(417) DWELLINGS!

Video Blogging is Back!

2008-04-18T15:07:00.002-05:00

Finally, we are beginning to produce our (417) Dwellings! video podcast series again. Yea!
We've been busy doing what we do best and that is real estate and property management. Things have been great, but with all of the ice storms, flooding, and wind damage it's been a pretty crazy year so far. But we have learned a lot and we're back to share it with you.

So how do you make property management an easier job? You set a policy and you abide by it. Therefore, if rents are due on the 1st day of each month and you charge late fees beginning the 5th day, you stick to it. That way a Tenant can't come in to pay late armed with their excuses of de-clawed cats (you have to see the video to get it). They know the rules up front and you stick by them. If you let it slide once, they will continue to try to take advantage of you and possibly try it again next month.

Which Direction Are We Going?

2008-03-12T15:23:00.004-05:00

So...have you been wondering where we have been? Obviously, things have been a little crazy with Dizmang Properties therefore the obvious lack of blog posts and videos. However, we hope that you've been keeping up with Paul's personal blog and/or Jessica's personal blog.

In all honesty, we are struggling to determine which way we should take our business. For the last 20 years, Paul has been the Broker/Owner the real estate firm Dizmang Properties. In the last 15 years, Paul has worked with a very tight, core group of investors that have purchased investment rentals properties ultimately becoming the essence of our business. Property management isn't really the direction we had originally intended to go, but over the last several years, it has become that way.

We are your Investment Specialists. Call it what you want..."managers of your wealth"..."congress of your rental empire"...or just "the people that spend your money on wise real estate investments". Whatever you call it, the bottom line is that we're good at it. We're not arrogant, just confident. We've made our Investors a lot of money over the last several years. We've built subdivisions, purchased lucrative duplexes and and advised our Owners to refinance when the rates were at their best. We have unclogged backed up toilets, hauled tons of trash, and replaced leaking hot water tanks at 2 o'clock in the morning. We have found an appropriate Tenant for each property, collected their monthly rents, and deal with ridiculous complaints. We've even pursued the dead-beat Tenants that refused to pay and got the judgment to collect the money. Each month, we have paid the mortgage payments on these properties, the taxes, the insurance and other bills that are due. And most of our Investors haven't even stepped foot inside any of their rental properties in years. They love this part...they just collect a check at the end of the month, glance at the reports and go about their business.

What other kind of REALTOR would do this for you? There aren't many of us around that do that. Now, we continue to list and sell homes, but our expertise and experience lies within real estate investments. So when you're ready to take the plunge into rental real estate, get Paul. He does it all.

Destructive Missouri Street Tenants: It's Time to Grow Up

2007-10-06T18:46:00.001-05:00

We have one street where we manage 28 new houses, close to campus, and popular with college students. You remember the fire right? In my experience with this street I have found out the simple math equation of: College Students = Parties All Of The Time.

Now before I start my rant about these immature, destructive partying students, I have to state that there are a few individuals that live on the street that are actually good, reliable and decent college student Tenants. And to those Tenants, I highly commend you, call me and I will give you a GREAT reference both business and rental-wise. And with that said...one of the decent ones called my voicemail anonymously this morning and left a message about the vandalism mess that was made by an overnight Missouri Street party. So I go over there this morning and find the many many beer cans, trash and property damage of the parties on the street, but I find that someone took a can of red spray paint and left their obscene messages on our signs and stuff. Hmmm...it couldn't be the same group of people that had a party a month ago and spray-painted one of our brand new white sided houses with the red spray paint, could it?!

These were some pretty obscene spray-painted messages, clearly vandalism and a cheap shot at our family. That doesn't set too well with us and yep, we called the cops. Now they are watching the street, we've got some great leads and once it all comes out...the person(s) that did this, well let's just say they won't stand a chance.

It's really too bad that the people that did this are so immature. It's really sad that the Tenant's that live on this street feel the need to socialize with such losers like the vandals. And what's even more sad is that once they are caught, this is going to be on their record for a long time. How embarrasing for that person(s).

Dizmang Raises Money for JDRF Type 1 Diabetes Research

2007-09-07T09:20:00.000-05:00

The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) chapter in St. Louis is having their annual, "Walk to Cure Diabetes" on September 30, 2007 and we're all getting involved. When I say all of us, I mean 18 of us coming from both Springfield, MO and Omaha, NE. Now that you're familiar with this blog, you would probably expect nothing less than a video from us on raising money for Type 1 diabetes research. Our goal is to raise $1,000 by September 30th and I'd love your help! You can donate securely online thru the JDRF site.

In addition to participating in the walk, we are also actively pursuing bringing a chapter of the JDRF here to Springfield. There are only 2 chapters in the state of Missouri and we have chosen the St. Louis chapter for assistance in helping to bring it locally. If you, or someone you know, is either affected by Type 1 diabetes or is looking for a job in a non-profit organization, please contact us as we are in the beginning stages of pulling together a support team for those of us who are affected by this pain-in-the-fingertips disease.

If you don't know much about Type 1 diabetes, then I encourage you to read this article. It is very detailed (including pictures for those who don't like to read!) but easy reading. By the end of the article you will have a thorough knowledge of the disease and maybe you'll feel more inclined to help us raise money for research to find a cure.

Investment Loan Types for Rental Investments

2007-08-28T09:36:00.000-05:00

This is a complex topic and takes a lot of explanation. That’s probably why my video podcast on this top ended up being over 5 minutes long! I truly don’t intend to lose any of you, but I have been sent e-mails requesting information about the different types of loans for investment properties. Of course, please feel free to e-mail me if you need further explanation.

There are 2 Types of Non-Owner Occupied Investment Loans:

Secondary Market Loans.
This is a 15, 20, or 30 year fixed rate loan for up to 10 loans. We only recommend sticking with a 15 or 20 year loan, reason being is that if you get a 30-year loan, you can only depreciate for 27 ½ years.
In-House Loans.
Banks will do in-house loans and loan money to Investors with great credit and history from their own personal portfolio. These type of loans are the types that you'll get once you go beyond the 10 loans mentioned above or if you purchase commercial (Land or Apartment Complexes). These loans usually require 20% down payment.

Of course there are pros & cons to these types of loans. Some of the advantages of in-house loans are that they are typically less paperwork and smaller closing costs. However, the downside of these loans are that the interest rates are only locked for 3-5 years then they balloon. Oftentimes, the bank will renew the loan once it balloons and that is where most people prefer an adjustable rate mortgage (ARM).

I hope this gives you a little insight into the world of investments loans. I, of course, would be more than happy to discuss this further, just shoot me and e-mail or comment below.

The biggest piece of advice I can give you is be sure that you shop around for lenders!

9 Tips to Repair Your Credit to Purchase a Home

2007-08-14T22:03:00.000-05:00

In our latest video podcast, Paul shares 9 tips to cleaning up and repairing your credit so that you can purchase a home either as your primary residence or investment (rental) property.

Usually, when you purchase an investment home, most lenders require a credit score of 680 or higher. We break down the credit scores in our own opinion of what is good and not so good as follows:

Below 620 = Not So Great
620-700 = Okay, Room for Improvement
700+ = Excellent Credit

Now, if you're trying to improve your credit score, here are the 9 tips that we give:

1) Pay all of your bills on time.
The most obvious but can be the hardest to do. You want to pay all of them on time but if you had to choose-- always pay the revolving debts first and on time; i.e. credit cards, car loans, rent or mortgage payment, etc. These can affect your credit score the most.

2) Avoid companies that offer assistance for a fee.
They are not all bad, but usually you'll find yourself paying a fee for someone to tell them to pay their bills on time. Many of these change-your-credit-overnight gimmicks are just that. Use the fee that you would pay them to pay down on a credit card; you will be way ahead.

3) Have your monthly payments auto-deducted from your bank account.
Out of sight, out of mind. Having auto-deduct makes sure you are never late and you learn to live off of what is left over. Besides, it will save you a stamp.

4) Consolidate your high interest credit cards to one with a lower rate.
High interest rate loans will be the death of us all. Try to lump balances together and look hard for a lower rate. Sometimes you have to dig a little, but it can save you a ton of money.

5) Watch your credit lines on your current cards.
The higher available credit limit you have, it could result in a lower score. If other areas of your credit are weak, just the fact that you have the ability to pull thousands off of a credit card can weaken your score. So, have your limit lowered to only what you really need. It can always be increased later.

6) Establish new credit.
A gas card. A department store card. Some of these types of cards are easier to obtain and have modest credit limits, like $250 or so. However, these types will help your score as long as you pay on time.

7) Avoid a lot of credit inquiries.
Trying to apply for any type credit puts an "inquiry" on your credit report even if you are not approved. Too many of these inquiries gives the impression that you may be trying to borrow more than you can afford. Therefore, this can hurt your score. An occasional inquiry is no big deal, but applying for 10 credit cards in a month will hurt.

8) Use your head and stay focused.
Cancel any unused credit cards. Pay off lower balances and use the additional money to put towards higher loans. If you stay the course and keep everything current, your score will improve. It will take time and there is no quick fix, but you can do it!

9) Check your credit again in 6-12 months to see signs of improvement.
About every 6 months, credit scores seem to be updated. Partly due to when the credit companies report about your activity. However, if you are late, they are quick to report and it will destroy you immediately. So, you will probably begin to see improvement in about 6 months but it could take at least a year depending on how low your score is. It will take time, but clearly worth the effort.

Then when you are ready to purchase a home, then contact us and we'll get you on the right track. If you have questions, don't hesitate to e-mail!

What are Tenants looking for?

2007-08-01T10:52:00.000-05:00

According to an article that I read in REALTOR Magazine online, Apartments.com conducted a survey and there is a list of what Tenants are mainly looking for when renting property. (Among the many other lists and demands that they already have...yes I said that with sarcasm).

First, if a Tenant was comparing equal properties side-by-side, over 52% said that location would drive their decision.

The other items were as follows in the Tenant's lists of "wants":

Air conditioning: 81%
Parking: 81%
Washer and dryer in unit: 54%
High-speed Internet in unit: 47%
Dishwasher: 46%
Elevator: 24%
Pool: 21%
Hardwood floors: 13%
Fireplace: 5%

We can't guarantee that we've got all of these things that Tenants are looking for in renting property, but we sure get close. You can see what rental properties that Dizmang Properties has available by checking out our web site.

Cleanin' Up Our Act, 5 Tips To Organize the Paper

2007-07-25T16:25:00.000-05:00

It's time to clean up our act. Time to get organized. It's frustrating when you're so busy and the one thing that is holding you back in getting the mess in your office cleaned up. In Paul's video blog (see YouTube video below) he shares this frustration. We had read an article in Business 2.0 magazine on David Allen. According to the article, David is a "management guru who has learned to relax, go with the flow and market his mysterious elixir of success." This article content has encouraged us to clean up our act.

5 Tips to Cleaning Up Your Paper Files On Your Desk:

1) Start by sorting thru your giant paper pile making it into 3 smaller temporary piles labeled "To Read/Process", "To File", "Throw Away". Once the pile is sorted, throw away the third "throw away" pile. It feels good to do so.

2) Make file folders to avoid collecting piles of paper on your desk.

3) Use a file sorter to orgazine your file folders so that they aren't "piled" back onto your desk.

4) Wipe down the clean desk space with a surface cleaner.

5) Sit back and relax. Put your feet up on your clean desk and admire your hard work. :)

Time to Buy a Home in a Buyer's Market Video Blog

2007-07-15T18:48:00.000-05:00

Here in Springfield, it is a Buyer's Market. There are numerous houses on the market that are for sale. So in my video blog, I have put together a few tips for the typical home buyer out there looking for a house.

Tip #1: Stay organized. Keep a short list of homes and look at no more than 3-4 houses at a time. This is so you can keep all of them straight in your head.

Tip #2: Make a list of both pros AND cons of each home you see.

Tip #3: View the home that you intend to buy at least twice.

Tip #4: Negotiate hard and be patient.

Tip #5: However, don't be ridiculous! Don't make obnoxiously low offers on houses that Sellers wouldn't even consider.

If you need assistance with purchasing a home for sale, contact me (Paul Dizmang) at (417) 887-0501 or via e-mail. I can answer any questions you may have and offer you so much more in depth information if you'd like.

