Kim Diaz - Your Real Estate Resource

Free Webinar: Google / SEO - Top Ten Free Tools

2012-01-09T16:29:00.001-06:00

Good Day!Our research staff has identified you and your company as one that maybenefit from Google / SEO. Is getting to the top of Google searchesimportant to you? Do you know where your company ranks on Google,Yahoo, and/or Bing?If search engines matter to your marketing, please join me at my freeno cost introductory webinar on The Top Ten Free Tools for Google SEO.Register / more info - http

Cook - Local Market Update – August 2011

2011-09-19T21:10:00.002-05:00

Oak Lawn Local Market Update – August 2011

2011-09-19T21:02:00.000-05:00

JULY - 2011 eNewsletter

2011-07-20T21:41:00.002-05:00

From the Desk of... Ubaldo & Kim Diaz JULY - 2011 eNewsletterHello , Welcome to the most current Housing Trends eNewsletter. This eNewsletter is specially designed for you, with national and local housing information that you may find useful whether you're in the market for a home, thinking about selling your home, or just interested in homeowner issues in

Seven Out of 10 Renters Say Owning a Home is a Top Priority

2011-07-06T17:01:00.001-05:00

Brought to you by Ubaldo & Kim Diaz Seven Out of 10 Renters Say Owning a Home is a Top PriorityWashington, DC, July 06, 2011Most Americans still believe that owning a home is a solid financial decision, and a majority of renters aspire to home ownership as a long-term goal. According to the 2011 National Housing Pulse Survey released

The Nine Most Common Mistakes to Avoid!

2011-06-24T16:51:00.001-05:00

The Nine Most Common Mistakes to Avoid!Mistakes to Avoid When Obtaining a Home Mortgage! You are about to make what will most likely be the largest transaction of your life: your home mortgage. Unfortunately, many homebuyers do not take the time to research some of the little but

Basic Tips When It Comes to Selling Your Home

2011-04-22T13:06:00.000-05:00

As the seller, as much as possible you would want to get the best market value for you home without spending big on renovations, you would also need to sell it quickly, and it would do you well to avoid trouble and to not let it get on your nerves. You must also take into account that for every house there is always a buyer who may have many reasons to move. You must have asked a lot of people

Realty Times - Pricing a Home to Sell

2011-03-01T10:30:00.000-06:00

By Carla Hill The most popular real estate slogan has always been "location, location, location." Well, folks, there's a new slogan in town, and his name is "price, price, price." You can have the most fabulous Malibu beach house, but if you are overpriced, you won't sell in today's market. How do you know where to price your house? How do you know that your real estate agent has priced

Roger K. Lewis - How to make rentals more attractive as the American dream evolves, adapts

2011-02-27T15:24:00.001-06:00

By Roger K. Lewis Years ago at the University of Maryland, I taught "Economic Determinants in Architecture," an elective course introducing architecture students to the real world of capitalism and showing how that world influences design and development. Students learned that market and financial conditions, along with governmental fiscal and monetary policies, can profoundly influence what gets

Taping drywall is not as easy as it looks on do-it-yourself shows

2011-02-25T15:57:00.000-06:00

Q. Is taping drywall that hard to do? I watched it done on a television show, and it seems like it's not too tough. What tools should I be looking for? What are some secrets of finishing drywall, and what are the biggest mistakes rookies make when mudding and taping drywall? I want my job to look like a professional did it, so please help me out. -Wanda P., Haverhill, Mass. A. Let me first say

Realty Times - Closing Costs Explained

2011-02-24T15:16:00.000-06:00

by Carla Hill Qualifying and being approved for a mortgage are only part of the financial responsibility of buying a home. There's also a host of closing costs that, as a buyer, you should expect. Affordability is a topic on the minds of today's buyers, so researching each of the following costs, large and small, is important. 1. Down Payment. This amount ranges widely depending on the dollar

Does Buying a Rental as an Investment Make Sense? - WSJ.com

2011-02-24T08:33:00.001-06:00

By June Fletcher Q. Since so many people have lost their homes to foreclosures and can't get credit, I expect that it's a good time to buy a rental investment place. But I'm also worried that property prices may fall further. Do you think this would be a wise way to spend my money? --Chicago A. It all depends. If you're able to obtain a property that's deeply discounted from its current market

How to Organize Kitchen Shelves | Free Decorator - WSJ.com

2011-02-23T13:35:00.000-06:00

By SARA RUFFIN COSTELLO If I were smart I'd be a high-end decorator making an easy fortune arranging people's bookcases, mantels and tabletops. I'd keep up the pretense that fluffing is encoded only in the DNA of the lucky, and that most of the population isn't capable of making pleasing arrangements. The truth is most humans just lack conviction in the mise en scene department. They say that

Staging for The Five Senses

2011-02-14T15:21:00.000-06:00

Today's sellers are on the hunt for creative ways to ramp up their marketing. It is a necessity in today's tough market to have several tricks up your sleeve. The idea is nothing new, but more and more sellers are beginning to discover the power of "staging." In today's article, we will focus on staging for the five senses. Human beings are a sensory species. Our judgement and emotions are

Realty Times - Should I Buy A Home Now?

