Thursday, March 24, 2016

7 Best Tips for Spring House Hunting | Preparing to Buy a Home


Spring is here! The warmer climate, wonderful flowers, and longer days are great for viewing homes in person, and it’s no wonder that the spring season is a popular time for home buyers to begin seeking out homes and neighborhoods.

But before you go driving around and going to open houses, you should consider these crucial house hunting tips.

1. Get Pre-approved for a Mortgage
Getting pre-authorized for a home loan is one of the best tools to have when looking for a house, especially when you have competitors.

If you are pre-approved, the home seller takes your offer more seriously and may well end up accepting your offer over other interested parties who are not pre-approved.


Make sure your credit score is as good as you can get it. Many lenders adjust interest rates in part, due to credit score ratings. Most of the time, the higher your credit score, the better the deal you can get on a home loan.

2. Get to Know the Neighborhood
If you have a specific property in mind, it’s best to stop by the area more than once, at different times of the day and week.

3. Have a List of Your Wants and Needs
Have a detailed house hunting checklist outlining your wants and needs, and make certain that your list covers the type of house (e.g. house or condo), the location, quantity of bedrooms and bathrooms, and dwelling attributes that you are searching for.


One mistake that home buyers make during their property search, is getting a wish list that is too strict. You don’t want to get stuck browsing for some fantastic property that may not exist.

4. Don’t Be Afraid to Examine Everything
If you have narrowed your home search and are viewing residences in person, it’s time to examine everything: doorknobs, cabinets, windows, faucets, light switches. Now is the time to discover out if there is something that needs repair, not after closing.

5. Take Climate Into Consideration
Relocating from a different state or nation? When purchasing a house in a new location, taking into consideration weather circumstances and seasonal temperature changes is essential.

For instance, you may possibly want a house that has a covered garage if you move to a region where snow is more common, or you may perhaps, want to choose a home with a shaded backyard in an area with warmer temperatures.

6. Order the Property Inspection


It’s critical to have a trained professional examine the house you are interested in buying, even a home that has just been constructed. This is the best way to identify any key repairs that need to be addressed. Typically inspections are performed after an offer is accepted. If needed repairs show up on a property inspection, the buyer can usually back out of the contract with no penalty if they feel that the repairs are too much to tackle.

7. Have the Best Real Estate Agent on Your Side
If you are feeling frustrated and overwhelmed while house hunting and competing with other property purchasers, your real estate agent is there to guide you through the process and keep you focused on the next steps.

We want you to be able to find the best home in an ideal location, and we are right here to help. So if you are browsing for a house in central Arkansas this spring, speak with us about what you are hunting for in a home and we can find it together.

By Luke Thomas from the Tracy Tidwell Team at ERA TEAM Real Estate in Conway, AR
ERA.com
Luke: 801-502-2799


Friday, March 18, 2016

Greers Ferry Lake House | Arkansas Real Estate

Get away for the weekend and enjoy the great outdoors!
Greers Ferry Lake House
255 Eddie Lane, Clinton, AR 72031

Treat yourself to a day on the water anytime and enjoy the evenings at your home by the lake! This 3 Bedroom 2 Bath home sits across the street from Greers Ferry Lake. Only 1 Mile to Choctaw Recreation area. In a quiet area. The perfect weekend lake house. House being sold with all furniture and appliances. Ready to move into down to the kitchen silverware! 20x12 storage building/workshop with power. Patio, horseshoe pits, fire pit, and a pig roaster. Great for entertaining family and friends!



Listing ID: 16008360
Price: $89,500
Address: 255 Eddie Lane
City: Clinton
State: Arkansas
Postal Code: 72031
Bedrooms: 3
Total Baths: 2
Full Baths: 2
Square Feet: 1,456
Acres: 0.420
County: Van Buren


Marketed by Luke Thomas from the Tracy Tidwell Team at ERA TEAM Real Estate in Conway, AR

Call today for more information or to schedule a showing!

Luke: 801-502-2799



Information about Choctaw Recreation area on Greers Ferry Lake:
Choctaw Recreation Area

Overview

Choctaw Campground is located on the spacious Greers Ferry Lake nestled in the foothills of the Ozark Mountains.



