What is radon? Radon is a colorless, odorless, radioactive gas that has been determined to be the second leading cause of cancer in the United States. Radon is a by-product of the breakdown of Uranium. Radon can seep into a home through the foundation. According to the EPA radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer. The EPA has set 4.0 pCi/L as the level at which a house should be mitigated for radon. A radon mitigation system consists of drilling a 4" diameter hole in the foundation floor and running a pvc pipe from that hole to a vent leading outside. In the pvc pipe is a continuously running fan that vents any gas under the foundation outside. From my experience this usually costs between $700 to $800 depending on the size and layout of the house. A radon test is commonly done ... 05/02/2008

This Saturday's "Real Estate Reality Hour" will focus on Staging, remodelling and updating tips for homeowners. Important information will be discussed for owners selling their home this year or several years down the road (after all, every home gets sold eventually!). Topics will include lighting, flooring, countertops, cabinets, paint colors and more.  Quick and inexpensive tips will be discussed for each category in addition to forecasts for trends in the next couple of years. General guidelines for what finishes buyers expect in the different price ranges will also be discussed. Hosted by Tori Lynn Ross of Ross Designs, LLC.Guests include Lance Hiatt from Eurowood Cabinets and Shari Thomas from CBSHome. If you are outside of the Omaha Metro, listen live at www.1290kkar.com. The "Rea... 05/01/2008

Okay, so I am a professional Home Stager and NOT a financial wiz :-)  However, I learned something very interesting last week at a presentation that is ANOTHER striking financial reason to price right and stage a home before it's listed on the market.  I do not have all of the technical terms down but I will do my best to quickly and accurately explain what I know.In response to our nationwide increase in housing foreclosures and other related economic injuries, the mortgage industry is tightening their lending practices (some voluntarily, some federally mandated). As a result, if a home is flagged as being in a "declining market", buyers with conventional loans may be required to put an ADDITIONAL 5% DOWN TO BUY THAT HOME! This does not apply to FHA or VA loans. Here in Omaha there are... 04/27/2008

Corrugated stainless steel tubing (CSST) gas pipeis the distinctive yellow pipe that has been installed in thousands of home in the Omaha area and nationally.  The bendable pipe replaced the old black pipe and multiple 90 degree angles and joints.  CSST was approved for residential use in 1988. A class action lawsuitwas filed in 2006 against 4 manufacturers of the CSST pipe.  The lawsuit claimed the CSST pipe posed a risk of fire due to lightning strikes.  A lightning strike can cause an energized charge to move through the gas line, if the line is not properly grounded, the charge can arc to another metal or system.  CSST pipe is very thin, and if this arcing occurs and hole can be formed in the pipe leading to a gas leak or fire.I completed a home inspection at a home in Omaha, Ne. wh... 04/26/2008

 Brian, way to go and keep up the great work!One of the fun things about being part of the ownership at Alliance Real Estate is opening feedback letters from our clients after the close of the transaction.  Feedback is critical in improving both individual agent skills and evaluating company systems for effectiveness.  Alliance sends out these feedback letters as part of our value added service to our agents.   These letters allows us to track which marketing systems are the most effective and it also is a reflection of the training our agents receive.  After we receive a response from a client, a copy is made for the agent and one copy is made for the agent file.  Many of our agents use these letters in their pre-listing packets and in their marketing.  Again, I would like to congratul... 04/24/2008

I would like to introduce Steve Vacha of Home Standards Inspections to Activerain.  Steve has been in the inspection business for seven years and is now entering the world of the blogoshere.  Anytime you are buying or selling a home in Omaha it is important to conduct a professional inspection.  Stop by Steve's blog and say "hello" to Steve!  Thanks, David Matney, CRS,GRIAlliance Real Estate 04/24/2008

Even though smoking is no where near as "chic" as it used to be, there are still some die hard smokers who eventually decide to sell their home.  Their addiction to smoking then becomes an agent's problem as homes with lingering cigarette odors are much harder to sell than clean smelling listings.There are several steps that home owners can take to eliminate the overwhelming odor.  They are listed below.1. Repaint all offending rooms, possibly the entire interior, depending on where the sellers smoked. Don't overlook the ceilings as they can be dingy, yellowed, and also contribute to the lingering odor.2. Fabrics especially hold onto the smoke particles and contribute to the odor. Remove fabrics where possible (such as drapes, bedding, and throw rugs) or have them professionally steam c... 04/22/2008