2011-02-14T15:14:00.001-06:00

The Zillow Home Value Index fell 26% since its peak in June 2006. That’s a greater decline than seen in the Depression-era years of 1928 to 1933. According to Zillow.com, "November marked the 53rd consecutive month of home value declines, with the Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI) falling 0.8% from October to November, and falling 5.1% year-over-year.” But the news isn’t all bad. If you’ve gathered

Realty Times - Making Your Home Picture Perfect

2011-02-02T10:54:00.000-06:00

By: Realty Times - Phoebe Chongchua They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Well, in real estate, that picture's worth translates to dollars and then, if it's an excellent picture, you can add a few more zeros to that number. That's why getting the right photos of your home are critical. Before having your home photographed or, in some cases, videotaped, you'll want to make sure that

Realty Times - Give Your Fireplace a Hot New Look that's Inviting to Buyers

2011-01-07T09:18:00.000-06:00

By Phoebe Chongchua Especially in cold areas, turning on the fireplace during an open house can be very attractive. However, real wood-burning fireplaces can be messy and leave a smoky odor in the air that can be too strong for some potential buyers. And if you opt for fake logs, well, they can sometimes look too fake. But a growing trend is to fill the fireplace with recycled, reflective

Realty Times - Consequences of Defaults and Foreclosures

2011-01-07T09:13:00.000-06:00

By Carla Hill The economy has put a strain on thousands of households across the nation. In these tough times, many homeowners are struggling in the face of foreclosure. What are the consequences of defaulting on your loan? And what can you do to prevent this loss? One of the most startling impacts of a foreclosure appears on one's credit report. Your credit score may plummet by 200 to 300 points

Realty Times - Pros and Cons of Condo Living

2010-12-31T14:09:00.000-06:00

By: Carla Hill As purse strings tighten across the nation, and aging boomers enter retirement, many homeowners are making the decision to downsize. One popular choice among consumers is condominiums.  Here are some pros and cons of condo living to consider before you make a move. Pro 1. Affordability: Are you looking to buy in a specific

A Home is an Investment. So is Homeowner’s Insurance.

2010-12-31T13:47:00.003-06:00

Mortgages Unzipped By: Chris Birk Homeowner's insurance is a mandatory part of the home-purchasing process. It's also one of the least considered. Lenders require prospective borrowers to secure a home insurance policy to cover at least the value of their mortgage. Homeowner's insurance isn't included in the mortgage, which means buyers are on their own to get coverage. But what

Realty Times - 10 Reasons to Buy

2010-12-12T09:18:00.000-06:00

Realty Times - by Carla Hill Owning a home has been a part of the American Dream for decades. If you are still unsure, however, whether or not homeownership is the move for you, be sure to read these ten reasons to buy. 1. Low Interest Rates. It's true! Interest rates are currently at historical lows. This means over the course of your loan, you'll pay less interest. And it also means monthly

Skylights can add magic to a house, but installation is everything

2010-12-12T09:12:00.000-06:00

By Laura Barnhardt Cech Even people who don't know Mark Robin know about his bathroom. A custom skylight rests 12 feet above his shower. It has an aluminum frame that can't be seen from below, giving the impression that it is open to the trees and sky above. "Before, the shower was the darkest place," Robin says. "Now, it has a spa feel. . . . Because you can't see the frame, it really does feel

A Kitchen to Comfort Your Soul - Combining psychology and neuroscience, Johnny Grey is an interior designer with a special recipe

2010-12-11T11:31:00.000-06:00

'You can tell a lot about a person from their kitchen," says Johnny Grey, an award-winning interior designer specializing in "happy kitchens," a design philosophy that focuses on bringing emotional, physical and psychological well-being into kitchen planning. "A kitchen is no longer just for cooking. Often, the only time a couple will spend together awake, is in the kitchen," says the British

Tightening bolts at base could stop toilet leak

2010-12-10T16:02:00.000-06:00

By Gene Austin Q. One of my toilets has a small leak around the base. Is there an easy way to fix this? - T. Gooldich A. You can try slightly tightening the bolts on the base of the toilet. Be careful not to over-tighten these bolts because too much pressure could crack the toilet's base.If that doesn't stop the leak, the best bet is to replace the wax ring under the toilet. The wax ring seals

The long wait for shelter

2010-12-10T15:57:00.001-06:00

By Elizabeth RazziWashington Post Staff Writer Raphael, a 47-year-old native of Puerto Rico, sits at the dining table of his two-bedroom temporary home in the heart of Fairfax, a tinsel-smothered Christmas tree in the corner, and recounts how his family is making its way back from homelessness. Although homelessness is often rooted in unemployment, poor education or family disfunction, high