HOW TO REDUCE HOME BUYING STRESS

There’s no two ways about it – buying a home is stressful. Whether you’re doing it for the first time, or have several purchases under your belt, it’s a complex process that brings up lots of emotions – both good and bad.

Let’s face it – there’s a myriad of things that could go wrong during the sales process. Your loan could be rejected. The inspection could reveal that costly repairs need to be made. The appraisal could be lower than the selling price, which could affect your mortgage. The seller could be unpleasant or argumentative. There are plenty of things to worry about.

One of the best ways to deal with potential home-buying stress is to be prepared. Here’s what you can do to make buying your home as stress-free as possible.

Be clear about what you’re looking for

It’s frustrating for both you and your agent if you’re looking at house after house that just doesn’t suit your needs. Before you even begin scheduling appointments to view homes, take some time to define what you’re looking for. What type of house? How many bedrooms? What size? What kind of neighborhood? The clearer you can be, the more likely you’ll find a home you like sooner.

Be realistic about what you can afford

Getting swept up into the dream of owning the perfect home can be intoxicating, but having a mortgage that is not within your financial means is a nightmare. A good rule of thumb is to look for homes that are two or three times what your annual income is. Anything more than that, and you’re inviting excess stress into your life, worrying about how you’ll pay the bills each month.

Be ready with a mortgage pre-approval

By getting your financial life in order and getting pre-approved for a mortgage ahead of the buying process, you are signaling to sellers that you’re serious about making a purchase. You’re also alleviating a potential pitfall should you not qualify during the deal. In addition, getting pre-approved will help should others also make an offer on the same house. If not, you’ll be one of the first crossed off the list.

Be willing to make compromises

It’s rare to find the absolute perfect house at the perfect price. And if you are dead set on it, you’re going to stress yourself and your real estate agent out.  Unless you can build your home from scratch, you’ll probably need to make some compromises. Determine beforehand what you must have versus what it would be nice to have, so that you know where you can be flexible.

Be gentle with yourself and take breaks

Whenever possible, schedule relaxing things to do while you’re going through the process of buying a home. Get a massage. Go out to dinner with friends. See a movie. Take a nap. Visit with family. Go for a drive in the country. Listen to some guided meditations, or take a yoga class.

You don’t have to let stress get the better of you when you’re buying a home! If you take some time to get prepared, be clear about what you really need, and allow yourself some time to decompress, you can minimize the adverse effects it has on your well-being.

REFRESH YOUR GARDEN FOR SPRING

Do you hear that?

It’s the first breathy sigh of your spring garden, waking up from its winter’s nap. Longer days, warmer temperatures and dreams of lazy afternoons spent lounging among the flowers is enough to get any homeowner motivated to get their garden ready for the coming months.

If you long to get outside and get your hands dirty in preparation for spring, here are some great ideas to get you started.

Trim and tidy

The end of winter is an excellent time to prune and cut back the plants, bushes and trees in your garden before they get new spring growth. However, it’s a good idea to wait until any danger of frost has passed before wielding those pruning shears, as cutting back during a freezing spell can mean doom for some plants. Remove any annuals from the previous season and compost them.

Remove weeds

While most homeowners don’t love the idea of spending an afternoon pulling weeds, it goes a long way right now – not only does it reduce the number that are propagating in your garden, but it also makes your yard look clean and tidy. Weeds are generally easier to remove at this time of year, as they have shallow roots that can easily be pulled from moist soil. Try to get as many as you can while they’re still small – it’ll save unnecessary back strain down the line.

Divide and conquer

Some varieties of perennial plants do well when they are divided and transplanted. It’s also an easy and inexpensive way to add new plants to your landscape. Dig up perennials to be divided just as they are starting to grow, and transplant into new spots that have been amended with compost to give the divisions the best possible start.

Fertilize

All your plants and flowers enjoy a healthy dose of fertilizer in the spring as they begin to grow. If you have compost, add a layer of it to existing beds to give the soil a boost, or apply organic or synthetic fertilizer as new growth appears.

Add mulch

Mulch does wonderful things for your garden. It acts as a barrier to keep weeds from sprouting, it helps soil retain moisture and it gives the garden a polished look. As mulch starts to break down it also adds beneficial nutrients to the soil. So go ahead and give your garden beds a nice thick blanket of mulch – just be sure to keep it away from the trunks of trees and stems of tender plants.

