Agents Armor: Safety is a Click Away -From Scott Levitt

 Agents, how are you protecting yourself in the field? Do you ever wish you had a good back-up plan for those situations where an open house or showing doesn't feel 100% safe?

We were absolutely blown away this year at NAR 2012 in Orlando when we saw a demo of a new safety app for real estate agents called Agents Armor. Currently available for the iOS/iPhone platform, Agents Armor has an impressive array of features to protect you on the job.

Highlights include:

1. Check-in times can be set up for you whether you are showing properties to a client, going on a listing appointment, or working an open house.

2. Notifications of selected contacts via SMS/Text and email if you fail to check in, initiate your Emergency/911 button, or enter your duress code. Includes social network notifications on Facebook, Twitter, and Linked In. Date and time of your alert and your GPS coordinates automatically maps your location via Google Maps.

3. Automatic image capture & backup of "insurance" images such as drivers licenses, vehicles, etc.

4. Repeating "duress messages" broadcast silently when you tell the app to signal you're in trouble.

5. One-touch 911 dialing.

If you're serious about your safety, we definitely recommend you check out the Agents Armor website for videos on how the app works, as well as affordable sign-ups for individual agents (or whole brokerages!):

http://agentsarmor.com/

Scott Levitt is the President of Oakley Signs & Graphics and consultant to business owners both inside and outside the real estate industry.

GOOD News for the Housing Market is good news for all of us...

From ABC News "Realty Check 10/19/12

A new report shows a slowly healing housing market, over its darkest days but not yet completely healthy. Existing home sales– the biggest chunk of the housing market–came in as expected at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.75 million in September, according to the National Association of Realtors.

There are some encouraging signs in today’s report. Though sales fell 1.7 percent in September compared with a month earlier, they are still up 11 percent over a year ago. Sales are affected because getting a loan remains difficult, many homeowners owe more on their home than it’s worth and there’s too tight of a supply of homes for sale.


Home prices are going up at a pre-recession pace. The national median existing-home price was $183,900 in September, up 11.3 percent from a year ago. The last time there were seven consecutive monthly year-over-year increases was from November 2005 to May 2006. Prices are going up in part because there is a shortage of homes for sale in many areas.

There is now a 5.9 month supply of homes available for sale, down from a six- month supply in August. This is the lowest inventory since March 2006.

At its worst there was more than a year’s supply of homes for sale.
If the recovery remains on the track there will be demand for new homes. We saw in data earlier this week that home builders are more confident and planning to increase construction in coming months.
http://abcnews.go.com/author/zunaira_zaki

Staging Mistakes

The current economy has many homeowners trying to hold on to as much equity in their home as they can. If you're trying to save money by staging your own home, real estate staging expert Debra Gould advises you tread carefully, as many staging tactics do nothing but work against you in your goal to sell faster and for more money.
"I've seen many examples of 'silly staging tricks' over the years," states Gould, owner of Toronto home staging company, Six Elements Inc. She adds, "While good for a laugh, homeowners must realize that buyers are too smart to fall for these tricks, which make it obvious they're being manipulated into thinking the sellers actually live that way."

Silly Staging Ideas Room-by-Room:

Bathroom. Tassels draped over hand towels, seashells nestled atop a stack of towels wrapped in a bow and champagne flutes on the bathtub are perhaps befitting for a honeymoon suite, but not a family home. Don't fill the bathtub with blue-tinted water and don't tie a ribbon around the toilet seat either. These have been done, but don't make the same silly mistake. Invest in new hand towels, a new shower curtain and remove personal items from countertops such as toothbrushes and makeup.

Bedroom. The casually draped throw over the foot of the bed with 'tea for two' on top has been overdone, and buyers know you don't live that way. Invest in some nice bedding, put night tables on either side of the bed and include one long dresser and a tall chest of drawers in the master bedroom. If the room seems crowded with those items, use a double bed instead of a queen or king.
Kitchen and Dining Room. Nothing screams 'staged home' like a formally set dining room. Less is more! Skip the formal setting and put a simple vase of flowers on the table instead. Clear kitchen counters of all clutter and add a simple bowl of fruit for a clean, open look.

Living Room. Displaying photos of people more attractive than family members by hanging frames with manufacturers' photos still inside, or even displaying photos of celebrities around the room, are not good ideas. Not only silly, this breaks the 'de-personalize' staging rule. Remove any photos, diplomas or similar items, as they do nothing but distract buyers. Look for some tasteful art for staging instead.

