Category Archives: Homeowner Tips

Should you refinance your home even if you plan to sell?

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Should you refinance your home even if you plan to sell? – Wondering what to do in terms of your home refinancing when you plan to sell your house soon? Is it still worth refinancing?  Refinancing could still make sense in the long run.  Here are a few tips that will help aid your decision of refinancing your home.

 

Take advantage of lower interest rates

 

Investigating the process of refinancing is worth the time if it could save you money on your mortgage rates.  Who wouldn’t want to save some extra money?  The money save could be out towards a down payment on your next home (or that new car you have be eyeing).  Having a lower interest rate could lower the monthly mortgage payment and save you more money in the long run.  

 

Financial circumstances could change

 

You are planning on selling your home in the coming months but suddenly, your partner (or you) loses their income, or someone becomes ill, or your money for a new house is needed elsewhere in the family budget.  Refinancing could save you money in the meantime until you are ready for that new house.  You never know what could happen financially and taking advantage of refinancing to a lower interest rate could potentially be beneficial to the household income.

 

Facing a higher rate on your ARM loan

 

ARM interest rates adjust every so often and when the adjustment time is approaching, there is a possibility that the interest rate will increase.  Typically, it is in the best interest of the owner to refinance when they see the interest rate at a percentage they can afford before their adjustment period occurs and the interest rate ends up being higher than what they are currently paying.  It is always best to speak with a professional about ARM loans and interest rate forecasts, etc.


When the time comes to decide whether or not to refinance your home, it is always best to talk to a professional that can help you through the process.  They know the ins and outs of loans and the different types that will be the most beneficial to you.  Professionals in this area can help navigate through the loan vocabulary and help you better understand the process and if the timing is right to refinance your home loan.

Contact me today for a list of great mortgage professionals in this area.

 

 

Creative Storage Solutions For Small Spaces

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Creative Storage Solutions For Small Spaces – Tired of shoving things into places they don't belong? Sick of losing things because there's simply not enough room in your home? Problem solved! With these creative storage solutions, you can regain control over your space and achieve organization once more. 

 

Wall Strips

Some spaces you may not have deemed useful are those tiny strips of wall that are too small for artwork or pictures. We can often find these above or beside sinks in your bathroom and kitchen. Install some floating shelves in these spaces to de-clutter countertops. Then throw your toothbrush or dish soap on the shelving to provide a few more inches for your primping or cooking. Ikea offers great floating shelves of every style and length that might work for your small wall space.

 

Vertical Space

Another option for storing goods is to stop looking around you and begin looking above. Vertical space is a prime area for storage solutions you may have not considered before. Keeping dishes and appliances often used for special occasions may fit nicely on top of your kitchen cabinets. Also, installing a pot rack is always a no-brainer, storage saver. You can even mount pegs on your wall to store foldable chairs to keep on hand for extra guests in your living room or dining area.

 

Cabinets & Closets

You may already have a few storage spaces, such as under sinks or inside closets that you aren’t using to their maximum potential. Attach baskets to the back of cabinet doors to add a few extra inches of space for sponges and cleaners. Additionally, install shelves under the sink to take advantage of all the space, not just the ground space. Add a shoes rack to your closet door to open up floor space, hooks on the walls under your clothing rack for purses, totes, and briefcases, and low shelves on the floor for knick-knacks and other storage needs.

 

Smart Furniture & Creative Decor

Your bedroom can be especially frustrating place to store items due to the amount of storage it actually requires- space for clothing, shoes, jewelry and accessories, linens, etc. Buy some framed corkboard to hang on your walls, and artfully hang your jewelry to make space on your dresser for other needs. Purchase some under the bed drawers for extra blankets and pillows.  Rather than having a table nightstand, buy one with shelving to add some extra room.

 

For creative storage solutions, take a walk through your home with a new perspective on space. Seek out square footage that is not typically considered- under your couch, high on your walls, your ceilings, and take advantage of what you find. With a few pieces of hardware and a little imagination, you can transform your home into a more organized place. 

 

 

Homeowner Tip: Undoing Water Damage In Your Home

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Homeowner Tip: Undoing Water Damage In Your Home – Water damage in your home can be devastating. Not only can you lose meaningful mementos, there can also be serious damage to the foundation. Here are six tips to help you undo the water damage in your home.