Prepare feeders

Any garden can be made more magical with the addition of bird feeders and baths that attract local and migratory birds. If you have any in your garden, now is the time to clean them thoroughly to avoid build-up of bacteria or mold.

Get the lawn ready

If you have grass, take time to give it a good raking to remove any dead growth and debris that has accumulated over the winter. This allows air and light to penetrate the soil, stimulating all that glorious new green growth for spring.

If the promise of spring has you yearning to get outside, go ahead and give in to the urge. Taking a little time now to get your yard ready for the coming warm weather can be beneficial to your garden – and to you!

USE YOUR TAX REFUND ON YOUR HOME

Have you filed your taxes yet?

We know — tax season isn’t anybody’s favorite time of the year (except, of course, for tax accountants). But if you’re expecting a refund, now is a great time to reinvest that money in your home. Whether you’ll be getting a check for a few hundred dollars or a few thousand, there are great ways you can put that money to good use.

Save it for a down payment

Are you hoping to buy a home in the near future? As you probably already know, you’ll be expected to put down a down payment — anywhere from 3.5 to 20 percent or more of the purchase price. If you’re expecting a refund in the thousands of dollars, adding it to your down payment savings account is a fantastic way to get yourself closer to home ownership. And if you manage to save more than 20 percent, you’ll eliminate the need to buy mortgage insurance, saving you even more money down the line.

Pay down your mortgage

Even if you have a great rate on your mortgage loan, making an extra payment will still help you save money in the long run. By paying off more of your mortgage early, you will pay less interest over time. You’ll build equity more quickly and will own your home outright sooner. You may also be able to eliminate the cost of mortgage insurance once some of your loan has been paid off.

Purchase additional insurance

An inevitable part of owning a home is also purchasing homeowner’s insurance. This protects you from liabilities should someone get injured on your property and sue you. Unfortunately, most homeowner insurance policies are not comprehensive. By purchasing umbrella insurance, you get additional protection once your primary insurance coverage limits are reached, and as an added bonus, it also applies to your vehicles. For around $300 a year, you get about $1 million in coverage. It’s a very small price to pay for peace of mind.

Audit your home’s energy usage

Leaky windows, drafty doors and energy-hogging appliances all needlessly eat up your money. If you’d like to find ways to cut your energy costs, consider using your tax refund for a home energy audit. While there are free programs available from many local power companies who will send out a professional to look at your home and offer advice about where to make changes, the biggest bang will be to hire a private firm to do a comprehensive audit of your home. While you’ll be paying more up front, the audit is much more detailed and could potentially save you up to 30 percent on your energy bills should you decide to implement their suggestions.

Make needed home repairs

If your refund is less than $1000, perhaps one of the best ways to use it is to make some needed home repairs that you’ve been putting off. You can repaint, add some new landscaping, buy aprogrammable thermostat or finally organize your garage. The money spent will go a long way to contributing to your overall enjoyment of your home.

While it may be tempting to splurge on a big treat, spending your tax refund wisely on your home can improve your financial health for the long haul.

WHEN YOU SHOULD – AND SHOULDN’T – DIY

Are you starting to feel a little bored with your house? Are you daydreaming about making some changes? At some point, most homeowners want to spruce up their home a little bit – and may even try to handle some of those upgrades on their own. But beware – there are certain projects you can DIY, and some that you shouldn’t.

Are you starting to feel a little bored with your house? Are you daydreaming about making some changes? At some point, most homeowners want to spruce up their home a little bit – and may even try to handle some of those upgrades on their own. But beware – there are certain projects you can DIY, and some that you shouldn’t.

Go ahead and DIY these projects

If you’ve got the itch to get your hands dirty and feel a sense of accomplishment (and not to mention potentially save some money), these home improvement projects fit the bill. They can be easily done with a little bit of know-how and some elbow grease, without requiring too much expertise or special equipment.

