8 Staycation Ideas For Families

A staycation doesn’t mean you can’t have an adventure…

Staying home instead of spending the holidays at one of the more luxurious locations your children would enjoy, like Disneyland, the beach, or camping might sound boring.  But if you are on a budget it’s easy to sell an exciting staycation to your little ones.

Below are our favourite eight kid and budget friendly ideas full of fun and adventure.

Camp Out In Your Own Backyard

It’s time to go camping!  There is no better place then in your own backyard.  Pitch a tent, grab the camping chairs and roll out the sleeping bags to create an exciting experience just as authentic as being in the wilderness.

Explore the plants, wildlife, and spot constellations all from the comfort of home.  Don’t forget the smore fixings!

Build A Fort

Gather your supplies.  Boxes, blankets, chairs, and pillows. Grab it all and construct the ultimate playhouse. Build it up tall or keep it small, add tunnels or even a moat made of cushions.  Any kid would be happy to play all day in such a fortress.

Looking for something more cozy.  Bring pillows and blankets inside and turn your fort into a quite movie theatre.  Don’t forget about the movie snacks.

Learn Something New

Take your little ones out to the zoo or perhaps the park to spot new and enticing animals.  Incorporate a new skill into some playtime for a more education twist.  Maybe it’s time for the family to all learn a new sport or language using tools like the internet or the library.

Plan A Treasure Or Scavenger Hunt

By hiding clues or treats, much like an easter egg hunt, you can occupy your smaller children all afternoon.  Recruit the help of the internet to make your scavenger hunt full of fresh ideas and clues.  Keep them interested with a prize or promise of an outing to keep them engaged. 

Play dress up and see who is the scariest pirate to make it even more memorable.

Family Carnival

Take the kids to your very own town fair.  Involve the neighbourhood to add realism and extra fun.  Incorporate classic fair foods like corn dogs, french fries, funnel cake, and cotton candy.

Set up activities like ring toss, balloon darts, a fishing hole and more.

As a grand finally, wrap up the day with an outdoor movie projected on the garage.

Cool Down With Water Play

Hard to keep up with the kids in the extreme heat?  Cool down in the backyard with your own mini water park.

Sprinklers, squirt guns, and water balloons.  Gather up your supplies and cool off while keeping those kids entertained.

For a change in scenery, bring the kids to your local splash pad or community pool.  Give them the opportunity to make new summertime friendships.

Find Your Inner Artist

Let your kids get creative with arts and crafts time.  Let them create unique pieces any parent would cherish forever.

Perhaps, tie dying t-shirt or sculpting with clay is your kiddos interest.  Although, it can be as easy as letting them run wild with sidewalk chalk.

Get Your Chef On

What better place to bring the excitement then into your kitchen.  Introduce new foods and work as a team in your very own cook off.

Not a competitive family? No problem.  Take the family for a trip to the famers market allowing them to explore ingredients you wouldn’t likely find in your grocery store.  Let them do the shopping and see what adventurous foods they come up with.

On the sweeter side.  Throw a television like baking competition and see which member produces the most delicious confection.

No matter the circumstances, it is easy to have a fun and adventurous staycation, regardless of your budget or free time.  Don’t miss out on creating memorable experiences with your children this summer. 

Real Estate Mentoring Program

The moment you’re just getting started with a new venture, especially those that revolve around skilled investments such as real estate, you have a tendency to commit a great deal of errors.

Most people who develop an interest in real estate investment end up looping from one mistake to yet another for years, even after devouring tons of ebooks, videos, and training courses on the subject.

What is the missing link stopping most aspiring investors from achieving financial freedom with real estate investments? Why do some folks attain massive success while others see not even an iota of success?

Why Ebooks And Courses Only Serve To Mislead You

Some hard-working investors have been able to get started on their own and make tons of money, but they are the exception. When you find yourself failing constantly, what you need is a real estate mentor.

Electronic books and courses drag you in various paths, but a real estate mentor sets you on the right path to success. You gain extensive knowledge from their expertise, and through their training, you are able to focus on one goal at a time, which is critical to success.

They can also recognize mistakes you’ve neglected and guide you on what to do instead. It’s like they’re an instructor, holding your hand and telling you exactly what to do. With that kind of help, your possibilities of success rise significantly.

