Mobile Device Privacy at Work

Posted on December 13, 2015 by robertjrussellcompanies

What would happen if, tomorrow, 30 percent of your workforce walked off the job? That’s the risk an employer takes when asking to review personal information stored on an employee-owned smartphone or tablet.

That’s what the folks at MobileIron found out when they polled thousands of personal mobile device owners about their attitudes toward personal phone use at work. The rules seem to be pretty clear: Most of the 86 percent of workers who use their mobile devices for work (61 percent) basically trust their employer to keep personal information stored on their phone private. Still, 30 percent said they would quit a job where an employer had access to the emails, texts, photos and other personal data stored on their phone.

MobileIron’s Trust Gap Survey was previously conducted in 2013, so there was prior data to compare to the latest news. Overall, employers are more trusted today than two years ago.

When asked what personal data they weren’t comfortable sharing with their employer, here’s what respondents said:

  • Personal email and attachments: 52 percent (down 14 percent)
  • Personal contacts: 49 percent (down 10 percent)
  • Texts/instant messages: 48 percent (down 15 percent)
  • Voicemails: 45 percent (down 10 percent)
  • Details of phone calls and Internet usage: 45 percent (down 8 percent)
  • The information in all the mobile apps on my device: 44 percent (down 10 percent)
  • Location: 42 percent (down 6 percent)
  • List of all the apps on the device: 41 percent (down 5 percent)

Another survey result: Those millennials everyone keeps talking about are less worried about sharing personal data than are older generations—in general, 10 percent to 12 percent more trusting by category.

By nation, German workers are the most trusting that their employers will keep personal data private (74 percent, and Japanese workers are the least trusting (53 percent). Male workers the world round are more trusting than females, and in the U.S., the differential is almost 10 percent (64 percent v. 55 percent).

“Mobile workers, especially younger workers, have an expectation of privacy when using mobile devices for work. Many would leave their jobs if their employer could see personal information on their device,” said Ojas Rege, vice president, strategy, MobileIron. “In a world where smartphones contain increasing amounts of sensitive personal data, CIOs must remember that every device is a mixed-use device and must protect employee privacy as fiercely as corporate security.”

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Active or Passive?

Posted on December 12, 2015 by robertjrussellcompanies

Active people use the Internet to express themselves and learn about their world…passive people watch TV.

Active people strategize their life plans and work to accomplish their goals…passive people wait for a miracle.

Active people cook their dinner fresh…passive people microwave something frozen.

Active people walk around a new city they are exploring…passive people take cabs.

Active people spend their lives pursuing their dreams…passive people have a midlife crisis.

Active people don’t wait for opportunity, they create it…passive people need it handed to them.

Active people blog, submit op-eds to their newspaper, and are influencers…passive people purely consume news.

Active people make their own opinions on things…passive people let others make up their minds for them.

Active people analyze all their options and choices before making a decision…passive people go with whatever is easiest.

Active people build their own…passive people buy it.

Active people are artists, writers, builders, influencers, trendsetters and decision makers…passive people just are.

Active people volunteer, give calls to action, help others and make their world better…passive people complain.

Active people make art…passive people negatively criticize it.

Active people read and have an infinite thirst for knowledge…passive people haven’t read a book since college.

Active people are passionate…passive people don’t know the meaning of the word.

Active people spend their weekends pursuing their dreams, hobbies, and inspiring others…passive people spend them on the couch.

So are you an active or passive person?

 

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Real Estate is an Investment

Posted on December 11, 2015 by robertjrussellcompanies

Up until last year, it looked like the real estate market was on a tear. Existing home sales, which comprise about 90 percent of the residential housing market, and housing starts both surged to eight-year highs in June, and the median sale price for existing homes hit a record $236,400.

In addition, confidence among homebuilders has climbed to its highest level since 2005, before the housing market collapse; inventories are tight; and the commercial real estate market has appreciated so much that the Federal Reserve highlighted its concern with rising “valuation pressures” in a report earlier this month.

On Friday, however, the Commerce Department reported that new home sales fell almost 7 percent in June, usually one of the busiest months of the year, and lowered sales numbers previously reported for April and May.

