Here are some things to keep in mind while planning a relocation with your family:

• Let your family know about the relocation as soon as possible- While you might like to get everything situated first, letting your kids know about the imminent change early on in the process makes them feel like an integral part of your decision and the family. Let them express concerns, listen and don’t get upset if they don’t agree with the change wholeheartedly. Telling them about the move as soon as possible will give them ample time to emotionally work through and accept the relocation.
• Research- Spend time researching your new city. If time allows, take your family on a short trip to your future home. Try to get your kids excited about the change by showing them everything your new city has to offer. Once they see their new home, some of their anxieties about leaving your current city should start to recede.
• Let your kids know they can come back to visit- If your kids know that they can always come back to visit their friends, they might relax about the move. Let them know that instead of losing friends, they will actually be gaining friends in a new city. Help them stay in contact with their classmates and friends. That connection to home will help them adjust to their new living arrangements.

If you have any other comments or suggestions, join us on Facebook or Twitter. We love hearing your feedback.

Questions to ask:

• How long have you lived here? How do you like it? What do you like best? Least?
• Do you feel safe living here?
• What are the schools like?
• Do the neighbors get along?
• Do you know why the current owner is selling the house?
• Do you know of any problems the current owner has had with the house?
• What do you like to do in the area?
• Would you move to a different neighborhood, if given the opportunity?

By asking the right questions, you might be able to avoid bad situations and unforeseen problems. On the other hand, the neighbor’s information might help you confidently continue with the home buying process. If you have any questions to add to the list, be sure to share them with us in the comments or on Facebook or Twitter.

Some Tips:

• First and foremost, give your movers some leeway. They are professionals, and they know when a move should be postponed.
• Reserve a spot for your moving truck. Put out cones, and talk to your neighbors.
• Before your movers arrive, shovel the driveway and all walkways. Cover them with sand and/or salt.
• Protect the inside of your home. Put out extra doormats and have towels ready to wipe down shoes. Use plastic tarps to protect carpet.
• Make sure all of your boxes are taped shut. Cover your furniture with moving blankets or plastic. Also, make sure your belongings go straight from your home to the moving truck; don’t set anything down along the way.
• Prepare hot beverages. Moving in cold weather is difficult!
• After everything is packed up, drive slowly and safely. It’s perfectly fine if the move takes longer than anticipated. Safety comes first.
• Once you arrive at your new home, unpack as quickly as possible. This allows you to dry any items that may have gotten wet.

With a few extra steps, your winter move can be safe and successful. If you have any other tips, let us know on Facebook or Twitter.

Top Tools for Renters:

• Hammer- A medium-sized hammer is all you need. Use it to hang pictures, shelves, etc.
• Screwdriver- Instead of messing around trying to find a flat or Phillips, invest in a good multi-head screwdriver. You will have everything you need in one, compact tool. Use it to tighten/loosen household fixtures, put together IKEA furniture, etc.
• Wrench- Like the screwdriver, instead of trying to figure out sizes, go with an adjustable wrench. Use it to tighten/loosen bolts.
• Pliers- If you plan on working with wiring, consider buying wire-cutting pliers. These also come in handy during DIY craft projects. And, those moments when your scissors mysteriously disappear.
• Tape Measure- Usually a 16-foot tape measure does the trick, but if you have especially large rooms, go with a longer one. Tape measures are absolutely necessary when decorating and buying new furniture.
• Nails and Screws- It’s helpful to keep a variety of nails and screws around. Nails are needed to hang wall decorations, and screws are helpful in many household repairs.

Or, just keep a stash of emergency duct tape.

If you have any other suggestions, head on over to our Twitter page or Facebook page. We love conversation.

Here are some tips for achieving professional-quality photos:

• Staging- Staging is important during home showings and open houses, so you might as well get it done before taking marketing photographs of your home. Clean, de-clutter and de-personalize your spaces before pulling out the camera. If your residence is already empty, think about bringing in a piece of furniture for scale. It’s hard to judge an empty room’s size through a photo.

• Lighting- Lighting can make the difference between a worthless photo and a great photo. For exterior shots, always keep the sun behind you. You should take the photos during a clear day, unless your home is heavily shadowed. If it is, shooting the outside of your house on an overcast day might be the better option. Never shoot into the sun, as this will cause your home to be back lit, creating a silhouette effect.

