Crystal Saves The Deal

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...