Unless the buyer who makes an offer on your home has the resources to qualify for a mortgage, you may not really have a sale. If possible, try to determine a buyer's financial status before signing the contract. Ask the following:1. Has the buyer been prequalified or preapproved (even better) for a mortgage? Such buyers will be in a much better position to obtain a mortgage promptly.2. Does the buyer have enough money to make a downpayment and cover closing costs? Ideally, a buyer should have 20 percent of the home's price as a downpayment and between 2 and 7 percent of the price to cover closing costs.3. Is the buyer's income sufficient to afford your home? Ideally, buyers should spend no more than 28 percent of total income to cover PITI (principal, interest, taxes, and insurance).4. ... 07/10/2011

Advertise your open house. Ideally you should advertise both the weekend before and the weekend of the open house. Check with the local paper to see when their ad closing deadlines are. Create a property summary sheet. This sheet gives prospective buyers an overview of your home. Include dimensions for each room, copies of a property survey, summaries of utility costs and property taxes, and a list of when capital items such as roofs and furnace were added. Develop a sign-in form for prospects' addresses. You'll ideally want both phone numbers and e-mail addresses to follow up with prospective buyers. Put up signs. One or two days before the open house, place directional signs at major intersections within three to four blocks of your house. Be sure you check on anti-sign regulations i... 07/10/2011

When you sell a stock, you owe taxes on your gain - the difference between what you paid for the stock and what you sold it for. The same holds true when selling a home (or a second home), but there are some special considerations. How to Calculate GainIn real estate, capital gains are based not on what you paid for the home, but on its adjusted cost basis. To calculate, follow these steps: 1. Purchase price: _______________________ The purchase price of the home is the sale price, not the amount of money you actually contributed at closing. 2. Total adjustments: _______________________ To calculate this, add the following:   ·Cost of the purchase - including transfer fees, attorney fees, and inspections, but not points you paid on your mortgage. ·Cost of sale - including inspections, a... 07/10/2011

                      Turtle Creek Subdivision Slidell Louisiana first half 2011 market report. Active: 8 priced from $337,000-$499,000 Under Contract: 1 $377,900 Sold 2011: 9 $315,000-$395,000  $103 per sq. ft. Two of these were foreclosures.  Turtle Creek is located east of Slidell outside the city limits but inside the highest rated school district on this side of the parish.  Offers easy access to the interstate as well. 07/08/2011

  Cross Gates Subdivision Slidell Louisiana Active: 23 Price Range $135,000-$279,900 Under Contract: 1  Price $219,900 In Escrow: 3 $187,000-$228,000 Sold 2011: 6 Sold  $135,000-$279,900  $97 per sq. ft. Cross Gates is located in eastern St. Tammany parish outside Slidell city limits.  Easy access to the interstate.   07/08/2011

Slidell Waterfront Homes for Sale.  Discover Slidell, Louisiana Waterfront! Search all Slidell Waterfront Homes for Sale at  www.PropertyPromenade.comPropertyPromenade is a courtesy of Karin Smith, Broker - Smith Realty Group, LLC.  Not yet working with a buyer's agent? Please feel free to introduce yourself and your situation, lets get acquainted and see if I can be assistance to you in your search! Video of Slidell, Waterfront:  07/07/2011

Kensington Estates in Slidell, La. is located off of Gause Boulevard just north of interstate 10.  The houses in this subdivision are 0-3 years young and are mostly traditional style construction.  You will find a range of 3-5 bedrooms and 1800-2750 square feet.  Kensington Estates is close to many department stores and restaurants.School District:Bonne Ecole Elementary/Slidell Middle/Slidell HighSold Price Ranges: $195,000. - $263,500.For more information about Kensington or other Slidell, La. Subdivisions check out; http://www.RealEstatePub.com Davd Stewart- RealtorCell: 985-710-1728Email: dstewart.realestate@gmail.com 07/07/2011