Web 2.0 Seminar for REALTORS on a Shoestring Budget

2007-06-15T15:09:00.000-05:00

Whew! My big debut as a seminar speaker last Tuesday night went off without a hitch and in my opinion was a big success. I spoke to REALTORS in our local board association about the power of Web 2.0 technology and how it can greatly improve their Google ratings, their online presence as a whole, and how to do it all on a "shoestring budget".

I'm a small company and I have a tight budget. (And it's not just because I'm cheap!) I starting video blogging about my real estate career and property management for just under 2 years. When something works for me, I want to share that information with others in my field. REALTORS are professionals, this is a tough business to stay in and if I can help another colleague, then so be it. And that is why I did the seminar called "Web 2.0 Technology for REALTORS on a Shoestring Budget". I got a great response from the other agents I talked to and now I am in the process of getting together an all day seminar to discuss this Web 2.0 technology. Are you interested in being part of this seminar? Please comment or e-mail me and I will let you know of the dates/times etc.

I'll load some of the videos from the seminar as I get them produced. Things have just been a little crazy around the office and we haven't had too much time to load the videos. Afterall, my first love...my real estate/property management business...still takes priority and as you know, work doesn't ever stop.

I'll keep you posted! :)

Paul Dizmang
www.getpaul.com

Paul's First Rental Property

2007-06-03T15:14:00.000-05:00

After spending a weekend with my family in my hometown of Bartlesville, OK, I couldn't help but reminise about all the fun past times and back to when I purchased my first rental property. I currently still own 15 single family houses in Bartlesville alone and I went back to the very first one and decided to podcast directly from there.

I know it can be scary investing in your first rental property, but I want to help you.

GSBOR Video Blog Seminar for REALTORS

2007-05-24T11:44:00.000-05:00

Paul Dizmang of Dizmang Properties is conducting a FREE seminar for Springfield REALTORS on June 12, 2007 from 6-8pm at The Board. He will be going over videos, blogging, podcasting, and all of the particulars of Web 2.0 Technology and how it will benefit real estate agents. Call Linda at (417) 883-1226 to sign up or visit www.getpaul.com for more info.

VIDEO LISTING: 5 Bedroom Copper Mill Beauty in Springfield!

2007-05-06T19:52:00.000-05:00

For more info, call Paul Dizmang at (417) 887-0501 or see more details at www.getpaul.com.

Burning Down The House (Demolition Day!)

2007-04-03T14:47:00.000-05:00

Demolition Day was one that came with many mixed emotions. It was a relief to see it come down and move forward. But it was also sad to see one of our beloved houses that we built 2 years ago, in Grand Place Addition, come down. Of course, we documented the demolition with video, it was a pretty interesting thing to see how quick the house came down.

In case you're just hearing about this, one of our rental properties had a fire back on January 5, 2007. Dizmang Properties has documented the process each and every step of the way, from the day of the fire all the way to today. And now we're going to go thru the re-building process. Here are some of the highlights since the fire.

Is your home ready?

2007-03-14T19:59:00.000-05:00

Is your home ready? Ready for what? Spring? To list for sale on the market?

Hard to believe that spring is finally here. The trees are just now starting to bud and finally, finally we are starting to see warmer temperatures. I was almost wondering if we would ever get out of all the ice, snow, and below 0 temperatures. But one thing that spring brings is the realization that now is the best time to get your home ready to show, even if you are not planning on selling it.

Deferred maintenance is one of those things that most all of us hate to admit, but we have it. Yes, it plagues all of us especially in the spring since we realize that all of those little things that we meant to do but were to cold to do are starting to build up. I hate working in the cold. Therefore, as I look around, everything needs to be cleaned from all that dirty icy mess. Windows, carpets, even the dust seems to be thicker in the spring. As I look closer, the paint is starting to peel in places, the garage is full of clutter, oh my there's a leak under the sink!

So how do we get all this stuff done that has piled up in the winter and yet still have time to go play in the park, go to the lake, or a round of golf? The tasks can be quite challenging looking at the long list that you, or your spouse has compiled. But if you break it down into segments it can become a little more manageable. Create a checklist. Or get a copy of mine by e-mailing me.

I don't do windows. I hate it. Don't know why really, maybe the squeaking of the glass just gives me the creeps. So, as I was breaking down my list, I decided to delegate some of those tasks like cleaning the windows to a pro. What I found was that for about $4 to $6 per window, a pro will come out and make them shine like they were new. No falling off a ladder, no streaks, and I don't have to listen to that annoying squeaking of glass. Now I know it costs a little bit, but clearly worth it.

There are so many services available to do all kinds of things if you just look for it. Break down what you don't mind doing and find someone to do the more daunting tasks. I just found a service guy in town who will clean and organize your garage. In a matter of hours they will transform that mess into a neat and organized haven. Everything labeled, sorted, and put in its proper place. Wow, now that is a service. It's not cheap though, a 2 car garage can cost $500 and up depending on how much clutter one has collected. But hey, when you come home from playing golf at least you can park you car in the garage.

A cheaper route that also can be effective is hiring the 16 year old down the street that needs gas money. He/she may not be quite as fast as a pro, not quite as reliable, but it is still just a garage.

It doesn't just start here in your own home. You know me...I do property management too. See my video podcast on how to check up on your rental properties and make sure that they are in a good condition too.

HANG IN THERE

2007-02-06T14:54:00.000-06:00

Almost everyone in Southwest Missouri was effected by the recent ice storm and most are tired of even talking about it. Obviously some were hit harder than others and there are still people trying to recover from the damage, financial hardship, and displacement suffered. The emergency management agencies, police and fire departments, utility companies, road crews, volunteers and neighbors have performed exceptionally and are to be commended for their efforts.

Without prolonging this subject any further, I just want to say HANG IN THERE and don't lose heart. We will have the scars on the landscape for a long time but we will all recover sooner or later. If you know a neighbor who needs help, give that neighbor a hand. Maybe you can remove the debris in your lawn and help one or two other households with theirs.

If you live in the Sprinfield area and still need assistance of some kind, here are a few of the numbers you might want:

The American Red Cross Disaster Services (417) 832-9500

City Utilities of Springfield (417) 863-9000

Greene County Office of Emergency Management (417) 869-6040

Polk County Emergency Management Agency (417) 326-6610

Sticking Together Like Ice

2007-01-15T15:13:00.000-06:00

A really bad ice storm hit Springfield late Friday night January 12 and we survived (barely) 3 waves of the storm. The roads are fine, just a little wet, but the ice that has accumulated on the trees has caused huge problems. Downed trees and power lines has put this city at a standstill. At one point almost 90% of Springfield was completely without power and/or heat. And there are still over 65,000 residents that are still out of power and are going on Day 5 of no power now.

As a property management firm, we not only had our own homes and families to worry about, but we also had approximately 140 other rental homes to take care of. We're not out of the woods yet, but we banded together as a team and we went out in the storms and cut down tree limbs out of power lines and checked on our Tenants. Afterall, that's what our Owners pay us for, right?

2007 has certainly started off with a bang for us. First with the major house fire on the 5th of January, and now this major ice problem on the 15th of January. I'm starting to think that we have had our fill for the year. :) As it has been said before, "that which does not kill us only makes us stronger" and that has been the case for the employees of Dizmang Properties. We want to reassure our Owners/Investors that we are taking care of your properties as if they were our own.

So here we are in "crisis mode" trying our best to make sure that all of our Tenants homes are secure and safe. We really appreciate the Tenants that have pulled their weight in assisting us in removing tree limbs from their properties. More than that, we appreciate your patience as we have been really backed up with calls. The biggest thing is the electrical mast poles on top of the houses. We understand that many are bent or broken due to tree limbs coming down on top of them. We must have an electrician fix those before City Utilities will turn the power back on. Like everyone else, our electrician is back logged big time and we are getting to each one as quick as we can. Again, thank you for your patience.

I'll keep this blog updated with details and pictures. Did you see the video podcast? It gives you a great look at how things really are around here.

Careless Smoking by Tenants Causes Fire

2007-01-09T17:40:00.000-06:00

It's rare that an unfortunate event such as a fire consumes a property.

On January 5, 2007 around 4am, it happened to us.

Working in the property management business for over 20 years, this is the first fire we've had to deal with.

The local tv stations were on the scene and reported the fire very early in the morning. We figured that the first phone call we should make is to the owner of the property before they saw it on the news and wondered why we hadn't yet called them.

Our other top priority was to find the 2 Tenants that were living in the property and make sure that they were okay.

As we sifted thru the bystanders in awe of the burning building, we sorted out the details of how this happened. The fire had obviously started in the garage and we have now figured out it was because one of the young college students living in the property had a party where everyone was smoking in the garage. Someone's cigarette started the garage on fire. The fire consumed the entire garage and most of the house after everyone had left. To make matters worse...the Tenants had also dismantled their smoke detectors a few months prior because they didn't want to have to deal with the annoying "beeping" noise coming from the low battery signal. So they dismantled ALL 4 smoke detectors to stop the annoyance.

This story does have a hero involved. Our hero, Mike Blake, usually works until 7:00am every day about a mile down the street from where this house was located. Ironically on the morning of January 5th, he had got off work a little over 2 hours early. As he was driving home, he saw and smelled the smoke from over 3 blocks away. He drove down the street where he saw the house engulfed in flames. He immediately called 911 and then barged in the front door and pulled one of the Tenants to the curb. Tenant #1 told Mike that his roommate and dog were still in the house. By now, the flames were too hot for Mike to go back into the house. Hear Mike's story first hand by watching our video podcast. (Be patient, it may take a few minutes to load). Fortunately, the fireman showed up at that point and rescued Tenant #2 and the dog from the house. Tenant #2 had to go to the hospital for smoke inhalation. He later told us that he didn't even realize what was going on until the gurney dropped on the ambulance floor to take him to the hospital. In addition to many other lessons learned here, this should be obvious to students who party and drink too much. Things got out of hand really fast and serious damage has occurred.

The Tenant's dog was rescued from the house, but had to be resussitated. The fireman worked on the black lab dog for 15 minutes and finally revived the animal. It's amazing how the fireman went above and beyond to make sure that everyone survived.

Have you ever dealt with a house fire? If you haven't would you know what to do?

We are documenting each and every step we take as we proceed to clean up this very big mess. We want to share with each of you out there in this blogosphere the importance of smoke detectors and how to deal with this unfortunate situation as a Property Manager.

As you may already know, Dizmang Properties, which consists of myself (Paul Dizmang), my office/property manager, Jessica Hickok; our Maintenance Guru, Nathan and our Buyer's Agent, Jay Reasor. We are all going to blog about this as it has made a big impact on our lives. We care very deeply for our Owner/Investors, our Tenants and the general welfare of people in general. Stay with us as we continue to blog and video podcast our experiences.

Have you got some suggestions on how to deal with this? If so, speak up. We need all of the help we can get.

RETRACTION: Dizmang Properties would like to retract any statement that was said or made regarding the Tenants being careless. At the time that the article was written, not all of the facts were presented properly to the authors of this article. The original article should have stated that only one of the Tenants was intoxicated at the time. We apologize to anyone that this has negatively impacted.

A MUCH BETTER VALUE WITHOUT SPENDING ONE EXTRA DIME

2006-12-11T15:53:00.000-06:00

Most people, other than surgical specialists, would have a hard time performing a liver transplant. Most of us, with the exception of trained & experienced CPA's, would be at a loss in auditing the accounting books of a major business. Very few brave souls, save the elite of all basketball players, could keep pace with NBA players for an entire season. Relatively speaking, just a very tiny percent of the population could actually perform any of these tasks. Only those with some natural attributes, training, determination, and perserverance make it to the big stage of surgery, financial analysis of mega-companies, and even the National Basketball Association.

It is true that a considerable percentage of the population could attempt one or more of the skillful activities mentioned, but that is not the topic on which I want to write. Believe it or not, I am trying to make a point about the unknown value of a Realtor when you buy a house, condo, commercial property, or whatever. I think you will be glad you read this blog post.

Most Realtors fit in the following category: can't do the transplant thing, can't do the high stakes accounting deal, and the NBA is out of the question. However, those are not the talents that can benefit you in a real estate transaction. I know that I can reveal some added value that a Realtor brings to a real estate transaction WITHOUT giving old information a retread and selling it as a new tire (in the past a common practice of tire repair shops was putting a new tread on a used tire and sending the customer on her way. Hence the expression "re-tread"). If you keep reading the same old thing in Realtor articles on the net and in magazines, you might suspect that Realtors are stale, non-innovative, resting on their laurels, or something even worse: they take the public for granted. OF COURSE, THIS IS NOT THE CASE. Most are very knowledgeable about what they do and are willing to go the extra mile, if that's what it takes.

