Home

Five ways to cut heating costs

By Paul Bianchina, Wednesday, January 7, 2009.

If you're thinking it's time to do something about your cold house and your high heating bills, here are five win-win suggestions that will help you do both.

1. REPLACE YOUR FURNACE FILTER
A clogged filter makes your furnace work harder to deliver the same amount of heat, which wastes energy by keeping the furnace on for a longer period in order to bring the house up to the requested temperature.  more...

Agents reveal video secrets Premium Content

By Matt Carter, Wednesday, January 7, 2009.

NEW YORK -- Video can boost Web site traffic and generate business for real estate agents and brokers, whether they hire a professional production company to shoot elaborate videos showcasing agents, listings and neighborhoods or create impromptu shorts with their own handheld camera.

That's according to some agents and brokers who are putting video to good use and who agreed to share some of their secrets today at the Inman News Real Estate Connect conference in New York City.  more...

A lesson in real estate education

By Teresa Boardman, Wednesday, January 7, 2009.
Flickr photo by <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/dcjohn/74907741/" target=blank>dcJohn</a>.

As I begin the year with my business plan and budget in place I have been thinking a lot about education.

I used to work in a real estate office where there was this agent -- I'll just call him "Sam." Sam was the master of finding free continuing education courses (CEUs). As real estate licensees in Minnesota we are required to take 15 CEUs every year.  more...

China takes technology to next level

By Arrol Gellner, Wednesday, January 7, 2009.

(This is Part 4 of a four-part series. Read Part 1, "China's growth has lessons for U.S."; Part 2, "As China grows, so do its problems"; and Part 3, "China at forefront of environmentalism?")  more...

The roof that lasted 10 years

By Bill and Kevin Burnett, Wednesday, January 7, 2009.

Q: I got a 25-year warranty on my roof when it was installed in 1995, then with all the rain in 2005 my insurance company inspected the roof and advised I needed a replacement. When I called the roofing company that had installed the roof, it had gone out of business, and the referral phone number went to another company.

When I showed the new roofer my warranty, he said it could be honored only by the installer. He would give me a new warranty with the installation of a new roof. I said OK.  more...

Real estate wake-up call Premium Content

By Kris Berg, Wednesday, January 7, 2009.
Flickr photo by <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/laffy4k/367822192/" target=blank>laffy4k</a>.

"Make money while you sleep!" promised the nice spammy-man in my inbox this morning. Not only can I make money in my sleep, it seems, but I can also be socking it away in the old retirement account while I'm on vacation or even out shopping. Except, he's wrong. That was 2003.

Ah, 2003 -- and 2004, and 2005. Those were the wonderful "tweens." Back in the glory days, taking a listing triggered a very predictable chain of events.  more...