Chimney Maintenance for Warmth and Safety

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  Chimney maintenance and a fireplace inspection can make the difference between warm safety and drafty danger. Read

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Copyright 2011 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

Our Exciting New Parent Franchise whose DNA is Real Estate

BROOKFIELD RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY SERVICES ANNOUNCES ACQUISITION OF PRUDENTIAL REAL ESTATE AND RELOCATION SERVICES

Yesterday Brookfield Residential Property Services (“Brookfield”), a Brookfield Asset Management Inc. affiliate, announced that it has purchased Prudential Real Estate and Relocation Services, a recognized leader in global relocation and real estate brokerage from Prudential Financial, Inc. Prudential Relocation Services operates as Pricoa Relocation in Asia and Europe.
The addition establishes Brookfield as North America’s third largest residential real estate brokerage business and the world’s second largest global relocation services provider.

For Prudential Real Estate’s more than 600 affiliates operating across North America and their clients, the news means “business as usual.” Under a licensing agreement, Prudential Real Estate affiliates will continue using the Prudential brand based on the terms of their franchise agreements. The expanded scale of the combined businesses will ensure that the network remains at the forefront of the industry, positioned with leading-edge tools and technologies to best serve their clients.

“We are thrilled to join Brookfield, a leader in residential real estate franchising and employee relocation services and a brand name that is synonymous with strength, stability and growth,” said Larry Hitz, Broker/Owner, Prudential Executive Group. “In the past 30 years, I have been through many corporate acquisitions…Pan American Airlines, MetLife, Hospitality Franchise Services, Cendant, and Realogy, among others. However this is the first time that a real estate corporation, a company whose sole purpose is real estate, has purchased the parent franchise. This means a much stronger alignment in services provided including marketing, relocation and business development.” Hitz added, “The fact that they have made this aggressive purchase in this economy demonstrates their belief in the Prudential brand when others are retreating from the industry.”

Through its various brands, Brookfield’s residential real estate franchisees are now present in all 50 U.S. states, 10 Canadian provinces, Mexico and Portugal, with a network of approximately 80,000 real estate agents, 2,800 real estate brokerage locations and more than $150 billion in annual residential real estate transactions.

Brookfield’s parent company, Brookfield Asset Management, is a global asset manager with approximately $150 billion in assets under management. Brookfield is co-listed on the New York and Toronto Stock Exchanges under the symbol BAM and on NYSE Euronext under the symbol BAMA.

About Brookfield Residential Property Services
Brookfield Residential Property Services is a leading global provider of real estate and relocation services, analytics and knowledge. The company’s portfolio consists of leading brands, including Brookfield Global Relocation Services, the second largest provider of global relocation services, Prudential Real Estate and Relocation Services, Brookfield Real Estate Services, Royal LePage, Real Living, Via Capitale and Centract. Through its real estate brands, it has nearly 80,000 real estate professionals in more than 2,800 locations, who transact over $150 billion annually. Its global footprint spans North America, the United Kingdom, France, China, Singapore, India, Brazil and Australia, and includes more than 2,500 employees worldwide. It is a division of Brookfield Asset Management, a global asset manager with approximately $150 billion of assets under management.

About Prudential Real Estate and Relocation Services
Prudential Real Estate and Relocation Services is a leading real estate brokerage franchise and relocation services business. Prudential Real Estate is one of the largest real estate brokerage franchise networks in North America, with more than 1,600 franchise offices in its Network. Prudential Real Estate franchises are independently owned and operated companies selected based upon outstanding performance records, high levels of customer service and business values. Prudential Relocation Services is a leading provider of global relocation services to Fortune 500 corporations. With locations in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, France, Hong Kong, Singapore and China, Prudential Relocation – which operates as Pricoa Relocation in Asia and Europe – offers a comprehensive suite of services to its worldwide clients and their transferees.