That's right tomorrow is cow appreciation day.  Chick-fil-a is giving a free meal to anyone tomorrow who comes by one of there restaurants a free meal if you are dressed like a cow.  Yep you read it correctly.   Ladies and gentlemen here is your chance to get something for free.  The good thing no one should recognize you so you won't be embarrassed. Slidell finally has a free standing Chick-fil-a restaurant just recently opened on Gause Blvd.  So just put on your cow suit and enjoy a free meal tomorrow. 07/07/2011

I don't use my E-fax account near as much as I once did.  After all it seems everyone has scanners these days. Scanners and email or much faster and cleaner than an old fax.  We all know what happens after a document has been faxed more than once. I recently considered dropping my account with E-fax and just switching my machine on when I was expecting a fax.  I called E-fax to cancel, of course they didn't want me to cancel so they came up with an alternate proposal.  Two free months and only $12.99 a month.  I still said no thank you.  Finally they offered $50 a year. You can have 30 pages a month faxed and anything over is 15 cents a page.  I rarely get more than 30 pages a month, so i jumped on it.  So if you have an E-fax account you may want to give them a call and threaten to can... 07/06/2011

Provide the post office with your forwarding address two to four weeks ahead of the move. Notify your credit card companies, magazine subscriptions, and bank of your change of address. Create a list of friends, relatives, and business colleagues who need to be notified about your move. Arrange to disconnect utilities and have them connected at your new home. Cancel the newspaper, or change the address so it will arrive at your new home. Check insurance coverage for the items you're moving. Usually movers only cover what they pack. Clean out appliances and prepare them for moving, if applicable. Note the weight of the goods you'll have moved, since long-distance moves are usually billed according toweight. Watch for movers that use excessive padding to add weight. Check with your condo ... 07/06/2011

If the latest technology or entertainment options are important in your new home, add the following questions to your buyer's checklist.1. Are there enough jacks in every room for cable TV and high-speed Internet hookups?2. Are there ample telephone extensions or jacks?3. Is the home pre-wired for home theater or multiroom audio and video? Does it have in-wall speakers?4. Does the home have a local area network (LAN) for linking computers?5. Does the home already have wiring for DSL or another high-speed Internet connection?6. Does the home have multizoning heating and cooling controls with programmable thermostats?7. Does the home have multiroom lighting controls, window-covering controls, or other home automation features?8. Is the home wired with multipurpose in-wall wiring that all... 07/06/2011

Moving to a new home can be stressful, to say the least. Make it easy on yourself by planning far in advance and making sure you've covered all the bases.1. Plan ahead by organizing and budgeting. Develop a master "to do" list so you won't forget something critical on moving day, and create an estimate of moving costs. (A moving calculator is available at REALTOR.com)2. Sort and get rid of things you no longer want or need. Have a garage sale, donate to a charity, or recycle.3. But don't throw out everything. If your inclination is to just toss it, you're probably right. However, it's possible to go overboard in the heat of the moment. Ask yourself how frequently you use an item and how you'd feel if you no longer had it. That will eliminate regrets after the move.4. Pack similar items... 07/06/2011

Slidell Golf Course Subdivisions                                    OAK HARBOR                                                                      CYPRESS LAKES                                      THE FAIRWAYS                                                                   GRAND CHAMPIONS   MASTERS POINT To view properties for sale in these or other Slidell Subdivisions visit:www.PropertyPromenade.comYour Source for Slidell, Louisiana Real Estate 07/03/2011

To view properties for sale in these or other Slidell Subdivisions visit:www.PropertyPromenade.comYour Source for Slidell, Louisiana Real Estate Karin Smith, BrokerSmith Realty Group  Clipper Estates          Mariners       Eden Isles                  Oak Harbor  The Fairways             The Inlets  Lakeshore Estates    Moorings   To view properties for sale in these or other Slidell Subdivisions visit:www.PropertyPromenade.comYour Source for Slidell, Louisiana Real Estate   07/03/2011

