'News You Can Use...' from Dennis December 2007
Make the Most of Your Home's Assets
By J. A. Young
When preparing to sell a home, it is necessary to assess the house's main selling points. A house's best features don't always speak for themselves to buyers and they might require some highlighting on the part of the sellers. This article discusses ways to make the most of your homes best features.

The assessment process should go room by room. While no room or feature is likely to be completely ideal in every instance, the goal is to... Read More
Be "Green" in the New Year
By ARAcontent
With the trend focusing on being more eco-friendly, these tips will not only make a difference for the environment and add some green in your wallet, but also make you feel good about yourself for keeping your resolution throughout the New Year.

Light Years Ahead - Compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) not only last ten times longer than incandescents, but also use 75 percent less energy. Their cost of approximately $7 each may seem steep... Read More
Update Your Home's Lighting
By ARA

Walk across the street after dark and take a long, hard look at your front door. Can you see the door knob or the house number? If not, you have a poorly lit front entrance.

Gather Ideas - For ideas on how to improve your lighting situation, hop in the car at night and drive to a newer neighborhood with model homes and note what they've done; or pick up a home and garden magazine to see what's new. Keep in mind that the goal of outdoor lighting is to create a look that is comfortable, while at the same time providing a feeling of safety and security.

Shop for Fixtures - To get an idea of the latest looks available, just log on to lightingshowplace.com, click on the outdoor lighting link, and you'll have access to an online catalog with hundreds of fixtures to choose from.
Tips to Enjoy Christmas More
By K.M. Forsyth
Although we all have dreams of the perfect Christmas, very few of us can manage to pull off Christmas like a Martha Stewart event without nearly losing our minds in the process. Here are three suggestions to help you keep your sanity and perhaps adjust your expectations so you can enjoy the holidays instead of enduring them.

Go for Happy, Not for Broke - A quick poll of your friends will probably yield the same result. Their best memories of Christmas rarely revolve around gifts. Generally our fondest Christmas memories are of people and places, not of things.

This year think of giving fewer gifts (less shopping means less stress). Maybe draw names from a hat or decide that only the youngest members of the family get gifts, and instead give a donation... Read More
What is Home Equity?
By Susan M. Keenan
The equity of a home is calculated by taking the current market value of a home and subtracting the debt owed on the property. For example, the current market value of the home is $250,000 and the current amount of money the homeowner still owes to his lender is $115,000. If you subtract the debt of $115,000 from the market value of $250,000, the home's equity is $135,000.

Since the initial down payment builds up equity in the property, the larger the down payment on the home, the larger the amount of equity in the home. In many cases, a larger down payment will equate to a better positioning stance for acquiring a loan as well. Most often, the home and its accompanying land and structures are used as... Read More
Dennis H. Mogil  -  (607) 227-6422 'News You Can Use...' from Dennis  -  December 2007 

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Dennis H. Mogil, Howard Hanna Real Estate Services (formerly RealtyUSA), The Mary Stoe Team 2333 N. Triphammer Road, Ithaca NY 14850
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The material in this publication is provided for your informational purpose only and is not intended to substitute professional advice.
If your property is currently listed with a Real Estate Broker, this publication is not intended as a solicitation.
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