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HomeGain Releases 2011 Home Improvement Survey Results











Emeryville, CA (Vocus/PRWEB) January 19, 2011

HomeGain.com, the first website to offer web-based free instant home values, today announced that it has released the results of its nationwide home improvement and home staging Home Sale Maximizer? survey.

HomeGain surveyed nearly 600 real estate professionals nationwide and configured a list of the top 10 do-it-yourself home improvements that cost under $ 5,000 and benefit sellers most when they sell their homes.

According to the HomeGain survey, the top five home improvements that real estate professionals recommend to home sellers based on average cost and return on investment (from highest to lowest ROI) are:

1. Cleaning and de-cluttering ($ 290 cost / $ 1,990 price increase / 586% ROI)

2. Lightening and brightening ($ 375 cost / $ 1,550 price increase / 313% ROI)

3. Home staging ($ 550 cost / $ 2,194 price increase / 299% ROI)

4. Landscaping ($ 540 cost / $ 1,932 price increase / 258% ROI)

5. Repairing electrical or plumbing ($ 535 cost / $ 1,505 price increase / 181% ROI)

Cleaning and de-cluttering continues to rank as the top suggested home improvement (since the survey was originally conducted in 2000), recommended by 99 percent of real estate professionals, costing less than $ 300 and returning a value of nearly $ 2,000 to the home?s sale price, or a 586 percent return on investment.

?Sellers need to prepare their homes for sale before putting them on the market,? said Louis Cammarosano, General Manager at HomeGain. ?Homes that have initial appeal have a better shot at selling faster and closer to the asking price than homes rushed to the market with no improvements.?

Rounding out the top 10 low cost, do-it-yourself home improvements includes: updating electrical systems and/or plumbing, updating the kitchen and bathrooms, replacing or shampooing carpets, painting interior walls, repairing damaged floors, and painting the outside of the home.

The home improvement projects with the highest price increases to a home?s resale value are updating the kitchen ($ 1,265 cost / $ 3,435 price increase), followed by painting the outside of the home ($ 1,467 cost / $ 2,222 price increase) and home staging ($ 550 cost / $ 2,194 price increase).

To see the complete survey results, visit the HomeGain Real Estate Blog.

HomeGain?s Home Sale Maximizer online home improvement tool, based on the results of our home improvement surveys of real estate professionals, is designed to provide home sellers with the most cost-effective improvements to best increase the saleability of one?s home.

About HomeGain

HomeGain is a leading provider of online marketing solutions that connect real estate agents and brokers with home buyers and sellers. HomeGain offers free services to find and compare real estate agents, research home values, and view homes for sale. Since 1999 REALTORS? have used HomeGain?s real estate marketing programs to connect with consumers, promote their services and grow their business. HomeGain.com has been a top visited real estate website since 1999. HomeGain is your real estate connection.

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Home Improvement Grants

Source: http://www.home-improvement-grants.org/1805/homegain-releases-2011-home-improvement-survey-results-18/

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Obama and the Empathy Trap

Barack Obama at the CBS News town hall meetingPresidents must show empathy during difficult economic times. It's in the office handbook. There's only so much any one president can do though about the immediate condition of the economy, and he must be careful not to exaggerate his impact. So he emphasizes that he understands the plight of regular Americans. The problem with empathy, however, is not just that there's never enough of it to go around. It's that by offering it, presidents raise unrealistic expectations of a different sort.

The empathy tactic is most associated with Bill Clinton, who famously said, "I feel your pain" during the 1992 campaign, but the phrase actually dates to Jimmy Carter, who promised to be "a president who's not isolated from the people, but who feels...


