12 Things You Can Sacrifice To Save On A Home: Tips 1-3

Many homebuyers begin house hunting with a list of must-haves. This is particularly true for first-time buyers who have heard that theirs is a buyers market. I've notice that my younger buyers really expect a lot, then they're disappointed with what they find because they had read that the market's terrible. In many markets, the best homes for sale are now getting multiple offers and selling quickly. But even in a market where a buyer can definitely get more for his money, why should he pay for things he doesn't need? Just because you can afford to buy a 10-bedroom, 12-bathroom home with separate butler's quarters doesn't mean it's a good idea. Wouldn't you rather spend that extra money on something else? It's good to know what your deal-breakers are when you're looking for a home, but you should also be realistic about which things you don't need. Consider these 12 possible sacrifices, and then decide which you can give up to find a less expensive house that won't make you regret your purchase. In today's blog I will examine sacrifices 1-3

1. Square footage

Most buyers want more space than they need, so ask yourself whether giving up a formal dining room or few feet in the living area is going to significantly affect your lifestyle. Buyers who dream of a 6,000-square-foot palace need to remember that every square foot comes with a price, one of the primary factors to base a list price on is square feet, so only purchasing those square feet that a buyer will use will help their bottom line. Plus, they will save on not having to heat, maintain and furnish that extra space.

2. Yard size

Many buyers, particularly men, want a big lot and a large yard, but in suburban areas getting that land costs disproportionately more. Plus the work required to maintain a yard — mowing, fertilizing, trimming and planting — and how much time and money it will take should be a major factor in ones decision. Some buyers may want that large yard so their children have a place to play, but kids don't really play in the backyard as much as they once did. No a days they all go to soccer and all these other places to play. As long as the backyard is level, so you can see where your kids are when they do play in the yard, then it doesn't have to be a huge space.

3. Fenced yard

A fenced yard is often on a buyer's want list, but a fence is an easy and often inexpensive post-purchase addition. Many buyers don't want to even consider homes without fences, I suggest to look at a few homes in their price range that don't have fences but do have more interior upgrades, you'll come around to the idea of adding a fence later.

Next blog sacrifices 4-6

Nice Curb Appeal For Your Home With Some Early Spring Gardening

March may find you sighing with impatience as you watch yet another snowfall cover your barren container boxes, but it's one of the most important months for gardeners.

Tool cleanup
If you didn't do so in the fall, it's time to give your lawn mower and other tools some tough love.
Get ahead of the spring crowds by dropping off your lawn mower now to have the oil changed, bolts tightened and blades sharpened.  Remove soil from your tools' metal parts using sandpaper or a hose.

Lawn doctoring
The green, green grass of home doesn't get that way by accident, and March is a perfect time to assess your lawn's health.  Pluck a 4- to 5-inch square from your yard to see what's going on down there.  Fertilize your lawn now or start a new lawn using seeds or sod.

Weeding
There's always the battle of the weeds. The only way to win that fight is to keep at it. Nip weeds at the bud — literally, for if they're allowed to flower and go to seed, you could be looking at several years' worth of uninvited guests: Some weeds shed 10,000 seeds at a pop. 

Preparing soil
Once your soil has had a chance to thaw and lose some of its winter moisture, you'll want to prep it for planting.  Remove mulch over the course of several days, exposing the soil gradually.  Till or spade soil six to 12 inches deep.  Mix in compost, peat moss and fertilizer for plants or vegetables. For vegetable gardens, include processed or well-rotted manure in the mix (using fresh manure in the spring may burn or damage your plants).  Rake the soil level to smooth out low spots; pockets of water can make the soil cool, which slows plant growth.

Vegetables
Start planning your vegetable garden, keeping in mind the following guidelines.  Choose neighboring vegetables carefully and you may as much as double your vegetable harvest. Onions, for example, are no friend to peas and beans but make good bedmates for tomatoes, strawberries, lettuce and beets.  Later in the month (in most zones) you can seed or set out hardier vegetables, such as chard and Brussels sprouts.