A buyer won't buy based on dining room settings or a frou-frou bathroom. After staging your home, you want a clean, de-personalized, clutter-free space. If you've done a good job, a buyer won't be able to tell it was staged at all.

Where have all the sellers gone?

Things are looking up. Slowly, slowly the economic recovery is happening. In the real estate market, if you are a buyer or a seller, you are on a tight-rope of timing.

If you are buying, you better not blink when you spot a home you think could be the one. Inventory is very low and we are once again seeing multiple offers, some above asking.  The market has been impacted by the lowest sustained interest rates in history-a particular boon for qualified, first time home buyers with nothing to sell, and the ability to make an offer quickly. See it~ like it ~sold!

Sellers are still experiencing the frustration of lower than ideal values for their homes. This is making folks on the edge of wanting to list, reluctant. They keep hoping that waiting just a bit longer to list will bring the price up to acceptable levels, which is slowing the process of new properties entering the market, which creates a shortage of inventory and well...so it goes.

In all the changes, one thing remains the same and that is the benefit of hiring a REALTOR. This professional is constantly updating his or her tool box, keeping an eye on market conditions and thinking creatively about getting you what you need as a buyer or seller.

Interested in a Career in REAL ESTATE?

LOOKING FOR A NEW CAREER? REMERICA offers 40 hours of pre-license training that is required for you to get your license from the State of Michigan.  The class prepares you to pass the

State test and offers you the opportunity to take a look at Remerica, close up, to see if we are the company for you. Call 1-800-REMERICA for more information.

Our next Class begins:

• May 21, 2012 runs Monday*, Wednesday and Thursday evenings from 6 to 10 p.m.
• The cost is $99 and pre-payment and registration are required
• Classes are held at 41017 ann Arbor Rd. in Plymouth, MI
• Complete Registration by calling 1-800-REMERICA ask for Holly

*NO CLASS MEMORIAL DAY

So You have Decided to Sell

You have made the decision to sell but you don't know where to begin.
It will be important to take a critical look at the condition of your home, inside and out.
Do you need to update to make the home more attractive to buyers?

• Make a list of repairs and projects you need to complete, estimate the cost of doing it yourself or hiring it done. 
• to get top dollar, consider Green Upgrades (energy efficient doors and windows for example) that can increase your homes value.
• You may want to invest in a professional home inspection to have a pro spot potential trouble before your buyer does.
• Don't forget the value of a good clean up of all unnecessary things you store in the garage, basement shed etc. Host a yard sale, get the stuff to the local Church Rummage or donate to any charity willing to take it.  Better to have the items used for good than used against YOU when you are showing your home.

A bit of work upfront, looking HONESTLY at your homes condition will help you price it right and get it sold!

Home Selling Checklist-Part one

In the next few entries we will go over a handy checklist we found at HGTV's "Front Door" Website.
Gauging your need to sell

• Define your goals for the next 5-10 years.
• Weigh the pros and cons of selling.
• Figure out if you can afford to sell, move and buy a new home.
• Calculate your home equity.
• Research the local housing market.
• Consider remodeling the home to fit your needs.
• Weigh the pros and cons of renting out your home.

Do this with the help of a professional REALTOR and you will have a realistic picture before you make a move.  A REALTOR will be happy to offer help, even if you decide against selling right away. Agents work hard to develop a relationship with you so that when you are ready they will be the expert you call on to list and market your home.

REMERICA a Michigan Made Company!

Homeownership Still Matters

From NAR "Home Delivery" newsletter, Nov. 2011

According to results from the 2011 NAR Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers Survey, consumers still believe in the value of home ownership.

Seventy-eight percent of recent home buyers said their home is a good investment, and 45 percent believe it’s a better investment than stocks.

Given the current restrictive credit environment, many buyers were much more cautious about their purchase and stayed well within their means; recent buyers had higher incomes and used modestly higher downpayments than buyers in the 2010 survey.

Recent buyers were also more likely to be married – 64 percent of all buyers were married couples, compared to 58 percent in 2010.