I want to list a few of the ways a Realtor can add value and, in turn, give you a tangible benefit, namely: savings in time (your time) and hopefully a savings in real dollars. Here we go. . .

1. Realtors add the crucial element of effective third party assistance. When brother and sister are fighting it takes a third party, in the form of a parent, to assess the situation and settle the differences. When a customer and the cashier are at odds about the expiration date of the 45 cent coupon, a store manager can save the day as a third party participant seeking one of those win-wins. With skillful care applied to a real estate sale, most impasses are negotiated to everyone's relative satisfaction with the help of a qualified third party, a Realtor.

2. Realtors add value by imparting wisdom with regard to inspections. Many home buyers experience the euphoria of getting a contract then are soon after deflated when the talk of inspections arises. Would you rather try to navigate through these waters with only your limited experience and your brother-in-law's advice or partner with a seasoned professional who is pulling for you to make it to closing but only if you understand and are comfortable with issues on the house's structure, systems, and the lot on which it is located. No good Realtor wants to proceed to closing unless you are well informed about the house that you are buying. Many times you discover that the house is imperfect, but not defective, and the Realtor can help you sort through those issues. The help offered by your Realtor at this point in the transaction is invaluable.

3. Value is greatly increased when you get more out of the transaction by expending less energy & time. Consider what your time is worth. Figure it some time. You may be worth more than you think! A Realtor knows the whole buying process from beginning to end and is aware of where you can save the most time. If representing a homebuyer, the Realtor can do a pile of the footwork for you (laws about Realtors responsibilities vary from state to state ) and add hours to your week. Just think, what if I approached you today and informed you that I would provide for you 20 hrs. of free time over the next 8 weeks. I could do some of the chores that you think only you can do and run some errands that you would normally handle. This is what a Realtor can do for most buyers. While pride prevents some from asking for help, you would be better served by letting a pro do what he or she does best and save you some valuable time. The Realtor can research data about school district boundaries, history of property appreciation in the area, zoning changes, the pricing history of a particular home, and many other time saving facts that literally give hours & hours back to you. Your Realtor can also save you time by offering lists of service providers who sell homeowner's insurance, paint, repair plumbing, have climate controlled storage units, re-pave driveways, and I could go on and on. The point is: the time invested in compiling lists of reputable vendors has already taken place so you don't have to spend hours trying to find individuals and companies to help you with your new home.

I will stop here for purposes of this blog post. Hopefully, you can see tangible benefits available to you when you employ the services of a Realtor for a real estate transaction, especially when buying a home. Will the Realtor get paid, and paid well for his or her efforts? Absolutely. Is it worth it? Absolutely.

Setting Ground Rules for Hiring Sub-Contractors, Part 2

2006-12-07T20:40:00.000-06:00

Since my last blog post, I've given a lot of thought to the hiring a sub-contractor. I know, I know...like I said in the first post on this subject...I've opened the can of worms. :)

Click here to see Part 2 Video Podcast!

I've thought about all of the ground rules that it takes in just getting started with hiring a sub-contractor to assist you in some of the maintenance of your rental properties. And I have found that things are much easier for my company if you have all of your forms in place. First you want to start with a "General Information" Form. Get a form filled out by the sub-contractor that has them fill out their name, address, phone number and tax ID or social security number. At the end of the year, you will have to file a 1099 IRS tax form which will require a tax ID or social security number of the sub-contractor. It's good to know what this 1099 IRS form is and be prepared for it by getting the information before you write the first paycheck to the sub so that you're not trying to track down the information at the end of the year. In addition to getting the "General Info" form, you'll also want to get a copy of their drivers license, verifying that they are who they say they are. You'll also want to give the sub-contractor an "Expectations" form that they can sign off on. Our "expectations" form is a bullet pointed list of what we expect from them and what they can expect from us. I happy to give you a copy of the forms I use, just shoot me an e-mail requesting the forms and I'll get them right to you.

To avoid opening the can of worms (problems) with a sub-contractor, start by getting organized and having all of your paper work in place and setting the ground rules up front.

TO DO Checklist to Complete
Before You Write the Sub-Contractors First Paycheck:

---------------------------------------------

aGet a "General Information" Form filled out by the sub-contractor.

aGet a copy of the sub-contractor's drivers license.

aHave sub-contractor sign off on an "Expectations" form

aGet references from sub-contractor and check references before they begin work.

Opening the "Hiring-A-Sub-Contractor" Can of Worms

2006-12-04T15:30:00.000-06:00

The best way to prevent yourself from getting taken by a sub-contractor is to plan ahead and get it all in writing ahead of time. I'm not talking about just getting the bid of what the sub is going to charge you, but the date that they will complete the project by, and also get all of their personal info so that you can reach them. You'll also need that information to file your taxes at the end of the year...but let's stick to one can of worms at a time! :)

See the video podcast here!

We had a bad sub-contractor experience this last weekend. We had a Tenant scheduled to move in to one of our properties on December 1st and a couple days prior to her moving in, we realized that the carpet in the property needed to be changed. So we hired a sub-contractor to do the job. And yeah, it's embarassing to admit...but we got took. He didn't finish the job, and we had to put the very unhappy Tenant (who came from out of state with a big truck and lots of family to help unload it in their new home) in a hotel room on the weekend due to our sub-contractor not completing the job as he had verbally promised us. If we had it in writing, we could always have that documentation if the situation ever got real sticky. Oh well, I guess it is a lesson learned at this point.

Although our situation wasn't the worst we've heard of or seen, it was still frustrating. You can't always tell when a sub-contractor is lying to you, but you can take precaution against it. We called a local flooring company and as we had expected, all of their carpet installers were booked. However, they were nice enough to give us a site of where we can find sub-contractor flooring installers. That was most helpful. We suggest doing a little research of your own...such as directly asking a sub-contractor for some references or checking your area Better Business Bureau, it can possibly save you a a hassle in the long run.

Over the next few video podcasts, we are going to go further in depth about hiring and dealing with sub-contractors. Please check back with us or feel free to e-mail us your questions.

Until next time...

National Association of REALTORS Annual Convention

2006-11-24T12:20:00.000-06:00

Paul, Jessica and Jay attended the National Association of REALTORS annual convention in New Orleans that was held November 9-13, 2006. Almost 20,000 REALTORS from around the world attended this conference and expo. There were so many things going...the General Session had the guest speakers of the former Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton. It was standing room only, so we didn't get as many pics (or videos) as we had wanted. But the session was still very good. We visited the tradeshow floor and took many pictures of the different exhibitors and such. If you want to find out more about the trip and the things that were seen, e-mail us at: 417Dwellings@gmail.com. Let's just 2007 is going to be an awesome year!

The Greatest Thing Since Sliced Bread

2006-10-28T18:32:00.000-05:00

Are we really that wonderful, and if so what makes us so wonderful? This may sound like we’re a little full of ourselves and that certainly isn’t my intention, but are we, as a company, really as wonderful as people claim we are?

Paul had a prospective tenant call on Friday and tell him that she was interested in renting one of our properties. She already had seen the property and wanted to turn in her rental application to us on Saturday, but we are closed on Saturday. She did not want to leave her application in the mailbox over the weekend, due to the sensitive personal information required to complete our application, of which we don’t blame her. So Paul told her to call me when she was ready to leave her application in the box and we would go up to the office and pick it up so that it wasn’t left in the box over the weekend.

So on Saturday afternoon, I hadn’t heard from her but I had to go into the office. She hadn’t left her application in the box yet, so I got my work done and then left. Sure enough, she calls about 25 minutes after I had already the left the office and says that she is in town running some errands and will drop it off at the office later. Not wanting to fight Springfield traffic back to the office, I had asked her where she was in town and offered to meet her (thinking and hoping that it would be closer to where I was then for me to go back to the office!). We worked out the details and I met her where she was headed to her next errand. In the parking lot where I had met her, I stood there and talked to her for a few minutes about expediting her application to get her into the property quicker. She made an off-the-cuff comment to me about how we were so nice to deal with and that we were “wonderful” to take care of this for her. And she drove off happy and I drove off with a little more insight on someone who turned in an application and will make a great tenant.

So what makes us wonderful? I think it is our commitment to customer service. It is in black and white within our mission statement that we strive to make our client’s our number one priority.

Now we’re not perfect and we’ve made our fair share of mistakes. There may even be some people, tenants and clients alike, reading this blog that do not think that Dizmang Properties is such a great company. But we’re never going to get better without your help. We need to know you’re input, comments, suggestions and complaints. We always tell our Tenants at lease signings… “we can’t fix the things we don’t know about because you haven’t told us”.

We put our surveys online on our web site, you can post comments on this blog, or Paul’s blog or Jessica’s blog. Heck, we’ll even take your comments that aren’t related to our company in particular! What do you want in the ideal real estate agent or landlord?

In other words…what can we do that would make you think that our company is the best thing since sliced bread?

Real Estate Curve Ball

2006-10-24T13:58:00.000-05:00

Video Taped on Tuesday, October 24, 2006 for Game 3 of Baseball World Series

This podcast has absolutely nothing to do with real estate or property management but all about the baseball world series. This is a very unbiased, neutral (go Cards!) video about how Paul is headed off to the world series with his good buddy. 10-4 Good Buddy on the tickets, nice work and truly appreciated! :)

NEW LISTING! 4BR, 2BA newer home in Nixa, MO

2006-10-18T10:44:00.000-05:00

Paul Dizmang and Dizmang Associates has listed a newer home in Nixa, Missouri just south of Springfield. This beautiful 4 bedroom home is a rare find in this price range. Listed at $124,900, this home features a brick front, 2 car garage, 10' ceilings in the living room and a spacious kitchen/dining area. Click on the link to see more or go to www.getpaul.com for more information.

NEW LISTING! 3865 W. Ridgeway in Springfield, MO!

2006-10-12T14:51:00.000-05:00

Paul Dizmang has done it again, listed another property. 3865 W. Ridgeway in Springfield, MO is a beautiful home with 3 bedrooms, 2 full bathrooms, 2 car garage, fenced backyard and many upgrades. You can always get more info by going to Paul's web site at www.getpaul.com.

Comparing Apples to Apples

2006-10-11T12:18:00.000-05:00

It's amazing how often we see this logo and don't even think twice about it. Now do you know the difference between a REALTOR and a Real Estate Agent?

Let's compare apples to apples...REALTOR to Real Estate Agent...first of all REALTORS are associated with the National Association of REALTORS. This is a good thing because all REALTORS have to abide by a strict code of ethics. Therefore, you want a REALTOR to represent you in your real estate transaction because you know that they are held accountable to this code of ethics which includes how they should represent you, as their client.

So I'm sure you're thinking, how do I choose a REALTOR? Just because they are associated with the National Association of REALTORS, does that mean that they are a good REALTOR? No it does not necessarily mean that they will be a good agent for your real estate transaction. There are 9 Magical questions that you should ask when you are interviewing agents to assist you. Always ask these questions, whether you know the REALTOR really well (even if they're family) you should always ask them these 9 questions. If they don't answer these questions they way you want, then keep interviewing REALTORS until you find the one you want. If you'd like a hard copy of these 9 Magical questions e-mailed to you, then send me an e-mail request at 417Dwellings@gmail.com.

Click on the logo to see my video podcast on this. Or for more information you can always go to my web site at www.getpaul.com to see what I offer for you as your REALTOR.

Until next time...

New Listing! Exquisite 4BR in Ozark, MO!

2006-10-09T21:09:00.000-05:00

Paul Dizmang listed a new property last week at $299,900. It's beautiful and it's in Ozark, the address is 2108 N. 9th Street. Built in 2002, and inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright, this beautiful home features many quality upgrades like a floor to ceiling curved glass block that graces the entry way of this home. I've added some pictures here and you can go to www.getpaul.com if you want more information.

Blogging Tomato Comments

2006-09-13T16:36:00.000-05:00

I read many blogs every day, especially ones related to the real estate industry.

(Click here to see my video on this!)

Yeah…I know what you’re thinking…duh Paul…you’re a REALTOR, of course you read about your industry. Now chances are, there are a lot of you out there that subscribe to my podcast that are REALTORS yourself, so I feel the need to point out one particular blog that I have really enjoyed reading.

The Real Estate Tomato. Wow, great information. I encourage all of you REALTORS out there to check it out.