Are these signs for investors to buy real estate now, especially before the Fed starts raising interest rates, or signs that they should hold off because the housing market is poised to slow or stall?

“The easy money has been made,” says Greg McBride, chief financial analyst at Bankrate.com. “Now that prices are higher you’re not going to get the appreciation in price that you did when you bought at the bottom.”

McBride also cautions about buying real estate for investing purposes because homeowners “already have a lot more real estate exposure than they think. They need to bulk up their equity allocation before adding a lot more real estate to their portfolio.”

But that’s not what many Americans appear to be doing. A Bankrate poll conducted earlier in July found that real estate was the number one investment choice for Americans with cash to spare. Twenty-seven percent of respondents chose real estate, compared with 17 percent who opted for stocks and 23 percent who opted for cash equivalents. Real estate was especially preferred among investors in the West and in urban areas, between 30 and 49 years old and with incomes between $30,000 and $50,000.

For those investors who do want to own real estate — and hopefully have already bulked up their equity holdings — there are some key issues to consider.

Are they buying real estate for a steady stream of income or capital appreciation or both? “Buying for income stream can make a lot of sense,” especially for retirees looking for more income than a short-term bond or bond fund can provide, says Eleanor Blayney, a consumer advocate for the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, about direct property purchases. “Cash flow can be enhanced through depreciation, and you can deduct a lot of expenses.”

But Blayney cautions that investing in property is complicated, requiring time and attention and lots of money not only to buy a property but also maintain it, including paying a property manager if you’re not handy and living nearby.

That’s why Richard Kagawa, a financial advisor in Huntington Beach, California, who says he loves real estate and owns several properties by himself and with siblings, recommends direct property investment only to “well-heeled clients” and requires at least 50 percent down payment. “This way you probably can cover your mortgage with your rent minus expenses plus see some positive cash flow,” he said.

For those investors who don’t want the headache of being a landlord, there are other choices. They can buy shares of a real estate investment trust, which, in turn, owns and manages income-producing real estate and/or the loans that finance those purchases; or shares of real estate ETFs or mutual funds, which own REITs, real estate-related stocks like home builders and home improvement companies, or both. S&P’s Residential REITs Index has gained 4.6 percent year-to-date in price alone, excluding income, so its total return is even higher, but it has come under pressure from the expectation of higher interest rates, says Cathy Seifert, equity analyst at S&P Capital IQ.

“When you look at REIT stocks in rising interest rate environment it’s important to look at what kind of debt is financing its operations — is it fixed or not, capital structure, the mix of debt on the books, because the degree of leverage can vary substantially,” says Seifert. She notes that rates are not the only variable that impacts REITs. There’s also the labor market and income growth, household formation and demand for retail and residential space, including multifamily housing.

Now investors can also participate in crowdsourcing real estate marketplaces, helping to finance direct investments in residential or commercial developments. Ben Miller, co-founder and CEO of Fundrise, which provides crowdfunding real investments online, says this cuts out the middlemen and reduces fees as a result. He likens the site to a private equity fund invested in commercial real estate and available online for a minimum $5,000 investment. With his site, investors buy into the debt that financed the property and collect a high yield — currently near 13 percent — for a period of roughly two years.

His typical investor is “40-something, a business professional in finance, tech or real estate who probably owns mutual funds and ETFs and is looking for alternatives … someone pretty sophisticated.”

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Effectiveness of Wellness Programs

Posted on December 10, 2015 by robertjrussellcompanies
Photo: Getty Images 

In the midst of questions about the effectiveness of wellness programs, one advocate for such programs says the results of a recent survey show that wellness initiatives greatly reduce the risk that a person’s chronic condition will go undiagnosed.

The group, HealthMine, a consumer health engagement company, polled 750 people enrolled in wellness programs and found that 28 percent of participants had been diagnosed with a chronic condition in the past two years. Almost half of those (46 percent) had received their diagnosis through the wellness program, suggesting that they may have gone much longer without treatment had the program not been available.

HealthMine described the findings as particularly salient with regards to some of the most pressing American health concerns, noting that a third of those who suffer from diabetes are unaware of it. The solution, suggests HealthMine, is to expand the availability of wellness programs as well as to increase the number of health tests that allow people to better understand their health vulnerabilities.