The Only Real Estate Coaching Program I Recommend

You’ll discover numerous real estate mentoring programs on the internet, all with similar claims of helping you turn into a six-figure realtor in as little time as feasible.

Every one of these programs are obviously costly, so selecting the right one is of vital importance. Select the wrong one and you’ll likely wind up regretting wasting time and cash you simply cannot really recover.

I’m a successful real estate professional, and I got my training from my coach, Phil Pustejovsky. Phil Pustejovsky owns the Freedom Mentor Apprentice Program – a program that shows you the ropes on the way to achieve financial freedom in real estate.

The Freedom Mentor coaching program is not a program you can just buy any time you want. You have to apply first, and you’ll only gain access to the program if your request is accepted.

The actual fact that Phil Pustejovsky evaluates applications goes to show how much he wants you to be successful. He’ll solely take coachable, action-oriented, and positive thinking applicants.

Phil was once an amateur as well. He started from rock bottom and only started to attain success right after he met his mentor, Tom.

Since then, he has been able to finalize tens of millions of dollars worth of transactions while earning millions of dollars in proceeds throughout the process.

If you believe Phil’s knowledge will have a positive impact on your real estate journey, then you need to pay special focus to the following paragraphs as I talk about his Freedom Mentor program in even more detail.

Why Freedom Mentor?

By signing up to the Freedom Mentor coaching program, you’ll gain access to premium tools and resources to assist you finalize your very first real estate deal.

These include access to a lender database, an instruction/lead-generating software to aid you get deals faster, and a personalized investing plan.

That’s not everything, though. You’ll also receive 3 live mentoring calls every month with Freedom Mentor’s instructors, 2 conference calls every week, and the ability to ask questions and instantly receive answers from the mentors by means of an instant message platform.

There are two very good attributes of this coaching program that help it stand out from the competition. The first feature is the array of helpful mentors and coaches it includes.

You won’t have access to just Phil Pustejovsky’s coaching once you become a member. Freedom Mentor is made up of a team of mentors and coaches directly trained and mentored by Phil.

Such are the coaches you’ll be getting assistance from. You’ll get access to a consolidated pool of knowledge and experience from many of the leading coaches in the industry.

The second attribute that makes this program so impressively effective at assisting aspiring realtors gain success is its 50/50 split.

This basically implies Phil shares all of his valuable real estate secrets with you, and you share 50% of the profits from your first couple of deals with him.

When you’ve closed your first couple of deals, you may then carry on to become an independent property investor, equipped with all the insights you’ve acquired from the mentorship program.

If you have a talent for teaching or mentoring, you could even set up your own mentoring program and show your apprentices the steps needed for success just like Phil does.

A few of Phil’s previous apprentices are presently managing their own mentoring programs after becoming successful real estate investors.

Note: I know the program offering improvements every now and then as they continue to refine it and improve it. Nevertheless, this is current as of this writing.

Summary – Action Takers Wanted

The Freedom Mentor coaching program is geared towards folks who are 100% committed to becoming successful real estate investors. If you aren’t prepared to treat real estate investing just like a business, this specific program might just not be for you.

The tools, resources, and mentoring offered in the program are sufficient to set you on the right path to financial freedom.

Considering that you’re splitting your first few profits with Phil, it is really in his best interest to help you succeed, and you possess as much resolve to accomplish just that. It’s a mutually beneficial arrangement, so you almost can’t go wrong if you put in the energy and time to help make this work.

Overall, the Freedom Mentor program is the most effective way to get started in real estate investing. You’re getting all the help you want from a professional in the business. There’s really nothing more you need to help make your real estate ambitions come true.

Top Things To Be Careful About Prior To Home Purchasing

Buying a house is supposed to be a fun and exciting time. The problem, however, is that because we want to buy a home so badly, we sometimes don’t see the flaws the property has. Although we do sometimes fall in love with a property, we should never purchase it without running a few necessary checks. Let’s review a number of these red flags.

First and foremost, think hard before you buy a “fixer up.” These properties are often very cheap, which makes them very attractive. Most of us think that the things that do need to get fixed up are things we can mostly do ourselves. In reality, however, they are often things that must be done by qualified professionals. Qualified professionals are incredibly expensive and you may not have sufficient budget for that. You should also be wary of properties that have had DIY fixes. Although a DIY job can look great on the surface, it is likely that it actually has a whole lot of problems.