But how this relates to everyone else out there that doesn’t care for blogs that cater specifically to REALTORS, is that their latest post questioning if “Big Brother” is dead involves everyone…REALTORS, Buyers, Sellers, Owners, Tenants and Investors and it involves you too.

In the world of blogging & wikipedia entries, everyone works together to bring their videos, their pictures from their camera phones, and their own comments on blog posts to form a real and true picture of how something really is. When I post my listings or available rentals online, on my blog or on this video podcast, I can only hope that my audience will participate in its description and perception.

Not too long ago, I learned a lot when I came across a Tenant’s blog (who now rents from me) who posted his impressions of meeting me for the first time. He claimed that I was an “über-apologetic Realtor that showed up in all his sock-less glory”. OK, I admit I was late, and yes I felt bad about that and I feel that it’s only right to treat people with respect and apologize for rude behavior. Secondly…it was in the summer time, who wears socks in the summer time?! Among those simple comments, he also gave his impression of the rental house that I was offering. Ouch! The one thing that I didn’t want to be was a slumlord and he was describing my house as it was…disgusting...slum-like. This is huge for me, because I then got the property cleaned up as best I could and turned around and rented it. I wouldn’t have known it without his raw and candid comments regarding my rental properties. So…those of you creative writers out there looking for an outlet to put your writing skills to the test…post a comment on my blog. You can get there by going to www.getpaul.com and clicking on “blog”. I’m looking for real people to post real comments. And who knows…if you’re any good at it, I might contact you and talk to you about hiring you as a free-lance writer for some of my upcoming projects. So let me know what you’ve got and here’s some ideas to get you started:

1) Do you think that I should take my real estate knowledge of specializing in investing and managing rental properties and create some sort of “how-to” seminar?

2) What is your first impression of Dizmang Properties (if you have dealt with us directly) or what are your first thoughts of property management in particular?

3) Considering that I am the only video podcaster that I can find in my area doing real estate video podcasts, do you think I should offer some sort of “how-to” seminar or instruction for other REALTORS?

4) What features do you like/not like about our new web site at www.getpaul.com? How can we make it better?

I thank all of you who have voted for me at Podcast Alley, posted comments on my blog or even just viewed my videos on YouTube and those who have given me the appropriate star count for my videos. You’ve made me realize what my business has to offer and what it truly is. You can help me out by going to my web site at www.getpaul.com and you can find direct links to my blog, my videos and even Podcast Alley where you can vote for my podcast. Thanks for subscribing and stay tuned…I’ve got lots more to say about the real estate and property management industry and it only gets more exciting from here on out.

Until next time...

2006-08-17T17:17:00.000-05:00

That's Hot!

Dizmang Associates Real Estate has launched their new web site! Don't miss it! Go to www.getpaul.com because it's hot & sizzlin'!

Hide & Seek!

2006-08-10T20:31:00.000-05:00

Ever feel like you’re playing Hide-N-Seek with your real estate agent??
My buyer’s agent, Jay Reasor, wrote the following and did his own video podcast on finding the right real estate agent. Check it out and let me know what you think. --Paul Dizmang

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Today I’m going to help you find the right Buyer’s Agent by looking into 3 specific areas:

First…we’ll discuss the internet with all of the traffic & congestion and it’s impact on your search for the right agent.

From there I want to explain how to navigate your way through the internet traffic in the most efficient way.

Finally, I’ll give you some fundamental steps in choosing an agent and then arriving at your destination safely and sanely.

Wading through the barrage of real estate related information on the web can be overwhelming. On real estate web sites you’ll see countless agents on countless web sites. You’ll also encounter links galore and you are left to wonder…“Who can I trust?”

In spite of the information overload, 70% of consumers still search the internet before buying a house that is good for them. I think this is a great idea. I’m just surprised that it’s not a 100%.

My suggestion for navigating through the maze of information is to take the most direct route, saving you time & frustration. The place to start is a trust-worthy site like http://www.realtor.com/ so you can search for a home to your liking among the 2 million listed for sale on this site. Also check out great local sites, like the new and improved http://www.getpaul.com/, that are full of useful information.

One clue to finding the right agent is to see if his, or her, name keeps surfacing when you search. If this is the case, you may have found an agent who knows the area very well and one who has earned the trust of local home owners.

Now go to that agent’s personal web site and see what you think. It’s also a good idea to visit 1 or 2 other sites of agents who have homes listed where you are considering moving to. Be careful to distinguish the difference between an agent that is paying a lot for ads or ad placement vs. one who is prominent in the market.

After e-mail correspondence, or preferably phone calls, you can narrow your search to one agent. Ask lots of questions…treat it like an interview.

Once you’ve selected your agent, stick with the agent all of the way through the purchase of your new home.

Put the REALTOR to work for you by allowing him, or her to represent you and you alone. You’ll be glad you did!
E-mail me your specific questions at 417Dwellings@gmail.com or comment on our blog post.

So Long from Jay Reasor!

Vote for the Boss' Kid!

2006-08-02T16:30:00.000-05:00

This is Paul & Brooke's 13-year old son, Alex...he does his own podcast for (417) Dwellings and in this episode, he encourages you to go to www.podcastalley.com and vote for the (417) Dwellings podcast series.

Looks and acts just like his Dad, doesn't he?!? :)

Click on the picture to download Alex's podcast!

Until next time...

Now Taking Applications!

2006-08-01T22:34:00.000-05:00

Thanks to "Latisha" who left a comment on Podcast Alley for me requesting information on how to process an application for rent.

Finding a Tenant for your investment property should be handled with great care. You do not want a “blind-date” experience with your Tenant. This means that you need to know as much as you possibly can about a potential Tenant before you even show them the property.

That’s right…before you show them the property.

When a prospective Tenant calls, you need to have your questions ready. I suggest having an actual written down script so that you do not forget to ask all of the questions.

Question #1: Always ask for a first name, last name, and phone number of the person calling. Never agree to show a home without this information.

Question #2+: Ask all of the “W” questions---who, what, where, when & why…
2a) Who…will be living in the property?(Is it you, a spouse, the kids?)
2b) What…kind of pets do you have?
2c) Where…do you work? (Do they have a stable job?)
2d) When…do you need possession of the property?
2e) Why…are you moving from your current place? And can I talk to your current landlord?
2f) How…do you plan to pay for the first month’s rent & security deposit? Cash, check or payments?

Question #3: Have you (the tenant) driven by to the see the property? (We always require prospective tenants to drive by the property 1st to make sure that they are interested in the property…if you don’t you will have lots of “no-shows”)

If a prospective Tenant seems hesitant or unsure of their answers, then take it as a red flag to ask more questions. If you are still not satisfied with their answers after probing further…remember you have the right to say NO and not show them the property.

So if you feel uncomfortable…don’t do it.

Now if a Tenant answers your up front questions with confidence…you’ve shown the property to them and they are interested in applying for the property, what do you do then?

First…have the potential Tenant fill out an application. Prepare an application asking specific questions like social security numbers, birthdates, and always get a middle initial of the full name to make sure that you have got the right person when verifying. The more info you can get from a potential tenant, the better off you’ll be in case you ever have to go to court for an eviction or file for garnishment of wages.

TIP: When taking a Tenant to court, the Sheriff will require a birthdate & social security number to verify that they are serving the right person. So you need to have that information.

The other important thing to include in your application form is an “authorization statement” that authorizes you to legally request and obtain information from creditors and previous landlords. If you’d like an example of my rental application then e-mail me at 417Dwellings@gmail.com and I will send you an example of the application that we use. Understand that you need to check with your state laws to make sure that you are complying with the questions you are asking.

Once you have an application filled out by the potential tenant, then you should have a simple checklist established for processing the application. Typically what we do is start by contacting the current & previous landlords of the tenant.

Remember specific questions are key: Ask the landlord questions like...
1) Did this tenant have a signed lease agreement with you?
2) How long have they rented from you?
3) Did they pay their rent on time? If not…how many times have they been late?
4) Does the tenant have pets?
5) What kind of condition have they left the property in?
6) Would you rent to them again?

Then thank the landlord profusely for taking the time to answer your questions. Other landlords are your allies…not competition.

TIP: Make sure you are really talking to their landlord or owner of the home. We have had prospective tenants use their friends to give them landlord references.

Once you have satisfactory questions answered by the previous landlord…then continue processing the application by a couple of simple steps:

1) Search the tax records to see if the Landlord you just talked to was the actual owner of the property or not.

2) Search your county’s court records. Most counties have a web site that is open to public access that allows you to search parties by name. This is a good way to find out if a potential tenant has been in court for any reason. Pay careful attention to cases the Tenant has been involved in with drug possessions or court ordered evictions with other landlords.

3) Verify the Tenant’s employment by calling their work supervisor. Take it as a good sign that when a Tenant has been at their job for over 2 years…it usually means the Tenant is established and will have some stability in your rental property. And…it also means that you can easily garnish their wages if they owe you rent! :)

4) If you still have your doubts about a particular tenant, then run a credit check. You can usually contact a credit bureau to do this, but understand that there is a fee attached that you must pay. One thing to remember about credit reports, just because they have bad, or no, credit does not make a person a bad tenant. We, as a property management firm, usually rely on the court record docket sheets more than a credit report.

Last…always trust your “gut” instinct. If you have done your homework, it is very likely that you will have great tenants, and a very pleasant experience.

Click on the picture above to download my video podcast on this topic.
Until Next Time…

Pet Friendly Rental Properties

2006-07-10T20:45:00.000-05:00

As a Landlord, have you ever rented to a Tenant that had pets and only later you discovered that it was a disaster, because the pets tore up your beloved investment rental property? Let me guess, you're to the point now that you no longer rent to Tenants with pets because you don't want to have to deal with their messy pets.

As a Landlord myself, I have been down this road many times and I have also learned from the experience. Click on the picture with the kitty and see my video podcast that I did on this subject. Isn't the kitty cute?!? :) I have learned that you must set a standard as there are pros and cons to allowing pets in your rental properties.

The first standard is that I go ahead and allow pets with conditions. I will only authorize pets that are domestic animals such as dogs or cats. There is a restriction on the type of dog as I do not allow any kind of vicious type dog like pit bulls or rottweilers. I also do not allow any kind of farm animals like horses or cows, circus animals like tigers or monkeys, or reptiles such as snakes or alligators, and the like. I think you can see my point here, right?

Secondly, I require a pet FEE. This fee is somewhere between $250-$350 depending on the number of animals or the type. Please note that this is a FEE, not a deposit. The difference being that the FEE is non-refundable and is only for the privilege of having the pet. It does not cover damages that the pet does to the property. I also write into my lease agreement that the Tenant is required to have the carpets cleaned upon vacating the premises and must repair any damage that the pet has caused.

The pro of allowing pets in your rentals properties is simple. You can usually rent your vacant property faster. In our city of Springfield, MO, we're one of the very few management companies that allow pets in our rental properties. We have the mindset that not all Tenants that have pets are bad Tenants. We have actually got a lot of really good Tenants who have pets and have taken very good care of our properties. They were unable to rent any other properties because most other property management firms wouldn't allow their pets.

Now of course, this isn't always true, and chances are you will have an experience that doesn't turn out so great with pets. (knock on wood). However, you can also make an extra money with a pet fee and still have a good tenant, a good pet and everything be fine upon the Tenant vacating the premises. It's a trade-off, but it is one that has worked well for me.

Let me know your Tenant's With Pets Horror Stories. Let's at the very least have a good laugh at them. Or if you have tips to share with us and our readers about having pets in rentals, let us know.

Until next time...

Falling In Love with Real Estate

2006-06-26T23:51:00.000-05:00

Okay, I know it's been awhile since I have blogged. You know how it goes...life happens and things get crazy. Thanks for keeping up with me, though. :)

Check out my podcast about "falling in love with real estate". You may "LOVE" a property, but use your head when planning on purchasing it...meaning...don't go with your heart. Do the research and learn what the property's value is, not what you think it's worth because you just "LOVE" the property.

Blog me with your questions...I'm happy to help.

Until next time...

On Vacation!

2006-06-06T08:52:00.000-05:00

I am so sorry for the delay in podcasts and blog posts, I have been cruising the Carribean and enjoying some time off with my family.

Click on my fun little umbrella drink to see my podcast on how you can make investing in real estate work send you on a vacation! :)

Can I Take It With Me??

2006-05-26T12:39:00.000-05:00

Fixtures - do they stay or go? Did you know that when you sell your home, anything that is attached to the house itself must stay with the property. That means...anything that is attached, screwed in, taped down, glued to or some way wired into the house, then it stays with the property.