Here are 10 reasons why employee wellness is a corporate strategy, according to Charlie Estey of Interactive Health.

A separate poll that HealthMine conducted of 1,200 consumers found 74 percent support the use of genetic tests in wellness programs to help consumers identify health risks.

Moreover, most of the survey respondents signaled they would take part in various health screenings if they were offered by their employer.

The survey nevertheless showed far greater resistance to certain health screenings than to others. Nearly three-quarters said they would be up to do a screening for vision or blood pressure, and 69 percent said they would do a cholesterol screening. But only 58 percent said they would do a cancer screening, 54 percent said they would do a BMI screening and only 41 percent said they were up for a skin analyzer.

HealthMine CEO Bryce Williams said these surveys suggest that only when consumers are aware of their own health conditions will wellness programs meet their full potential.

“To succeed, wellness programs must enable people to learn their key health facts, and connect individuals to their personal clinical data anytime, anywhere,” he said. “When consumers and plans are empowered with knowledge, wellness programs can make recommendations meaningful to individuals, and help to prevent and manage chronic disease.”

A past study suggested that while companies do typically hope that wellness programs can help them keep down health care costs, their top motivation for doing the programs is to improve the health of their employees.

http://www.insurancepricedright.com

 

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Protecting your financial documents

Posted on December 9, 2015 by robertjrussellcompanies

Protecting your financial documents may be far from your mind when a natural disaster strikes, but it’s one of the most important factors to consider, say the Independent Community Bankers of America© (ICBA). “While the first priority is the safety of you and your family, knowing that your banking documents and private financial information are safe gives you one less thing to worry about during stressful times,” says ICBA Chairman Jack Hartings.

“Natural disasters of any kind quickly remind us how important it is to be organized and have a plan ahead of time. Having a financial preparedness plan will protect you and your family from the long-term effects of damaged, destroyed or lost financial documents,” Hartings adds.

To prepare for that possibility, the ICBA advises:

  • Keep marriage licenses, birth certificates, adoption papers, property deeds, wills, insurance policies, passports, Social Security cards, car titles or lease contracts, bank and investment account numbers and three years of tax returns in a bank safe deposit box. Put each of these documents in a sealed plastic bag to keep out moisture.
  • Make and safeguard additional official copies of critical documents, such as birth certificates, adoption papers, marriage licenses and the deed to your home, and notifying a trustee, close relative or attorney where important financial information is located.
  • Keep names and contact numbers for executors, trustees and guardians in a safe place, either in your safe deposit box or with a close relative.
  • Take an inventory and keep a list of household valuables. Taking photographs of these items can help as well.
  • Include extra cash, preferably small bills, in your home emergency kit, which should include a three-day supply of water and food, a first aid kit, a manual can opener, flashlights, a radio and extra batteries.
  • Secure online data storage, which can serve as a supplement or back-up to paper copies.
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Google is NOT your doctor

Posted on December 8, 2015 by robertjrussellcompanies

Google hasn’t quite replaced the doctor yet. A recent study out of Harvard Medical School finds that the web isn’t a very good way to figure out what ails you. The study showed that even sites touted as sophisticated symptom-checkers were extremely unreliable.

Many popular symptom-checkers, such as WebMD, respond to symptoms by suggesting many — sometimes dozens — of possible ailments, with the most likely condition at the top.

However, the study found that the sites only yielded the correct diagnosis as the top result in 34 percent of cases. In 42 percent of cases, the correct diagnosis was not even listed in the first 20 results. (The researchers asked respondents to enter different sets of symptoms linked to various illnesses into 23 symptom-checking websites to gauge site accuracy.)

The websites weren’t much better at assessing triage, particularly for less serious medical conditions. When the correct diagnosis referred to an “emergent” case, the sites assigned the appropriate triage 80 percent of the time, compared to only 55 percent of non-emergent cases. In cases that required only self-care, the sites evaluated the triage correctly only 33 percent of the time.

The study thus concluded that symptom-checkers are often encouraging people to seek emergency care when it is not necessary. Four of the sites — iTriage, Symcat, Symptomate, and Isabel — always recommended people to seek professional care rather than self-care.

