What Does it Mean to Sell Your NELA Home “As-Is?”

Even for the most ardent viewers of the television fix-and-sell home shows – from “Flip this House” to “Take This House and Sell It” to “The Real Estate Pros” to “Designed to Sell” – it’s not always clear if a home should be renovated and repaired before selling, or be sold “as-is.”

This is a common question in Northeast Los Angeles, where the inventory of mature homes for sale in Highland Park, Glassell Park and other similar areas offer a range of physical conditions. Bungalows common among Mount Washington homes that haven’t been touched in 60 years might have their charms, but sell for less than similar homes in Eagle Rock that were updated and modernized within the past ten years.

There is no hard and fast legal definition of what as-is means, although both buyers and sellers have a vague idea. For sellers, it means they will put little or no effort into repairs and decorating. Very often the home is inherited, where the heirs may not have the time or inclination to maximize the value of the property. Where the fixes need only be cosmetic (paint and light landscaping, for example, or perhaps kitchen modernization without moving walls), it can be a good value for the buyer.

But to sell as-is does not release the owner from disclosure about critical structural features such as a failing foundation, mold, and leaky roofs. If a house is outside of code requirements, if there are sewer or plumbing issues, problems with the electrical system (other than being out of date), or known covenants and restrictions, formal disclosure is required by the California Civil Code (Section 1102).

What much of it boils down to is economics. Take that sexy mid-century modern home for sale in Glassell Park or Hermon that might have undergone unfortunate style changes 20 or 30 years ago. The decidedly late-20th century renovations in the kitchen and bath might cost $50,000 to restore to something closer to a 1955 aesthetic. But will that investment net that much more in the sale price? Probably not. Instead, working with a knowledgeable NELA-area Realtor will find that asking price that will allow for renovations that the buyer can do after the close.

The as-is seller will likely find one of three buyers: the professional renovator-flipper, who knows how to renovate in a cost-effective way that will yield a profit. Another buyer might be the enterprising individual, who feels handy enough to either hire the help to fix it – or even do it himself or herself. A third buyer is the teardown developer – who really is just interested in the land and location.

The buyer who won’t look at an as-is home for sale? People in that large portion of the market that wants a move-in ready house.

So even if you watch a lot of home fix-and-sell television reality shows, your own reality should involve a professional Realtor with NELA knowledge. Call Tracy King, Realtor (Compass) at 626-827-9795, who has a quarter century of accumulated knowledge of this popular area and why any property in any condition should fetch the maximum price the market will bear.

How service businesses can leverage mobility for improved customer relationships

One of the best things you can do for your service business is to leverage mobility. Here’s why:

1. Prospecting Speed

It’s true that customer relationships start out fast. If you aren’t the first one there, you will miss out on opportunities. To avoid that, use mobility in the form of apps to map out territories where you can reach your customers. This leaves you with a number of options. You can send out post cards, target them online, or have your sales reps visit them in person all by using a mobile app.

2. Field Employees

If you are responsible for customer service in the field, you know how difficult it is to track how well your workers are doing. You might wonder if they are repairing things correctly and if the customers are satisfied with their work. However, now you don’t have to worry. With the right set of software suites, you can see exactly where your service techs are. You can even have surveys to find out in real time how satisfied they are.

3. Appointment Verification

One of the things that wastes the most time in business is when your customers don’t show up for service appointments. The reality is that most people entirely forget about their appointments. As a result, they won’t just show up because you agreed to it verbally. They might need an automatic reminder or a ping to help them get their act together. That way, you aren’t wasting time sending out your expensive service personnel to an empty house.

4. Sales

Customer service is ultimately related to sales. Sales depend on customers being happy. You can help boost your company’s revenue if you use mobile technology because you can react faster to those who are unsatisfied. Then you can find out what they want and help them get it.

5. Cost

If you work in field service management, you know how expensive it can be to use old technology. Often times, suppliers lock you into a product or software that you simply don’t use or want. With newer mobility options, you can ditch the old school and start using what works today. A huge upside of this is that you’ll save money in the process. There’s no better feeling than knowing you’re staying under budget and still meeting your needs.

6. Analysis

With big data, you can analyze anything. Going mobile means access to that data. Your accountants and other service personnel can make great educated guesses about the best way to leverage the resources available to you this way.

7. Followup

When customers don’t get followed up on, they can get resentful. That can lead to them going to the competitor. And if they offer them better service over there, good luck winning them back. With the speed of mobile, you can follow up instantly. This goes for answering questions, giving quotes, refunds, and customer surveys.

8. Referral Automation

With field management software, you have a distinct advantage over people who don’t use it. The reason is because you can tap into the power of referrals. Referrals are the most effective way of growing your business. They are free, they spend more, and they already trust what their friends say. This means when it comes down to the close, they’ll be easier to persuade to purchase or have you back out for service sooner. Don’t neglect this gold mine of an opportunity or you might regret it.

When it comes to the ultimate business acceleration technique for customer service management, going mobile is at the top. Not only is it the way that people communicate today, it is also faster, cheaper, and more powerful for you and your business. So consider getting help with your software plan today so you can start taking advantage of the technology that exists today.

The Medical Application of Iron Oxide Nanoparticles

Nano particles have gained wide recognition in the last few years. With the inception of nano technology, numerous gates have opened up in the field of electrical, chemical and bio science. One such form of nano particle is the iron oxide. The nano particles of iron oxide have gained immense popularity due to their property of superparamagnetism. In addition, the potential applications of these nano particles also add to the popularity of the same.

As a matter of fact, there are mainly two sorts of iron oxide, and they are- magnetite and maghemite. While the chemical formula of the former is Fe3O4, the name for the latter is Fe2O3. Iron oxide nanoparticles can be found within the size bracket of 1 and 100 nano meters. Even though the nano particles of Cobalt and Nickel are also quite magnetic in nature, but there are two vital aspects that set iron oxide apart from them. First of all, the nano particles of iron oxide are absolutely non-toxic in nature. Secondly, the two metals Co and Ni get oxidized very quickly, which makes them somewhat unstable.

The Uses of Iron Oxide Nanoparticles

Like it was mentioned above, there are numerous applications of the nano particles of iron oxide, particularly in the field of electrical, chemical and bioscience. Still, some of the major applications of these nano particles are- magnetic storage devices, sensors, MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), catalysis, etc.

The MRI developed through the nano particles of iron oxide feature extremely high sensitivity, which makes them more accurate for medical diagnosis. To be more specific, the particles are used as contrast agents for MRI. Without any doubt, iron oxide nanoparticles suppliers widely cater to the medical world with high grade of these particles.

One of the major applications of iron oxide nano particles is that they can help fight cancer to a significant extent. These particles can act as drug carriers. It means that the nano particles of iron oxide can be accompanied with the drug which is used for curing cancer, or the malign tumor. The nano particles possess the ability to target the affected region inside the body. In this way, the treatment of cancer turns out to be more effective.

On the other hand, these particles can be also be used for gene therapy. They can carry the gene information along with them, and hence are known as gene carriers. The other major application of iron oxide nanoparticles is in the field of IVD, or in-vitro diagnosis. They can be used like magnetic sensing probes.