In the 19th century, a city named Higden flourished where the lake now rests. The city suffered from frequent flooding and as a result a man-made lake was created for flood control of the area.

Today, the city's remains sit below the lake, enticing scuba divers and archaeologists alike.

Natural Features:

Greers Ferry Lake spans 30,000 acres of north-central Arkansas. The dam creating the reservoir stands at the foot of the beautiful Round Mountain, with water trickling through to the Little Red River.
Natural Beauty of Greers Ferry Lake

Recreation:

Whether a visitor prefers boating, water skiing, fishing, swimming or scuba diving, Greers Ferry Lake has it all. The river tributaries keep anglers entertained, as they produce some of the largest walleye in the world; the record breaker was a whopping 23 lbs.



In spring, the countryside becomes a photographer's paradise with wildflowers, redbud and dogwood trees in full bloom.

Facilities:

Choctaw Park is open from the middle of May through mid-September. The sizable campground has 91 sites with electric hookups and 55 non-electric.

Campers can enjoy the hot showers, group picnic shelter, boat ramp, playground, swimming area and public marina.



Choctaw Recreation Area Camping

Nearby Attractions:

Explore the quaint historic towns around the lake for shopping and dining.

Activities and Amenities

Within Facility
  • Accessible Flush Toilets
  • Boat Ramp
  • Boat Rentals
  • Drinking Water
  • Dump Station
  • Entrance Station
  • Marina
  • Parking Area

Tuesday, March 1, 2016

ERA TEAM Real Estate Donation Drive For Deployed Soldiers | Care Packages

Deployed Soldiers

ERA TEAM Real Estate is now accepting donations for care packages to be sent to soldiers deployed to foreign theaters of operation. Your everyday household items go a long way towards making the conditions more bearable and cheering up deployed soldiers.

There is no further cost to you beyond your donation. We will package and ship donations to our overseas military personnel and send them a little bit of the comforts from back home.

  

Recomended Items:
Letters
ThermaCare Heat Wraps (lower back, knee and elbow, and shoulder)
Black Cotton Tube Socks,
Powdered Drink mixes (boxes of the individual serving type)
Moleskin,
Gold Bond foot powder,
Lip Balm (non wax based)
Gum
Beef Jerky
Cans of peanuts/almonds/cashews
Current Magazines,
Crossword Puzzles/Word Search/Sudoku
Small board games
Spices
Non-perishable single serving items ex: Vienna sausages etc...
Other items you think might cheer up a deployed soldier


Items Not Recommended or Prohibited
Chocolate or anything else that easily melts not in a sealed non-porous container
Risque material
Alcoholic Beverages
Tobacco Products

When:
ERA TEAM Real Estate will accept donations during normal office hours; Mon-Fri 8:00 am til 5:00 pm. Deadline is March 8 after which we will be packing and shipping the donations. Only a week left to get your items in for the troops during this drive!

Drop off location:
ERA TEAM Real Estate
1600 Dave Ward Drive
Suite A-7
Conway, AR 72034

Sunday, February 28, 2016

How To Set Up a Home Theater System Like a Pro

Home Theatre System

Building a killer home theater includes more than just throwing a significant wad of cash at your local electronics dealer. It demands preparing, finesse, and scientific acoustic manipulation. There are a lot of strategies and technologies used in today's major home theatre systems. Here's how to setup like a pro.

A good way to develop the ultimate home theater system, not surprisingly, is to fill the space with a quality system. If you can afford to do that, amazing. But you nonetheless have to employ a set of design methods to assure that the gear performs it it's peak capability. The following guidance applies whether your sound-blasting spending budget makes it possible for only a couple hundred or as a big deal as quite a few thousand dollars.

The Seat:

What you sit on is just as important as where you happen to be sitting. Here are some things to hold in mind when picking furnishings for your house theater.

Keep chairs clear. Seats with higher backs can block the audio coming from your surround sound speakers, compromising the experience. Shorter furnishings clear the path to the speakers.

Home Theatre Seating

Help your spine. This is about minimizing distractions. If you're back is stiff and your coccyx is numb, you are not going to really feel that bass rattling your can.