SLIDELL ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENTRelocating to Slidell, La?  Finding information about Slidell Arts and Entertainment on the top of your to-do list?  You've come to the right place! For information about Slidell Arts and Entertainment visit: www.propertypromenade.com; on the menu bar select 'About Slidell - local area info,' scroll down to 'Arts and Entertainment.'  Here you will find links that will direct you to Slidell, La.  Arts and Entertainment  Websites. Need Help?  I'll be happy to assist! Like to add your association's link to my website?  It's simple, give me a call! Looking forward to working with you!-Karin :) Karin Smith-BrokerSmith Realty Group1290 Seventh Street, Suite 6Slidell, La. 70458 Cell: 985-707-7624Email: Ksmith.realestate@gmail.com PropertyPromenade.com is a courte... 07/03/2011

First Time Home Buyers Guide - Slidell, La. Welcome!  Glad you stopped by!    I have put together a simple step-by-step First Time Home Buyers Guide to assist you with the knowledge and guidance needed to prepare you for your new adventure.  So you are ready to buy your first home, where do you begin? Step 1: Establish a relationship with a Buyer's Agent - In Louisiana, there is NO FEE paid by the buyer for a Buyer's Agent.  Step 2: Get Pre-Approved.  If you haven't already established a relationship with a lender, your Buyer's Agent can assist you by providing you with contact information for Lenders that will best suite your individual needs.  Often times a pre-approval can be done over the phone taking very little of your time.  Step 3: Get a Good Faith Estimate from your lender to ... 07/03/2011

Do you have the Closing Cost Blues? You've heard it time and time again; it's a "Buyer's Market."  "Sellers are more than likely willing to negotiate from their current listing price."  But, if your cash pile is low in this current economy you may still be struggling to come up with the cash to close on this fabulous price you have now negotiated.  Eeek.... the Closing Cost Blues! Here's an idea that may cure those blues - rather than having the seller reduce the price, you can ask them to pay for your closing cost!  Typically closing cost are 3.5 to 4% of the purchase price.  Depending on your situation and cash flow, negotiating for seller to pay closing cost rather than reducing the purchase price may be just what you need to achieve your dream of home ownership! Be sure to discuss ... 07/03/2011

Eeek - Termites Just say the word and stress levels peak!  These itty bitty monsters will literally eat our homes - how dare them!  What do we do to avoid this?  You know the saying... ' an ounce of prevention..... ' Here are a few tips to stay protected: Be sure to have your home under contract by a professionally licensed termite company.   Speak to them about how to do your own routine examinations on your home as well.  Set aside a few minutes a month to walk the perimeter in search for their evil little mud trails.   Call your inspector at the first sign of suspicious activity.  And, be sure to address any areas of landscaping, etc. that your inspector points out as a potential termite hazard!  Stay Safe!  07/03/2011

Welcome to Slidell, Louisiana! Slidell, Louisiana is located in southeastern Louisiana on the northeast shore of Lake Ponchartrain.  It is only a thirty minute drive to the city of New Orleans to the west or the Biloxi Coast and Casinos to the east.  Slidell, Louisiana is named after John Slidell, a Louisiana Politician who was born in New York and later moved to Slidell in the early 1800's.  The city of Slidell was incorporated in 1888.  Slidell was originally the home of the N.O.N.E (New Orleans and Northeastern) Railroad building camp and later a shipyard which employed many residents in building aircraft, ships and tanks for WWII. Today, while Slidell is close enough to the city of New Orleans to be a part of all the excitement and culture, it is also just far enough to continue to... 07/03/2011

Smith Sells Waterfront! Search Slidell, Louisiana Waterfront Homes for Sale at http://www.propertypromenade.com/default.asp.pg-WaterfrontSubdivisions Don't see your dream home listed?  Feel free to contact me with your specific critiera and I will find it! Karin Smith, BrokerSmith Realty Group1290 Seventh Street, Suite 6Slidell, La. 70458 Cell: 985-707-7624Email: ksmith.realestate@gmail.com   07/03/2011