Related Topics: Obama administration

Source: http://www.realclearpolitics.com/2011/05/12/obama_and_the_empathy_trap_255365.html

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iPhone Live 150: The Goram Batgirl

iPhone Live 150: The Goram BatgirlOur podcast feed Download Directly Subscribe via iTunes Rene, Chad, and Georgia talk Apple/Nuance in iOS 5, will AT&T make an iPhone 4G, the location-gate hearings, DUI apps, Google I/O, iOS 4.3.3 Jailbreak, and personal finance apps. This is iPhone Live! Read on for show notes and all the week’s iPhone news… Announcements 150, yo! [...]

iPhone Live 150: The Goram Batgirl is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

TiPb - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/MTvgSSRIoh4/

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What Should You Know to Choose The Best Sunglasses?

When it comes to choosing sunglasses for eye protection in hot summer, most customers want to choose the best sunglasses. But it seems it isnot very easy to choose the best sunglasses since there are so many various sunglasses in the market which confuse us. A given pair of sunglasses may look great on the model but not on you. Still some sunglasses are universally flattering, but it may not suit you. Here I will give you some suggestions to choose the best sunglasses for your personal purpose.

To begin with, the best sunglasses must provide you UV protection. They should block both UVA and UVB sunlight from your eyes. It is said that getting UV protection is also the primary purpose for many people who wear sunglasses. Hence, you should look for sunglasses with UV protection to keep our eye healthy.

Then, you should consider what you want your sunglasses are used for? As long as you have a clear mind of your purpose, you can choose the best sunglasses according to your needs. Will you take them just to complete your outfit? If you just want to wear it for having a walk, almost any kind of qualified sunglasses can apply to you if you like. But if you want to have a special usage in certain sports games, you should choose special sports sunglasses according to the games you will engage in.

Furthermore, to get a pair of best suitable sunglasses, your face shape must be taken into consideration. Since different styles of sunglasses compliment different facial shapes, have a clear mind of your face shape and personal style will help you narrow down the selection. For example, if you have a heart-shaped face, you may have to stay away from oversized sunglasses. You may try some big round shaped sunglasses such as Olsen twins do.

Finally, for people who suffer myopia or other vision problem, you can consider to prescription sunglasses. Today, there are many types of sunglasses that can deal with eye prescription such as clip on sunglasses, wraparound prescription sunglasses and tinted prescription sunglasses etc. besides, you can combine contact lenses with plano sunglasses. Therefore, even if you suffer vision problems, you can also have the chance to choose the best suitable sunglasses.

Source: http://www.sooperarticles.com/health-fitness-articles/eye-vision-articles/what-should-you-know-choose-best-sunglasses-440046.html

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1900s Brewery in San Francisco Converted into Artist's Studio

beth facade 008 1900s Brewery in San Francisco Converted into Artists Studio

Beth Weintraub from The Weintraub Maneuver sent us a unique design conversion. Here are the details we received: ?Originally built in 1900 as Enterprise Brewery in the Mission District of San Francisco, the building was in complete disrepair when the current owner took possession in 2005. Remodeled with all high efficiency systems over a three year period, this commercially zoned building now houses an artist studio, event and display space for the artist?s clients, business offices and her residence. Every effort was made to retain and reveal remaining original ingredients including redwood tongue-in-groove walls and floors, as well as several trapdoors fitted with connecting shutes once used to pass beer barrels from the upper level tank, down to the horse drawn wagons below. The building suffered two fires in the 1900?s, causing the exterior details to be damaged beyond repair.

beth facade 014 1900s Brewery in San Francisco Converted into Artists Studio

The building has a very wide, grand and rather macho entry stair that managed to survive, creating a wonderful old world feeling as you enter what is now a very warm, bright, flowing modern layout throughout this 4500 sq ft space that span three stories. Located in the sunniest part of San Francisco, it sits quietly as the sole surviving structure on a little known dead end alley, surrounded by the most entrepreneurial creatives, gourmet hot spots, and energetic neighborhood in the city.? Enjoy the photos of this amazing conversion and let us know if you are impressed.

view from the kitchen 2 1900s Brewery in San Francisco Converted into Artists Studio

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living room view 1900s Brewery in San Francisco Converted into Artists Studio