• Paint – If you want the biggest bang for your DIY buck, this is the best place to start. Painting a room, or even an accent wall or a piece of furniture, will quickly change the energy and aesthetic in a space without too much effort or expense on your part. The key to a good paint job is preparation – be sure to fill holes and sand them, and tape and protect anything you don’t want to find splattered later.
• Update hardware – If you want to give a new look to your kitchen or bathroom cabinets, and easy DIY is to change out the hardware. All you need is a screwdriver and some time. Be sure to buy new pulls or knobs that match the existing holes.
• Change out faucets – This is a great first-time plumbing DIY that can make a dramatic difference. If you have a wrench and know where to shut off your water, you can swap out a leaky faucet or upgrade to a more functional or designer model. Don’t worry – you can totally do this on your own, and think of how good you’ll feel when you’re done!
• Install a chandelier on a dimmer – Installing a chandelier with a dimmer switch is not as hard as you think and can quickly transform your room into a cozy and inviting space. Be sure to buy special dimmable bulbs and turn the power off at the breaker box before you start.
• Replace your showerhead – Replacing a showerhead is so easy you’ll wonder why you didn’t do it sooner. You can upgrade your shower experience by installing a new model with special features like mood lights or massaging jets. You can even save money by going with a low-flow unit.

Hire a pro for these projects

Once you’ve gotten a few projects under your belt, you might feel like there isn’t any home improvement project you can’t DIY. However, there are certain things that should always be left to the pros, including:

• Knocking down walls or building a new addition.
• Repairing faulty wiring or other electrical work.
• Repairing plumbing, other than a clogged drain or replacing a faucet.
• Installing new siding.
• Replacing windows.
• Hooking up a new gas appliance.
• Installing new tile.
• Refinishing a hardwood floor.
• Repairing the roof.
• Installing a new fence.
• Anything that requires a permit, unless you are a professional. This could lead to serious problems when you try to sell later.

Once you understand what you should and shouldn’t attempt on your own, have fun! Tackling small DIY projects around your home will refresh and re-energize your space and make it feel like new again.

10-MINUTE HOME PROJECTS

You’re probably familiar with the idea that little things add up to a lot. But did you ever stop to think about how that can be applied to the upkeep of your home?

Homeowners know that one of the responsibilities of ownership is keeping up with regular maintenance and repairs. While it may sometimes feel overwhelming, there are simple, ten-minute projects that you can do that will make a huge difference in your quality of life at home. Fit them in between episodes of your favorite Netflix binge, and you’ll feel like you’re hardly putting in any effort at all. Here are some of the easiest projects to get you started.

Easy home repair projects

Sometimes it isn’t worth calling a handyman or your brother-in-law to come over and help. These are easy fixes you can complete by yourself in ten minutes or less:

• Fix a squeaky door – If you’re tired of the squeaky kitchen door alerting your spouse to your midnight snack attacks, spray some WD-40 on the hinges and open and close the door a few times to work it in. You can also try petroleum jelly.
• Sticky windows – Don’t let a hard-to-open window keep you from enjoying a nice summer breeze. Spray silicone lubricant (found at home improvement stores) onto a rag and wipe into the track of a plastic, wood or metal window frame. Dry lubricants like PTFE spraycan be used on a vinyl window.
• Silence a squeaky floor – While it’s not a permanent fix, sprinkling talcum powder into the cracks between floorboards will help to temporarily silence those noisy floors.
• Replace a broken toilet lever – First pop open the back to make sure the chain is still attached. If it’s broken, buy a replacement toilet lever kit. Don’t let these instructions worry you – it’s very simple and with the exception of going to the store to get the kit, it won’t take you more than ten minutes.

Easy home maintenance projects

If you want to avoid costly repairs due to negligence, it’s important to keep up with regular home maintenance chores. The following projects are so simple you have no excuse to put them off:

• Change the filters on your air conditioning unit and furnace to keep them running smoothly, especially in summer and winter.
• Replace batteries in smoke detectors once a year.
• Clean lint from your dryer exhaust with a long, flexible brush or a vacuum hose attachment.
• Vacuum the coils on your refrigerator once a year.
• Flush the garbage disposal in your sink once a month with a mixture of baking soda and hot water.
• Check fire extinguishers.
• Test your garage door opener regularly to make sure that it reverses automatically if there is an obstruction.
• Clean the filter on your stove’s range hood. It can get quite greasy, but cleaning it is easy.