I want to thank Barb Baker at Prudential Ambassador Real Estate. This week the sale of the property I represented at was completed. This home was built by Five Star Homes. Due to the amount and quality of marketing that the Trumm Team does we had three offers on the property. The offer accepted came from a buyer represented by Barb.The sale included Five Star Homes finishing the basement which of course required much attention to detail and communication between both parties. I want to thank Barb for her timeliness and care in working out all of the finer details to ensure a smooth sale. Trumm Team - Alliance Real Estate, Omaha, NE Your Home Sold within 120 Days or I will Buy It! 04/19/2008

If you buy a home through the Trumm Team, we will guarantee your satisfaction. If you buy a home through our team of Realtors and for any reason are not happy with the house in the first 12 months, then we will buy it back from you. Additionally we guarantee you a savings of $5,000 when buying the home. We also guarantee that you will receive a home warranty and the best financing available. This is all part of our VIP Buyer Service, designed to ensure your satisfaction with the buying process and the home you buy.For details visit, Trumm Team Buyer Guarantee. Trumm Team - Alliance Real Estate, Omaha, NE Your Home Sold within 120 Days or I will Buy It! 04/19/2008

For a variety of reasons often times a buyer wants to move into a house prior to the sale closing. This is known as pre-occupancy or giving possession early. As a seller if you are going to agree to this you need an agent that understands how to look out for your best interests.The buyer must agree to accept the property as it is at the time they move in, which means rather than doing their final walk through just before closing they will do it prior to occupying the property. The reason for this is simple. If the final walk through is not done before allowing the buyer to occupy the property and prior to closing the buyer has an issue with the condition of the house, how is anyone to know if it was not the buyer that caused the issue in the first place.Let me tell you of an experience ... 04/19/2008

Okay, so I am a professional Home Stager and NOT a financial wiz :-)  However, I learned something very interesting this week at a presentation that is ANOTHER striking financial reason to stage a home before it's listed on the market.  I do not have all of the technical terms down but I will do my best to quickly and accurately explain what I know.In response to our nationwide increase in housing foreclosures and other related economic injuries, the mortgage industry is tightening their lending practices (some voluntarily, some federally mandated). As a result, if a home is flagged as being in a "declining market", buyers with conventional loans may be required to put an ADDITIONAL 5% DOWN TO BUY THAT HOME! This does not apply to FHA or VA loans. Here in Omaha there are several zip cod... 04/18/2008

Okay, I have to admit that I was slightly wrong in a blog I posted last week.  I really HATE to admit when I am wrong :-) Last week I discredited the theory of painting over wallpaper as a quick fix. I have seen the end result in person several times and it always looked terrible - seams were obvious, the pattern of the wallpaper showed through no matter how dark the paint was, etc.TODAY I stand corrected!  I was staging a home and the owner told me she had painted over wallpaper in the kitchen and I didn't believe her.  She had to point out two areas where I could sort of make out a seam, but only because I was examining the wall and looking for it.What is the secret you may ask?  Joint compound smoothed over the seams and a gentle sanding over the paper to minimize the sheen and patte... 04/15/2008

I recently had the opportunity to attend a mold course sponsored by Servpro.  Servepro is a professional cleaning and restoration company.   This class was tailored for those in the real estate industry and was geared to give Realtors a better understanding of mold.  Of course a three hour class does not make anyone a mold expert but it helps with understanding.  If you have a mold problem or suspect you might have a mold problem you should seek professional advice.Mold needs the right environment in order to grow.  Mold is present everywhere and to have a mold free environment is nearly impossible.  What makes mold an issue in the concentration.  When is the concentration dangerous?  Great question, at the current time the EPA has not come out with a level at which they consider danger... 04/13/2008

As many of you know I am a HUGE fan of virtual assistants.  In fact, we have had a internationally recognized virtual assistant for over a year at the Company level.  Laura Monroe is TOP NOTCH and we are extremely happy with her work.  However, there are some physical limitations with having your assistant 1400 miles away.  One of the limitations is logistics of prospecting expired and cancelled listings.TIME is not your ally with an expired listing.  It is absolutely critical to get your mailing out immediately.  That means researching the post office routes and hours in order to be the first mailing they open.  A day later is unacceptable.  A day later and your mailing is one of twenty.  That is one of the reasons we hired another assistant, Rachael.  Rachael is FANTASTIC!  One of our... 04/13/2008

