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Summer vacation is that time of year when the kids are out of school and ready for something exciting to pass the time before class begins again in the fall. This summer season while amidst the chaos of work, new schedules for the entire family with the cessation of school, and the never-ending hectic spin of the average American family’s daily grind, why not make planning your summer trip enjoyable.

Children love to be a part of any planning you might do, whether it be a day trip to the zoo or a picnic getting them involved makes the process a special bonding time for everyone. Let’s take that same approach to planning a summer vacation. Begin by having a family meeting. Allow every member of the family to share their ideas for a great family vacation. Drop them into a hat and choose! Voila!

If dropping “destinations” in a hat is a little too sporadic for your family, don’t worry. Having a destination in mind and then allowing the family to get involved in shopping and preparation for the trip can be just as fun. Talk to children about what they would like to do while you’re away. Look up information online and show the kiddos pictures of the things you will see or let them choose an activity to do together.

For the trip there bring along games, puzzles, and books for entertaining little fingers and minds or the latest novel, if you aren’t driving, and could use a little reading time.

Remember, rather than the details of your trip being the most stressful part of the summer, make it the most fun!

$184,900

OPEN LIVING ROOM AND DINING ROOM AREA. EAT IN KITCHEN, NICE FENCED YARD, MATURE LANDSCAPE. HOME FEATURES LOG FIREPLACE DOWNSTAIRS AND GAS LOG FIREPLACE WITH INSERT HEATER UPSTAIRS. LARGE LIVING AREA. STONE FIREPLACE, PARTIALLY SIDED WITH INDIANA STONE. AVERAGE UTILITIES $138.00 PER MONTH FOR GAS & ELECTRIC. ONE YEAR HOME WARRANTY BY SELLERS AT CLOSING.

Call Tom Cain for more information or visit:

www.cainandcompany.com

No matter what your personal policy is on how often or how strongly to run your air conditioner, chances are there will be times when the only thing you are in control of cooling is yourself.

"Air conditioning" your person is worth noting, because the more you can do that, the higher you will be able to set your thermostat while still maintaining some level of comfort. Check out these personal cooling tips and run your AC less:

• Wearing light colored clothing which does not absorb the sunlight can help you stay cooler
• Taking a quick 10 minute cool shower can also do wonders and help you stay cool for hours
• Keep kids cool by filling a backyard wading pool, or letting them run through the sprinkler
• Staying hydrated with plenty of cool water is also essential in the battle against summer heat
• If you are spending time in an environment that is casual enough, wearing your shirt slightly damp or braiding hair when it is still wet are both excellent ways to stay one step ahead of the heat.

I stumbled up on this article about the apple iPad and it has some great information about the new apple iPad. Check it out.

by Rob Janson

I’ve been looking lustfully at the rumoured Apple tablet for months, wondering about the possibilities. As of Wednesday, Steve Jobs and his team have finally put to rest most of those rumours and have released to the masses the iPad, Apple’s first stab at the tablet market.

There’s much to be said about the iPad, some good and some bad. So without further hesitation here’s a take on the product from the perspective of a real estate professional (not a Realtor, not an agent, just a Marketing & Technology Consultant that deals with real estate transactions of all sorts on a daily basis).

First the good. The iPad is going to impress your clients and make other agents envious. It’s pretty. It’s light. And it will be fast. With a 9.7-inch display and a mere 0.5 inch thick, it weighs in at only 1.5 pounds. Powered by a 1 gigahertz processor, it will be available with up to 64 gigabytes of storage. You’ll be able to view your photos quickly on a large screen, browse (most) MLSs via Wi-Fi or for a modest $14.99 to $29.99 AT&T will allow you use their 3G service and supposedly there will be no contract required.

Headed to a listing appointment? Woo them with a presentation made in Apple’s iWork Apps which look simply amazing. Flip the iPad from your perspective to your clients and the screen instantaneously adjust for their viewing pleasure. Running a CMA? Cloud CMA will provide an amazingly intuitive experience and keep you completely mobile. You'll also be able to browse maps and get rid of your Garmin or TomTom with the iPads GPS functionality.

An added advantage is Apple’s latest addition to the iTunes Store. The iBook store will put all your favorite motivational books at your fingertips, and possibly allow you to publish your own within the store. I can see it now…your clients searching your city not only to find your iPhone App which works on the iPad but also your listing presentation. Books not your cup of tea. Take notes and schedule appointments on the iPad without having to carry around a pen and paper or struggle with your smartphone’s tiny screen. Email is sure to be a breeze on the iPad as well.

Now for the not-so-good. The iPad doesn’t support Flash. That means your Flash based website will look a little lackluster and all those online videos not on YouTube and Vimeo won’t be readily accessible. That’s really about it for the bad.

Many technology experts are slamming the iPad for not including a stylus for taking notes and signing contacts etc. I expect that Apple will be releasing a pressure sensitive stylus in the near future, as Steve Jobs certainly didn’t completely overlook such an important feature for a tablet. I will likely be an add-on much like the physical keyboard which is already on the Apple Store.

Lastly, while we can’t be sure of it’s compatibility at this time, it is reasonable to assume the iPad will be  able to be tethered with most DSLR cameras, allowing use as a field monitor for shooting photos and video. Alternatively, one could use an Eye-Fi card to wirelessly upload photos and video directly from any camera to the iPad. That could provide a great WOW factor for your clients as they view your photos of their listing instantly as your taking them throughout the property.

However, the best feature of the iPad is it’s amazing price. The base model is priced at $499 going up to $799 for all the bells and whistles. That puts it in your hands for less than the first release of the iPhone. The price point alone will make the iPad an instant celebrity in the world of technology. When can you get your hands on one? The Apple iPad is slated to hit the streets in April 2010.

http://www.homesight.net/rss/tours/index.php?id=20696&ub=1

Click for Virtual Tour!

