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Real Estate

Library Online Resources | Library Materials | Web Sites | Social

If you are viewing the Virtual Gallery from home, you will need your Orange County resident library card to access some of the resources.

Tips for Selling Your Home

Make Your Home "Anonymous"

"The number one rule of home staging is to depersonalize. If you do nothing else, you absolutely need to pack away anything that makes the house 'yours' as opposed to theirs. Your family photos may be precious to you, but to a buyer, they're clutter. Clear off counters and shelves, pack away books and take down photos off the walls."
— From Buy-and-sell-house-fast.com

Staging & Decorating: Let these ideas for decorating your home inspire you in your efforts to sell your home.

Showing the House

"When you know someone is coming by to tour your home, turn on all the indoor and outdoor lights – even during the day. At night, a lit house gives a 'homey' impression when viewed from the street. During the daytime, turning on the lights prevents harsh shadows from sunlight and it brightens up any dim areas. Your house looks more homey and cheerful with the lights on."
— From realestateabc.com

Lighting: Try these ideas for simple lighting suggestions.

Windows & Doors

"All back of door hanging items must be put away. Cluttered doors can really weight a space down and give the feeling that the room is too small. This step also helps depersonalize the space."

"Freshen up the front door with a good cleaning and, if appropriate, a fresh coat of paint. If it will work with the color scheme of the home, a red front door can really make the home stand out."
— From The Staging Source

Home Maintenance: Renovate your property and improve the market value of your house.

Walls & Painting

"You should always have freshly painted or touched up walls when you are trying to sell your home anyway so this is also the time to change the color to appeal to the greatest number of people that you can.”
— From www.ehow.com

Painting: Need to repaint your house? Use these books for tips.

Carpet and Flooring

"Cush-up the carpeting - Don’t replace the carpet on the cheap. Invest in the BEST padding you can find. Buyers will in most cases have to remove their shoes when walking through your home. In their stocking-feet, they will feel the difference!"
— From From Real Estate Ezine @rticles

Flooring Maintenance and Repair: Learn how to make basic repairs to your home.

Keep the House Free of Clutter

"One thing you should not overlook as you search for decorating ideas is to de-clutter your house. Through day-to-day living, it is too easy to let things accumulate. Eliminate those piles and you'll be surprised at how different it can make a room look."

"Use these simple and inexpensive decorating ideas, and you can give any room a fresh, new look."
— From From RealEstate.com

Organizing and Cleaning: Unclutter your home, and unclutter your life.

Buying a New Home

"The trick in buying real estate is to view all decisions with both a logical perspective and an emotional perspective. If a situation presents itself that requires a trade-off, decide on whether there is a huge conflict or a small one. Logic should win the big conflicts, but emotion should always be a factor, even winning the small ones."

"You will find yourself owning a warm, happy, safe home – and an investment for the future at a price you are willing to pay."
— From From realestateabc.com

Mortgage Loans: Use these resources to get the best interest rate for your home.

Become a Real Estate Agent

"People decide to become real estate agents for many reasons. Many like to work with the public. Some want to be in control of their own schedules. Others are interested in buying real estate for themselves and think that agents have access to "the best deals." No matter what your motivations, take a little time to become familiar with the realities of being a real estate agent before you jump in and become licensed."
— From From About.com

Real Estate Careers: Learn how to sell homes.

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Library Online Resources

General OneFile

Interested in finding tips on DIY projects? Find articles and information on home improvement from The Family Handyman and Custom Builder magazines.

LearnATest

Want to become an agent? Take a Real Estate Practice Exam now!

Netlinks

Use this virtual library of web links to find community information on Living in Orange County and Orlando or consumer information about Real Estate and Buying/Selling a Home.

Orlando Sentinel

Look up real estate articles and news in Orlando's local newspaper!

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Web Sites

Annual Credit Report

Get your free credit report from this site, recognized as the only official free credit report site on the Web by the Office of the Florida Attorney General.

Google Maps

Use the street view feature of Google Maps to take a virtual tour of the neighborhood.

Homes & Real Estate

From the Clark Howard Show, these pages contain information and opinion that is frequently updated.

Home Buying Tips, Tricks, and Techniques

Find detailed information through this list of resources related to real estate. Topics include coverage of the recent and significant changes in the housing market.

RentoMeter

A useful mashup that can help you determine if you are paying too much in rent.

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Library Materials

Books

DIY - Home Repair

Browse this list to learn how to do home repair projects yourself and save money.

Fictional Real Estate Stories

Tired of the facts and want some fiction? Here are some fictional stories to kick back with.

Home Maintenance & Repair Fiction

Enjoy these home maintenance and repair fiction stories.

Sell Your House

Use these materials to get tips on preparing your home for the market.

Magazines

(Back issues circulate at some locations.)

DIY Periodicals

Planning on doing a home improvement project? Explore this collection of periodicals and find information and tips before you get started.

Home Maintenance

Learn how to maintain and simplify your home.

Interior Decoration

Get ideas and tips on interior design and learn more about home decorating with these magazines.

Videos

Home Improvement Videos

With a wealth of information on decorating and home repair DVDs, you can get started in no time!

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Social

Blogs

Overseas Property Blog

This is a blog dedicated to tracking the latest updates from the most authoritative and relevant news sources concerning global real estate markets.

The Real Estate Blog

Read the latest news and articles on real estate technology, real estate marketing, mortgage information, real estate investing, rehabbing, and land lording.

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