About Prudential Executive Group
Prudential Executive Group, a full service brokerage with its corporate office in Valparaiso, became an affiliate of the Prudential Real Estate Network in 2007. Since its founding 29 years ago by Larry Hitz, Executive Group has earned its reputation for being the leader in Northwest Indiana real estate by attracting, training and supporting top-producing agents. Visit Prudential Executive Group online at www.HousesAreSelling.com to discover all of the resources available to you through Prudential Executive Group.

8 Solutions to Common Wet-Basement Problems

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  Solving wet-basement problems is one of the most important things you can do to protect the value of your home and health of your family. Read

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Copyright 2011 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

Indiana Real Estate Market Update

According to the monthly “Indiana Real Estate Markets Report” today released by the Indiana Association of REALTORS®, three important housing market indicators are up year-over-year.

Statewide, when comparing September 2011 to September 2010:

• The number of closed home sales increased 10.2% to 5,163;
• The median sale price of homes increased 5.5% to $115,000; and
• The average sale price of homes increased 5.9% to $138,543.

Setting the Stage for a Home Sale

 

  

 By Larry Hitz

 Prudential Executive Group Real Estate

 

            “You never get a second chance to make a great first impression.”

            This saying strikes a chord in the real estate industry, where many buyers are quick to jump to a conclusion about a potential home after just one glance. That’s why an increasing number of homeowners are employing professional home stagers to prepare their homes for sale.

            “Much of what staging accomplishes happens on a subconscious level,” said Carla Grammatica, a consultant with Stage Setters in New York’s Westchester County. “You are trying to create a positive association between your house and the prospective buyer. Anyone can change a paint color after they move in, but first impressions are difficult to undo.”

            With 91% of buyers searching first on the Internet for homes, MLS photos and virtual tours are extremely important in the selection process. Staging, as a priority instead of as a last resort, will give sellers key advantages.

            Stagers help eliminate clutter, give advice on adding colors, help in rearranging furniture and bring in various items to help spruce up a home.

            “One of the most important things is getting rid of things that look messy,” Grammatica said. “Life can get messy, especially with kids and storage issues, but you have to pretend that’s not how you live. You have to pretend your house is [always] neat and well maintained.”

            That means picking up shoes from the hallway, removing papers from tables and furniture and even taking down personal items—such as diplomas, pictures and trophies.

—that clutter the walls.

            Professional stagers take into account buyer demographics and buying psychology, and they use design elements in planning out the rooms, space and lighting.        “Some people think that staging is simply cleaning and packing up some of your things, but it is so much more than that,” said Linda Barnett, a certified staging professional with Indianapolis–based Home Matters. “Understanding traffic patterns and highlighting the positive attributes of a home while downplaying its negative features, all go into play.”

            One tip homeowners can do to stage their home themselves is to pack away unneeded items—such as seasonal clothes and old books—and put them in storage.

            It’s also important not to overwhelm potential buyers with wild colors and furniture, even if you think it makes your home “special.”

            Remember, making your home look like a model rather than lived-in can make all the difference in selling a home.

 

Larry Hitz can be reached at 219-464-8521. Prudential Executive Group Real Estate is an independently owned and operated member of Prudential Real Estate Affiliates, Inc., a Prudential company. Equal Housing Opportunity.

Fall Landscaping Tips

• Fall Landscaping: How to Prepare Your Yard for Winter

  Fall landscaping preparations ready your yard for a long winter and glorious spring. Read

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Copyright 2011 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

Researching the Perfect Neighborhood

 

 

    

By Prudential Executive Group Real Estate

            There’s an episode of the hit TV series “How I Met Your Mother” where the characters of Marshall and Lily decide to buy a home in a neighborhood they are unfamiliar with, only to learn later that it sits downwind from a sewer plant. The message is obvious: A buyer must do his or her due diligence on prospective neighborhoods to make the best real estate decisions.

            For starters, investigate the local school district as good schools boost your property value. Research the closest parks and community centers and consider how busy streets impact the neighborhood.