Get off the wall. Positioning seats right next to the walls interrupts the path sound travels in most rooms.

The Space:

Before you commence shoving seats and speakers in an open space, stop for a minute and look at the room. The acoustic chamber contributes about half of the possible sound quality and presentation. Envision your layout strategically.

Keep the area quiet. Remove sources of distracting background noises. Shut the door!

Handle the light. Relocate distracting lights or reflections. Placing the Television opposite a window that faces the sun will result in a glare. Use lights that can be dimmed for ideal viewing. Close the shades. The area doesn't require complete darkness, just dimmed some.

Get rid of visual distractions. Keep away from vibrant reflective surfaces close to the screen. This is especially critical with a 3D Tv. But 3D or not, peripheral visual distractions pull you out of what is supposed to be an immersive experience.

Stay centered. Make sure the room makes it possible for the center channel to be placed in the heart of the layout. This is the source of most of a film's dialogue.

Do not overdo dampening. You do not will need to run out and purchase acoustic treatment. Most living spaces with bookshelves, photos, furniture, and drapes absorb and reflect sound in a way that is fine for most people today. Never program in a completely empty space, as it can act as an echo chamber.

The Picture:

Shop for the right Television to fit your room. You want a screen that's big and adequate to be enveloping, and modest enough to be sharp and clear.

Check the size. What size screen need to you get? You want a horizontal viewing angle of 40-degrees from your seats. There's an actual formula that helps you figure this out. Measure the distance of the screen to the principal seat, in inches. Multiply that by .84 and you are going to get a diagonal screen size (Distance x .84 = Screen Size). This a maximum screen size recommendation.
If your seat is 72 inches from the screen, the formula would look like this: 72 x .84 = 60.4. So the maximum recommended screen is 60 inches. Of course, you can go bigger. It is definitely up to you. Just make sure that you don't have to move your head back and forth to keep up with the action on screen.

Best Buy Co, Inc.

Find a deal. Technology changes quickly, so it is hard to say what will be the greatest form of HDTV from day to day. If you can afford the best, get it. But, get the ideal TV obtainable in your price tag range at the time.

The Sound:

That rumbling crescendo at the starting of a THX-certified film in a public theater, known as the Deep Note, emphasizes the importance of the system's speakers.

Seek uniform delivery. You want a sound coverage pattern, recognized as off-axis overall performance, that equally envelops everybody in the room.

Speaker Placement

Test the placement. The center channel is the largest challenge to a sound system and the most crucial speaker in the room. Low quality speakers are prone to lobbing, a degradation of sound triggered when speakers of the very same size and shape are placed too close together. This degradation causes each seat to get a different sound. But there is a test to make sure the speaker array provides the same sound to every viewer: pink noise.

Pink noise is a test signal. It really is a shushing sound that has the similar power at all octaves. You can download iOS and Android apps that feed pink noise to the system. Pump up the pink noise and walk about your theater space. You'll hear the sound adjust as you move. You want to check that the sound that is broadcast to all of your seating sounds similar. Adjust the room's configuration until you are accurately aiming all the speakers at your audience.

Come across the center. The center channel is fine under the screen. It's much better above the screen. It really is at its finest when it is behind or within the screen—that works if you are using a projection technique with a screen that makes it possible for sounds to pass through without muffling them.

Position the surround. Surround sound speakers need to be to the side, above, and perhaps a bit behind the audience. Do not aim the speakers directly at the listener's' ears. The surround sound speakers should really have a left and right spread of 45 to 60 degrees. If feasible, get high dispersion speakers, which spread the sound as it comes out of the speakers.

Match the mouths. Forward left and right speakers must be 5/8 of the way up the Tv screen. This aligns the speakers with the actors' heads on the screen, producing the feeling that the sound is coming from their mouths.

Pump the bass. The purpose of the subwoofer is to have it play all the sounds at frequencies of 80Hz and below. (Verify your unique hardware's guidelines for setup procedures.) Keep the subwoofer away from walls. The quality of the bass will improve and your neighbors will thank you.

The Electronics:

To connect the Tv and speakers with each other, you want a configuration that is higher in top quality and low in complexity.