There are ways such sites could improve their performance, including by incorporating local epidemiological data into their algorithms, the researchers suggested. Sites could also be far more effective if they included clinical data from the individual’s electronic health records.

Although the researchers urged caution when using symptom-checking websites, they stopped short of suggesting that individuals should give up on online tools entirely.

“Symptom checkers may, however, be of value if the alternative is not seeking any advice or simply using an internet search engine,” they wrote.

http://www.InsurancePricedRight.com

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Your wall is breaking with health exchange roots

Posted on December 7, 2015 by robertjrussellcompanies
Agents may using, running and competing with exchange programs all at the same time.
Agents may using, running and competing with exchange programs all at the same time.

Private health insurance exchange programs may be a little closer to pecking their way out of the egg shell.

In recent weeks, health insurance company executives seemed to go out of their way to yawn at the thought of private exchanges when they talked about their first-quarter earnings with securities analysts.

Executives at Cigna Corp. (NYSE:CI), for example, described adoption as “modest” and gave no numbers.

Executives at Anthem Inc. (NYSE:ANTM) described growth in its private exchange enrollment as not substantial. But, at Anthem, the “not substantial” level of private exchange enrollment number increased to 280,000 in the first quarter, from 100,000 a year earlier.

Health savings account (HSA) programs spent years gestating, under several different names, without attracting many sponsors. The private Medicare plan market took years to take root. Even the major medical insurance market had trouble coming to life.

But major medical insurance is now everywhere, many insurers are more interested in Medicare enrollees than in the commercial market, and, in 2014, 24 percent of employers surveyed by United Benefit Advisors (UBA) were offering HSAs.

If the private exchange channel becomes a standard distribution channel, that could have conflicting effects on traditional agents and brokers.

Even today, the same brick-and-mortar producers may be competing with Web brokers (retail health insurance exchanges) for business, using Web-based wholesale markets to conduct business, and running their own independent or “private labeled” insurance sales websites.

For a look at evidence that the private exchange industry may be graduating out of the pilotware phase, read on.

Muscle man

1. Some of the big private exchange builders are giving more actual enrollment numbers.

Even a few years ago, managers of the early private exchange programs tended to focus on talking about what private exchange plan enrollment might be several years in the future.

Analysts often referred to predictions by other analysts, at Oliver Wyman and Accenture, who suggested that private exchanges could handle employer plans covering about 40 million lives within a few years.

Executives at three of the big, publicly traded private exchange builders — Aon Corp. (NYSE:AON); Marsh McLennan & Companies Inc. (NYSE:MMC); and Towers Watson & Co. (NYSE:TW) — talked a little about enrollment forecasts during the recent earnings calls.

John Haley, president of Towers Watson, said, for example, that private exchanges could have a shot at serving about 30 million employees and dependents by 2022, and that his company would like to be serving a quarter of those people.

But the broker executives were also giving more concrete information about the employers and workers already served.

Aon announced in September 2014 that employers with 600,000 active employee plan members used its private exchange system in 2014. The company hasn’t said how many private exchange enrollees it has right now, but it says third-year enrollment activity has been strong enough to show that its exchange program is sustainable.

Gregory Case, Aon’s president, said during the company’s earnings call that the company has been “very, very fortunate in terms of our client wins.”

“The pipeline continues to be very strong,” Case said.

Julio Portalatin, president of Marsh’s Mercer unit, said the Mercer private exchange programs for retirees and active employees now serve employers with a total of about 1 million eligible lives.

The number of employers served has increased to 250, from 67 in 2014, and demand in the midsize employer market has been especially strong, Portalatin said.

Towers Watson said it had about 800,000 enrollees in private exchange plans in June 2014. Haley said during the recent earnings call that the company has added about 300,000 net new enrollees in the past three quarters.

Towers Watson has already signed some retiree program sponsors for 2016.

Exchange program requests for proposal (RFP) activity is higher than it was a year ago, and Towers Watson has seen some exchange program RFPs for 2017, the company said.

A watering can watering a plant

2. Companies continue to make big investments in adding private exchange capabilities and offering support programs for or alternatives to the PPACA public exchange system.

Exchange services companies and insurance distributors have announced several big initiatives in recent weeks.