2nd floor studio 1900s Brewery in San Francisco Converted into Artists Studio

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House2ndfllanding1 1900s Brewery in San Francisco Converted into Artists Studio

House2ndOffice3 1900s Brewery in San Francisco Converted into Artists Studio

HouseBd1 1900s Brewery in San Francisco Converted into Artists Studio

floor detail 1900s Brewery in San Francisco Converted into Artists Studio

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1kitcheninside 1900s Brewery in San Francisco Converted into Artists Studio

1kitchen 1900s Brewery in San Francisco Converted into Artists Studio

HouseKitchen2 1900s Brewery in San Francisco Converted into Artists Studio

HouseKitchen3 1900s Brewery in San Francisco Converted into Artists Studio

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Source: http://freshome.com/2011/05/12/1900s-brewery-in-san-francisco-converted-into-artists-studio/

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Australia's top 10 franchises announced | Dynamic Business ? Small ...

The latest survey from Topfranchise reveals that Smartline Personal Mortgage Advisors are the number one Australian franchise among systems surveyed for the third year in a row. Now into its third year, topfranchise has surveyed over 3,000 franchisees (from over 80 systems) across Australia in the last three years.

Mister Minit, despite softer retail conditions climbed from fifth place to number two and perennial achiever Mortgage Choice stay in the top five for the third year in a row, taking out third place. Others to show their consistency and place in the top five include Mr Rental (fourth) and Mrs Fields (fifth).

Newcomers to the top 10 are the well known print and design company Kwik Kopy, coming in at number six and relative newcomer to Australia, Anytime Fitness placing eighth. Kwik Kopy was established in Australia in 1982 and have over 100 centres around Australia. In contrast, after just three years in Australia fellow newcomer Anytime Fitness has grown to 70 locations with a further 100 territories sold.

Anytime Fitness Australia, CEO and Owner, Justin McDonell, said the secret is people. ?Having franchisees who live and breathe health and fitness is a must for us, as they get really passionate about helping our customers to get and stay healthy. The other significant element for us is about having a turnkey business that requires less staff and so less management than a traditional gym.? Topfranchise.com.au, Head of Intelligence, Ian Krawitz said that whilst Anytime Fitness premises are open 24/7, they are manned by security cameras after hours, not staff. ?With less staff and less time in the gym topfranchise.com.au?s latest survey shows Anytime Fitness franchisees work 20 percent fewer hours than the franchising industry?s franchisees.?

Krawitz said ?Kwik Kopy?s strong overall performance results from the strength of their support systems which are weighted highly in the overall rankings.? Kwik Kopy sit at number four in the Support category. According to Strathpine Queensland Franchisee, Collette Watson, it was staff?s care factor that motivated her to rate the head office so well. Collette said ?Each person in the head office is part of our support team; it really feels like they are part of our business. We live in a digital world, which can be a digital hell sometimes, so the IT support we are provided with is fantastic.?

Others holding their place in the top 10 are Signwave, Snap on Tools and Gametraders. Krawitz, said ?Gametraders? placing was all the sweeter, as their dedication to franchisee satisfaction reached a key milestone, with their franchisees now some 50 percent more likely to recommend their business, than when they entered the awards three years ago.?

But it is Smartline who continues to be the pace setter in the franchising Industry. Smartline CEO, Chris Acret, said ?It is a huge honour for us to win Topfranchise for a third year especially because it is voted for by our own people. For us, there is no better accolade. The positive team culture that we have at Smartline is something we continue to work on. It is a testament to both our franchisees and group office team and it makes doing business more rewarding for everyone.?

Got something to say? Join the small business forum here at DynamicBusiness.com.au.