Now I know this gets a little technical, but when a seller goes to move out of a property that you are buying, wouldn't you expect that the curtain rods, light fixtures, mirrors and kitchen cabinets would be there when you went to move in?? Of course you would! However, if you moved in and the kitchen cabinets weren't there, then it would need to refer to the listing and sales contracts. If the kitchen cabinets, for example, were not "reserved" in the contracts, then they must stay with the home since they are attached (screwed into) the walls of the home. An example of something "reserved" in a contract would be something like curtains and curtain rods. As the seller, you must specify in the contract that these items will be reserved if you want to keep them, otherwise they must stay with the home. However, if the curtain rod brackets are screwed into the walls, but the rod itself that is holding up the curtains is only "laying" in the curtain rod brackets, then the Seller does not have to leave the actual curtain rod and curtains that are not screwed into the wall, only the brackets. My advice to you (if you are doing this) is to remember to reserve the curtain rod brackets too, otherwise you may have a problem hanging your beloved curtains in your new house! :)

In the video podcast episode I did on this, I mentioned a story about my sister who moved into a house and the bathroom mirrors were gone! Well, technically the seller could take the mirrors because the mirrors themselves were only "hung" on the screws that were bolted into the walls. So the sellers were only responsible for leaving the screws & bolts, not the mirrors. If you want to check out the podcast episode, you can check it out by clicking on the picture above. Or you can subscribe to my podcast series "(417) Dwellings!" in iTunes.

I want to know your stories of moving in and out and leaving things behind or taking them with you. Of course, if you have any questions or want further clarification, I can do that for you too. But I can't help if you don't ask, so comment here and I'll help you out in anyway I can.

Until next time...

POOLS!

2006-05-25T10:21:00.000-05:00

Pools, good thing or not?

This video podcast, in my opinion, wasn't filmed very well. (No offense to my video producer!). It was filmed at a pool that was not full yet and it really needed to be cleaned up. But it got my point across about pools. I'm curious to know what you think, did you watch the video?

The biggest piece of advice I can give about pools to anyone who is considering selling your home is this: Don't put in a pool just to get your home sold faster. Yes, 'tis the season for pools and everyone loves the idea of a pool, but no buyers wants to pay you the same amount of money that you put into installing the pool. Now, if you're going to stay in the home for awhile and you want a pool, then great! Put in the pool and invite me over for a summer time pool party! :) If you and your family will enjoy the pool, then put one in. I don't want to discourage you from having a pool, I only want you to be prepared for the fact that you probably won't get out of it what you put into it. Therefore, it is not a smart idea for you to put the money into a pool if you plan on turning around and selling your house because most buyers won't pay you that much more for your house.

Tell me what you think...Imagine that there are 2 identical houses for sale next door to each other...one has a pool and one doesn't have a pool. The one house that has a pool is priced $20,000 more than the one that doesn't have the pool. The only difference in these two houses for sale is a pool. Keep in mind, you're living in Springfield, Missouri so you can only use the pool for approximately 4-5 months out of the year. Now which house would you buy, the one with the sparkling pool or the one that has no pool and is $20,000 cheaper? Now I wanna know your opinion...comment on this post.

Until next time...

P.S. Yeah Doc, that's your pool in the picture!

Hot Tubs - should they stay or should they go?

2006-05-24T18:09:00.000-05:00

Should hot tubs stay or go with your property??

OK, maybe I should be embarrased, but this is me in a Hot Tub and I love it! This entire podcast was taped from the hot tub! :) Click on the picture to see the video.

I tell my clients, that if you have a hot tub and you are selling your house you should not leave it with the property...take it with you. There are several reasons why you should take it with you when you sell your home. One reason is: hey, you enjoyed it while you were living in your old home, you'll enjoy it in your new home! If you don't have a place for it in your new home, then look at it this way: you'll get more for it by selling it in the paper or to a friend than you would if you included it in the sale of your home. Secondly, if the buyers of your new home really want the hot tub, then they will write it up in the contract and request that it stays with the home. You can either sell it with your home, or sell it outside of the contract, afterall it is considered personal property not real property. However, keep in mind that most buyers will look at the hot tub and think that it will be more of a maintenance hassle than an exceptional quality of the home that they are thinking of purchasing. Although a lot of people love the idea of a hot tub, it is a lot of work and most buyers realize that and just don't want to mess with it.

Of course, this is just my opinion on whether or not to leave the hot tub in the home you are selling. What do you think? If you were buying a home, would you rather buy it with the hot tub or without? Leave your comments and we'll discuss this.

Until next time...

2nd Homes or Lake Homes

2006-05-22T09:14:00.000-05:00

Purchasing 2nd homes or lake homes is easy when you have a good Realtor to help you out.

I am in the process of helping a client purchase a lake home on Tablerock Lake in Lampe, MO. It is an awesome home with a spectacular view, so we went ahead and video taped our podcast show right on the deck.

Wanna watch the podcast? Click on the picture and wait a few moments for it to load. Also, you should consider subscribing to my podcast series "(417) Dwellings!" in iTunes or any other podcasts news reader you may subscribe to. I am always talking about selling or buying houses or investing in rental properties or managing rental properties. Yeah, you could say I've got my hands full, but I love my job! :)

There is so much to consider when purchasing a 2nd home. What is your biggest concern about dealing with a 2nd home? Let's discuss this.

Until next time...

What is in an ad?

2006-05-18T11:00:00.000-05:00

It is time to sell the ol' homestead and try to attract as many buyers as one can. If you hired a real estate agent, they will take care of the advertising, however, make sure you check their work. Mistakes do happen, and it is imperative that you look at every ad that is placed. Always ask for copies to be sent to you.

When you purchased the property, what attracted you most to the home? Was it the school district? The basement, location, vaulted ceilings, lot size? Try to find the 3 best attributes to your home and feature those. Buyers want a positive and fun buying experience especially if this is their first home. Home buying is a great experience, not to mention an expensive one. Therefore, always avoid negative advertising.

DIVORCE FORCES SALE. ILLNESS FORCES SALE. Statements like these just scream, "I am desperate" which will result is low, low offers. This only attracts investors because it also gives buyers the impression that the home may be distressed. You will just be disappointed in the results and aggravation that will surely ensue.

To be successful, one must think like a buyer, not a seller. Trying to save money by having everything abbreviated is also a mistake. This is probably the biggest asset you own and the whole thought of saving $2 is ridiculous. If you are going to sell the home you must invest a little money to attract buyers. Besides, all those abbreviations mean nothing to most buyers as they do not know what they mean or understand them. And by the way, I have seen ads for homes where sellers forgot to put their phone number! How do they ever expect to sell when no one even knows how to contact them?!?

In a nutshell:

Avoid negative advertising.

Avoid abbreviations.

List the 3 best features.

List the sales price.

List the address.

Photo is always a good idea.

Don't be penny wise and dollar foolish.

I WILL WRITE YOUR AD FOR FREE!
If you would like assistance in writing your ad, we will help, no charge. Comment on this post and let us know and we would be more than happy to assist in creating an ad that works!

Paul Dizmang

P.S. This was a good video podcast episode. Click on the picture and give it a few moments to load to see the video.

What do you mean "it broke"?

2006-05-17T10:21:00.000-05:00

Let's face it, a home consists of thousands upon thousands of parts and pieces and any of of those could fail at any time. So is it worth the money to purchase a home warranty?

Buyers often contemplate if a home warranty is a good move or just a sales pitch. I really do understand. I hate everytime I go to buy something at the store and I am asked if I want a warranty with this or that. I recently rented a video for $1 and they then asked me if I wanted a warranty on it for .25 more. You have got to be kidding me! But with a home it is something you might consider.

Home warranties come in different packages and sizes. Make sure you read the policy carefully to understand what it does and does not cover, but for the most part they cover all of the mechanical items in the home. Most do not cover roof or structure, but for an additional fee, they can cover a well and possibly septic system. For about $400 to $500 it really is a good value.

Remember, this is coming from a guy who hates extended warranties. But facts are facts, and most home warranty companies have over 55% of the homes they insure have a claim in the first year. Odds are, you will use it. Unlike other household items in which less than 10% result in claims. For the buyer, it provides peace of mind for that critical 1st year of home ownership, and for the seller, well, it gives the buyer peace of mind which makes them more comfortable with your home.

Check out my video podcast on this subject. You can get the video by clicking on the picture above, remember to be patient, it takes a few moments to load. Or you can easily subscribe to my video podcast series in iTunes.

Happy Selling!
Paul Dizmang

Feeling Blue??

2006-05-12T09:27:00.000-05:00

I Like Blue.

I had a seller once tell me that his home was worth more than he paid for it 6 months prior because he had painted the inside, well, blue. Now, not to be misunderstood, I like blue. It reminds me of the ocean in Hawaii, warm and inviting. Beautiful. Truly paradise. But let’s face it, is your home really worth more because of a little blue latex paint?

My mom has always said cleanliness is next to godliness, or something like that. Growing up I never really understood that since I was the guy whose room was always a mess. Why pick something up off the floor now when I am going to use it tomorrow anyway. Pretty typical thinking for a 16 year old. Ok, I admit it, I haven’t changed that much if you ask my wife, but she has worked hard to train me. I digress.

The point is, paint covers a multitude of sins. It’s cheap, relative easy to do if you are careful, and wow what a difference it can make. If you are selling your home, stick with flat paint because it covers well and hides imperfections is the walls much better than a semi-gloss. About $10 a gallon is all you need. The big thing with paint is that it makes everything look fresh and clean. Even people that live in dirty homes want one that is clean when they move in. As one client once told me, I want to bring my own dirt in, not live with someone else’s.

But blue? This client was convinced that blue paint would sell his home for more money than any other color. He loved blue, and therefore, everyone would love blue. Well it may sound silly as I write this, but he was serious. The fact is...painting a home can be one of the best things you can do in selling your home, but you might want to consider a more neutral color. Although the blue home did sell, it took a little longer because either the buyers loved it or hated it. Most buyers would like to think that they can see past things like this, but they can’t. Go neutral or off white no matter how boring you think it might be. Accent your home with color, blue flowers if you like. Most all buyers are fine with off white. They can add color as they see fit. And whatever you do, keep the paint off of the trim and ceiling, otherwise it will look like you did it yourself. Take your time and do it right.

Your blue loving Realtor,
Paul Dizmang

Do Agents really know value?

2006-05-11T07:48:00.000-05:00

Within 60 seconds of walking into a home, I know about what the home is worth. After seeing thousands upon thousands of homes in our market, you just know. Condition, square footage, neighborhood, economic obsolence, and floor plan all contribute to the real value of a home. As an experienced agent, you just know. I always do a tremendous amount of data research in advance to make sure the logic is sound, but I just know.

For some reason in our DNA, real estate agents just "don't know" when it comes to the home they are buying and or selling. Odd really, when this is all I do is focus on homes.

Six months ago I went into a home that was owned by the listing agent and as soon as I was in the entry I thought "this agent has no idea what is happening in our market." Actually, the agent is a good agent, but way, way off on value in listing their own home! I went in the home again yesterday (yes, it has been on the market for over 6 months now!) to take another look at the home since it has now been reduced by $50,000, and well, in my opinion, it is still listed too high. So why does this agent/owner not realize this?

The answer is pretty easy. He is way too close to the situation. He wants all of the money and sweat equity that has been put into the home plus profit. It just doesn't always work like that. But even more importantly, he is not acting like an agent, rather like a typical seller. It is very difficult for an agent to approach a seller when we know they want way more for a home that the market will bear, but we must be forthright in our thinking or we are not being the professional that we are hired to be. An agent can be that third party that can look at your home objectively and give a straightforward answer.

The point here is that we all view our home as more valuable that it probably is. Rarely do I go on a listing appointment where the seller thinks his or her home is worth less than real market value. We all need another opinion other than our own to get it right, just make sure that the opinion is based on factual data not just on "gut opinion". If in doubt, get several opinions in writing and compare the data. Be open to the data. If estimates are within 5% of each other, you have probably found your value range.

We will talk more about pricing in the next several blogs.

Paul Dizmang

Shhh!

2006-05-10T15:48:00.000-05:00

Is your home a secret home? Often, and I mean often, sellers will ask that I not put a sign in their yard because they don't want the neighbors to know they are moving. I have never understood the logic in this thinking. The fact is, neighbors can be your very best salespeople.

