Indy Home Marketing Newsletter

June, 2011 Newsletter

Volume 5, Number 6

Click HERE to use your internet browser to read and view the web version of this newsletter.

	Sell the Benefits of Your Smaller Home... If you're looking at the undulating real estate scene and think your smaller-than-average-home has no shot, think again. Your house is the perfect fit for a lot of people. Anyone looking to save on utilities, taxes and yard work - from first-
	time buyers to the eco-minded - is going small. Plus, the idea of average is shrinking for a lot of people as those McMansions are proving too big and expensive for a lot of budgets. So, what great things can be highlighted about your small home and how? Read more Here.


		Summer Lawn Care Essentials... In summer, lawns get hammered. There's extra wear and tear from weekend play, stress from summer heat, and correspond- ing pressure from utilities in some areas to cutback on watering. But if you start a sensible lawn-care program now, you can strengthen your turf going into sum- mer, help it stay greener, and give it a better chance against the ravages of in- sects and disease. MORE


	RECIPE OF THE MONTH Southern Potato Salad Nothing says "Summer is Here" like homemade potato salad as a side for grilled hamburgers, hotdogs, or brats! Recipe courtesy of: the Food Network

INGREDIENTS:

•	3 large eggs	•	1 cup mayonnaise
•	1/2 cup diced onion	•	2 scallions, thinly sliced
•	1 teaspoon hot sauce	•	1/2 cup diced celery
•	2 tablespoons sweet relish
•	1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
•	Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
•	3 large Yukon gold potatoes (about 1 1/4 pounds),
	peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes

DIRECTIONS:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the potatoes and cook
until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain the potatoes and spread
out on a sheet pan to cool. Meanwhile, bring a separate pot of
water to a boil. Carefully add the eggs; cook for 12 minutes,
then remove to a bowl of ice water to cool completely. Peel
the eggs under cold running water, then roughly chop.

In a large bowl, combine the onion, celery, relish, Worcester-
shire sauce, hot sauce, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon pep-
per and the mayonnaise. Fold in the potatoes, eggs and
scallions. Adjust the seasoning to taste.

Sell the Benefits of Your Smaller Home... (Continued)

Even though you may have outgrown your home, when you list it
with us, we'll make sure potential buyers know about the home's
many benefits, including:

Lower Costs

We'll make sure your online listing includes information about the
the lower utility costs your house affords. Also, if your small home
is on a small lot, we'll research property taxes on larger lots so
we can point out how much money potential buyers will save
in taxes.

Easier Maintenance

Many first-time homebuyers and those downsizing are looking for
easy-to-maintain homes. So, we'll remind potential buyers how
much time and money they can save with smaller yards to main-
tain and fewer rooms to clean, heat, and cool. Plus, we'll show
you how to offer a low-cost Home Maintenance Warranty, which
is attractive to first-time home buyers who are used to having
a landlord take care of any necessary fixes.

Earth Friendly

We'll make "green" information obvious by noting space-saving
built-ins and cost-efficient updates to your home like new, more
energy efficient, HVAC systems, windows, insulation, etc. How-
ever, if a home is not all green in the key areas, we'll focus
on easy maintenance and low economics.

It Is Enough Space

We'll remind people who are cutting back and re-thinking all that
extra space in big homes, that your smaller home does have
enough room by helping you "stage" your home to make it
look bigger. A few simple ways to enhance the appearance
of space in a home include:

• Cut clutter, even if it means renting a storage unit or POD

while you're showing the house.

• Let in the light. If a potential buyer can walk into your house

and see all the way through it to the backyard, it will give them

the feeling of space. Open up the blinds and drapes, and wash

the windows to let in as much light in as possible.

• Sell the area. If there are shops and restaurants within walking

distance, we'll let buyers known. It shows them that there is

plenty to do outside of the house. It's not the size but the

location and function of the spaces that matter.

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SUMMER LAWN CARE ESSENTIALS (continued)

Fertilize. If you haven't fertilized yet this year – or if you're
growing heavy feeders such as perennial ryegrass, tall fescue,
Kentucky bluegrass, hybrid Bermuda, or St. Augustine – apply
2 pounds actual nitrogen per 1,000 square feet. If you've ferti-
lized during the past four months and aren't growing a heavy
feeder, give the grass 1 pound actual nitrogen per 1,000 square
feet. (The first number in a fertilizer bag's large, three-number
label gives the percentage of nitrogen in the bag. A 100-pound
bag of 29-3-4 fertilizer, for example, contains 29 percent actual
nitrogen, or 29 pounds.)

Mow. Cut often, so you never have to shorten the grass by more
than a third at one mowing. Use a mulching mower with a sharp
blade. Since grass clippings contain 3 to 5 percent nitrogen, they
feed the lawn if you let them drop (don't bag them). This allows
you to reduce your annual lawn-feeding program by half. Mow
your grass from 1-1/2 to 2 inches in height.

Dethatch. Most grasses develop thatch, a sponge-like layer of
roots, runners, and grass blades just above the soil surface.
Thatch interferes with the downward flow of fertilizer and water,
depriving plant roots; thin it now, if you haven't already done
so (use a dethatcher from a rental yard). The lawn will recover
quickly and will perform better through summer. Grasses like
Kentucky bluegrass and fine fescue should be dethatched in fall.

Water. Most lawns need about 1 inch of water per week. Apply
it deeply and infrequently rather than often and shallowly – and
early in the morning or late evening when there's less wind and
evaporation than during the heat of the day.

Control pests and diseases. To keep the lawn looking its best,
watch for signs of critter damage or disease, and deal with either
immediately.

- Dogs. If a dog urinates on your lawn, flood the area with hose
water. Don't try to repair doggy spots (dead spots among healthy
green grass) by fertilizing; the excess nitrogen in dog urine kills
the grass, so adding more nitrogen won't help. Remove dead
patches along with 3 to 4 inches of soil underneath; fill the hole
with a fresh piece of sod, or overseed.

- Insects. Insect problems vary regionally and seasonally. Your
area nursery can recommend what's the best product to protect
your lawn from most common insects, such as grubs.

- Diseases. Highly maintained lawns (mowed low, heavily ferti-
lized, and liberally watered) are the most subject to disease. Fight
disease by backing off on the fertilizer and water, and by raising
the mowing height by 25 percent.

- Weeds. On most lawns, weeds really take hold when the grass
starts to go dormant in July. Hand-weed small infestations as soon
as they appear. For larger infestations, try a pre-emergence herbi-
cide made from corn gluten meal (available at nurseries).

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