Next, make sure you know if the property has been foreclosed on or is going through a short sale. Of course, these properties are the cheapest, but they are also often in a bad condition and could be a sign of the community.

The bottom line is that you should never purchase a property without having it professionally inspected. The information above, therefore, is not designed to help you decide whether or not you want to buy, but rather whether or not you want to have it inspected. If any problems are present, you can choose to walk away from the property, or you can request a huge discount on the purchase price so you can arrange the necessary repairs. Do also make sure you listen to professional inspectors’ advice. Their goal is to make sure you get a good deal on a property.

Step-By-Step Specifics Of Considering Selling a House

An Investigation Of The Strategies When Looking At Selling a Property

Many people are now investing in real estate so in case you’re likely to sell your home, you need to do it today. The only problem is that it is quite tough to sell a property.

You might have seen a lot of articles stating that selling a house is easy or you’ve seen some adverts informing you that they can sell your house within a certain amount of time. In case you’re planning to reduce the price of the house, it’s going to be a lot more appealing to the buyers, but this isn’t a good thing to do.

In the real estate market, the supply outstrips the demand, but there are a lot of methods on the best way to efficiently sell your house. We’re going to give some tips on how you could do this successfully.

Take note of Curb Appeal

First impression lasts so you should make certain that your house is desirable enough for your possible customers. If you will put yourself in the shoes of the buyer, what are the things that you would like to view in the outside of the house? Is your house desirable enough to give an excellent impression to prospective customers or is there maintenance that needs to be done? The outside of the house will actually be the first thing that the possible buyers will see so you should understand that they are checking out the external design of your home that they really want to buy.

Do Some Renovations In Your house

You must make the renovations needed for the outside and inside of your property to make sure that you will probably be able to draw in the buyers. They really want a total package when buying a house so you’ll need to make repairs. If you’re the seller, you must make sure that everything is fixed. Nonetheless, you must never over enhance the house because there are some upgrades which will not really make a huge difference to the asking value of your house. Enhancements can definitely boost the value of your house and its odds to be sold, but you can’t make an improvement that will not pay in the long run. You should do your homework and only invest on things that can offer the best return.

Eliminate Personal Items and Displays

If you say clutter, these are actually the things that you need to eliminate from the house when you’re selling it. You’ll have to remove all of your personal items, collectibles and art works because it’s going to not help in selling your house. Eliminate The unneeded things in the house and leave the furniture to make the rooms larger. The goal is to help the buyers visualize what they need to do in your house when they bought it. They will begin visualizing the inside of your home once they are inside so remove all of the unnecessary and personal items in the house. It will undoubtedly be hard for them to do this if your personal items are inside your home.

Place a Competitive Value for The House

In case you are planning to sell a home in Kansas City, you should put a realistic price for the house. If you’ll put a lower value, it’ll be the same as leaving money on the table and putting a high value will make it unappealing to customers.

In case you’re talking about home buying, the buyers will look at the homes that are similar with yours and compare the prices. If your home is too costly, they will not even think about it as one of their choices.

Most of the customers right now are only depending on home financing so you may assume that they will not select a house that is too costly. If you value it too low, you will probably be able to sell the house, but don’t expect that your investments will be returned.

Choose A Real Estate Agent

You’re making a big mistake if you believe that you could sell your house on your own. In case you are not really a professional real estate agent, it’ll be difficult since you do not have the experience and knowledge to do this. If you will do this by yourself, it’s feasible that you will not be able to sell the house or you will not obtain a great deal. You could get fortunate and obtain a good deal for your home, but you can’t rely on luck alone when selling a house because this is a lot of money. You could hire an agent and let them do everything. You will need to pay them, but this is much better than acquiring a bad deal because you do not know anything.

If you are planning to sell your house, it is best to follow these simple tips so you will not make any mistakes. They are very basic, but you could assume that these recommendations will help you sell your property quickly.

Open Houses Are Slowly Making a Come-back! Here’s How To Make Sure Yours Runs Smoothly

 

How to Nail Your Open House!

A successful open house requires a little more work than setting a date and throwing open your doors to potential buyers. Through careful staging, you can emphasize your home’s strong points and persuade buyers to take a second look. If you want to increase your chances of closing the deal, here are some tips on how to throw a great open house.