Everyone likes to talk about real estate. No matter where I go, who I talk to, everyone loves to talk shop. It is our home, our largest asset, our domicile. We love our home because it is who we are. So why would a seller not want all their neighbors who love their home and neighborhood, working for them to sell their home? Friends, relatives, and neighbors go to work, church, and social activities and talk about the home down the street that just came on the market. This can be the most valuable marketing one can have and it works beautifully.

Therefore, everyone in the neighborhood needs to know you are selling. Post not only a sign, but make up a flyer and make sure everyone gets one with all the detail information. Always use color flyers and have them printed on a laser printer at the very least. Ink jet printers can do a nice job, but the print will fade and run if even a hint of moisture gets on it. Make sure it has all of the most important features with several photos.

You can see my video podcast on this subject by clicking on the picture above. Just remember to be patient, it may take a few moments to load.

So get out there and let the world know your home is for sale. If you want to really sell it, never keep it a secret.

Paul Dizmang

Don't Throw Caution to the Wind!

2006-05-09T15:23:00.000-05:00

You lock your car doors everytime you park and go in somewhere, right? OK, well maybe my good friend Ty doesn't...but if you know Ty or if you ever meet him, you'll see that's just the way he is. :)

My point in locking your car is that I'm sure you take safety precautions in protecting your car, stereo and any valuables that may be inside it, am I right? Well, my question to you is, why wouldn't you take the same safety measures when selling your home? My video podcast episode talks about the big safety precautions you must take when you have your home listed on the market. This considers whether or not your home is listed with a Realtor or not. I have been listing and selling houses for over 19 years and I am amazed at how many sellers don't take safety measures in the simple things. I have seen many wallets, billfolds, money clips, fine jewelry, iPods, credit card statements, etc. just left out in view during a home showing. It would take a dishonest person less than a second to swipe these valuable items or steal your identity. They could even do it when the Realtor turned his/her back for just a second. Why take that risk?? Just put your stuff away and don't leave it out.

Now if you have listed your property with a Realtor and another Realtor is showing your property, this isn't as much of a concern because Realtors are required to carefully "screen" buyers looking at a property to verify that their reasons are legit for wanting to take a look at a home that is on the market. However, when you list your home for sale on your own, I always encourage sellers to carefully "screen" potential buyers that want to look at their home. Be nosy! Ask them their names, phone numbers and what kind of car they will be driving. It is so important that you have an idea of who you are letting inside your home. Don't let them photograph your property. Who knows what exactly they are taking pictures of inside your house. This doesn't mean that you should not be willing to let people have pictures of a home that they are thinking of buying. What I mean is, keep control of the situation. You need to offer the pictures or videos of the home. Put away your valuables and then video tape the features (not the personal contents) of your home and offer them to potential buyers.

I don't say all of this to scare anyone. I just really want to encourage all sellers to use common sense and keep in mind the safety issues, afterall it is still your home.

You can see the podcast movie by clicking on the picture above. Remember, it will take a few moments to load so please be patient. If you want to be a regular subscriber to my podcast series, then go to iTunes and subscribe to "(417) Dwellings" in the podcast section.

Post your comments and let me know what other kinds of tips you want for taking safety measures in listing your home for sale. I once again have only scratched the surface here.

Until next time...

Lack of Planning

2006-05-08T15:03:00.000-05:00

OK, I know it's been a little while since I have blogged, but I am back now. I have just started my video podcast series on "10 Biggest Mistakes Homeowners Make When Selling Their Home".

If you haven't subscribed to my video podcast, here is the feed URL: http://feeds.feedburner.com/417Dwellings
Copy & paste the link into your news reader (one that plays videos) or into iTunes. Please contact me if you need further explanation on how to do this. It really is easy, it just sounds hard if you're not into this whole blogging/podcasting thing. :)

Anyway, I find so many times that home Sellers make many big mistakes when selling their home. And that is whether or not they do it with a Realtor or on their own. My first episode in the series is about not doing enough planning & researching. Kind of like I did here, in not planning enough time to blog daily to keep you informed of things happening in the real estate world!

First, Sellers need to consider why they are selling their home or what their motivation in selling their home is. Are you selling your home to get a bigger one? Are you selling because you don't like the neighborhood? Has your job moved you out of the area? Are you selling because it's time for a change? Or do you just want to see how much money you can make when you sell your home? All of these questions are good to ask yourself because it will determine your motivation in selling your home and determine the time and energy you want to put into this big project.

Sellers often don't plan what they are going to do if they get an immediate sale on their home. Most often they don't know where they are going to go whether it be staying at a relative's home or renting another home or just go ahead and purchase a different one. You must plan for the unexpected and be prepared for it.

What are your fears/uncertainties you may have regarding selling your home? Let me help you work thru it and give you some help in the planning and research process of selling your home. Comment on this post and we'll discuss it. I have only scratched the surface here. :)

Until next time...

Clean to Higher Profits, part 3

2006-05-03T17:52:00.000-05:00

I have so much junk. Junk everywhere. I think I have my own JunkMart. Where did all that stuff come from? But more importantly, how am I going to move all this stuff?
You are busting at the seams and need a bigger home for all that stuff.

Problem: How is your home going to look to buyers with all that stuff crammed in it? I know it is everywhere but it has to go and go now, not when you move. If you wait to sell first and then deal with it later, the buyers will see your home differently because if it is too small for you, it is probably too small for them too.

Closets that are stuffed so full that the door won’t close, or when one opens the door everything falls onto the floor is a real problem. You are moving, so get rid of it now. Closets must be thinned so that you can put your hand in between the hangers. If you have to have a crowbar to separate one shirt from another, it is way too tight. The closet floor should be neat and tidy, not 3 feet tall full of stuff.

You home should have a natural traffic flow. If someone has to climb over a recliner to get into the middle of the room or squeeze past a table, the furniture needs to be rearranged or removed. All rooms should be easily accessible, so that the buyer can get the full feel of how the room will be with their furniture.

It is ok to take all this stuff, box it up and neatly stack it in a corner of the garage or basement. Clothing is best stored in plastic clear boxes so that it is well protected.
It is always a good idea to label every box with masking tape so you know where it is to go when you move it into your new home. The garage is a great place to store all that extra stuff, but do it neatly. The garage is a big deal to a lot of men, so if it is not neatly done the garage will appear smaller than it really is. Furniture can also be stored here, but make it as tight as you can.

Paul Dizmang

Clean to Higher Profits, Part 2

2006-05-02T18:25:00.000-05:00

As buyer enters your home for the first time, they have an impression of your home within the very first 10 seconds. They can tell if it has been well taken care of or lived in hard. This will ultimately determine the price they are willing to pay for the home. It is the first thought of value they will have and it will stick with them throughout. Therefore, it is critical to have your home ready.

I love chocolate chip cookies. It reminds me of my childhood growing up, a warm comfortable feeling. Sweet, warm, and inviting. I hate the smell of pet urine. I would just assume walk back to the car and go on. So will most buyers.

Odor in a home can be a huge problem. If there is an odor, most homeowners have lived with it for so long they don't even notice it. That musty basement, smoke, incense, and a whole host of smells could come from your home. The big problem is that some smells may not be offensive to you, but are to your buyers. Yes, you have to care if you want top dollar for your home.

Masking the smell with scented candles is a huge mistake. Huge. The candle scent will actually make the smell worse. Just what we all want to smell, lavender cat pee. The odor has to be removed and it can be done. Funny thing is, smokers hate homes that smell like smoke. I never really understood that, but I find that is so true with every smoker we work with.

Fresh food smells are truly the best like fresh baked bread or cookies in the oven. It is not that hard to obtain either. Take a store bought loaf of bread and put it in the over at 250 degrees for a few minutes and you have your fresh baked bread smell. And you didn't even have to get out the rolling pin.

Paul Dizmang

Clean to Higher Profits!

2006-05-01T17:33:00.000-05:00

We all know that having your home for sale on the market is not an easy task. So if you have decided to make a move, have the home ready for that first buyer so that they can’t wait to buy it. We are going to look at the 5 areas that you must do to ensure the highest price possible.

Having your home spotless, will result in a faster sale, a higher price, and quite frankly fewer people coming into your private domain. Let’s look at what areas you should focus on.

The number #1 biggest problem in most homes is clutter. You live with it and hardly know it. We are so use to seeing all those pictures on the refrigerator that one does not realize how distracting it is to a buyer. Clutter must go. The rule is, if it is a household item and you have not used it in 3 days it must go. Box it up, you are moving anyway, right? Clean lines are the objective. Remove all those knick knacks on the coffee table, pick the clothes off the floor, remove it! If in doubt, box it. Get apple boxes from your local grocery store, they work best.

Tomorrow we will look at #2.

Paul Dizmang

The 7 Coolest Web 2.0 Real Estate Sites

2006-04-29T20:46:00.000-05:00

The internet has changed the way people buy, sell, and rent real estate. These 7 websites are all innovators in the real estate world and in the web 2.0 realm in general.

read more | digg story

Video Podcasting for Realtors

2006-04-29T14:00:00.000-05:00

Video podcasting is beginning to become all the rage. Realtors are jumping on this bandwagon and now there are many companies that are beginning to offer "How-to" tutorials and services to show you how to video podcast. Video podcasting can be easy once you learn how to do it. But figuring it out on your own is not. Many of the companies that are offering these how-to services and tutorials are charging outrageous fees to do so. I'm telling you this because I can show you how to do this and I'm open to discussing this with people (Realtors or not) and show them an easy low-cost way to video podcast and get your business out there.

Contact me and I will fill you in on the details. I can be reached via e-mail, blog comment, phone, web site, you name it...I'm available.

Paul Dizmang

Good vs. Bad Part 2

2006-04-25T11:41:00.000-05:00

It smells so good. It looks so nice. I love the pretty flowers in front. The spacious kitchen is outstanding. If I love it, my new tenants will also love it. It must be a good investment.

Pleeeease! Use your head, not your nose. Just because the home you just walked out of smelled like fresh baked cookies, it probably stunk as an investment. Not that all good looking homes are a bad investment, but the cash flow on these are usually ones that are not worth doing.

Recently, I had a client that wanted to purchase a brand new duplex with 2 bedrooms 2 baths and a 2 car garage on each side for $209,900. Depending on what area of the country you live in, this could sound like a bargain or an over-priced elephant. But when you consider that these duplex’s rent for $625 per month on each side, one can quickly see that once you include taxes, insurance, and maintaince, it will take a long time before this animal will pay off; if ever. After careful consideration, the buyer decided that it would be better to look elsewhere. Good choice.

Keep looking. Don’t base a home’s good qualities based on if you would live there or not. If you love the wallpaper that does not mean that it will mean anything to your new tenants. Typically, most tenants want a clean home to live in, but color of wallpaper is normally not that important.

Cash flow. It is all about cash flow. If the home does not work financially but it smells good, run, run fast.

Paul Dizmang

Good vs. Bad Part 1

2006-04-24T10:51:00.000-05:00

So what really is a good real estate investment and is there such a thing as a bad one? The answer totally depends on who is buying, how much they are spending and what the purpose of the investment happens to be.

In the next several installments, we will explore the different types of investments and what makes one good or bad for your specific need.

At first glance one would think that of course, there are “bad” real estate investments, however, what may be too risky for one is a gold mine for another. Pete, for example, purchased a plot of vacant land close to a busy highway. It was a nice piece of ground but was noisy because of the nearby highway. It was too far away to be commercial, but too expensive to be residential. Pete bought the property in a 1031 tax deferred exchange with no real plans for the future. Many investors would not look twice at the ground because of the stated reasons but Pete had a situation in which he needed to park his funds from the sale of another property and his deadline was fast approaching. As it turns out, he was smarter than the rest of us since the land next to him was rezoned to commercial, his then could be also rezoned, and now within 2 years the value of his bad investment has doubled.

So was Pete just lucky? Not at all. He did his homework and knew that after talking with many city planners that they wanted the land to be converted to either commercial or multi-family, either way would be a winner. As long as the growth in the city continued he was going to be in great shape. But he didn’t take that lightly either or make an assumption about city growth. He studied, looked at employment figures, new businesses coming into the area, he scoured for all the information he could and then realized the potential for the property. As we say in the Ozarks, he did good. Real good.