Keeping up with the small tasks around your home will go a long way towards making sure everything stays in good working order. And when it comes time to sell, you’ll have much less to worry about. So hit the “pause” button on the remote and take ten minutes to complete one of these easy tasks. You’ll be glad you did!

6 WAYS TO IMPROVE YOUR HOME’S SECURITY WITHOUT BREAKING THE BANK

You’ve spent countless hours and energy getting your home just perfect. You’ve labored over the right paint, the best furniture and even invested in some art. But have you put in enough thought about how you are protecting your home? While you can invest in a state-of-the-art system, there are plenty of ways to improve your home’s security without breaking the bank. Here are six that we recommend.

1. Install a surveillance systemWhile it may seem like it would be expensive, there are deals to be had on DIY home security systems. If you’re willing to spend a couple hundred dollars, you can outfit your home with a camera system that you set up yourself that constantly monitors your property. If peace of mind is your biggest priority and you have a little cash to spare, this is one of your best options.

2. Trim back the bushes

If your property has thick bushes or tall hedges, it offers more places for a burglar to hide. By keeping your trees and bushes trimmed        and tidy so that you can see your neighbors, it also means that they can see you if anything suspicious happens on your property.         While it’s nice to have a little privacy, don’t completely wall yourself in.

3. Light it upDon’t give a criminal a leg up by providing lots of dark places in which to hide. Strategically place exterior lighting around your home, concentrating on walkways, entrances and garages. If you don’t want the expense of installing new lighting, considering swapping out some of the bulbs with motion-sensor lights that will alert you if there’s any activity in the area.

4. Beware of dogThere are plenty of reasons why dogs are man’s best friends. One of them is certainly because they tend to be protective of their owners. Dogs will often alert you if anything seems out of the ordinary and will deter most would-be thieves from breaking in for fear of being bitten. Don’t have a dog? You can still post a “beware of dog” sign in your window or on your gate or put a large dog bowl by your back door. Sometimes the suggestion itself is enough to scare off a potential burglar.

5. Make friends with your neighborsWhile having a nosy neighbor can sometimes be a headache, use it to your advantage. Neighbors are usually the first ones to notice if something is amiss, so make sure to tell them when you are going to be out of town. It also helps to know your neighbors so if someone unfamiliar is snooping around they can be easily identified. If your community has a neighborhood watch program, join. Neighborhoods are stronger and safer when people come together and are all invested.

6. Use common senseThe best home security doesn’t cost you a dime – it’s good, old-fashioned common sense. Be sure to close your garage door when you aren’t inside. Lock the gate to your backyard when not in use. Don’t leave valuables sitting outside unattended. Close and lock windows when you leave. Stop mail and newspaper deliveries when you are out of town so they don’t pile up. The best defense is always a good offense.

HOW TO SELL YOUR HOME WHEN YOU HAVE PETS

Nobody wants to smell pet odors when they’re looking at a potential new home. Nor do they want to see piles of pet hair on the carpet. But are there ways to actually use your pet to your advantage when selling your home? Here’s a look at how best to deal with pets when your home is on the market.

Minimize the negative

Not every potential buyer is going to feel the same way about your pets as you do – especially if your beloved pet is something other than a dog or cat. Follow these tips to best minimize any negative consequences of pet ownership while you’re selling:

• Repair any damage caused by the pets, including carpets, hardwood flooring, walls, furniture and outdoor areas. Your home is not ready for showing until these issues are addressed.
• Remove pet stains and odors by having carpets and floors professionally cleaned.
• Tidy up the yard, especially if you have a dog that spends a lot of time outside.
• Relocate your pet during showings. Ideally, your home should be shown by an agent while you are away, but don’t leave your pets behind. Either have them boarded during the duration of the selling process, or at the very least take them with you when you leave for a showing. This is doubly true if your pet is something like a snake or lizard that may potentially scare a buyer.
• Clean, clean, clean. It cannot be emphasized enough – if your pet is not being boarded while you are selling, be sure to thoroughly clean and vacuum the house before each showing. Potential buyers could have allergies, or there could be lingering smells that you don’t notice because you’ve lived with them for so long. Smell has a powerful effect on our emotions, and you don’t want to lose a sale simply because the odor in your home left a buyer with a negative feeling.
• Remove litter boxes, food and water bowls, and pet toys while the home is being shown.

