Crystal Saves The Deal

Small Home Storage: Maximize Your Storage Space Your small home has more storage space than you think. For relatively little money but a lot of common sense and ingenuity, there’s space to be found. Read Visit houselogic.com for more articles like this. Copyright 2011 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

10 Steps to a Perfect Exterior Paint Job Painting the exterior of your home is a big job that costs thousands in the hands of a professional. But you can save money if you invest the time to do it yourself correctly. Read Visit houselogic.com for more articles like this. Copyright 2011 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

5 Tips for Inspecting and Maintaining Your Garage Routine maintenance will help your garage retain its value and keep it trouble-free for decades. Read Visit houselogic.com for more articles like this. Copyright 2011 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

4 Great Green Apps for Your Home Want some Earth-friendly ideas on how to save money and energy around your home? There’s an app for that — in fact, there are quite a few! We waded through the choices and found four of the best apps for making your home a more energy-efficient place. Read Visit houselogic.com for more articles like this. Copyright 2011 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

4 Ways to Rescue Your Plants From the Heat Wave‏ Summer’s triple-digit heat is threatening to fry the trees and shrubs you’ve spent all year tending. Read 7 Tips for Short Sale Success Have to sell your home for less than it’s worth? Our seven tips will help you get the best price. Read Fencing: A Guide to the Options When shopping for a fence, you need to consider everything from style to function to how much maintenance it’ll require. Read Visit houselogic.com for more articles like this. Copyright 2011 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

4 Ways to Rescue Your Plants From the Heat Wave‏ Summer’s triple-digit heat is threatening to fry the trees and shrubs you’ve spent all year tending. Read 7 Tips for Short Sale Success Have to sell your home for less than it’s worth? Our seven tips will help you get the best price. Read Visit houselogic.com for more articles like this. Copyright 2011 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

4 Ways to Rescue Your Plants From the Heat Wave‏ Summer’s triple-digit heat is threatening to fry the trees and shrubs you’ve spent all year tending. Read Visit houselogic.com for more articles like this. Copyright 2011 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

6 Tips for Buying a Home in a Short Sale By preparing for a real estate short sale, you can emerge with a great home at a favorable price. Read Visit houselogic.com for more articles like this. Copyright 2011 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

Keep Backyard Pests from Eating Your Greens Backyard pests—squirrels, rabbits, moles—can destroy your landscaping and lawns. Here’s how to get rid of the ravenous critters. Read How Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Save You Money Homeowners who use Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac mortgages save thousands of dollars in interest payments each year. Read Visit houselogic.com for more articles like this. Copyright 2011 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

Keep Backyard Pests from Eating Your Greens Backyard pests—squirrels, rabbits, moles—can destroy your landscaping and lawns. Here’s how to get rid of the ravenous critters. Read Visit houselogic.com for more articles like this. Copyright 2011 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

The Value of Home Maintenance Regular home maintenance is key to preserving the value of your house and property. Read Visit houselogic.com for more articles like this. Copyright 2011 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

7 Ways to Be a Better Recycler If you do just one thing to “live green” and care for the environment, chances are it’s recycling. About three-quarters of people in the U.S. recycle, and the EPA says that recycling “generates a host of financial, environmental, and social returns.” Read Visit houselogic.com for more articles like this. Copyright 2011 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

How to Use Comparable Sales to Price Your Home Before you put your home up for sale, use the right comparable sales to find the perfect price. Read Visit houselogic.com for more articles like this. Copyright 2011 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

Ceiling Fans: Keep Your Cool; Save Money, Too A ceiling fan can lower the feel of a room’s temperature by 8 degrees, which means you can raise the thermostat and save on air conditioning bills. Read Visit houselogic.com for more articles like this. Copyright 2011 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

When buying or selling a home, it is important that clients feel comfortable and confident in their choice of a real estate agent. The best way to get to know your real estate agent is to ask questions, and ask plenty. Sometimes it may seem tough to figure out which questions to ask, so if you’re stumped or stressed, here are some questions to help you get started: Similar to an employer at a job interview, it’s always beneficial for clients get an idea of their agent’s work experience, so asking how long an agent has been involved in real estate is a good place to start; then ask how much business they conduct and what areas the agent specializes in. It never hurts to ask for references or testimonials so that you can get another person’s perception of the agent. Also, you may want to ask about which organizations the agent has been affiliated with throughout his or her career. Knowing the success of an agent is also significant: don’t be afraid to ask for a list of properties t...