            Profiling the perfect neighborhood also involves meeting prospective neighbors. Walk through the area and say hello to people, and ask them for their impressions of the neighborhood. While you’re at it look around. Are there lots of kids on the block? Do people walk or jog through the neighborhood at night? A neighborhood can speak volumes by itself.         

            Don’t forget to map out stores and restaurants in the area. You may be used to a five-minute drive to the local grocery store, only to find out that your new home is 25 minutes away from the nearest place to buy milk. Of course, find out if your potential new home is part of a neighborhood association bearing regular fees, and if your community has lawn or construction restrictions.

            A good agent can furnish you with a wealth of local information, and will take you on a tour of the closest commerce centers, restaurants and shops.

With a little groundwork you can help ensure that your dream house is surrounded by a dream neighborhood.

Prudential Executive Group Real Estate is an independently owned and operated member of Prudential Real Estate Affiliates, Inc., a Prudential company. Equal Housing Opportunity.

2011 Making Strides of Porter County

Making Strides Against Breast Cancer is more than just the name of a walk; it describes the progress we’re making together to end breast cancer. However, nothing can describe the hope inspired by walking with hundreds or thousands of others who share a passion for ending this disease. Because nearly everyone has been touched by breast cancer in some way, we’ve decided to make a difference by walking and raising money as a team in our local American Cancer Society Making Strides Against Breast Cancer event.

How far will you go to end breast cancer? Saving lives from breast cancer starts one team, one walker, and one dollar at a time. Join us, and together we will create a world with less breast cancer and more birthdays.

Click here to join us in the fight against Breast Cancer.

Is it Worth the Cost?

By Prudential Executive Group Real Estate

A stressful part of putting your home on the market is trying to figure out what to fix and upgrade to get the very best price. An experienced agent will recommend projects to consider and ones to avoid. After all, just because you put money into a renovation project doesn’t mean you will recoup the money in a sale.

            You may also want to consult Remodeling Magazine’s annual Cost vs. Value Report for a breakdown of typical returns on renovation projects large and small. The  24^th annual edition published earlier this year contains input from some of the country’s top remodeling professionals and ranked 35 remodeling projects for highest returns. 

            In many cases, smaller-scale renovation projects recoup more of their initial cost than larger, pricier ones, according to the report. For example, a minor $20,000 kitchen upgrade returns 72.8% of renovation costs, but a more expensive $58,000 kitchen remodel only retains 68.7% of its value on resale.

            Surprisingly, the report noted that exterior upgrades recoup more of their costs than interior renovations — a trend that’s been building for the past five years. What’s the hottest exterior upgrade according to this year’s report? Replacing the front door with a steel entry door, which typically returns more than 100% of its cost.

            The report also lists garage doors as a wise investment, returning up to 83% of their original cost when the home sells.  Other prudent outdoor renovations include siding and window replacement, returning 80% and 72.4 %, respectively.

            Interior improvements retaining the most value include attic renovations and basement remodels, recouping 72.2% and 70%.

            “Just like an addition to the home, an unfinished space—such as the attic or basement—will instantly add value and livability to your home, as it increases the square footage and changes the way your family lives in it,” said Will Tomlinson, owner of North Carolina-based greyHouse Inc. Renovation and Remodeling. “You will be transforming a space that likely gets very little use into a fully functional area for your family to enjoy.”

            The report also notes that non-essential features have less resale value. Sunroom additions recoup only 48.6% of renovation costs; home office remodels, 45.8%; and backup power generators, 48.5%.

            Of course, homeowners’ needs and budgets dictate their choice of home-improvement projects. Still, it helps to know projects’ cost vs. return ratio when making the final decisions.

Prudential Executive Group Real Estate is an independently owned and operated member of Prudential Real Estate Affiliates, Inc., a Prudential company. Equal Housing Opportunity.

2011 VHS Pep Rally

Our very own Nick Arnold driving Mayor Costas in the VHS Homecoming Parade