I noticed this morning that I have posted over 100 blogs on ActiveRain. Since readership of my blog has been steadily increasing I thought I would post a list of my favorite blogs for those new subscribers who may have missed them the first time around. I picked the ones that I thought have the most useful real estate information that will benefit not just buyers and sellers but also other Realtors.Here is a list of my top ten blogs that I have posted to ActiveRain.Rating Agent PerformanceCommunicating With Your RealtorReal Estate Marketing for a Fast Sale in Omaha, NEWhat ISN'T a Marketing PlanVerbal Counter OffersPrice ReductionsPrice of New versus Existing Homes in OmahaIf Your Home is not Staged to Sell, then it Won't SellDangers of Overpricing a HomeFinding the Perfect Real Estate ... 04/12/2008

A couple of weeks ago I reached the top 2 spot on ActiveRain for all of Nebraska. It took a lot of time and effort to reach this point. Here's a rundown of what it takes to get to the top.Mostly it took a lot of time. It takes time to write useful and meaningful blogs, respond to other member's questions, and update my profile.Not far behind time is knowledge. In order for a blog to be of any worth there has to be some thought put into it. Luckily being a top agent in Omaha I have a wealth of experience to draw on when writing blogs that I think buyers and sellers will find helpful.The third requisite to get to the top is a willingness to help. I get a lot of questions from other ActiveRain members and I try to answer each one in detail. I think helping others benefits not just the pers... 04/11/2008

In Free Access to Omaha's MLS I offered the public a way to view the same information in the MLS to which Realtors have access. Why did I do this? Isn't it ultimately going to hurt me if the public can easily get their hands on the same information that I have? NOPE.A fellow ActiveRain member commented that the free access to real estate information is going to put Realtors out of business just like it did travel agents. I disagree. I don't fear giving away information because information alone is useless. Knowledge is what is of value. Knowledge comes not only from having information but also from experience. You can take all of the experience that a seller has gained from each home they have sold and it is next to nothing compared to the amount of experience I have selling over 50 hom... 04/11/2008

In our incredibly busy world today it is enticing to take the "easy way out" whenever one is available. So many of us are overstretched with regard to time, money and energy in our daily lives; add the stresses of selling a home on top of that and it can seem impossible to make the necessary changes/repairs/upgrades to get a home ready for market.Wallpaper can kill a potential sale (so can bold paint colors, but that's another blog :-).  Everybody knows that but most homeowners don't want to admit it. After all, they bought the house with wallpaper.  Or they put up the wallpaper and just loved(d) it. Either way when I recommend as a home stager that the wallpaper COME DOWN, sellers seem to heave a huge sigh. They think of the time and energy involved in the project and start wondering i... 04/11/2008

Many sellers believe that they will save money by selling their own home.  On the surface it seems logical, no agent, no commission = money saved.  However, what many sellers do not realise is that not having an agent may actually cost more money in the end.  First, commissions are negotiable and their is no such thing as a "standard" commission.  Another item to consider is that commission is built into the market.  That means buyers are savvy enough to realise that when you do not have an agent, you do not have to pay a commission.  Therefore, they do not want to line your pocket anymore than you want to line the pocket of an agent.  Knowing that the seller does not have to pay a commission the buyer is naturally going to "knock off" a certain percentage off the price since you do not... 04/10/2008

Thank you for checking out my March Real Estate market report for Omaha NE including Downtown Omaha Condos, Midtown - Dundee, UNMC, North Omaha - Benson, Northwest Omaha, West Omaha Homes, Elkhorn, Ralston and Millard homes that are for sale on the Omaha MLS. .Active Listings, as of April 8, 2008 and Sold Data from March 1, 2008 to March 31, 2008.  Months supply is the number of active listings divided by the number of sold listings for the month. The March real estate market improved slightly from February.  Douglas county months supply dropped slightly from 9.95 to 8.17.  Sarpy county months supply dropped as well from 9.9 to 7.63.  Total number of sales for both Douglas and Sarpy counties increased from 477 to 607 homes or up 27.25%.   With the warmer weather, more buyers are getting... 04/09/2008