Happy New Year! To celebrate, we’re kicking 2010 off with a series of daily posts in January that highlight reasons to sell with Buy Owner, giving you a total of 31 reasons there’s no better way to sell your home.

The series begins this afternoon, so check back here to see what’s in store!

Want to be sure you stay up-to-date with the latest news here? You can subscribe to the Buy Owner Blog here, via an RSS reader or through e-mail!

Buy Owner® has recently added maps to our online advertising, as well as updated our schools sections! These exciting new features give you the ability to enhance your property’s marketing the way you’d like, giving you maximum customization and control.

Here’s how the new features work:

NEW MAPS

Buy Owner advertisements now display custom maps that allow buyers to see where your home is located. Buyers who view your property can click for three different map views: (1) Map: the default option with street names (2) Satellite: a bird’s eye view from above or (3) Hybrid: a combination of the two that shows street names and a satellite view.

As a Buy Owner seller, you can make several customizations to these maps, all from within your Seller Tools online. You can move the pinpoint of your home to the exact spot where your residence should be, and you can choose whether or not to display your street address when a buyer clicks the marker. Plus, if you’d rather not show the map, that’s fine, too: Simply click the option to remove the map from your ad, and it will no longer appear!

UPDATED SCHOOLS SECTION

Buy Owner advertisements now benefit from an enhanced schools section! As always, a list of schools is available on your property’s advertisement, but now that list can show (1) public schools (2) private schools and (3) local colleges/universities.

As a Buy Owner seller, you decide to show all, some or none of these listings. From within your Seller Tools online, you can check the types of schools you want to show, and remove the check from any you don’t. It’s that simple! When buyers view your listing, they’ll be able to see the types of schools you’ve made available.

Log in to your Seller Tools to experiment with these new features, and customize them to your liking. Call our customer service department if we can be of any assistance.

We hope you enjoy these new features – one more way we at Buy Owner give you control over your home sale because at Buy Owner, it’s U that makes the difference!

Whether your home is a vintage fixer-upper or a brand-new, blank canvas, there are many things you need to consider before redecorating your abode. Many homeowners have an intricate design plan in mind; others know that they just want to remodel, but do not have a clue where to begin. In either case, the successful completion of such a massive project could benefit from the services of a professional decorator.

Here are a few reasons why you may need to hire a professional decorator:

 You do not have any personal time (i.e., you are always busy with work and family).
 You cannot decide on a color scheme or a pattern.
 You want to recreate a room that you saw on an HGTV show or in a home decor magazine, but you are unsure how to do it.
 You want a one-of-a-kind design.
 You have acquired many different pieces of furniture over the years and are unsure on how to make them work together in the same space.

There are lots of advantages to hiring a decorator. Many professionals offer you assistance in areas in which you may have very little knowledge. They can advise you of the latest decorating trends and provide you with the newest products on the market. And because of their numerous business contacts, decorators may even be able to find materials and gadgets at lower, discounted rates.

Before hiring a professional decorator, follow these general guidelines:

 Check his or her reputation. Find out if previous clients are satisfied with the work that was done to their homes. Feel free to ask for references. After all, this is a job interview.

 Look into his/her experience. Does your professional decorator have any training? Most professionals will have a college degree or some type of education involving interior design. You may also want to ask to see samples of their work.

 Ask questions. Do not hesitate to ask questions. THEY work for YOU. Find out what ideas your professional decorator has for your home. Decorators typically offer different perspectives on color schemes and design layouts.

Remember, the final say is yours, and you can change your mind at any time. Professional decorators are there to enhance your vision, not to completely alter it. With a few suggestions, lots of tips and an expert opinion, you are sure to love your newly decorated home.

Housefly shows you what properties are currently being viewed on the BuyOwner.com Web site, with the statistics being updated every 30 seconds. As a property is viewed, this page is updated in moments to show you the current information.

Go see for yourself! It’s one more way Buy Owner works to use technology for your advantage!

Although you may not see any cosmetic changes, the update will be enhancing the database functionality. We will be moving to a faster, more powerful database server.

New and exciting features are in store for both buyers and sellers.

The BuyOwner.com IT department appreciates your patience as we continue to better your home selling and buying experience.

To learn more about different types of mortgages, from 30-year fixed to interest-only loans, visit the Buy Owner website and click the Mortgage tab at top.

Compare rates from different companies and see what GuaranteedRate.com can do for you! Getting the best rate could save you thousands of dollars over the life of your loan!

• The now-available Best of Both Worlds program combines your Buy Owner advertising with MLS Realty‘s service.
• Choosing this option puts your home on multiple real estate websites and the local MLS.
• You’ll continue to enjoy professional, national advertising, plus all the perks of a full-service real estate company.

See MLS Realty‘s website or call 1-800-MLS-REALTY (1-800-657-7325) for more info.

Keep an eye on this blog for announcements of new features.