Develop a Landscape Plan to Fit Your Budget The success of any landscaping project depends on having a plan and sticking to it. Read Visit houselogic.com for more articles like this. Copyright 2011 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

7 Steps to Take Before You Buy a Home By doing your homework before you buy, you’ll feel more content about your new home. Read Visit houselogic.com for more articles like this. Copyright 2011 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

Smart Upgrades for Decks A few cost-effective add-ons can give a modest deck an edge and deliver a handsome payback should you sell your house. Read Visit houselogic.com for more articles like this. Copyright 2011 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

Air Conditioning Equipment: Repair or Replace? If you’re deciding whether to repair or replace central air conditioning equipment, assess the quality of your house’s ductwork and insulation first. Read Visit houselogic.com for more articles like this. Copyright 2011 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

5 Tips to Prepare Your Home for Sale Working to get your home ship-shape for showings will increase its value and shorten your sales time. Read Visit houselogic.com for more articles like this. Copyright 2011 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

Home Improvement Apps for iPhone, Android, and BlackBerry: Your Digital Toolbox Downloadable iPhone and Android apps offer ways to maintain, improve, and save money on your home. Read Do-It-Yourself Home Security Check: 5 Essential Steps Conduct a do-it-yourself home security check by walking around your house to assess what needs to be done to reduce the risk of a break-in. Read Visit houselogic.com for more articles like this. Copyright 2011 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

Home Improvement Apps for iPhone, Android, and BlackBerry: Your Digital Toolbox Downloadable iPhone and Android apps offer ways to maintain, improve, and save money on your home. Read Visit houselogic.com for more articles like this. Copyright 2011 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

Let Qualified Home Buyers Breathe Life Into Home Market President Obama’s poll numbers have recovered nicely thanks to the good news surrounding the demise of Osama bin Laden. But the bin Laden bounce will wear off quickly unless the administration takes some bold steps to restore economic confidence in this country. Creating jobs is certainly an essential part of restoring that stability. But in my view, nothing is more important than creating confidence in the long-term health of the housing market. Read Visit houselogic.com for more articles like this. Copyright 2011 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

Repair and Replace Kitchen Counters to Stay on Top of Scratches You can repair kitchen counter mishaps with only a little time and money. Big boo-boos, however, will need professional help. Read Visit houselogic.com for more articles like this. Copyright 2011 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

(New!) 7 Hot Home Improvement Trends that Make Your Home Work for You Home improvement trends embrace energy efficiency, low maintenance exteriors, and double-duty space. Read Lead Paint Removal: Options and Costs If testing reveals the presence of lead-based paint in your pre-1978 home, here are a few of the options at your disposal for removing it. Read Lead Paint Laws and You Federal lead paint laws direct how your contractor approaches renovations in your pre-1978 home. Before you begin a project, get the lowdown on regulations. Read Fence Etiquette: Tips to Avoid Neighbor Disputes If you practice fence etiquette and bone up on local zoning regs, you can avoid neighbor disputes. Read Visit houselogic.com for more articles like this. Copyright 2011 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

Know Before You Owe: Government Wants Your Opinion on New Mortgage Disclosure Forms When was the last time the federal government asked your opinion on anything? Hold on to your citizenship hat. The feds are taking a cue from “American Idol” and asking for your input on something—by May 27. Read Visit houselogic.com for more articles like this. Copyright 2011 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®