  For interior shots, turn on the lights and open the shades. If direct sunlight filters in through the windows, wait for a different time of day, as direct light can be too harsh and distract from the room. Try shooting at twilight. The light filtering in at that time should match the interior lighting. If it’s possible, avoid using a flash.

• Framing- Next, think about how you want the room to appear. Find a focal point, such as an impressive window or fireplace. If there isn’t a single feature you want to show off, consider all aspects of the room you want to highlight. Make the center of those items your focal point.

  Also, consider the point of view and angles. Shooting from a diagonal opens up more of the room. However, make the opposite corner slightly off-center. If your room has a particularly high ceiling, consider a lower POV to show off the space. Take multiple photos from different areas and heights. You’ll be able to tell what works best for your spaces.

• Post-Processing- Lastly, clean up your photographs with computer software. You can mess around with contrast, lighting, saturation, etc. Photoshop is great, but there are plenty of free photo editors out there, too. Try GIMP or Pixlr.

Don’t be afraid to take a lot of photos. Options are always good, and every space is unique. Also, if you have one available, use a tripod. Happy shooting!

If you have any other suggestions, join us on social media! We’d love to hear your thoughts on Twitter, Facebook and Google+

These are some of the best home automation apps out there:

• Smart Thermostats- Nest is a Wi-Fi connected thermostat designed by the creator of the iPod. It comes with an app that allows you to control the temperature of your home from anywhere. After awhile, Nest learns your schedule and adjusts the temperature in your home automatically. For a one time fee of $249, it can lower your heating/AC bills by up to 20%.
• Smart Locks- Lockitron allows you to lock and unlock your home remotely. If someone needs to get in, enter their email address or phone number into the app. Lockitron will take care of the rest. There is no need to have numerous copies of your house key floating around. It’s priced at $179, and you can easily take the device with you when you move.
• Smart Lighting- Hue by Philips is a smart lighting system made up of special light bulbs that are interchangeable with regular light bulbs. Controlled by a Wi-Fi enabled “bridge”, these light bulbs can be switched on/off, dimmed, etc. through your phone. Furthermore, your favorite photo can become a virtual light palette. Missing that sunset you saw on your vacation? Hue will color match the photo, allowing you to relive the ambiance in your home. Plus, preprogrammed “light recipes” help you relax or concentrate. The starter set, which includes the bridge and three bulbs, runs $199.95.
• Smart Outlets- WeMo is a smart wall outlet. Anything that plugs into the WeMo outlet can be controlled through your smartphone. If there’s a device you always accidentally leave on, WeMo is your solution. The system also comes with a motion detector, which can be programmed to turn your electronics on when someone enters a room. The entire system, which includes an outlet, motion detector and phone app, costs $99.99.
• Smart Pet Feeders- Pintofeed has not yet been released, but its arrival is just around the corner. This smart pet feeder allows you to remotely dispense pet food. Furthermore, through the app, you can monitor food intake compared to the national average and watch your pet eat on camera. Over time, Pintofeed will learn your pet’s feeding habits and automatically create a schedule. Now, you don’t have to panic over late nights at the office or employ your neighbor to feed your pet while you’re away for short periods of time.

If you wish to fully automate your home, SmartThings has packaged options priced at $299. Vivint also fully automates your home for $68.99 per month.

If you have any other favorite apps to control your home, let us know on Twitter or Facebook! We love feedback.

Some tips:

• Research- Pricing your home correctly is absolutely crucial. Sellers often fail to remain objective and price their beloved home over fair market value. While the memories you created in that home are invaluable to you, they are of no consequence to potential buyers. Take the condition of your home into consideration, along with the price of comparable homes in your area and the current real estate market. Pricing your home correctly makes all the difference.
• Prepare- Before you start showing your home to prospective buyers, thoroughly clean, make minor repairs and home stage. Your house has the best chance of selling if it looks move-in ready. This means removing personal items and de-cluttering. Furthermore, make your pet “disappear”. Remove all evidence that an animal has been living in your home. Also, set parameters for buyers. It is usually a good idea to make sure potential buyers are pre-qualified or pre-approved for a loan. You don’t want to waste time on people who are just interested in browsing with no intention or means of buying.
• Market- You definitely won’t sell your home if no one knows it’s on the market. Put ads in your local newspaper, list it on websites, make fliers, offer incentives and hold open houses. Hire a professional photographer to take photos of your staged home and utilize social media. Also, be flexible when it comes to showings. This is time-consuming, but people have to see your home, often more than once, before buying it. Follow-up with all potential home buyers.
• Negotiate- Be ready to negotiate a final price. Again, remain objective. If the offer is lower than your asking price, remember the cost and time of finding another buyer. Are you ready to go through all of that effort again? On the other hand, certainly don’t take a bad offer. Negotiate, and see if you can reach a fair deal. Many buyers also see that you’re working alone and try to take the commission fee right off the top of the asking price. However, this negates all of the extra effort you put into selling your home by yourself. If you were going to lose that money regardless, wouldn’t you have hired a real estate agent?
• Close- Make sure you’re familiar with all of the necessary paperwork required by your state. This can be complicated, so hiring a real estate attorney is often the best route.