New Year~ New Home

If you have just purchased a home and gotten over the excitement/exhaustion of moving in you now have to begin building a life in the new community you have chosen.
A great place to begin is the web page of your Chamber of Commerce.  This page will offer you links to business's that can supply your needs,and community calendars for activities your family can participate in.
If you have school aged children, volunteer at their schools or join the PTO. Nothing will get you involved in a community faster than events surrounding it's children.
If you are a person of faith, churches and temples typically are very welcoming to new members of the community and are always looking for more people for the missions and worship they sponsor.

Your Realtor can also help you by offering their knowledge of the area~ from the location of the best place to eat out to a great dry cleaner or grocery.

After the excitement wears off, the realization that you have to "start over" may be daunting but by joining in and becoming a part of things you'll soon be at home in your new place.

Trying to sell your Ho- Ho- Home At The Holidays?

Deck the halls with boughs of holly, tis the season to be jolly!
What if your home is on the market?
How many nooks and crannies should you bespangle when trying to present your house as a perfect "Home"
to prospective buyers?

Conventional staging wisdom says "simplify, clear the clutter, depersonalize" the house, so buyers can imagine themselves in the space.  If you are typically the "Clark Griswold" of holiday lights, you might want to tone things down a bit this year. 
Perhaps instead of the fully lit Sleigh with Reindeer on the roof, you could settle for a professionally decorated wreath on the front of the house with a spotlight shining on it's sparkly splendor. 

If you normally have six fully decorated trees in the interior of your home, you could settle for two~ one upstairs one down or living room and family room. Then, bling them out to the max and your inner elf shouldn't feel deprived.  Try to keep the table top decor simple too. If you have a collection of nativity scenes that is rivaled only by Bronners, pick your favorite one to display prominently and store the rest in anticipation of your new home's display possibilities.

Then, when you know there is a showing, mull some cider with cinnamon, fill a "to-go cup" for your frayed nerves and leave the wonderful scent lingering in the air for your potential buyers.

Tips to Winterize Your Home

The temperatures have begun to dip and soon~ very soon for some of us, we will be into full winter mode.
If you have not done some things to prep for the worst of the winter weather, you may be "out in the cold". Literally!

• Check for Air Leaks-door frames, windows and even wall outlets are common areas for air to get in from outside, creating drafts, causing the temp to drop inside and the furnace to run more-increasing your heating costs. Caulking around windows, putting up storm windows, refreshing the weather stripping on doors are all easy ways to conserve energy for the long winter.
• Gutters must be cleaned and flushed with running water before it gets below freezing, to avoid ice dams and backups which will lead to water damage inside your home.
• While you are up there, inspect your roof for damage, wear and tear. If in doubt or if you know repairs are needed, call in a pro. The investment will save you repairs (and possibly hospitalizations from injury) in the long run!

Tips like these can help you be safer, warmer and dryer this winter!

Want a top-notch REALTOR? Ask questions!

If you are contemplating a home sale or purchase you owe it to yourself to be your own advocate and investigator before you "hire" a REALTOR.  Your agent represents you in the marketplace.  He or she will be your "go to" person regarding one of the most important business transactions that you will make. You will be working closely with him. Do you experience a sense of trust and ease with the agent?  Does she listen to your concerns and answer your questions to your satisfaction?  The National Association of REALTORS recommends that you ask a lot of questions to be sure you are entering into a partnership that will reward you both. Here are some suggestions:
1. How long have you been in residential real estate? Is it your full time job?
While experience is no guarantee of skill, real estate, like many professions, is mostly learned on the job.
2. What’s your business philosophy? While there’s no right answer to this question, the response will help you assess what’s important to the agent and determine how closely the agent’s goals and business emphasis mesh with your own.
3. How many homes did you and your real estate brokerage sell last year? By asking this question, you’ll get a good idea of how much experience the practitioner has.
4. How close to the initial asking prices of the homes you sold were the final sale prices? This is one indication of how skilled the REALTOR® is at pricing homes and marketing to suitable buyers. Of course, other factors also may be at play, including an exceptionally hot or cool real estate market.
5. How will you keep me informed about the progress of my transaction? How frequently? Again, this is not a question with a correct answer, but how you judge the response will reflect your own desires. Do you want updates twice a week or do you prefer not to be bothered unless there’s a hot prospect? Do you prefer phone, e-mail, or a personal visit? 
6. Could you please give me the names and phone numbers of your three most recent clients? Ask recent clients if they would work with this REALTOR® again. Find out whether they were pleased with the communication style, follow-up, and work ethic of the REALTOR®.