Paul Dizmang

Tornado Alley & Insurance Issues

2006-04-23T11:15:00.000-05:00

On March 12, 2006, an F3 Tornado ripped through Nixa, Missouri (juts 3 miles south of Springfield). One of my clients homes that I sold them a few years ago got hit hard. It tore the roof off and did some major damage to their beautiful custom-built home. The good news out of all of this is that everyone is OK and unharmed. It was amazing walking through the damaged home to see all of the debris piles and broken windows, and then see a cell phone charger, fax machine or lamp laying among the debris. Although most of their stuff got moved out already (the big furniture items and clothing, etc.) by the time we had walked through it, it was still very sad to see the wrath of weather hit their home and miss the next. Don't get me wrong, their neighbors were hit too, some more devistating that this one. And then some homes in the neighborhood had hardly any damage at all.

I had been working on filming on a "Insurance Issues Insured" podcast series, talking about all of the odds and ends of insurance and good reasons to have it. I insure you that it will be interesting. After walking thru the tornado ravaged areas, I figured that this would be a great place to film the introduction. Starting Monday (tomorrow) I am going to be doing a multi-part series about insurance, so don't miss it.

Here is a link to my insurance podcast intro filmed on location:
http://www.dizmangassociates.com/podcasts/Insurance_Intro.mov
Remember to be patient and let it load, it takes a few seconds to load.

I want to know about your insurance issues. Comment on this blog and tell me about your experiences with insurance, and/or disasters like a tornado, fire or hurricane.

Until next time...

Inspiring Web Site

2006-04-22T22:43:00.000-05:00

Anytime I've got something interesting, of course I want to share it. Therefore, check out this web site (by clicking on the link) that a friend has created.

http://www.highwayoflife.org

Let me know what you think!

How to Subscribe to our Video Podcasts

2006-04-21T12:52:00.000-05:00

As you know, I have been filming video podcasts on the subject of real estate and property managment and whatever else seems to cross my mind for the day. These podcasts are approximately 5 minutes long and some of them span over a topic series, and some of them are just about the typical day in the life of a Realtor.

Now I admit, I can be a quirky guy, so therefore you might want to check these out. People keep telling me that they never know what I'm going to say next. And it's true!

First, in case you're wondering what exactly is a podcast?? The good news about podcasts are that they are FREE and you can't pass up something something that is offered for FREE! Check out the definition at Wikipedia (the online encyclopedia) and their definition of podcasting by clicking on the link.

There are several ways to subscribe to my video podcast: (I've only named a few here...)

RSS Feed: first of all, for you people who are RSS saavy, here is Dizmang Properties RSS feed that you'll need to copy and paste into your newsfeed aggregator: http://www.dizmangassociates.com/podcasts/rss.xml For those of you who have no clue what I am talking about, then keep reading it gets easier, I promise!

iTunes: If you already have iTunes installed on your computer, then this will be super easy for you. I suggest iTunes because first of all, it's a free service. Once in iTunes, open the iTunes Music Store and click on "podcasts". Once the podcasts page opens, type "dizmang" into the search field. iTunes will automatically find Paul Dizmang's podcast and all you have to do from here is click "subscribe".

Yahoo!: Like iTunes, Yahoo! offers a free and safe software download to search, play & subscribe to podcasts. I also find that it's pretty user friendly and you'll find tons of information. To find and subscribe my video podcast, just type in "Dwellings!" and my podcast should appear for you to subscribe to.

This is just to get you started. As you know, I am going to post my video podcasts on each of blog postings that are related to so you can watch them thru this blog too.

I am always looking for good topics to discuss in my video podcasts. What would you like to hear about? Comment on this blog with a topic idea and I when I produce a video podcast on the subject, I will mention you by name. I could use your help, so please comment.

Until next time...

Interesting Situation. What to do?

2006-04-20T20:54:00.000-05:00

A was talking to a client today about an investment property and he had asked if he really needed a property inspection since the seller already had one performed. He really didn't want to spend the extra cash to the tune of about $250, and besides he is getting a great deal anyway. The inspection document he had received from the seller looked ok, a few things here and there, but nothing to be overly concerned about. The inspection was done within the last month.

The house in question by the way, appears to be serviceable, not bad, not great, and mostly cosmetic items that would need to be corrected. You know, new floor coverings, all new paint, new appliances, countertops, etc. Estimated cost of repairs would be about $10,000 to $15,000. Once the repairs are to be made, the buyer would stand to profit about $10,000 or more.

So why go to the expense of spending another $250 for the same result? Easy when you think about it. My investor is about to spend thousands on a sure thing, already has an inspection in hand, and knows what it is going to cost to improve the home. But, since he did not hire the inspector, that individual does not work for my buyer and moreover, the buyer has no idea who he is, what his credentials are, and his level of expertise. I strongly encouraged my client to pay the $250 which he did reluctantly, and come to find out there was at least $3,000 in termite damage that the other inspector failed to mention. Was it an oversight? An error?

Actually, upon a careful look at the seller's original first inspection, there is no name or company who did the inspection anywhere to be found. No one to contact, and as far we know the seller did it themselves.

Always, always, always have a home inspected by someone that you have paid for and chosen. Yes, it is an expense, but one that could save you thousands of dollars and hours upon hours of headaches. Sometime everything looks ok on the surface, but the sure deal is not always as sure as one hopes.

Check out my previous posts and Video Podcasts of the "5 Biggest Mistakes Buyer's Make".

Paul Dizmang

Prepare it, don't just sell it

2006-04-16T21:10:00.000-05:00

So often I see homeowners put the "For Sale" sign up in the yard and are anxious for that very first buyer to come along and snatch it up. They love their home and every part of it; even the new carpet they put in themselves in 1989. The doorbell rings, the owners are thrilled, "A buyer!" they exclaim, all to watch the same buyer walk back to their car in less than 3 minutes.

What the sellers often do not realize is that the way you live in a home is very different than the way you show a home. A very interesting observation about buyers is that they look for what they don't like in a home more than they look for things they do like. It is like they look at homes with a negative checklist and those homes that have the shortest list, wins. "This room is too small," "the carpet color is horrible," "did you see all the stuff they had?" All common statements buyers make upon leaving a home.

Ok, so what do you do? You still have to live your daily life, with a budget of course, so how does one make a better observaiton about their own home? Quite simple, really. You see, one must have a true objective, honest opinion about the condition and overall appeal of the home. Getting an opinion is not that hard, but it has to be from someone who is going to be objective like the buyers will be, not a close friend or someone who may hurt your feelings. It is your home you know. Real Estate agents are usually good choices for this task but even then it is important that you make it clear that you want them to be brutal, very open and honest about the situation since you really want to sell. If an agent thinks they may lose a listing because they offended you about your blue bedroom wall color, or that the home smells of pets or smoke, you may not get the answers you are looking for.

There are even specialists that do nothing but stage a home putting it in the proper condition for sale. But, this can be expensive and there are easier ways. In the next few blogs, we will go over what specifically you need to do to have your home ready to sell in no time, so that when the very first buyer comes along, you can put up the sold sign as he heads to his car.

Click on the title above to take you to a link for an article on preparing your home to sell. This article is taken from the National Association of Realtors and gives a lot more information on this topic.

As always, call me for your real estate needs. Even if you're not in the Springfield, Missouri area, call me anyway, I've got real estate connections all across this country and I can refer you to a quality agent if you are not in the Springfield area.

Paul

What's in your egg?

2006-04-16T08:38:00.000-05:00

It is Easter Sunday and no matter what your religious belief system is, there can be fun for all at the traditional Easter Egg Hunt. Kids line up, the gun goes off and the hunt is on! It is a mad dash to find the best egg, the one with the grand prize hidden inside. As I watch the kids run, many head toward the back of the field as if the "best" egg is always farther away. But what they don't realize is that right in front of them, just 10 feet away is the egg to end all eggs. So a little, cute 3 year old who was just out sized, dwarfed in swarm of other kids, casually walks up and picks up the bright green egg, not having any idea what he just obtained.

Isn't that true for all of us? We make the mad dash for the big prize thinking we know where it is, but all the time it is right in front of us. We just have to look down and pick it up.

I have seen many people with extraordinary talents who wander around looking for their perfect egg, not utilizing what they have right in front of them. I used to think it would be wonderful to have a traveling sales job; seeing all different parts of the country, staying in swanky hotels, and making lots of money. It is the thought of it that is so appealing until you talk to those who actually do it, and one realizes that they are never home, it is just another motel room, they hate to eat out, and they are very lonely.

Realizing how blessed we are not matter what we do is the key. Success is what you make it, not the money you earn or status you have, but finding happiness in everything you do. I am very fortunate to be able to surround myself with fun happy people who love what they do. But it did not happen by chance, looking back we made it that way. Yes, we. All of us. Friends, family, clients and customers.

So on this Easter Sunday, relax, enjoy a good egg hunt, and you yourself go find an egg or two. Let your guard down and enjoy the very existence of life. Hug a friend, kiss your spouse, and you will soon realize that the grand prize of all is right in front of you.

Paul

Did I Blink Again?

2006-04-15T09:34:00.000-05:00

Everyday it's the same routine. Up at 6, workout to keep the heart healthy, drop off the boy at school, off to the office, pick up the boy, dinner with the family, bedtime for the boy, and whew I'm tired! Each day is about the same. Then I blink.

The next day everyone is 10 years older, gray hair starts to set in, my body starts to ache like I have not experienced, and then, I blink again.

I have got to quit blinking. You see, as we go about our daily lives we look forward to things that we want to do or will do, but we also need to reflect on what we have done. Was I as productive as I should have been last week? Did I tell my family and friends that mean the most to me that I love them? Was I the father, husband, and friend that I really want to be or was I in too big of hurry to do less important things? Did I really do all I wanted to or could I have done more?

I recently had an insurance claim. What a pain. It is good to be covered so that one can recover the loss, but it is a headache. Anyway, the insurance adjuster came out, looked at the damage, and did what he did best. But as I got to know him a little better, I found out that he had not been home but 1 week in 14 months. Lots of storms and damage kept him running all over the county. Now I do appreciate what he does, and he was a very nice guy. But being away from the family for so long one cannot help but wonder if he is missing out on what life is really about. His work is vital and important, but 14 months? Everyday I thank God that I have the ability to be home everyone's, I work with people that are a true pleasure to be with not to mention they are my best friends.

On this Easter weekend, I have made a decision to spend more time with my family and friends, give them all big hugs and make sure they know how much they mean to me. I don't want to blink, because the next time I do I fear that I might look back and regret having missed something. So instead, I am determined to live life to the fullest, try new things that I have never done (like this morning doing martial arts for the first time), listen better to my friends, listen again, listen again, and be more sensitive to everyone and everything. I want to view myself as others view me, and make changes, lots and lots of changes to be a better friend.

Next time I blink, I want to be proud of every moment from this point to that, know that I have truly tried to enjoy the good times and sad times, and never, never have a bad day.

Thank you to my wife, my son, who God has blessed me with. Thank you to my great friend Jessica, who none of this would be possible without her vision, knowledge and commitment.

Paul

Updating Rental Properties - VIDEO PODCAST!

2006-04-14T21:56:00.000-05:00

Here, Paul Dizmang, a real estate broker in Springfield, Missouri talks about the good times to update your rental properties. This is a video podcast, so check it out.

(Click on the following link for our video podcast on this subject. Be patient, it takes a few seconds to load!)

Updating a Vacant Rental - Part 1

Be sure to comment and let us know what you think!

Happy Easter from Paul Dizmang

2006-04-14T21:54:00.000-05:00

It's the Easter Bunny sitting in for Paul Dizmang!
Wishing you a Happy Easter from all of us at Dizmang Properties, Inc.

Is it time to invest in rental property?

2006-04-12T22:21:00.000-05:00

Great question with a difficult answer. If you have ever stayed up late at night and watched those infomercial, one would be convinced that buying real estate is super easy, the best investment one could ever make, and anyone can just run out of their home buy a property and be rich. If it were really that easy.

Buying investment property can be the best thing you ever do or it could be a disaster. The fact is they don't always make money and there is risk. A common misconception is that homes always go up in value, and this is far from the truth. There are many people who lost thousands of dollars when the bubble market in the west went bust, and many were stuck with homes that were worth way less than they paid. Although right now home values in the west are strong, interest rates have risen and prices in some areas are starting to fall. All this to say be careful!

One must do lots and lots of homework to make sure that the property one is buying is truly a good value, not just a nice home. There are thousands of nice homes, but few make a very good deal. One must know the full rent history of a property before an offer to purchase is made. You must then decide what expenses will be upcoming (new roof, carpet, etc.), what taxes and insurance will cost, and of course what will be the principal and interest payment. With this information you are on your way to finding success.