Source: http://www.dynamicbusiness.com.au/franchising/australia%E2%80%99s-top-10-franchises-announced.html

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You Too Can Organize A Memorable Stag Night

Barcelona has a status as one of the top stag locations. Here you will find opportunities for a memorable weekend. The city is a good location for stag do. It has great weather and the night scene has everything to provide. Throughout the day you will find numerous historical and cultural spots to visit. One cannot ignore the rollercoaster rides at Tibidabo amusement park. At evenings, the city is ready to welcome you in all the energetic restaurants, bars and evening clubs and there is nothing to get surprised of your stag do in one fine weekend goes strong at the break of the dawn.

When? in Barcelona, you can take a trip with a yacht charter and can float along the Mediterranean and feel the tranquility of the day.

You can also try along with your friends the Italian speed boat to have a blood pounding experience. Not to miss is? football in this part of the? world. This game is very popular in this part of the world.One location that you must check out is Las Ramblas which is one of the most famous promenades in the world. Here your will find some good restaurants and bars including enthralling street amusements too. You will find good food here for sure. You can choose anything to satisfy your stomach, from international cuisine to Catalan favourites and other seafood platters that will enrich your stag night.

Few of the well appreciated activities in one stag night? are go karting and pistol shooting and you can always visit restaurants and bars to enjoy some of the precious moments of your life. During daytime, you can try go-karting, paintballing, quad biking. You can also visit Costa Brava hotspot Calella which is near Barcelona and experience the thrill of water sports like banana boat ride, kayaking and parasailing. If you want wilder activity then you can jump out of a plane and feel the thrill of seeing the Spain's northeast coastline from the sky.

This wonderful city is really remarkable for its contrasts, gripping exercises and distinctive expression that are impossible to resist. The energetic restaurants and evening clubs throughout the city need to be enjoyed and feel the essence of the place so that you can proudly declare that Barcelona is good for stag do in one fine weekend.

Source: http://entertainment.ezinemark.com/you-too-can-organize-a-memorable-stag-night-17cfd40e99d.html

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Nursery Education - Benefits for Children at an Early Age

Nursery Education usually involves the teaching of children between the ages of three to five years old. Although formal education is not compulsory until the age of five, many leading experts agree that this period of learning may prove the most significant and influential of all the stages throughout a child's education.

In Nursery School, sometimes referred to as The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), teachers cover the same six areas of learning that follow on throughout the whole of a child's educational career. The six areas covered are:
? Communication, language and Literacy
? Mathematical Development
? Personal, Social and Emotional Development
? Knowledge and Understanding of the World
? Physical Development
? Creative Development

Children access these six areas by the use of structured, imaginative play and this is planned and delivered by qualified teachers who have chosen to specialise in this particular area. All Student Teachers following a Primary Post Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) will at some point in their training cover the early years curriculum; giving those intending to work with very young children the opportunity to pursue this role.

Research has proven that this early entry into education is particularly beneficial and increases the chances of children developing into balanced and fulfilled individuals. For example, it has been shown that those children who have had an Early Years Education, go on to generally higher grades, greater literacy; are unlikely to commit crime and are less likely to fall victim to teen pregnancy and other negative and socially inhibiting factors. Simply put, Nursery education has been shown to give children the best possible opportunity to reach their full potential.

Successive governments have been quick to notice the impact that Nursery education can have on children as they grow into adults and consequently many councils have committed themselves wholeheartedly to 'Sure Start Centres'. Here a whole range of services are in place to support families, and this links in with the government's 'Every Child Matters' policy. The Sure Start strategy is a way of promoting positive outcomes for children regardless of their background.

The Independent Sector
Given the undeniable benefits arising from Early Years education, and especially due to initiatives such as 'Sure Start', it is not surprising that Independent Schools have ensured that their Nursery provision is of the highest quality and that the teaching and facilities is a feature of excellence. With few of the constraints imposed by the state sector, Independent Schools can embrace a positive and creative Nursery learning environment in a vibrant way which suits parents and children alike.

Quite often children will attend Nursery School from the age of two for a minimum of four days a week before eventually progressing through to the main school at age four. This is an excellent way for children to move through the key stages without having to change school and helps to promote the deep feeling of belonging and the healthy sense of community often found at the heart of an independent school.