Maximize the positive

Conventional wisdom has always been that evidence of pet ownership put off potential buyers. But many experts are now challenging that idea. Sellers are beginning to find ways to use their pets to their advantage. After all, many people today share their home with their pets,and knowing that they’ll be able to do that in their new home could be a selling point. Here are some ways that you can maximize the positive:

• Pets can help make an otherwise sterile home feel cozy and lived in. Sometimes including a cute and well-behaved pet in a photo will help make a space feel more livable. If strategically placed, a pet can even draw attention to a home’s best feature, such as a fireplace or picture window.
• If your pet is exceptionally well-behaved (like a therapy dog), they can boost the perception of your home during a showing. But the pet needs to be calm and reassuring, and you should limit it to one pet.
• Dogs and cats should be the only pets you might consider including. It is not advisable to include snakes or other types of pets that might make buyers uneasy.

THE TRUTH ABOUT…STAIRS

Getting older isn’t something most of us want to think about. We like the idea of always being active and youthful. We even think of our parents as remaining healthy and spry.

When we’re out shopping for a new home, however, we need to take into consideration the length of time we plan on owning that home. Do we see ourselves living in this area for years to come? Will we be raising our children here? Is it possible that our aging parents would come to live with us in this house?

If we answer “yes” to any of these questions, we need to think about stairs!

When we first have children, we think about the danger to them of stairs as they are learning to crawl, climb and walk. Some families wait to move into a home that has stair until after their children are old enough to negotiate the stairs.

A great many family homes these days incorporate beautiful stairways with living areas on the main floor and bedrooms above. We don’t really think about those stairs as we are aging in place because we use them every day. In fact, the majority of the nation’s homes are built with two or more stories, or they are set over a basement. Many of those homes also do not have a bedroom or full bath on the main floor. It is only when something happens to our health … we break a leg, have surgery, an older parent comes to live with us … that we rethink having stairs.

As you age, the stairs once more become a danger zone that can slow you down or reduce your quality of life. If you are unable to negotiate the stairs, they become an obstacle in your home or even a hazard due to potential falls.

Ranch-style houses, so popular in the middle of the last century, have fallen out of favor. They do not have the curb appeal of a two-story structure and sometimes they get a bad rap for having less space, or for having a larger footprint so that there is less available yard space. For ease of living and convenience, however, a single-story structure can span the decades much more easily than a multi-story townhome or two-story home over a walk-out basement.

While you certainly should buy the home of your dreams, when you are looking for homes, consider adding in these options to your quest:

• No stairs, OR
• A bedroom on the main living floor
• A full bath on the main floor
• A limited number of stairs at access points such as the front or back entry or from the garage into the house.

If you are building your new home and intend to live there well into your retirement years, and, you love the look of a beautiful staircase, take care to design in such a way that you can add a lift to the stairway if necessary. Or, configure the design so that you have a full bath and bedroom suite on the main floor. In fact, in a program created by the builders association and AARP, builders can earn a Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist designation. Certified builders can look at your home to determine if there is a way to increase the access in your home as you age.

LEARNING YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD BEFORE AN EMERGENCY, PART 2

As a new homeowner, you may not know what to do when the unforeseen happens. Knowing what to do in a household emergency can save valuable time and may even reduce expensive repairs to hidden damage.

Household Emergencies

From plumbing disasters to leaky roofs, household emergency tend to occur at the most inopportune times. Waking up to a flooded kitchen because the dishwasher leaked, or coming home from work during a rainstorm to find a puddle forming in the dining room, to having sparks leap from the outlet you just plugged your new lamp into, household emergencies require specialists that are available at odd hours. Having easily accessible contact information can save you valuable time during the emergency (you might have trouble searching a browser for help if you have no power).

