Sharing my favorite helpful homeowner articles, cost-saving tips and buyer/seller advice.
Apr 9 2015
Skills You Need to Survive Homeownership
Here is one of my favorite tips from thisoldhouse.com ”
#47. How to Safely lash lumber to your car: lay the boards from front to back on the car roof to minimize wind resistance. Cushion the load with cardboard so you don’t scratch your car’s paint, and stack the wood neatly. Secure it at two or more points with racheting straps, wrapping the straps through your open front and rear car doors before closing the doors over them. Bypass bungee cords, which won’t allow you to close the doors. Have an employee at the lumberyard check your work
Apr 7 2015
Cost Saving Decorating
Here is a Homeowner Cost Saving Tip! When decorating stop by thrift stores and yard sales. If your creative flow is stumped, visit Pinterest for great ideas that are often resourceful, DIY projects and well within any homeowner budget!
Apr 5 2015
SeattleHome.com – Seattle Homes For Sale, Seattle Real Estate Listings
Checkout the latest listings! SeattleHome.com – Seattle Homes For Sale, Seattle Real Estate Listings.
Mar 27 2015
FREE Homebuyers Workshop
WANT TO BUY A HOME BUT DON’T KNOW WHERE TO START? Attend this FREE event!
Speak to professionals and learn about down payment assistance programs, how to wrap closing costs into your loan, lower than market interest rates and much more.
Whats Happening In Seattle’s Real Estate Market?
Do you know how to take advantage of foreclosures or become a successful home buyer?
How will you get pre-approved or know how much house you can afford?
April 28th from 6-7:30-PM
Held at the Montlake Branch of The Seattle Public Library (2401 24th Ave E, Seattle, Washington 98112) This is not a Seattle Library Sponsored Event.
REGISTER ONLINE for free today!
Mar 26 2015
Some Homeowner Tips!
Here are some of my favorite tips from thisoldhouse.com “Skills You Need to Survive Homeownership”
#32. Use lemon juice or vinegar to keep grout, cement or plaster from roughing up your hands.
#34. When you need a wood filler to tighten a loose screw, use yellow carpenter’s glue with matchsticks, toothpicks or golf tees, packed in tightly.
#39. To clean up a paint spill on carpet: Cut two pieces of cardboard from a box and use the edges to corral the pool of paint and scoop the liquid back into the bucket. When most liquid has been cleared, get a bucket of fresh water and an empty bucket. Saturate the remaining spill with the clean water, then scrape and scoop it up with a fat spoon and put it in the empty bucket. Work fast and continuously, replenishing the clean water as necessary. Use a carpet cleaner to follow up; and keep the paint spot wet.
Mar 24 2015
Reuse Your Grass Clippings!
Here is a Cost Saving Homeowner Tip! Bag your grass clippings and use them to mulch your vegetable garden. This not only keeps the weeds at bay, but holds in the moisture between rains. Its Organic Compost and reduces your water bill!
Mar 20 2015
BUYING A HOME IS A BETTER CHOICE THAN RENTING
With mortgage rates down lower than they have been in years, home prices still low, it is wise choice to buy rather than rent. Home buyers get a tax write off and build appreciation and renters throw money away each month. Home prices are so affordable and the buyer’s market conditions have resulted in an abundance of properties to select from. Buyers can find great deals on distressed short sales, foreclosure auction properties and REOs (real estate owned), including single-family homes, multi-family dwellings, townhouse, condos and commercial apartment buildings in all areas and price ranges.
A large down payment won’t even prevent you from buying a home, you can purchase an owner-occupied property (single-family home -4 units) with an FHA loan that only requires a minimum of a 3.5 percent down payment. However, if you are going for traditional financing or buying non-owner occupied investment property, then they will need at least a 20 percent to 30 percent down payment and good credit.
So the first decision you need to make is what type of property you want to buy and how you intend on using it.
Intended uses include:
· Residing in the property
· Renting it out the property
· Living in the house or condo
· Flipping the property
· Lease optioning
Be sure you line up financing right away so you are ready to make an offer when you find the right opportunity.
Timing is everything in buying and selling real estate, and right now is a great time to buy, especially foreclosure real estate. Foreclosures are sold at discounted prices, and they buyer gets a property with built-in equity. One thing for certain is real estate appreciates over time. With affordable prices, all time low interest rates and abundant inventory, there is no reason not to buy a home from a Coldwell Banker Danforth agent.
Checkout this original article at Coldwell Banker Danforth website
Mar 19 2015
Homeowner Safety Tips
Here are some of my favorite SAFETY tips from thisoldhouse.com “Skills You Need to Survive Homeownership”
#25. Using a fire Extinguisher: an extinguisher has as little as 8 seconds of life. So remember the acronym “PASS”: 1) Pull the pin. 2) Aim the nozzle at the base of the flames. 3) Squeeze the trigger. 4) Sweep the spray from side to side. And don’t assume the fire is out just because the flames are gone. Call 911 and wait for the fire department to give you the high sign.
#30. Stem a Flood—and Save Your Wiring: the water shutoff will be near the water entrance to the house. Look for a metal wheel or a flat handle like a paddle. Or check outside for a mini manhole cover—the shutoff may be there. Find the main electrical switch- On an old fuse system, it may be a big lever or a handle that pulls out a whole block. On a modern breaker box it will be an isolated switch near the top of the box. Flip it to keep the circuits (and you, too) from getting fried.
Mar 18 2015
Top 25 Smart Home technologies
Via Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC on Facebook, They surveyed real estate agents to find out the top 25 smart home technologies that matter most to home buyers. Here are the stand-out products. Read about all of them at: http://bit.ly/1wXDk7q
Here are a few to get you started…
2. iSmartAlarm
4. SAGE Security & Home Automation
7. Canary
8. Big Ass Fans’ Haiku with SenseME
Apr 14 2015
Bargain Paint!
Here is homeowner Cost Saving tip! Before buying paint, ask the dealer for special mixes that didn’t please. These gallons are always marked down to move and you just might find the perfect color in the lot.
By Louiseh020 • Cost Saving Tips •