Analyze everything. Poor planning equals losses. And losses are no fun.

Paul Dizmang

"5 Mistakes" Video Podcast PART 5 of 5

2006-04-10T22:29:00.000-05:00

Click on the link below to see the video podcast we have for the "5 Biggest Mistakes that Buyers Make When Buying a Rental Property". Don't miss all 5 installments of this series.

(Click on the following link for our video podcast on this subject. Be patient, it takes a few seconds to load!)

Mistake #5 - "Managing Your Own Rental Property"

Leave us a comment to let us know what you think.

"5 Mistakes" Video Podcast PART 4 of 5

2006-04-10T22:26:00.000-05:00

Click on the link below to see the video podcast we have for the "5 Biggest Mistakes that Buyers Make When Buying a Rental Property". Don't miss all 5 installments of this series.

(Click on the following link for our video podcast on this subject. Be patient, it takes a few seconds to load!)

Mistake #4 - "Not Knowing How to Develop a Portfolio"

Leave us a comment to let us know what you think.

"5 Mistakes" Video Podcast PART 3 of 5

2006-04-10T22:18:00.000-05:00

Click on the link below to see the video podcast we have for the "5 Biggest Mistakes that Buyers Make When Buying a Rental Property". Don't miss all 5 installments of this series.

(Click on the following link for our video podcast on this subject. Be patient, it takes a few seconds to load!)

Mistake #3 - "Not Knowing The Property Well Enough"

Leave us a comment to let us know what you think.

"5 Mistakes" Video Podcast PART 2 of 5

2006-04-10T22:16:00.000-05:00

Click on a link below to see the video podcasts we have for the "5 Biggest Mistakes that Buyers Make When Buying a Rental Property". Don't miss all 5 installments of this series.

(Click on the following link for our video podcast on this subject. Be patient, it takes a few seconds to load!)

Mistake #2 - "Approaching the Owner Directly"

Leave us a comment to let us know what you think.

"5 Mistakes" Video Podcast PART 1 of 5

2006-04-10T22:05:00.000-05:00

Click on the link below to see the video podcast we have for the "5 Biggest Mistakes that Buyers Make When Buying a Rental Property". Don't miss all 5 installments of this series.

(Click on the following link for our video podcast on this subject. Be patient, it takes a few seconds to load!)

Mistake #1 - "Too Little Research"

Leave us a comment to let us know what you think.

I Hate Rentals!

2006-04-10T17:26:00.000-05:00

I love rentals. I hate rentals. Truly a bittersweet arrangement.

Rental property investing is truly one of the best things I have ever done. It allows one to take a small amount of money and watch it grow over the years into a nice investment. It is real property. Property that has all five senses. You can see it, feel it, smell it (althought sometimes you don't want to), hear it (as the floors sometimes squeak) and taste the beauty of profit.

So why then would anyone "hate rentals?" I really don't; it is the day to day activities that bog most people down. It is about the people, and you learn in time that some are truly wonderful and you would do anything for them, while others have one objective in life, and that is to make your life miserable. I have never said it is easy, actually it is quite difficult to do it yourself and do it well. This is why I strongly advise that one hires a property manager to handle the day to day activities. All of my clients love the fact that we take care of everything while they do what they specialize in and leave the details to us. Although hiring a property manager does have a cost associated with it, the fact that once-you-buy-the-property-you-are-done is what is so appealing to our clients.

So, if you decide to invest in rental property, let a pro handle all the details so that you can rest at night in peace while he deals with backed up sewer at 2 a.m.

Call me, Paul Dizmang, for more information on how I can help you manage your rental properties. Are your rental properties not in the Springfield, Missouri area? Call me anyway, because I have hundreds of connections across the country and I can refer you to a good property manager in your area. Visit my web site at www.getpaul.com or call me at (417) 887-0501.

Until next time...

The non-glamourous side of property management

2006-04-07T18:03:00.000-05:00

(Click on the title for our video podcast on this subject. Be patient, it takes a few seconds to load!)

Thursday was a rough day. A rough day in the sense of we had to physically evict a tenant from a property.

Of course it does no good for our investors if we let tenants live in a property for free. So our typical office protocol is to give Tenant's until the 5th day of the month to pay their rent (rent is due on the 1st of each month). Then on the 6th day we send out late rent notices, on the 10th we make phone calls, and on the 12th-15th days of the month we file for a court eviction if the tenant has made no effort to make their rent payment. Our attorney has to file for the court-ordered rent & possession. Once you file, the tenant has approximately 2 weeks to pay their rent or prepare for court. On the actual court date, once we have the judgment we file a Sheriff's execution. The Sheriff then serves the Tenant with a 5-day notice that they must move out. The Tenant has 5 days to move out. In this case, the Tenant's had until Thursday morning at 9am to be out or the Sheriff would physically move them out to the street.

Sounds dramatic don't you think? Well it is and the Tenants that we had to evict on Thursday did not take us seriously. I think they were mostly lazy, because when we showed up on Thursday with the Sheriff, we went into the house and physically moved all of their stuff to the curb. By law, we have to let their stuff sit on the curb for 24 hours and then we can have it hauled off to the dump.

I admit that this isn't very glamourous, and I'm sure you'd agree. However, this is part of my job in managing rental properties for the investors I represent. This is what these investors pay me to do for them. Contact me, and I'll tell you all the details of what I charge to manage properties. I can be reached toll free at (800) 584-1297.

Also, check out our video podcasts. Right now we're discussing the 5 Biggest Mistakes investors make when purchasing rental property without the help of a Realtor. My web site is www.getpaul.com.

Until next time...

"Newton" the Kitty

2006-04-07T09:14:00.000-05:00

This is "Newton", an abandoned kitty that we found in one of our rental properties on Newton Street. Unfortunately in property management, tenants move out and leave a bunch of stuff behind for us to clean up. That is exactly the case in this situation, except that the tenants left this cat behind as well and it was one more thing that we, as the property manager, had to take care of.

The good news to this story is that we found a good home for "Newton" and we didn't have to give her to the animal shelter. Thanks to Russ & Judy for taking in the kitty and making a good home for her. :)

Rental properties can be very lucrative for Investors. Along with managing the properties, I assist Investors everyday in purchasing rental property at a good price so that it will cash flow well for them. If you're interested in knowing more about how this works, please contact me. I can be reached toll free at (800) 584-1297 or e-mail me at paul@dizmangassociates.com or visit my web site at www.getpaul.com. I'd love to tell you how you can make money in investing in real estate.

Until next time...

Mobile Blogging

2006-04-06T17:37:00.000-05:00

Does anyone know how well this mobile blogging thing really works? This is a test, sent from my Blackberry device, to see if mobile blogging will work for me.

"Sent via BlackBerry."

Up on iTunes!

2006-04-06T17:24:00.000-05:00

Have you seen our video podcasts? Well, now it's even easier because we have been recognized in iTunes! Go to iTunes and type in "dizmang" in the search bar in the podcasts section of the iTunes Music Store. Subscribe to us and find out what Paul Dizmang has to say about real estate, investing in rental properties, etc. etc.

Also, be sure to comment here on our blog and let us know what you think. In fact, in your comment that you post, mention a topic you want to hear more about and we'll mention you in our podcast.

Until next time...

Time to sell my rental property?

2006-03-27T20:14:00.000-06:00

The big question.

A current investor asked me, "when should I sell one of my homes and cash out?"
It all depends. In theory, never. When you sell your investment property, all of your investment profit, or gain, is taxable. Not that paying tax is a bad thing, because you will only pay tax on profit, therefore you are ahead of the game. However, if you have a gain of $100,000, why do you want to lose $15,000 or more to taxes, not to mention the monthly income that a property can provide. Rather, consider a tax deferred exchange if you want to liquidate the property. This kind of treatment allows you to trade one property for another, and defer the tax that would be due to a later date.

Ok, so you need cash now and you don't want to pay the tax, so what options do you have?
First, one of the easiest ways is to finance or re-finance the property and pull cash out. For example, if your property is worth $200,000 and you currently owe $100,000, one can get a loan for up to 80% of the value or $160,000 putting $60,000 in your pocket. With this option one gets the cash needed, equity is still in the property, and the income stream should easily take care of the mortgage. This money that is taken out of the loan is not taxed.

As always, consult your tax advisor for specifics on your situation since all situations are different. This is just a guide to let you know there are options avaiable for ceritan situations.

I will talk more about tax deferred exchanges next time. Stay tuned!

Invest away!

Paul

2006-03-24T12:04:00.000-06:00

With such a stable economy in Springfield Missouri, rental property could be an excellent opportunity to build wealth. Just this morning, I was speaking to an investor who has a home in California that is being used as a rental. Although the home has appreciated in value over the last several years, the income that it is producing versus the amount of money he has invested does not make sense. Thus, he is considering selling the home, re-investing his equity in the Springfield market, and his cash flow will go up by over 4 times compared to his current income.

For an investor like this, it takes a negative rate of return into the black allowing for strong stable growth, instead of depending just on appreciation of value. When you depend on appreciation, this is really more of a speculation type of growth, rather than an investment. Although it can pay off and pay off big, the risk is far greater which means you could lose big also. When bubble markets begin to decline, people start to bail out of the market casuing prices to tumble out of control. With a more stable enviroment, one can have steady income appreciation, cash on cash return, and have an excellent investment for the future.

Rental real estate in Springfield is not a get rich quick plan, rather a good stable investment for the future. Of course, with any investment, there is always a risk factor in which one could lose value, properties could decline, and propeties may not rent for the value one hopes to obtain.
To obtain specfic information on retal investing, take a look at our web site at www.getpaul.com or call me at 800--584-1297.

It's Cruise'n time!

2006-03-22T11:32:00.000-06:00

Stress got hold of you? There is never a bad time for a cruise. Taking a cruise to get away from it all is one of the best things you could do for yourself. It forces you to relax, unwind, and get away from the daily grind that we all go through. If forces you to turn your cell phone off and leave the worries behind; something in this day and age we tend not to do when taking a "normal" vacation with the family.

I try to take one at least once a year, if not more, and by the second day I feel a huge relief come over me that I find only a ship. Oddly enough, I am so sensitive to motion sickness that I even suffer from it sitting in my wheeled desk chair. However, most ships are so large you hardly know they are moving, and I always take one of those little white pills which always does the trick. (I had to say it that way since I don't know how to spell Dramirene? I can't say it right either) Trust me, I have had and ulcer in the past from stress, working too much, not enough exercise, blah, blah, blah. I have learned it is way cheaper and much more fun to cruise than to lay in the hospital being treated for an ulcer. And as you and I both know, it is always someone else, not me.

I can't afford it! Oh shut up. You can afford what you choose to afford. Quit eating out, quit smoking, quit buying stupid impulse purchases and give your body a break. And no, $200 purses and $2000 spinner wheels are not a need. Cruises during the right time of year can be as cheap as $300 for an inside cabin, which is all you need. If money is tight, go be stupid and spend a lot on a cabin that you really don't need. They are all the same for the most part, you are just paying for the location of the cabin.

So plan it now, go get a break and enjoy life! Your heart, stomach, and spouse will thank you for it.

Paul
18 cruises and counting

Video Podcasting??? Does it really work??

2006-03-21T16:56:00.000-06:00

Video Podcasting??? Does it really work??
Here goes a try...a try to get our first video podcast up and running. This is Paul Dizmang talking about dwellings in the Springfield, Missouri area. Let me know what you think, or if you have any suggestions to getting this video podcasting up and off the ground and getting it done easier. Visit me at my web site http://www.getpaul.com/.

The Dizmang Team Picture

2006-03-01T16:10:00.000-06:00

This is a picture of my team of professionals that assist me in all of my real estate activities. That me, Paul Dizmang, in the middle and Jay & Jessica. Jay Reasor works as my Buyer's Agent and Jessica Hickok works as my Office Manager who keeps us all together. Not pictured is Tess (our office receptionist) and Nathan (our rental property maintenance guru). Together we work really well together. Check us out on my web site at www.getpaul.com to see us in action!

Welcome to Dizmang Properties Real Estate!

2006-02-19T15:01:00.000-06:00

This is the blog where Paul Dizmang of Springfield, Missouri talks about real estate and property management. Paul Dizmang is a real estate broker to not only lists & sells real estate, but also works with investors and manages their rental property. You can check out Paul's web site at www.getpaul.com for more information!

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