NOTE: an emergency repair company may not be the same one you use for installing new faucets and fixtures or putting on a complete new roof. These on-call experts know how to stop the damage from getting worse and make immediate repairs. This list is not exhaustive, but includes:

• 24-Hour Plumbers: locate a couple different emergency plumbers (in case one is already responding to another call) and make certain they can deal with leaky or burst pipes, plugged toilets and other plumbing disasters.
• Emergency Roofers: Rather than reroofing your home, or even finding the actual cause of the leak, an emergency roofer will immediately place a protective cover on your roof until the bad weather has passed to stop additional damage. Once the weather improves, they will inspect the roof to determine the actual cause and propose a more permanent repair solution.
• For electrical or natural gas emergencies, your local utility provider will have specific instructions. In general, however, if it is an electrical emergency, switch off the breaker to that location in your home so that power is no longer going to it. Contact your utility and follow their instructions. You may need to hire an emergency electrician, but start with your power utility first, as they may have emergency procedures to take care of you.
• The same is true for gas leaks. If you smell weak gas in your home, open the doors and windows to air it out. Check for an extinguished pilot light (in a water heater, fireplace or your stove). Switch the pilot knob to the OFF position. Wait for all of the odor to dissipate before relighting the pilot. If you are unsure of how to relight the pilot, call your gas company for assistance. If you don’t know the source of the leak, or if the odor is strong IMMEDIATELY remove all family members and pets from the house. DO NOT us a telephone inside the home. DO NOT use a lighter and DO NOT switch on any lights. Call the gas utility from a cell phone OUTSIDE or from a neighbor’s house.

Natural Emergencies

No matter where you live, natural disasters and weather emergencies can happen at any time. Learn where the nearest shelter is if you live in a flood or tornado-prone area. If you live near the ocean, get a map for the tsunami evacuation routes for your neighborhood. Turn on the emergency weather alert app on your smart phone to get advanced warning of emergencies. The American Red Cross has free apps that give addresses and information on the nearest shelters to your location and other disaster information.

5 Key Decorating Tips to Make Any Room Better

I hate to break it to you, but designers don’t follow a secret rule book. There are no hard and fast laws governing what we do. We are creative types by nature and love to imagine, dream and explore, following our intuition. That said, there are some rough principles that guide us to ensure a great result every time. They are just tried and true things that work. And these aren’t tricks or skills that take years to master. Anyone can do them from day one. Consider this a foundation for developing your own quirky, creative, rule-breaking intuition.

1. Pick the paint color last.

There are thousands of paint colors with various tints, tones and shades. And each one looks different from home to home, because light sources vary, meaning what looks good in your current home might not in your new one. You want the color that best complements your upholstery, artwork, rug and whatever else. You can pick that color only if your stuff is actually inside your home.

2. Give your furniture some breathing room. Resist overcrowding a room. Gracious living means space to maneuver with ease. This is really great news if you are working with a tight budget. You don’t need to fill up a space with lots of furniture. Spend more of your budget on fewer but better-quality pieces, and your room will look better than if it’s stuffed to the gills with flea market finds. The high-backed chairs shown here, for example, stand out because they don’t have to fight for attention.

3. Hang artwork at the right height. Galleries and museums hang artwork so that the midline (center) of each piece is 57 inches to 60 inches from the floor. (The average human eye level is 57 inches.) And you should do the same.In a room like this, where the ceilings soar, there might be a tendency to hang the art higher. But remember: It needs to relate to human scale, not the structure’s scale.

If you’re not sure, take a picture. It’s remarkable how much a photo can reveal. Print it out or use Photoshop or an app to draw on the photo. This can give you a sense of whether a larger or smaller piece of art is needed or a tall plant might be best to fill a vacant spot.

4. Know how to arrange furniture on a rug. There are basically three ways you can arrange furniture on your rug.

All on: The rug is large enough to place all of the furniture legs on top of it. This creates a more luxurious feel. For this, bigger is better. Just be sure to leave at least 12 to 18 inches of floor surface on all four sides of the rug’s borders.

All off: If you have a small room, keeping all legs off the rug is a great cost-effective choice. You don’t want to pick too small a rug, though, or it may look insignificant, like an afterthought. The rug should appear as though it could touch the front legs of each of the seating pieces. This approach is best suited when you’re layering a pattern over a larger solid or textured rug.

Front on: Put just the front feet of all your seating pieces on the rug to tie the arrangement together visually and create a well-defined space while lending a feeling of openness.

6. Create a focal point.

There are leading roles and supporting cast members in any production. The same holds true in design. Choose your star and make it the focal point to anchor a room. Allow other items to take a secondary role. Don’t ask everything to have a leading role; it will just result in visual noise.

