1381 m) and Serra do Caramulo (1075 m). On the south of the Tejo river, the most important mountains are Serra de São Mamede (1025 m), Serra do Monchique (902 m) and Serra do Caldeirão (577 m).

The rest of the Portuguese terrain is the coastline, which can be divided in three big set of plains: the Beira Litoral Plain formed by the alluvial plains of Vouga and Mondego, the Algarve Plain and the alluvial Plain of Tejo and Sado. The archipelagos of Azores and Madeira have theirs origins on volcanic activities and theirs terrains are very rough.

The coastline of Azores has a lot of cliffs and inside the islands the terrain is very mountainous. The highest mountain in Portugal is located inside the Pico island and it has 2351 meters. One characteristic of Madeira is that it has high mountains on the central part of the island.

The most important rivers are, from north to south of the mainland, the Minho, the Douro, the Tejo and the Guadiana all they rising in Spain and flowing to the Atlantic Ocean. Among the rivers whose course is Portuguese only, we have the Cávado, the Vouga, the Mondego, the Sado end Mira.

For more information about Portugal try visiting www.portugalturistic.com where you will find information on a variety of subjects relating to Portuguese territory.

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