Match the receiver to the space. It is essential that your receiver is acceptable for its environment. An overpowered receiver in a tiny room is just a waste of dollars. This doesn't mean sacrificing quality. A high end system has noticeably better sound quality than cheaper knockoffs. It's better to buy higher quality than bigger system size. Scale down the deafening stadium level output and choose better quality for the same price.
Bose Lifestyle 535 5.1 Home Theater System - 1080p - Control Console - Black - Ethernet - Wireless LAN - HDMI - USB - Internet Streaming
Bose Lifestyle 535 5.1 Home Theater System - 1080p - Control Console - Black - Ethernet - Wireless LAN - HDMI 

Make it plain. If you have five remotes on the table, you are doing it wrong. The goal is to operate the theatre system applying a single remote that the least tech-savvy individual in the home can operate.

Get the appropriate gear. Initial, cover the fundamentals. Does the receiver you happen to be thinking about have adequate inputs for all of your peripherals? There is no shame in purchasing equipment from a dealer that will support your set up and show you how to use it. If the equipment's manual is larger than the last book you studied, get support.

Conclusion: 
The equipment you choose is as important as how you set it up.Go for the best you can get but set a budget. Do what works for you and your household. I hope this guide helped you and have an awesome time with your home theater system!

Wal-Mart.com USA, LLC

Friday, February 26, 2016

Waterford Crystal | An Irish Tradition

Waterfordicon

Waterford is the leading provider of luxury home and lifestyle products sold worldwide. From crystal stemware, to fine bone china dinnerware, to luxurious home accessories, collectibles and gifts, Waterford offers thousands of products relevant to the lifestyles of today's prestigious consumers.

Waterford is the most popular premium crystal brand in the world; incorporating classic and contemporary stemware, giftware, lighting, and seasonal products. Features designer collaborations by Monique Lhuillier, Jim O'Leary, John Rocha, and Jeff Leatham.

Known the world over for spectacular pieces and innovation in designer crystal. To hold Waterford crystal is to hold a world class masterpiece.


TOP PRODUCT CATEGORIES
  • Wedding & Anniversary Gifts
  • Personalized/ Engraved Gifts
  • Dinnerware, Stemware and Flatware
  • Crystal Chandeliers & Lamps
  • Gifts & Collectibles
  • Home Accessories & Home Decor
  • Sports Collectibles
History

The organization of Waterford was initially established in 1783 on land adjacent to Merchants' Quay in the heart of the Irish harbor town of Waterford, just minutes from the present day Home of Waterford Crystal. Its founders were brothers, William and George Penrose, significant developers and principal exporters in the city. Their vision was to "develop the finest top quality crystal for drinking vessels and objects of beauty for the home." Far more than two hundred years later, the reputation they established for producing glass of unsurpassed beauty and top quality has transcended the intervening centuries.

Lismore Diamondicon

The Penrose brothers opened the first glassmaking factory in Waterford in 1783, where their crystal was quickly recognized for its clarity and purity of colour. They enjoyed accomplishment well into the 1800’s. But then, tragically after 70 years of operating, the Penrose brothers' glass creating factory fell victim to a turn of events that echo today’s business woes -- in 1853, the business fell victim to a lack of capitalization, and was sadly forced to close.

After a period of dormancy, the Waterford story resumes in 1947, when glassmaker Kael Bacik hired fellow Czech Miroslav Havel as Chief Designer for his fledgling glassmaking operation in Ireland. Havel spent many hours at the National Museum of Ireland studying surviving examples of the Penrose brothers’ crystal from the 18th and 19th centuries. The conventional cutting patterns made famous by the artisans of Waterford became the style basis for the expanding item range of the new company, and it is from these styles in 1952 that Havel designed the now iconic Lismore , which remains the world’s most popular crystal pattern.

Lismore Collectionicon

Waterford Crystal today maintains quite sturdy connections with its illustrious predecessors. There is the exact same dedication to purity of colour, design inspiration and highest high quality levels: core values carried over and maintained from the company’s earliest beginnings.