 

Dry It Out

Whether you need to rent industrial-size fans, or you have a small fan that will do the job, get them going to dry out the area that has been affected by the water. Once the area is dry you can assess the damage and figure out how to move forward.

 

New Paint Job

When you've dried out the area, if there is only visible damage on the exterior of a wall, a new paint job will do the trick.

 

Wet Insulation

If you find out there is wet insulation in the interior of the wall, check it out and replace it. It could be hiding damaged areas or screws. It’s best to replace the insulation immediately, rather than find out later on that it has done too much damage.

 

Mold

With water damage comes mold, and even less-harmful kinds of mold can affect your health. Tackle mold with a solution of 1 part bleach to 8 parts water – spray on the area, wait a few minutes and wipe away.

 

Clean Hard Surfaces

Some hardwood floors can bend and buckle, so it’s best to clean them and get them as dry as possible, as fast as possible.

 

Seek Help

Water damage is not something to take lightly – you’d rather be safe than sorry. Contact a water damage restoration professional to assess the damage and inform you on how to take care of the problem before it gets worse.

 

For more tips on how to undo water damage in your home, visit here.

 

 

5 Apps To Help Organize and Pay Your Bills

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5 Apps To Help Organize and Pay Your Bills – There is an app for everything these days! What if you could use apps to help you manage your bills, budget and pay bills on the go? Of course, there is an app for that! Check out this list of 5 apps to help you manage your bills…

Check the best app if you are often notoriously late paying your bills. It sends customizable reminders and alerts as those important deadlines near. 

Spendee is a cool app that reads your financial data, analyses it, and spits back financial advice to help you organize your funds. You can even download your data into reports to print out for your personal files. 

Mint is a secure and safe place to store all your credit card information, bills, checking and savings accounts. This app will track your spending as well help you set monthly budgets.

If your troubles have to do with traveling for work while keeping up with bills, Expensify is an ideal app to download. This app not only updates and monitors your flight and travel information, it can help track business expenses and bill pay. 

Dollarbird is a great app for long term planners- you can plan out up to five years of financial goals. This app also lets you track expenses and reminds you to pay your bills on time. 

What's your favorite app? Have you ever tried a bill pay app like the ones listed above?

Cleaning Tricks To Kick That Pet Hair and Smell

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Cleaning Tricks To Kick That Pet Hair and Smell – Although we love our pets for their loyalty, friendship, and overall cuteness, nobody likes the inevitable pet smell and hair that accompanies our furry friends! Keeping a home clean with a pet is certainly a daunting task. Whether you hire a team to tackle it, or you do it yourself, there are a number of ways to get rid of these unfortunate side effects of pet ownership. Here are six cleaning tricks to kick that pet hair and smell – for good.

 

Dryer Sheets

Dryer sheets aren’t only useful when you’re doing laundry. but they’re also useful for removing pet hair from your furniture.

 

Get Helpers

When you don’t have the time to pull out the full-sized vacuum, invest in a smaller helper to get the job done. An automatic Roomba or a smaller dust buster will help smaller messes in just a few seconds, with very low maintenance.

 

Bathe Your Pet Regularly

Give your pet regular baths to keep him/her feeling healthy and clean. Also make sure he/she is eating well – unhealthy foods can do horrible things to your pet’s digestive system.

 

SEE ALSO: DIY Homemade Cleaning Products

 

Self-Cleaning Cat Box

If you’re busy, think about investing in an automatic, self-cleaning cat box. It will clean itself every time your cat uses it, eliminating most of the odors that come along with a used cat box.

 

Use Microfiber

Brooms don’t always do the trick when it comes to getting all of the hair. For a quick and easy fix, wrap a microfiber towel around your broom and secure it with an elastic band to gather up all the unwanted pet hair on your floor and furniture.

 

Eliminate Odors

Keep a small spray bottle of white vinegar handy for times when your pet has an accident (let’s face it, it’s inevitable!) Spray the vinegar onto the space and sprinkle it with baking soda. The baking soda will help pull out the odor as you clean.

 

For more tips and tricks to help you get rid of pet hair and odors, visit here. 

 

Tree Planting Tips For Ohio Homeowners

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Wanting to amp up your landscaping? Planting trees in your yard will yield a multitude of benefits, including shading your house, decreasing energy costs, curb appeal, improvement of the quality of air you breathe, and more! The best part is, trees are low-maintenance once planted and can help improve your home’s property value. Check out the tree planting tips below help you get started.    