These are only a few ideas to get you started. There is lots of information available online from the National Association of REALTORS and other sites such as Realtor.com, any real estate professional worth working with welcomes your questions so, ask away!  

"Why own when you can rent"-HUH?

Home ownership is still a great goal and a worthwhile investment. To me this seems like a fairly reasonable statement. Not so to everyone however. Recently I was in a conversation and shared that our daughter, having secured a good post college job in her field, had purchased a home and we were very proud that she had done it on her own, qualified for her mortgage, "hired" a realtor shopped and (thankfully!) asked us to help evaluate her final choice before she signed on the dotted line. This was met with "Home ownership is a thing of the past- a losing proposition! She shouldda rented!!" I thought "Seriously?"  I think this man exhibited a terrible attitude toward what was once the American Dream.
Yes the market is still in terrible shape. Yes many people are still underwater in mortgages they will never "surface" from and yes the outlook for the near future does not look much better.
HOWEVER. If we don't start buying homes and other big ticket items, if we all squirrel away every red cent we earn because "the sky is falling" well, it will. consider this;
Rent is money you will never see again.
Rent is NOT Tax deductible.
" Renters generally have no idea what they'll be paying a few years down the line. Home owners with fixed-rate mortgages, however, essentially have the same payment for up to 30 years. Even those with adjustable rates have a cap and can figure out their maximum potential mortgage payment. The stability also comes from the sense homeowners get of being anchored to their community. "It gives you a little more leverage when it comes to community issues and activism," Cotlier says. "When you own your home, and you're paying taxes on it, you might have your voice a little better heard when it comes time to speak up about neighborhood or community issues."-By Melissa M. Ezarik • Bankrate.com

 I will grant you that it is because of the market that my daughter was able to afford a very nice starter home. The prices have dropped enough (even in this nice stable neighborhood) that made the purchase very "do-able" for a first time home buyer. Instead of the defeatist attitude of my acquaintance however, I think we need to invest in America through every means available.  Home ownership is a rewarding experience I want my kids and YOURS to have.

REALTORS debunk all-encompassing home sale tax rumor

Realtors debunk all-encompassing home sale tax rumor

CHRISTOPHER QUINN
/ Cox Newspapers
Atlanta — Diane Michels of Atlanta received an email last summer claiming that she would have to pay a new 3.8 percent sales tax if she sold her house in order to move to a retirement home in Florida.
The unsolicited chain email, sent from "Michael W, Realtor," said, "If you sell your $400,000 home, there will be a $15,200 tax," and blames it on a provision of President Barack Obama's health care reform.
"We were also told to check into it by a real estate agent," Michels said by phone.
Although there is a new capital gains tax two years down the road for some high-end home sales, the untrue assumption of an all-inclusive home sales tax has been surging on Internet blogs, in outraged email letters and even has been mentioned in some news forums, such as "Fox & Friends." Last June, host Gretchen Carlson mentioned part of Obama's health plan was to raise taxes on home sales.
"This became an Internet rumor that took off like wildfire," said National Association of Realtors spokesman Walter Molony.
The NAR got so many inquiries that it created a brochure to set the record straight. Rest easy, Molony says. There is no new all-encompassing home sales tax.
However, the new tax that will apply to a portion of gains on high-profit home sales by high-income owners takes effect in 2013 and is expected to help raise money to pay for the health care plan.
Individual homeowners are allowed to exempt from taxes up to $250,000 in gains from a home sale and couples can exempt up to $500,000, said Spence Shumway, founder of the accounting firm StoneBridge. The 3.8 percent surcharge tax will apply to gains above those thresholds and if the homeowners earn more than $200,000 a year for an individual or $250,000 for a couple.
Bill Murray, a Prudential Georgia Realty broker in Atlanta, said agents are aware of the rumor. Agents are ready to explain, but he fears the rumor might prevent sellers or buyers from acting.
"What I am afraid of is that many people will not understand it and pull back and not ask questions," he said.
Source Detroit News Extra Your Money, Monday October 17, 2011

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Underwater? Things you need to know before you sell.

Unfortunately, it's very common to overhear conversations around you in the grocery line or at your local pub that someone is or has a friend or relative who is "underwater" in their home. (facing foreclosure or short sale)

Beyond being  frustrated and hurt, there are some real practical and important decisions to be made by the homeowner who must sell due to these circumstances.