Your focal point might be a dramatic hood in the kitchen, a mantel and art piece in the living room or a headboard in the bedroom. Whatever it is, choose something that will draw attention. In this room the fireplace and the lighting work together as a collective focal point, bringing your eye right to the center of the composition and anchoring it there.

ORGANIC ORGANIZING

Organic

— denoting a relation between elements of something such that they fit together harmoniously as necessary parts of a whole.

— characterized by continuous or natural development.

Some people are born organizers…others of us struggle with the concept our whole lives…many of us fall someplace in-between the two. When it comes to keeping our homes organized, we often fall prey to the beautiful, matching organization systems at The Container Store or localTarget gracing shelves and weekly advertisements during January. As if failing at our other resolutions wasn’t enough, now we see how much we are failing at keeping our home organized, too!

Whether you’re moving into a new home, or preparing your home to sell, becoming organized might be at the top of your list, but if you’re not a natural-born organizer, the task you’re taking on might be daunting.

Rather than trying to implement all of the numerous ideas floating around the Internet or gathering dust in a folder you started last January, consider allowing your home organization to come more, well, naturally. That is, make it match organically how you live rather than changing how you live to match it.

Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Use your trashcan — natural born organizers think nothing of throwing things away that they don’t need. Those of us on the less organized side worry that we might toss something important or even trivial (sales bills and coupons) that we might want to retrieve. Instead of tossing everything … have a trash bin handy near the place you sort mail and start by just tossing those items you consider to be junk mail.
• While you’re at it…put a wastebasket in every room so that throwing things away is easier while you’re thinking about it.
• Use storage tubs — while you may long for those beautiful cubbies with shoes snuggly nestled in matched pairs, if your kids are anything like mine, a large plastic tub holding all of their shoes may be the best you can hope for. So start there! Give each child (and you and your spouse) your own storage bin for all of your shoes, backpack and other daily necessities.
• Use hooks liberally — have coat hooks near the garage door so coats are easy to grab on the way out and easy to hang on the way in. Have more hooks above the coat hooks for hats or caps. Hang hooks on the sides of closets for belts and scarves. If your family has trouble hanging towels in regular towel bars, just use hooks in the bathroom for the towels.
• Place a charity box in the laundry room. Whenever you launder items that family has outgrown or no longer wear, put them in the box. When the box is full, you can make a trip to your favorite charity or use one of the collection bins in a nearby parking lot.

If your home is on the market, give each family member a storage bin with a lid…whenever the house is being shown (or before they leave for school each day) have the collect everything loose and put it in the bin and place it in their closet. Now your home will be ready in a snap.

Time to Review Your Home Owner’s Policy

What do you know about your Homeowner’s Insurance Policy? Have you evaluated it recently? If not, it is a good idea to review it every six months to ensure that your coverage is as expected. Obviously, the best time to review your policy is prior to a crisis situation. So take some time out of your busy schedule and spend a few minutes today going over the details in your insurance policy.

You should contact your insurance agent if you have questions or need to make a few adjustments. He or she should be able to answer your questions. If you don’t feel comfortable with your agent or question whether or not he or she are providing you with the best policy for your situation, please contact us for a reference. You may find that a change could save you money both short-term and long-term.

Some helpful questions:

Ask – Can I qualify for a premium reduction by installing smoke detectors, alarms, new locks or doors, or improved roofing material? Do I qualify for a preferred customer or senior/student discount? What is really covered by my insurance? Ask about the phrase “acts of God” and the interpretation of the insurance company.

Discover – What is insured, the actual home or only the land under it? Is land value part of my policy amount and if so, why? Did I opt for replacement value or actual cash value in your home coverage and does that still apply?

Discuss – Are my valuables and heirlooms in need special coverage? Would a higher deductible result in a significant reduction in my premium? Should I get earthquake or flood damage insurance?

Asking these questions now and periodically in the future will give you peace of mind and give you the knowledge you will need should you ever encounter a crisis with your home. It is a good idea to place a copy of your homeowner’s policy in a place away from your home, as well, in case just such an accident does occur.

PROTECTING YOUR HOME DURING HOLIDAY TRAVEL

Plane tickets? Check

Suitcase packed? Check

Wrapped gifts packed? Check

House protected? Oooops!

