5 Boating Safety Tips for Beginners

boats for sailBoating is more than dropping your craft in the water and speeding along the seas without a care in the world. Although the open seas does attract millions of boaters because of the freedom that comes with being in complete control of where you travel, safety should be at the top of you checklist before the boat ever leaves the dock. Consider these 5 boating safety tips from before you cruise out for the day on your boats.

1. Make certain your boat has enough safety equipment on board. Each person on the boat should have a life jacket they are wearing at all times. It only takes a second for a rogue wave to hit the boat and send your guests into the water. Life jackets will protect you and your guests from any trouble that may arise.

2. Take a boating safety class before your first trip on the water. The instructors will enlighten you on all the potential hazards you may experience while on the water and how you can take care of these issues in a timely manner. Even something as safe as a pontoon boat can be dangerous on the water.

3. Pay close attention to the weather forecast for that day and head any warnings. Better yet, make sure to have a radio on board that broadcasts any weather emergencies so that you can make changes to your plans if storms are fast approaching.

4. Always let someone on shore know where you will be heading for the day. If you are not back by a certain time, they can alert the authorities to check a designated area rather than scanning hundreds of thousands of miles of open seas to help find you and your craft.

5. Bring fully charged mobile devices and have a navigation system on board. Once away from shore, a sudden storm could easily disorient a new boater to the point you are traveling with your guests in the wrong direction and headed for serious trouble.

Things can go from bad to worse in the blink of an eye when on the water, and with rescue many miles away, the only chance you have to safe yourself or your guests will be with your quick thinking. Never assume that things will be fine simply because the skies are clear and no bad weather is near.

Large waves can smack the side of your boat and send you overboard in a second, and without any emergency training you could instantly be placed in a life or death situation.


First Time Home Buyers Checklist

charleston-real-estate-3Buying your first home can be the most exciting time of your life as well as the most stressful. If you want to take the stress out of the equation, following along with this simple checklist from a top homes for sale Charleston SC real estate professional that will make things go much smoother in the end. Take a deep breath and take these one at a time before you make that life-changing commitment.

1. Research Your Realtor – Just like car dealers, doctors, or mechanics, not all realtors are the same. Visit a few social media websites and poke around to see who the county is raving or ranting about in the real estate world. You should be able to find a great realtor fairly easily by asking the group for realtors they recommend.

2. Get Your Credit in Order – Now id the time to order a copy of your credit score and see if there are any mistakes or areas that you can improve so that your scores are as high as they can be. The higher your credit score, the lower your eventual interest will be when it comes time to secure the loan from the lending institution.

3. Check the Neighborhood – Spend some time driving the neighborhood at night, research some websites about that community, and ask around how people generally feel about living in that area. People who love the area will tell you all about the best things about the region, while those who hate it there will show you all the sides that you might not be aware of. Now you can make your own decision more informed.

4. Fair Market Analysis – Once you find a house that you are interested in, ask your realtor for the selling prices of similar houses in a five mile radius. You can also use websites like Zillow to gather the same information so that you can have some negotiating power when it comes time to putting in your offer on the house.

5. Learn to be Patient – In the real estate industry, you have to learn to expect the unexpected. Things happen between the contract signing and closing, so you ca not let each little setback crush your dreams. Just know that your realtor has been through this dozens of times and will do everything that they can to get you to closing in a timely manner so you can begin your new life in your new house.

The key to buying your first house is allowing the professionals like the realtor, lawyer, and house inspectors do their job so you can get in your house as quickly as possible.

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What Are Real Estate Rebates & How to Get One

real estate rebateIf you are not aware what new home rebates or real estate rebates are or how to get one, then this information is certainly going to be a real eye-opener for you. Right now there are people all over the country being handed thousands of dollars at closing simply because they inquired with their real estate agent about the rebates. To see if you qualify, all you need to do is be buying a home, it really could not get any easier than that.

What Are Real Estate Rebates?
To better understand what are real estate rebates, you need to know all about the home selling process. The homeowner calls a realtor to list their home for sale. The home owner and the real estate agent agree that upon the sale of the home, the agent will receive a commission based on the sale price. The commission is the real estate agents pay for all their time invested in selling the house. The real estate agent who brings in the buyer also get a commission, or percentage of the sale of the house. These agents leverage their pay to acquire more potential customers by taking a cut of their money and giving it to the buyer as incentive to do the deal with them.

How Do You Get the Real Estate Rebate?
In order to get the real estate rebate, you simply need to inquire with a real estate agent of they take part in the rebate process. If they are willing to provide you the rebate, then upon closing of the house, you will receive your money to do with as you please. The decision to offer the rebate falls squarely on the lap of the agent, but with so many benefits for all parties involved, most are willing to hand over the cash in exchange for more business. In the game of real estate, referrals are gold, and buyers who get these cash rebates often tell their family and friends about the agent and get them more exposure and more business.

While some states are trying to ban the real estate rebate, it has become more popular as each year passes. The people who need that cash most are benefiting from the rebates, and the courts are trying everything now to make it illegal to ban such a practice. Speak with a real estate agent before you fill out a contract to make sure you are getting your share of the cash when the house closes.

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