 

Where to Plant Trees: Where you plant trees on your property can affect a variety of things. Houselogic.com suggests the following tips to guide you.  

  • Plant deciduous trees on the west side of your house for shade in the summer and to let the heat in the winter. Deciduous trees are trees that shed their broad leaves seasonally, such as the fall months.

  • Use evergreen trees on the north side of your home. These thick-branched trees keep their needles all year long, blocking icy winds from the north in the winter.

  • If you are planting trees decoratively, make sure to avoid planting below power lines. As trees grow taller, branches can become entangled in the lines. Furthermore, broken branches can fall into the lines causing power outages and potentially harmful electrical conditions.

  • Plant trees a safe distance away from your home’s foundation. When trees mature, roots can grow into the foundation, causing expensive and unsafe problems.

 

What to Plant: Better Home and Gardens recommends the variety of trees below to suit your tree-planting needs.

  • Decorative Trees- If it’s beauty you are looking for, the following trees may be idea for your landscape and curb appeal: Japanese Maple, Crabapple, Redbud, or Weeping Cheery

  • Shade Trees- Seeking trees to nap under or shade your home? Check these options out: Honey Locust, Willow Oak, Northern Red Oak, Freeman Maple, or Slippery Elm

  • Conifers- Love conifers? Want to block those cold winds? The following options might work for you: Arborvitae, Pine, or Spruce

 

How to Plant: Depending on the tree you purchase, the ways in which you need to plant your tree will vary. The Arbor Day Foundation provides specific instructions for the following types of trees.

  • Bare Root trees come as they sound- with their bare roots exposed and ready for the ground. These trees dig into the ground quicker once planted effectively.

  • Containerized trees are small trees that are rooted into a container. Planters loosen the dirt from the container and plant the soil and tree directly into the ground.

  • Balled and Burlaped trees are trees with roots wrapped in wire and burlap. Once in the ground, the burlap is cute loose for roots to freely breathe and plant.

 

Planting the right trees for your home is worth the while. Visit your local nursery today and begin soaking up the benefits of beautiful trees as soon as you can.

5 Hidden Dangers In Your Home

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Every homeowner wants to sleep well at night, knowing their home is safe and sound for the health of their family. Yet did you know there are hidden hazards lurking in your home that you may be unaware of? Check your house against the list of hazards below, and your home and health with thank you.

 

9-volt batteries: 9-volt batteries, though useful and necessary for many electronic devices in the home, can ignite when coming in contact with anything metal. You may want to make sure your 9-volts are stored separately, or come with small plastic caps that you can use to keep them safe.

 

Hidden gas lines: Older homes, particularly ones that were built between 1860-1920, were all once fitted with natural gas lines to supply lighting in the home. As modern electricity improved these lines should have been capped off or converted, but many lines are still active today. Have a home inspector double check these lines to ensure they are dealt with properly.

 

Carbon Monoxide Levels: This is an odorless and tasteless gas that can be extremely dangerous when levels are high in the home. To prevent levels of carbon monoxide from rising in your home, have your heating appliances maintained regularly and install detectors on every floor in the houses.

 

Ionized smoke detectors: According to realtor.com, over 90% of smoke detectors found in the U.S. are ionized detectors. Unfortunately these detectors are less reliable when it comes to detecting slow burning fires, and lack of reacting can lead to major house damage or worse. Consumers should look for photoelectric detectors when purchasing detectors for their home.

 

Lightwood truss construction: This type of construction uses metal gussets to join trusses instead of screws or bolts, but unfortunately is susceptible to heat and fire. When the home heats up, the gussets pop off, collapsing structures.  Installing a proper sprinkler system above these structures can aid in fire prevention.

 

Worried about potential hazards in your home? Luckily, there are ways to cope and deal with these problems. You can check out the Green and Healthy Homes Initiatives website for tips and resources to combat these hidden hazards and put your mind at ease.

 

DIY: Homemade Cleaning Products

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DIY: Homemade Cleaning Products – Have you ever ran out of cleaning products in the middle of cleaning your home and don’t have time to run out to the store to get more? Or do you just want to be more conscious of the chemicals you’re using to clean your home? Lucky for you, there are a number of cleaning products that you can make right in the comfort of your own home. Not only will you be able to control the portions of your cleaning products, but you will also have visibility into exactly what you’re using. Here are five homemade cleaning products you can make and use today.