Seeking the advice of a REAL ESTATE professional you trust is the first step. If you do not have a relationship with a REALTOR ask friends and family for a recommendation, check well known local real estate people on their website.  REALTORS must take continuing education yearly in order to remain licensed, but some go above and beyond the requirements for certifications that will benefit YOU.
Look for SFR which means Shortsale, Foreclosure Resource, an extra certification from the National Association of REALTORS that agents can take to avail themselves of the latest information in an ever changing market.

It might also help to define a shortsale. Short sale is when a lender agrees to discount your loan due to an economic hardship on the part of the homeowner.  This is usually tried to prevent you from going into foreclosure.  Shortsale is an involved process and you must have very legitimate hardship in order to convince the bank to approve it.  Reasons such as sudden death, loss of a job and even in some situations, divorce can be sited.  If your property is certain to be foreclosed, shortsale is the lenders preferable option.

Short sale can end the financial pain and get you on to a new start, carrying less weight, and who needs baggage?  Seek the advice of a professional REALTOR today!

Halloween is a HOMEY Holiday Make sure yours is safe!

Halloween is an exciting time of year for kids, and to help ensure they have a safe holiday, here are some tips from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). Feel free to excerpt these tips or use them in their entirety for any print or broadcast story, with acknowledgment of source.
ALL DRESSED UP:

• Plan costumes that are bright and reflective. Make sure that shoes fit well and that costumes are short enough to prevent tripping, entanglement or contact with flame.
• Consider adding reflective tape or striping to costumes and Trick-or-Treat bags for greater visibility.
• Because masks can limit or block eyesight, consider non-toxic makeup and decorative hats as safer alternatives. Hats should fit properly to prevent them from sliding over eyes.
• When shopping for costumes, wigs and accessories look for and purchase those with a label clearly indicating they are flame resistant.
• If a sword, cane, or stick is a part of your child's costume, make sure it is not sharp or too long. A child may be easily hurt by these accessories if he stumbles or trips.
• Obtain flashlights with fresh batteries for all children and their escorts.
• Do not use decorative contact lenses without an eye examination and a prescription from an eye care professional. While the packaging on decorative lenses will often make claims such as “one size fits all,” or “no need to see an eye specialist,” obtaining decorative contact lenses without a prescription is both dangerous and illegal. This can cause pain, inflammation, and serious eye disorders and infections, which may lead to permanent vision loss.
• Teach children how to call 9-1-1 (or their local emergency number) if they have an emergency or become lost.

CARVING A NICHE:

• Small children should never carve pumpkins. Children can draw a face with markers.  Then parents can do the cutting.
• Consider using a flashlight or glow stick instead of a candle to light your pumpkin. If you do use a candle, a votive candle is safest.
• Candlelit pumpkins should be placed on a sturdy table, away from curtains and other flammable objects, and should never be left unattended.

HOME SAFE HOME:

• To keep homes safe for visiting trick-or-treaters, parents should remove from the porch and front yard anything a child could trip over such as garden hoses, toys, bikes and lawn decorations.
• Parents should check outdoor lights and replace burned-out bulbs.
• Wet leaves should be swept from sidewalks and steps.
• Restrain pets so they do not inadvertently jump on or bite a trick-or-treater.

ON THE TRICK-OR-TREAT TRAIL:

• A parent or responsible adult should always accompany young children on their neighborhood rounds.
• If your older children are going alone, plan and review the route that is acceptable to you. Agree on a specific time when they should return home.
• Only go to homes with a porch light on and never enter a home or car for a treat.
• Because pedestrian injuries are the most common injuries to children on Halloween, remind Trick-or Treaters:
• Stay in a group and communicate where they will be going.
• Carry a cell phone for quick communication.
• Remain on well-lit streets and always use the sidewalk.
• If no sidewalk is available, walk at the far edge of the roadway facing traffic.
• Never cut across yards or use alleys.
• Only cross the street as a group in established crosswalks (as recognized by local custom). Never cross between parked cars or out driveways.
• Don't assume the right of way. Motorists may have trouble seeing Trick-or-Treaters. Just because one car stops, doesn't mean others will!
• Law enforcement authorities should be notified immediately of any suspicious or unlawful activity.

HEALTHY HALLOWEEN:

• A good meal prior to parties and trick-or-treating will discourage youngsters from filling up on Halloween treats.
• Consider purchasing non-food treats for those who visit your home, such as coloring books or pens and pencils.
• Wait until children are home to sort and check treats. Though tampering is rare, a responsible adult should closely examine all treats and throw away any spoiled, unwrapped or suspicious items.
• Try to ration treats for the days following Halloween.