$215,000

Farmhouse w/ Space to Spare!

 Well maintained home offers 5bd/3ba. Newer furnace & A/C. Original woodwork, built-ins, wood floors under carpet. Metal pole shed 54x70, barn 63x54, shed 32x15.Multiple garages.

Great property for horses!

1 year home warranty

Summer is a great time to get caught up on some of those home improvements we've all been telling ourselves we are going to do. Whether your home improvement project is a fresh coat of paint, removing old wallpaper, or adding an addition you're sure to find some of these tips helpful.

1. Plan, Plan, Plan! Always plan before starting a project. It makes things flow much more smoothly if the project is planned from start to finish! Decide on a plan, buy materials and track progress according to the time frame you're hoping to complete your project. Deciding on a plan and sticking to it can drastically reduce stress when taking on a home improvement project.

2. Budgeting! The budget can be the biggest headache, especially if you complete your project and realize you've gone over your budget. Who wants that stress? Before you start your project calculate the cost of all expenses, from demolition to supplies to finishing touches. After you've gotten a solid budget in place add around 10%-20% for those unexpected surprises that always show up with home improvement projects.

3. Materials! Know what you need and have it before you get started. It can be a pain to be right in the middle of your project and realize you've forgotten a key component!

4. To use contractors or not to use contractors! If you decide that the do-it-yourself approach is not right for you. Plan early to interview several contractors. Take bids for the work you want done and call references! Know as much as you can about the contractor you choose. Remember, this person will be in your home so he/she needs to be upstanding reputable in their field.

5. Schedule! Decide early in the process what time frame you would like to complete the project in. Whether you have hired a contractor or are completing the project on your own, sticking to a time frame is a good idea. If you've chosen to go with a contractor, make sure they stick to  your schedule and don't slack off.

6. Change management plan! This is incredibly important if you've chosen to go with a contractor. Make sure a plan is set in place for any changes that might need to be made--before you start the project. Your contractor needs to know what your expectations are early on and a lackidaisical approach to changes can drive the budget through the roof.

7. Get a lien waver signed by contractor. A lien waver states that your payment responsibilities have been completed. This is  necessary step to ensure your protection and make sure you come out of your project feeling on top of the world!

One the most important tips to heed when attempting a home improvement project is that tings come up. Don't stress over the little things and your project is sure to come out looking like perfection!

For more information on real estate and helpful information for home improvement visit:

http://www.cainandcompany.com/

Each week I monitor the market, always checking out; current rates, trends and any other information I can get my hands on. Going forward, I'm going to post information weekly with an overview of what I find. This week, I received an article from a local mortgage person with his thoughts on the current market that I thought I would share.

Good Morning, hope you are having a great week.  Late last week on Thursday, I sent an email when the market had changed talking about how we could be in another round of weak economic data, meaning interest rates could be moving down. 

We are firmly at the 4.625% range, down from 4.875% just a couple of weeks ago.  From what I am seeing, good economic data is hard to find, so the logic would be that we could be in this range for a while. Most people already refinanced last year when we were in this range, so I don’t expect a rush to refinance.  However, if one of your clients was unaware last fall of the interest rates and did not take advantage, it might be a good time to look at their numbers.

 On the home front, we continue to see an excess of local home inventory, and weak demand for housing.  Again, logic would say that home prices should stay steady or even some pressure to go lower, just by the simple high inventory and weak demand.  I know, not what anyone wants to hear….

So where is the silver lining?  On the home front, if you are in a position to buy, it is a very good time.  For the economic data and weak economy, might be a good time to make yourself invaluable to your employer and your clients.  We should be fine, just need to be vigilant and excellent at what we do.

For more information on available Homes for Sale in the Champaign area visit: http://search.cainandcompany.com/idx/5025/basicSearch.php

For questions visit:                                                                                     http://www.cainandcompany.com/Buyer-Resources/Questions

For all your Real Estate Needs visit: http://www.cainandcompany.com/

A home warranty offers coverage for your home while it is for sale and once your property is sold, you can transfer ownership of the warranty with the home. This can be a bit of a bargaining tool when trying to negotiate a sale, although, it probably won’t be a deal winner, it gives you the opportunity to offer one more incentive to any prospective buyers. Generally, home warranties have a wide range of options for coverage but might include:

Washer/Dryer, Refrigerator, central vacuum, sump pump, dishwasher, whirlpool bathtub and the electrical system as an example for x amount of time for $xxx.

Most home warranties also offer an upgrade that can include:

Heating system and furnace, hot water heater, all duct work and plumbing system.

It is possible to make the home warranty become effective at closing so that the buyers have the benefit of the full year of coverage. I recommend doing this for your buyers.

Costs vary but tend to range from the around $250.00 to $600.00 on the high side. It just depends on the company you choose to buy coverage through and the options you want included.

A home warranty does not cover incidents covered by home insurance and it is important to have a home insurance policy in place as soon as possible after you purchase a new home. Home Insurance covers personal items in your home as well as any damage to any part of the actual home. A home warranty resembles a service contract, in that; it covers systems within in the home that could possibly have issues such as the hot water heat, a/c, or duct work.

If you are in the market to purchase a new home, don’t be afraid to ask for a home warranty when negotiating the sale! It never hurts to be prepared for those rare occurrences that can be rather costly. If you are selling your home, offer a 1 year home warranty as an added bonus to whoever purchases your home. It never hurts to have one more negotiating tool!

Tuesdays with Tom ( Laura Bryan) from hdavid films on Vimeo.