Health Insurance Innovations Inc. (Nasdaq:HIIQ), a major distributor of short-term health insurance, has introduced the AgileHealthInsurance.com exchange, which focuses on selling health products other than major medical coverage to individuals and families.

Consumers can use the system to buy products like short-term health insurance using a computer, tablet or mobile phone.

Another company, GetInsured, has introduced the GetInsured Shared HIX Platform.

GetInsured has developed systems used in the PPACA public exchange programs in California, Idaho, the New Mexico small business exchange, and the Mississippi small business exchange, and it is now encouraging states with state-based exchanges to think about switching to use the GetInsured platform.

GetInsured is raising the possibility that some states may end up with public exchanges that are, in effect, private labeled private exchange systems with unusually good connections to government aid program eligibility determination systems.

Marsh announced in February that it was investing $75 million in Benefitfocus, to support its efforts to develop its own proprietary private exchange systems.

Christa Davies, Aon’s chief financial officer, said during the Aon call that her company has invested about $100 million in its exchange program.

Haley took a question during the Towers Watson call about his company’s 2012 acquisition of Liazon.

Liazon has made a point of marketing exchange programs through brokers, rather than competing with brokers, and Liazon now has 680 broker exchange relationships, up from 463 a year ago, Haley said.

Haley said Liazon has exchange relationships with 13 of the top 20 brokers.

This week, Towers Watson said it was paying $140 million to acquire another company, Acclaris, a health account support services company with headquarters in Tampa, Fla., and operations in Kansas and India.

Towers Watson had Jim Foreman, a managing director at its exchange solutions division, announce the Acclaris deal.

“We believe this combination will allow us to offer the end-to-end process for both traditional benefits administration and private benefits exchange solutions,” Foreman said in a statement.

Cash is king cartoon

3. One company has published its exchange program operating results.

Towers Watson showed that the private exchange business can be a source of current earnings by posting information about its exchange unit’s revenue and net operating income.

The unit earned about $20 million for the quarter on $97 million in revenue, up from $17 million in net operating earnings on $74 million in revenue for the comparable quarter in 2014.

Revenue at Towers Watson’s retiree and access exchanges was up 30 percent, and revenue at the OneExchange active employee exchange was up 70 percent, the company said.

Article found at LifeHealthPro

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Travel Fees You Don’t Know About

Posted on December 6, 2015 by robertjrussellcompanies

Ever been on a trip and wondered if you were overcharged for Wi-Fi service or even departure taxes?

You don’t want to be strapped for cash when it comes to these often-overlooked fees. Make sure you include these 11 items when budgeting for your next trip.

Airport Transportation

Whether it’s a cab, Uber, water taxi, shuttle bus, shared van, or train, you’re spending at least $15 each way to get to and from the airport. If you’re driving (unless you’re getting dropped off) you’ll have to pay to park your car at the airport too. And more likely than not, you’re going to pick the most convenient option (i.e., the most expensive) when you arrive at your destination, because you’ll be tired, rushed, and annoyed with your baggage.

What To Know: Look up the distance to your hotel and call ahead to see if they have any arranged airport transfers. Pre-book any shuttle services or shared vans if you can, and budget appropriately using fare estimates online. If you’re going to take a cab or Uber, make sure to ask for a flat rate, as many times there are standard fees for airport trips.

Entry and Departure Tax

Many countries have an entry and/or departure tax for coming into and out of said country. It can vary by length of stay.

What To Know: This is typically paid at the airport and is sometimes included in your airfare, so make sure to research before hand if this is the case. Most developing countries will not accept a credit card for this charge. Be sure to carry the payment in either U.S. dollars or the local currency when you’re at the airport.

Visa

Many countries will also require a visa for entry, depending on your length of stay.

What To Know: Some countries will require you to apply for a visa before you travel, so make sure you are aware of any visa requirements well in advance of your trip. Prices vary greatly, too. For example, the tourist visa necessary for U.S. citizens to enter Russia is $160 USD while a visa for Indonesia is $35 USD. Visit the State Department’s website for more information on what types of visas you will need for international travel.

Cell-Phone Data Usage

Chances are you’ll be in some sort of situation on an international trip where you’re going to need to use data roaming on your cellphone. Without an international plan or foreign country’s SIM card, you will be left with hefty roaming charges.