© 10/10 American Academy of Pediatrics

Freshen up for Fall

If your house is on the market chances are it has been listed for a while.
Now that the dog days of summer have past it is a good time to take a critical look at your home.
Everything from the condition of the sign out front to dead flowers in the beds has an impact on the buyers perceived value of your home.  If things are undone, plants are scraggly, the sign is old and faded, someone driving buy to look is going to be less inclined to go inside where you have the best opportunity for them to fall in love or at least in like with your home

The good news is that these are easy fixes.  Take an afternoon and get outside to weed and de-clutter garden spaces.  Trim down or remove overgrown shrubs, sweep the sidewalk.  If the "gutter" portion of the street in front of your home is littered with dead leaves or twigs that have blown out of the trees, spend some time there too.  Obviously any litter must be removed.

Now go to the opposite side of the street and look at your home.  This is what your neighbors and potential buyers driving by see.  Hows it look?  If it looks warm and inviting and tidy-you have the right idea.
If it still needs tweaking, buy some of the most vibrant mums you can from the local Home Improvement store(very inexpensive for the bang you get) or roadside stand.  Leave them in the pots and arrange them to draw the eye to your homes entryway. Keep them watered and you have a very nice low commitment addition to your landscape that will last all the way through the first hard frost.

Make your home look loved, not leftover-you will be glad you did!

A return to banking the old-fashioned way can speed the housing recovery.

July 2011 | By Lawrence Yun
You already know from real-world experience that banks are not lending. But now your experience is backed by hard data from the FDIC. The agency found that in the year ending March 2011, bank deposits rose by $300 billion, assets grew by $80 billion, and profits were up by $12 billion. Yet loan volumes fell $260 billion to $7.24 trillion.
The banking industry's old "3-6-3 rule" says that bankers pay 3 percent interest to depositors, make loans to depositors at 6 percent, and be out on the golf course by 3 p.m. That rule now seems to be replaced with a new 0-0-3 rule: Offer nothing to depositors and nothing to those who want to borrow, and earn 3 percent by buying tradable assets like ­government bonds.
To be sure, profit is not a bad thing. But when banks accumulate profit at the expense of doing what they're in business to do—make loans—they put brakes on the economy.

We might already be seeing the consequences of that, with the economic recovery showing signs of sputtering. So it's of little surprise that pending home sales in April took a tumble, falling 11 percent. Rising gas prices and unusually wet weather contributed to the slowdown. Whether home sales in the months ahead will also fall, we'll have to wait and see. But if these overly tight lending conditions ­worsen, then a price decline in the ­double-digit range is clearly possible. Strategic defaults and foreclosures will rise, and bank balance sheets will deteriorate. A second recession is possible.
But this is a worst-case scenario. What's more likely is that any additional price contractions will be modest. Home values have already fallen considerably, to historically justifiable levels. And in areas where jobs are strong, prices are solid or heading up.

But the lesson is clear: A return to banking the old-fashioned way can speed the housing recovery.

Summer Time and The Livin' is ... HOT!

This has been one of the hottest summers in recorded weather history.  All over the country folks are experincing the record temps making it hard to enjoy the outdoors and harder to cool the indoors.  Our stress level is up and desire to mow, weed, spruce or do any major or minor household project is down.

If you take a drive  through your neighborhood you will no doubt be confronted by brown, crispy grass and droopy flowers. Then you will pass the one house that has been maintained in tip top shape, grrrr what is that guy/gal doing that I am not...

We know the answer, they are being strong and carrying on.  They are watering within the restrictions set by the town or township, they are going out to weed or prune in the evening or in the early morning hours.  They are paying special attention to the spider webs on porches, splotches on windows.  They are keeping the walks and approaches to their homes swept and trimmed.
They are increasing the VALUE of their home.

If the home is listed FOR SALE curb appeal is of even more importance.  If the home next to yours is for sale, looks really great and yours is well, less than stellar, do your neighbor and yourself a favor and spend a little time sprucing it up.  When that home shows better because the potential buyer likes the look of the whole neighborhood, prices go up and everyone wins. When you model what is expected of homeowners in your area regarding home upkeep-you win as well.

Go have a glass of lemonade.