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Profiting From Real Estate Investments
An Investor Newsletter From HomeVestors Of America, Inc.
By Marcie Geffner / Vol. 1 No. 8
04/28/2006
Freebies On The Web
The conventional wisdom that you can't get something for nothing isn't true when it comes to certain valuable freebies that investors can get, usually with no more effort than a telephone call or a few clicks of a computer mouse.
Read any free offer carefully because many offers that are touted as "free" come with purchase requirements that are disclosed only in a "customer agreement" or other euphemistically titled document in small print. Any "free" offer that requires the use of a credit-card to process almost certainly involves an automatic future purchase.
With that caveat in mind, here are some offers to consider: - E-mail fax service. eFax, www.efax.com, offers a service that converts incoming fax pages into an electronic document that is sent to the recipient through e-mail. The free offer is limited to one account per person or organization, and the receipt of no more than 20 fax pages per month. Free eFax numbers are not in the local area code, and users must agree to receive some promotional e-mail from eFax and other services.
- E-mail addresses. Yahoo, www.yahoo.com, MSN Hotmail, www.hotmail.com, and Google, www.google.com, among others, offer free e-mail accounts that typically include an e-mail address, spam filter and virus scanning of all e-mail. Messages can be stored online or downloaded into an e-mail software application.
- Anti-virus software. Grisoft, www.grisoft.com, offers a free version of its popular anti-virus software for private noncommercial use on home computers. The software includes virus database updates, an e-mail virus scanner and a "virus vault" to contain infected computer files. Commercial users can purchase a license to use the software after a 30-day trial period.
- Photo software. Google may be best-known for its Web search engine, but the dot-com also offers Picasa, www.picasa.com, a free application that can be used to find, organize, edit, print and share digital pictures on a computer and create online photo albums. Shutterfly, www.shutterfly.com, among others, also offers this type of service.
- Trees. Some public utility companies give away trees to property owners because shade keeps indoor temperatures cooler in the summertime and thus reduces energy consumption. For example, the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power will deliver up to seven trees to residential customers who complete a tree workshop. Renters can request free trees if they have the property owner's permission.
- Water conservation devices. Some public utility companies and city governments give away easy-to-install water conservation devices, such as low-flow shower heads, faucet aerators, toilet tank bags and even low-flow toilets. For example, one city in Florida offers residents free dye kits, low-flow shower heads, faucet aerators and "toilet tummies."
- Business forms. Lowe's Home Improvement, http://forpros.lowes.com, offers free business forms and document templates on its Web site. The forms and templates can be customized with personal data and clipart, and then printed. The collection includes a fax cover sheet, letterhead, purchase order and weekly appointment schedule.
- More freebies. CraigsList, www.craigslist.com, contains various offers of free furniture, pets, building materials, computer accessories, moving boxes, appliances and more. Select a city from the list, and then click on "free" under the "for-sale" category. Act quickly because the best stuff gets snapped up fast.
- Even more freebies. Another variation on the concept of person-to-person giveaways is Freecycle, www.freecycle.com. Members who join a local group can receive e-mail messages from other members who want to give away stuff they can't use. Offerings vary among the local groups around the country.
- Retirement community literature. "Where to Retire" magazine, www.wheretoretire.com, offers a free sample issue with no obligation to buy a subscription and free brochures about more than a hundred retirement communities that advertise in the print edition of this magazine.
Copyright 2006. Marcie Geffner. All rights reserved.
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Fair housing laws. What every investor and landlord needs to know!
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