What To Know: Put a basic international plan on your phone if you don’t have it unlocked. Most basic plans start around $30 USD for a month and will give you “cheap” data in case of emergencies. If you do have your phone unlocked and will be traveling abroad for a longer period of time, it may be wise to get a SIM card for the country you’re traveling in to avoid higher international plan fees.

Tipping

Each country is different. In some countries it’s rude to tip, and in others it’s rude if you don’t.

What To Know: Research your destination beforehand with this trusty guide. In some countries (like Australia and New Zealand) you won’t have to tip at all, which will save you money on meals out. In other countries, however, make sure to budget at least 15 percent into your meals for tipping. And don’t forget service personnel—maids, luggage attendants, bartenders, and drivers will expect tips.

Parking and Tolls

If you’re taking a road trip, you usually budget for gas and pit stops, but often forget about tolls. Parking fees can add up, too.

What To Know: Research your route for potential tolls and get a transponder like an E-ZPass (if applicable to your route). Make sure to have at least $40-50 cash on you before hitting the road for a long car ride, too. Always estimate on the higher end for parking fees, especially if you’re planning on parking in the city, in which case you can never rely on street parking. If you are parking at a hotel, ask ahead of time for the parking fees per night to budget accordingly.

Transaction, Currency Exchange, and ATM Fees

Depending on your bank and credit cards, you’ll likely encounter both ATM fees and foreign transaction fees abroad. ATM fees are typically over $5 USD per withdrawal and foreign transaction fees can range from one to three percent. Travelex (and other currency exchange companies’ ATMS, too) will also charge you an outrageous exchange rate (sometimes as high as 10 to 11 percent—the same you would pay at the retail exchange counter).

What To Know: Bank of America has a Global ATM Alliance, which includes banks in many European countries, Australia and New Zealand, China, and several Caribbean countries. In addition, many credit cards now offer cards with low or no foreign transaction fees, so if you travel a lot and are looking to open up a new credit card, do your research.

If you want to have cash right when you land and avoid airport exchange fees, it’s best to order through your bank. Just make sure to give a few weeks’ notice if you’re heading beyond a common tourist country.

Higher Prices at Airports

Everyone knows prices are higher at the airport, so don’t leave purchases like books, gum, magazines, neck pillows, and souvenirs to the last-minute. You’ll also encounter higher checked bag fees with many airlines at the airport versus pre-checking online.

What To Know: Here’s a list of things you can pack that will save you money at the airport.

Emergencies

While these are unpredictable, there are some precautionary measures you can take beforehand to make potential emergencies much easier. Without international coverage, you could face medical charges well within the thousands if an accident happens overseas.

What To Know: It’s all about travel insurance. When taking a longer trip abroad, especially if you’re traveling to developing countries, renting a car, or engaging in adventure activities, you definitely want to consider a travel insurance plan. We break it down for you here.

Accommodation Taxes and Fees

Ah, hidden hotel fees. From ridiculous mini-bar prices and overpriced parking to absurd Wi-Fi costs and “concierge” fees on your final statement, hotel bills are getting out of control. (Some hotels even charge for air conditioning.)

What To Know: Sites like ResortChecker and hotelwifitest will help you determine if your accommodation is a culprit of the undisclosed-fees squeeze. Check review sites, too, for honest and well-rounded opinions about location, views, hidden fees, and room conditions.

Local Taxes

Taxes vary by country and state, so don’t be surprised if you don’t pay tax on clothing in your home state but find you’re charged up to eight percent in another. Be wary of these differences on things like car rentals, insurance, hotels, meals, clothing, and alcohol. Generally speaking, most foreign countries include taxes into the listed price of an item (e.g., on a menu or clothing tag).

What To Know: Think twice before shopping duty free, as generally speaking most items are less expensive at a major U.S. retailer like Walmart. If you make large purchases abroad, make sure you fill out the appropriate VAT forms at the airport to claim back your tax (although this is sometimes more work than it’s worth).

Domestically, don’t shop at chain stores that you can shop at in your home state if you have a lower sales tax.