If you’re planning on traveling for the holidays, don’t leave your home’s protection to chance. Coming home from a holiday trip to find your home has been broken into, or that a pipe has broken in your absence can ruin all those relaxing hours with family and friends.

While this is true for anyone, it is especially important that new homeowners take steps to safeguard their home while out of town.

Here are some of the basics:

Get a little help from your friends: Ask a friend to water plants, check on your house and pick up mail or newspapers.

If you’ve met your neighbors, you should let them know you will be away. Give them you phone number and the date you’ll get back. If you are having a friend check on your home or water plants while you’re away, let your neighbor know that too so they don’t accidently call the police on your friend.

Avoid posting to social media: In a world filled with tweets and posts that go out to the wide world, you can’t be certain that your posts of being away aren’t being viewed and monitored by thieves. Save your pictures to post after you’re back home. The memories will be just as sweet.

Lights, Curtains: All the world’s a stage…

While you’re gone, to make your home not appear empty, you might think about lighting up the rooms in the evening. This does not mean leaving the lights on in all the rooms the whole time. First off, that would seem weird, and secondly, it will give you a higher electric bill. The best course of action is to get timers and connect them to lamps. Have them set to come on and go off in each room as you would normally use that room. For example, from early evening to just prior to bed time in the living areas and in the bedrooms briefly as if you were getting ready for bed. You can find timers at many retail outlets and online for less than $10.

Regarding window coverings, keep them the way you usually do, but move electronics and other costly items out of sight.

Stop the mail: If you have mail or newspapers delivered to your home, suspend delivery while you are gone. The US Postal Service allows you to sign up online for most ZIP codes to hold your mail with the use of a credit card (for a nominal charge to prove identity).

What else should you do? If you have a neighborhood watch or community association, let them know to keep an eye on your place. Make arrangements with services to sweep leaves and snow off your walkways and driveway. Unplug appliances that have LED lights (coffee pots, microwaves, televisions, etc.) so that your electric bill isn’t huge when you get home. Lastly, if there is any chance of freezing weather, leave your furnace set to no lower than 56°F to keep your pipes from freezing. If you aren’t sure how well your pipes are insulated, open the cabinet doors below your sinks to let the warmer air circulate.

WHAT TO ASK FOR THIS HOLIDAYS — A DOWNPAYMENT!

You’ve been saving for a downpayment and you’re almost there.

Almost!

You just need a little more money in that account and you can make an offer on your starter home. Now, your parents and grandparents want to give you a gift of money toward your new house.

Gifts for downpayments can come from a variety of sources. Mortgage lenders will let you use a cash gift toward a plethora of loan options as well. These include FHA loans, VA loans (which only need a down payment if they exceed the threshold), USDA loans, conventional loans and even jumbo loans. In fact, affording a twenty percent downpayment puts you in position for a conventional loan backed by the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) or Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac), potentially saving you money over the life of your loan.

Before you ask for that gift, however, you need to understand how it should be wrapped! If not done properly, you might just end up with a lump of coal in your pocket.

Here’s the skinny of how it works.

When you accept a downpayment gift, you cannot just deposit it into your bank account and co-mingle it with the funds you have there. You need to follow the required process for documenting the gift so that your loan isn’t denied.

1. Write a “gift letter” that notes the following:

• The amount of the gift
• Who gave you the gift and your relationship to the giver
• A note specifying that the gift is REALLY a gift and not just a loan you’ll have to pay back in the future
• The property address you intend to buy
• The signatures of the givers and the recipients
• Don’t add anything extra to your gift letter either. Make it simple and strait forward.
• Write a separate letter for each gift

2. Keep a paper trail:

The gift should be in the form of a check in the exact dollar amount you noted in your letter. (Do not just have the money transferred to your account.)

• Make a photocopy of the check
• With the check in hand, take it to your bank (the same bank your other downpayment money is in) and deposit that check alone (nothing else in the transaction) into the account.
• Make certain you get a receipt

If you receive more than one gift, deposit each one separately and get a separate receipt for it.

When applying for your loan, give copies of the gift letters along with copies of the checks and deposit receipts to the underwriter. Your underwriter will use the letters in the effort to get your loan approved and funded.

One side note: there may be tax implications for both the givers and receivers of financial gifts. Be sure to check with your tax advisor if you have questions or to find out how a gift might affect your situation.