Considering its humble beginnings, Waterford has exponentially expanded its offerings beyond classic stemware to embrace and fulfill the luxury lifestyle. Nowadays, Waterford brand merchandise contains: Stemware and Barware , Fine China & Flatware , Vases , Bowls & Centerpieces , Collectibles , Lighting , Chandeliers , Wedding and Anniversary Gifts , Paperweights , and Holiday Ornaments and Gifts.

Waterford.com - Click Here!

Waterford has also formed collaborations and partnerships with major designers in the globe of fashion and luxury living to produce a exceptional range of dining and house décor originals. These inventive pairings with Waterford incorporate the designs of Monique Lhuillier , John Rocha , Jo Sampson , Jeff Leatham , Billy Canning, Jasper Conran and Robert Mondavi.

Waterford’s personal House of Waterford Crystal Style Studio , in the heart of Waterford City, Ireland, is the place where the magnificent Waterford trophies, sculptures and presentation pieces are born. Under the guidance of Chief Designer John Connolly and the legacy of the late Jim O'Leary , a group of in-property imagineers craft such crystal marvels as the PGA Tour of America trophy, the People’s Choice Award, and the intricate panels of the Waterford Times Square New Year’s Eve Ball.

Crystal Chandeliersicon

Most recently, Waterford launched Waterford Interiors , a premier house decor portfolio, which involves the performance of internationally acclaimed designers Jo Sampson , John Rocha , and Billy Canning in an in depth range of innovative pieces from sleek console tables and dramatic floor mirrors to bespoke chandeliers and lighting developed for glamorous living.

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Engraved Crystalicon

Waterford business gifts convey long-lasting appreciation -- helping to build stronger business relationships with your customers, partners and employees. Show your sense of style with an unforgettable corporate gift from Waterford.

Waterford Business Giftsicon

Perfect for All Occasions
  • Retirement & Tenure Gifts
  • Executive Awards
  • Employee Appreciation Gifts
  • Company Events & Contests
  • Shareholder Meeting Gifts
  • Sales Meeting Gifts
  • Sales Achievement Gifts
  • Golf Tournament Awards
  • Client and Customer Gifts
  • Military Awards
  • Trade Show Gifts

Saturday, February 20, 2016

Royal Doulton | London Style Since 1815

Countess Collectionicon

One of the world's foremost brands, Royal Doulton produces a wide range of products from tableware and stemware to collectables, nurseryware and gifts. Key designer collaborations include Gordon Ramsay and Donna Hay. Today, Royal Doultonicon is at the forefront of retail and e-tail with a lifestyle offer that covers the classic and the contemporary.

RoyalDoulton.com - Click Here!icon

TOP PRODUCT CATEGORIES
  • Figurines & Collectibles
  • Wedding & Anniversary Gifts
  • Casual Dinnerware
  • Drinkware & Flatware
  • Home Accessories & Home Decor
  • Popular Designer Collections: Gordon Ramsay, Donna Hay & Charlene Mullen

Celebrating 200 years of Royal Doulton with artist collaborations & limited edition collectables.

Watch the collaboration between artists, designers and the team at Royal Doultonicon talk about the inspiration behind the 200 year celebration pieces.


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Gordon Ramsayicon is a man for all seasons:
A master chef, author, international restaurateur, culinary expert and reality TV star. He is also the creative force behind Gordon Ramsay Maze by Royal Doultonicon, a collection of dinnerware, bakeware, serveware, cookware and cutlery.





Breaking the barrier between urban art and interior décor, we’ve worked with cutting-edge artists Pure Evil and Nick Walker to bring you Street Art. The collection offers a surprising alternative to art prints – combining progressive art with classic bone-china plates and mugs.


Fiskars - celebrating centuries of pride, passion and design. Every day.

RoyalDoulton.com - Click Here!

Established in 1649 as an ironworks in a small Finnish village, Fiskars has grown to be a leading consumer goods company with globally recognized brands including Fiskars, Iittala, Gerber, Wedgwood and Waterford. With iconic products, strong brands and global ambitions, Fiskars’ mission is to enrich people’s lives in home, garden and outdoor. Fiskars’ products are available in more than 100 countries and the company employs 8,600 people in 30 countries.

Fiskars is listed on Nasdaq Helsinki.