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Home Staging: Pro Tips for Appealing to the Senses

Posted on December 5, 2015 by robertjrussellcompanies

Staging a home for sale is all about inspiring your buyer, and their senses are the avenue by which you connect with them. French novelist Honoré de Balzac once wrote “love is the poetry of the senses,” and specifically touching on each sense when staging a home creates atmosphere that inspires just that kind of poetic love. No matter the size or style of the home, there are a whole range of small things you can do to make it more appealing to aspiring homeowners (and help you lock in a sale!) Here’s how to get started:

Sight is the sense most agents associate with staging. The placement of furniture, decor, plants and everything else is truly central to staging. What can get overlooked in the great production of staging is the most fundamental element to catching someone’s eye – light. Especially for homes whose layout prevents a lot of natural light from getting in, you will want to ensure that you have bright and vibrant light throughout the home you aim to sell. Dark homes can not only feel dreary, but they can also make it more difficult to show off some of the qualities that will help you sell the home from the flooring to any moulding touches and more. Light is also very important for getting good quality photographs, which in the era of online advertising is key to putting your best foot forward to sell homes. There’s a major difference in perception between houses with dark, grainy photographs and ones that look professionally shot when interpreting them in the digital space.

Smell is among the strongest and most personally connective senses we possess as humans. We associate different aromas with experience and memory to a degree where certain smells can make us comfortable and nostalgic or quite the opposite. People are consciously aware of smells that they like and dislike, and some argue that using fragrances or food smells to change buyer perspective is a big no-no. However, if you are choose natural, neutral aromas like lavender, sage, pine or other light woody fragrances, you can create a space that feels like home. Be aware of using fragrances that may cause people who are sensitive to aromas to be uncomfortable, and be smart about using things like incense and spray aerosols that can trigger asthma or allergies.

Taste is important because, frankly, everyone loves snacks. This is a simple fact of life. Food makes people feel more comfortable and welcome in a home, and can add a feeling of sophistication to your showing. While you can’t guarantee everyone will be interested in your hors d’oeuvres, a lot of people will appreciate some fresh fruit, mild cheeses, or even a glass or two of wine as they settle into what may be their new home. Avoid anything that is overly fragrant, like strong cheeses and cooked meats, but don’t be afraid to let the personality of the home inform the snack choice you make. For homes that are more down home and country cottage influenced, regional favorites can’t be beat, whereas if you’re catering to a higher society crowd your snacks should follow suit.

Hearing. Much like smell, music is deeply evocative for memory and affects the mood and comfort level of the listener. Playing music through a home you aim to sell does wonders for filling in the space, making it more comfortable for everyone walking through and giving a sense of personality to your staging. I would recommend something instrumental, preferably classical or piano to enhance without distracting from the surroundings. If you want to get more technical, music that is primarily structured around major chord progressions will energize listeners, whereas minor chords sound darker and can create a sense of melancholy (for an example, look what happens when you shift REM from minor to major. How happy it feels!). It’s also important to ensure your music isn’t too loud, as it can take away from your staging and make it more difficult for your buyers to converse about the home with one another and with you.

Touch. Chances are prospective buyers aren’t going to go around touching the walls and tiles to gauge their tactile appeal, but there is a strong likelihood they will have a seat at some point along the way (or be drawn towards touching a sofa, linens or the curtains). Touch is one of our key exploratory senses, used to judge a wide range of things from the temperature of an item to its softness or quality. Staging a home with comfortable, quality goods is one part of staging with touch. Another key element of touch: temperature. A home that is too hot or too cold will make buyers uncomfortable and distract them from the features you’re looking to showcase. An updated thermostat is not only a great selling point for the home, but helps you accurately and consistently set the temp for showings.

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Earnest Money Is Not “Consideration”

Posted on December 5, 2015 by robertjrussellcompanies

Earnest money is not “consideration” for the TREC (Texas Real Estate Commission) contracts.

Consideration is a legal concept that describes something of value given in exchange for a performance or a promise of performance. The presence of consideration distinguishes contracts from gifts. Consideration can be a promise to do something there is no legal obligation to do, or a promise to not do something there is a legal right to do.

A real estate contract is an enforceable contract if it is in writing, shows a meeting of the minds on all terms and conditions, and is signed by all parties to the contract. The promise of the seller to sell and of the buyer to buy is sufficient consideration to support the making of a contract.

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