Be sure to choose the right time of day. Generally, the “right time” is daytime. This is so that viewers can get a clear picture of the yard, as well as a good idea of how much sunlight the home gets. If you know the sun floods in at a particular time of day, try to hold the open house then to give yourself the best shot at closing the deal.

Don’t be there. Your real estate agent is there to talk up your home and close the deal. You job is to stay away. Potential buyers want to imagine themselves in the home. Something that’s very difficult to do when you are hovering around them. So go work out, take a cooking class; it really doesn’t matter..just stay gone.

Put away your pets. Dogs and cats can be a big turn off to potential buyers. In addition to the odor and noise that pets cause, they can also set off an allergic reaction that can hasten an interested party out the door. So put them up with a friend or family member, or take them to a kennel. Check out: 10 Mistakes That Could Ruin Your Open House.

Curb Appeal. A bit of gardening, a yard clean-up and a fresh coat of paint  are all cheap and easy ways to make a great first impression. You don’t need to completely re-landscape your yard, but a few simple choices can help emphasize some of your home’s strong points. For instance, arrange the furniture on your patio with the barbecue front and center so potential buyers can imagine themselves hosting mid-summer dinner parties out back. See: Open House Strategies.

Keep your colors neutral. If you plan on putting up a new coat of paint before your open house, remember that neutral colors work best. Sure, eggshell white isn’t that exciting, but you want to avoid colors that might offend. By giving buyers a blank canvas, you allow them to imagine how they’d decorate the place.

Be sure to declutter. The longer we live in a place, the more clutter we accumulate. By cleaning up and packing some of your stuff away before the open house, you can make rooms feel bigger. Arrange furniture so that potential buyers flow through the house naturally, rather than having to step around chairs or squeeze by coffee tables.

Fresh Flowers. Who doesn’t love flowers? Planted flowers in the garden, and cut flowers in the kitchen and living room can really brighten up the place, making it look especially vibrant. Sure you don’t want it to look like a wake, but a few strategically place bouquets can go a long way.

Contingencies Regarding Real Estate Offers; What You Should (And Shouldn’t) Include In Your Offer

mthelen1

Contingencies to Include When Putting In An Offer

Obviously, sellers prefer real estate offers without any contingencies. The key to getting your offer accepted is being fair and keeping contingencies to a minimum. You do not want to make crazy demands, to where the seller thinks that you are an insane person. Below are a list of contingencies that you should consider putting in the offer. However, don’t use all of them! You do not want the seller to think you are difficult at the first stage of potentially working with them.

A home inspection is not required, but it does come highly recommended. In your offer, be sure to include that the sale of the house is contingent on a positive home inspection. The inspection will show you what repairs need to be done.

Afterward, you can ask the seller to make the repairs that the inspector found within the home. If the seller refuses to complete these repairs, you are able to walk. Be very careful about adding a contingency stating that the offer is contingent upon whether or not you’re able to get a loan for a mortgage. A seller wants to sell their home as fast as possible.

You’re immediately letting them know that its possible you could be wasting their time. Don’t shop for a house without having a pre-approval ready to show to the seller. Especially if the seller already has several buyers interested, they’re not going to wait on you to let them know if you can afford their house or not!

An earnest money deposit is very, very important, as it shows the seller that you are serious about buying your house. However, never put down an insanely high amount as your earnest money deposit, because it’s possible you could lose it. Add in the contingencies that if the seller doesn’t accept your offer, that you get your money back and that if they do accept it, that the money go toward your closing costs.

Always add an expiration date to your offer! This means that the seller has a certain amount of time to respond to your offer. That way, they don’t have a massive amount of time to kill while they wait on other buyers who might offer more, while keeping you on the back burner as a sure thing. But yet allow enough time to where they can honestly think over your offer.

Sellers are required to let you know if there are issues with the property, but they are not required to make those repairs. Many states make sellers inform buyers of any major repairs or problems that were done or occurred in the past five years. These include mold problems, major water damage, or major electrical issues. Sellers also have to disclose any current major issues with the house.

Walk-Through: In your offer, state your wish for a walk-through on the day of closing. This way, you can conduct a final inspection of the house. If the walk-through reveals issues not previously disclosed – perhaps a hole in the wall, a broken appliance, or a water leak – you can legally postpone or cancel the home closing.