 

All-Purpose Cleaner

An all purpose cleaner is a must-have to take care of the messes around your home. To make, combine 3 drops liquid castile soap, ¼ cup washing soda, 1 cup white vinegar, ¼ cup vodka, 4 drops tea tree oil, and 8 drops essential oil for scent (optional).Heat the vinegar in a microwave until boiling; add the washing soda and stir until totally dissolved. Lastly, add castile soap, tea tree oil, vodka and essential oil, and shake until combined. Keep it in a spray bottle and shake it before you use it every time.

 

Glass and Mirror Cleaner

No Windex? No problem. Create an easy glass cleaner with 1 teaspoon of dish soap, ½ cup of white vinegar and 3 cups of distilled water. Combine in a spray bottle and use on the mirrors and windows around your home.

 

Heavy-Duty Scrub

Every cleaning closet needs a heavy-duty scrub for things like rust stains, sinks and tubs. To make and use, dip half of a lemon into half a cup of borax and scrub directly onto any surface.

 

Oven Cleaner

Everyone needs a good oven cleaner, but a lot of the products on the market are crawling with unnecessary chemicals. For an at-home option, combine ½ cup of baking soda and a few tablespoons of water. Spread the mixture all over the oven and allow it to sit overnight. In the morning, wipe away the mixture. Add white vinegar to a spray bottle and spray over any remaining baking soda residue. Wipe it down with a dampened cloth until interior is shiny.

 

Furniture Polish

Keep your furniture looking fresh and clean with a combination of ¼ cup of white vinegar (you can also use ½ cup lemon juice) and ¾ cup of olive oil. Spray the mixture onto any surface and wipe with a clean rag.

 

Do Organic Home Remedies Really Work?

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Do Organic Home Remedies Really Work? –   There is a home remedy for everything to help keep your home free of harmful chemicals, while still getting the job done. Organic home remedies can be of use indoors, or outdoors, it all depends on what you’re trying to accomplish. Here are five home remedies that really work.

 

Baking Soda

Baking soda mixed with a small amount of water can act as a great oven cleaner without all of the harsh chemicals that come along with store-bought oven cleaner. Just make a paste, put it in your oven for a few hours, then wipe down and voila – you have a chemical-free, clean oven to work with.

 

Lemons

This is quite possibly one of the most commonly known organic home remedy. Lemons are extremely acidic, and will remove dirt and rust. It can clean an array of objects including your cutting board, dishes, faucets, grout and more. Pro tip: it’s most effective when mixed with salt.

 

Citrus Infused Vinegar

Fill up a jar with citrus peels and vinegar and leave for a few days, after that drain out the vinegar and put it into a spray bottle. You can use this mixture as a window cleaner (better if you dilute with water), for mopping floors, or for disinfecting surfaces.

 

Olive Oil

Olive oil doesn’t need to be restricted to the kitchen, it also has a number of uses when it comes to chemical-free cleaning. Use it to clean cast-iron pans, to remove scratches on leather, to shine stainless steel and to polish wood furniture.

 

Vinegar

Vinegar can be used as a weed killer in your yard or garden. You’ll need a commercial solution that’s 20% acetic acid. Be careful when spraying it on your weeds, as it has the potential to dry out your other plants around it.

 

Most home remedies do work, but you need to do your research and make sure you’re being safe throughout the process. To learn more about home remedies that really work, visit here.

 

How to Calculate Mortgage Payments

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How to Calculate Mortgage Payments

It is important to calculate your mortgage payments to understand exactly what you owe and how your loan is being paid down. The easiest and least time consuming is to use a Mortgage Calculator. Ask your Realtor if they have one available or check out the option below.

You can use the mortgage calculator to help determine how much you can afford and to even see the the effects of adding extra payments and how it will effect the payoff date! This is a convenient tool to help you pay off your loans.

Just click on the link here and enter in your mortgage amount, the term or length of your loan, the interest rate, and the date your mortgage starts.

The calculator then shows you what your monthly payments would be.

To determine what it would look like to add extra payments a month, a year, or even as a one time extra payment you can add them in the next section.

By calculating the one time payments on top of your regular calculated monthly payment you will be able to see how your pay-off date can change.

Check out the mortgage calculator to find out what you can afford and to help you determine if making extra payments can change your payoff date!