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/6195669

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Vitor Belfort Sick with Hepatitis A, UFC 133 Fight with Yoshihiro Akiyama Still On

Home ? News, UFC, UFC 133

Vitor BelfortUFC middleweight Vitor Belfort is being forced to take a few weeks off from training to recover from a bout of Hepatitis A, a treatable liver infection that typically has no lasting affects, and his fight with Yoshihiro Akiyama at UFC 133 is still on.

Belfort recently announced the illness on Twitter, but said he?d be back in the gym in two weeks to prepare for the August 6 event in Philadelphia.

Belfort (19-9) earned a title shot with a win over Rich Franklin in his return to the UFC in 2009, but was sidelined for more than a year before being knocked out by middleweight champ Anderson Silva in the opening round at UFC 126 in February.

For the latest UFC 133 news and UFC 133 rumors stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com.

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Source: http://mmafrenzy.com/18321/vitor-belfort-sick-with-hepatitis-a-ufc-133-fight-with-yoshihiro-akiyama-still-on/

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First Listen: Donnacha Dennehy, 'Gr? Agus B?s'

Donnacha Dennehy's Gr? agus B?s will be released on May 3.
Enlarge Sophie Dennehy/Coutesy of the artist

Donnacha Dennehy's Gr? agus B?s will be released on May 3.

Sophie Dennehy/Coutesy of the artist

Donnacha Dennehy's Gr? agus B?s will be released on May 3.

What's the first thing you think of when you hear the words "Irish music"? A green-beer-sodden rendition of "Danny Boy," or perhaps something by Celtic Woman?

Prepare to have all those preconceptions blown away by this album from the superb 40-year-old Irish composer Donnacha Dennehy. His new album, out May 3, features Gr? agus B?s (Love and Death) and the ravishing song cycle That the Night Come, based on the poetry of fellow Irishman W.B. Yeats.

Born in Dublin, Dennehy grew up with traditional Irish music and initially studied at Trinity College Dublin and the University of Illinois. Soon, he gravitated toward electronic music and pursued further studies at IRCAM, the Parisian electronic-music mecca founded by Pierre Boulez. Yet the pieces on this album find Dennehy rooted firmly in his native soil.

In Gr? agus B?s, Dennehy weaves traditional Irish music into his work. Written for vocalist Iarla ? Lion?ird and Dublin's Crash Ensemble (a group co-founded by the composer), the piece is full of sounds and textures that are at once haunting and exhilarating. The constant ebb of ancient morphing into present, and vanishing back again, is underscored by superb musicianship, guided by American conductor Alan Pierson.

Nevertheless, the vocalists are front and center here. ? Lion?ird's specialty is sean-nos ? singing in the old Irish style with a free sense of rhythm, very little vibrato and beautiful ornamental turns. His sweet tenor ringing above murmuring strings and winds at the beginning, combined with propulsive, primal rhythms at the end, created for me one of the best and most satisfying listening experiences of the year so far.

Dennehy called upon the luminous and fiercely intelligent American soprano Dawn Upshaw as his partner in That the Night Come. Her glistening tone offers a stark contrast to the unnerving text of the first poem, "He wishes his Beloved were Dead." Instruments rise and fall in waves during "The Old Men Admiring Themselves in the Water," with Upshaw spinning out long phrases above the players. And there's a strange kind of enraptured beauty in "These Are the Clouds," provided by the song's myriad intervallic leaps.

The piece's emotional climax arrives in the deeply beautiful song "Her Anxiety." Upshaw gives the line "All true love must die" a terrible certainty, but Dennehy won't allow that to stand as his final statement. Instead, he leads her through the piece in a way that shows off her tremendous range and creates a haunting portrait of a wild and tormented soul.

Source: http://www.npr.org/2011/04/25/135518942/first-listen-donnacha-dennehy-gr-agus-b-s?ft=1&f=10003

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