If you have any additional tips for others looking to sell a home without a real estate agent, let us know over on our Twitter and Facebook pages.

Things to think about:

• Research- Firstly, research your new city. This is especially important if you do not know much about where you’ll be living. Obviously, if you have friends in the area, start with them. If you don’t, the internet needs to become your temporary best friend. Use your computer to visit Chamber of Commerce websites, look up crime data, research school info and peruse city message boards. Once you have a feel for the different areas, start looking for apartments in your price range. Use Google Streetview to further explore apartment buildings and the surrounding areas. Once you’ve come up with satisfactory options, call for more information.
• Ask the Right Questions- Since you can’t rely on your own senses, you need to thoroughly question your potential landlord or broker. Besides all of the normal apartment questions, you need to also inquire about things that don’t show up in pictures, like noise.
• If You Aren’t 100% Comfortable- Try to avoid signing a lease, and wait until you can see the apartment in person. If this isn’t possible, think about finding a short-term sublet. Throw your belongings in storage and rent a furnished apartment for a month or two. This way, you’ll get a feel for the city, and you can confidently find a more permanent spot on your own time.

Have you rented an apartment from out-of-state? Let us know what helped you in the comments, on Facebook or on Twitter.

Some major industries in Miami are:

• Tourism- The tourism industry in Miami is no longer seasonal. Tourists flock to the city throughout the year. They spend their money on hotels, retail, restaurants, transportation and nightlife. Miami is also the cruise capital of the world.
• Finance- Miami is home to the largest concentration of international banks in the United States. However, it is not just international banks that call Miami home. The banking district in Downtown Miami is also full of domestic banking offices.
• Media and Telecommunications- Miami is the most important city in the country for Spanish-language media. Univision, Telemundo, Sony Music Latin and Universal Music Latin Entertainment all have headquarters in the city. Miami also attracts film and music video productions.
• International Trade- Due to its proximity to Latin America, Miami is known as the cargo gateway of the Americas. The Port of Miami is the largest container port in Florida and the 9th largest in the US. The Miami International Airport is the top airport for international freight, especially from South America and the Caribbean.
• Agriculture- South Florida is the only subtropical farming area in the continental US. Therefore, it provides the country with tropical fruits and is the nation’s leading supplier of vegetables during the winter months. Furthmore, Miami provides ¼ of all ornamental plants sold in the United States.

As always, we’d love to hear your thoughts. Hop on over to our Twitter and Facebook pages!

Here are more steps you can take to ensure a green move that is better for our environment:

• Use Alternate Packing Supplies- You do not have to use typical packing materials for your move. After acquiring used boxes, be creative with your choice of filler. Towels, blankets, t-shirts and pillows all help protect fragile items. Also, take this opportunity to use up plastic bags and newspapers you have lying around the house. If packing peanuts are absolutely necessary, try using popcorn instead.
• Take Careful Inventory of Your Belongings- By knowing how much stuff you actually own, you can cut down on return trips to the store to fetch more supplies. This saves you gas (and money). Also, if you are moving long distance, American Van Lines offers weekly shuttles to all major US cities. This cuts back on cross-country trips and, again, saves hard-earned money.
• Rent Moving Boxes- Many companies rent out industrial plastic crates. Instead of using cardboard boxes, rent and pack up your belongings in these reusable storage bins. They’re environmentally friendly, sturdy and easy to stack.

If you have any other ideas or comments on environmentally-friendly moving, leave us a comment here or visit us on Facebook or Twitter.