Slug control

As tender shoots start to poke up in the spring, they make a beggar's banquet for slugs. Plan your counterattack before young plants become young nubs.  As with much garden damage control, natural methods are growing in popularity. One simple approach is to sprinkle slugs with salt, which causes them to dry up.  Slugs are attracted to stale beer, which you can leave in a shallow dish or bowl; slugs will enter and drown.  If you use a commercial slug bait, read the label carefully to be sure it won't endanger children, pets or birds.

Fun for kids
Kids love to help with simple growing projects or to have plants of their own to watch and care for, especially if growth is rapid (remember those pint-size attention spans).  Kids love watching plants grow from seeds. Beans, peas and parsley all grow quickly in pots, and seeds can be set in fun shapes or kids' initials.

For the birds
Find out who's likely to fly over for a visit in the next month or two, and target bird treats and feeder types for their individual tastes.  Most bird species will go for either oil-type sunflower seeds or white millet (offered separately), but sunflower-seed munchers tend to prefer elevated feeders with perches, while millet lovers usually prefer ground or large platform feeders.

Homes Are At Their Lowest Price Point In A Decade

Home prices fell to their lowest point in more than a decade in January, which helped to lift the pace of home sales, according to a report from an industry trade group. The National Association of Realtors reported that the median home price in January fell 2% from December to $154,700. That's the lowest price reading since November 2001, before the run-up in home prices that became known as the housing bubble. The median price is the point at which half of homes are sold for a higher price, and half are sold at a lower price.  Serving as a drag on existing home prices is a large inventory of homes in foreclosure. Distressed home sales, which includes homes in foreclosure and so-called short sales in which the home is sold for less than what is owed on the mortgage, made up 35% of sales in January.  But the pace of sales rose to the highest level since May of 2010, helped by the low prices and rock-bottom mortgage rates. The seasonally-adjusted annual sales pace of 4.57 million homes was up slightly from the revised 4.38 million in December. The last time homes sold at that pace, buyers were rushing to qualify for an $8,000 homebuyer's tax credit that was about to expire. The housing market has been showing signs of recovery in recent months. The combination of low mortgage rates and a decline in home prices means homes are more affordable than they've been in decades.

Best Part Of Being A Homeowner-TAX BREAKS!!!!

There are two things you can count on when you become a homeowner: You get more tax breaks, and your taxes get more complicated. Whether you’ve purchased a single-family home, townhouse or condominium, tax breaks are available to you.

It’s time to get familiar with Form 1040 and Schedule A, because that’s where you will have to provide all the details about your new tax-deductible expenses. To take advantage of these tax breaks, you have to itemize your deductions. If this is the best choice for you, here some of the expenses you can deduct:

Mortgage interest. Owning a home allows you to deduct the interest you pay for your mortgage. This is usually the biggest tax break for most people, because a significant amount of your house payment goes toward interest during the early years of a mortgage. You can deduct all the interest you pay unless your loan is for more than $1 million. This includes any interest you pay on a loan to buy your home and, with some limitations, the interest on a home equity line of credit or home equity loan. There are two conditions you must meet to get this deduction. You must file Form 1040 and itemize deductions on that form's Schedule A. The mortgage is a secured debt on a qualified home in which you have an ownership interest.

Points. When you finance a home, you may pay what are called "points." Points lower the interest rate on your mortgage by effectively prepaying a portion of the interest at closing. Points are paid by the borrower to the lender as part of the loan deal, and they are a percentage of the loan. Points may also be called loan origination fees, maximum loan charges, loan discount or discount points.  Points are deductible as interest, but you generally can’t deduct the full amount in the year they were paid unless you meet certain requirements. If you aren’t eligible to deduct your points the first year, you can deduct them over the life of the mortgage. To determine if you are eligible, reference the exact guidelines provided by the Internal Revenue Service.

PMI premiums on certain mortgages. If you make a down payment of less than 20%, you are required to carry private mortgage insurance, or PMI. This type of insurance is paid for by the buyer but protects the lender in case the borrower stops paying on the loan. PMI premiums can be deducted if the mortgage was issued after 2006. This deduction is effective for premiums paid through 2011. There are no limits on the amount of PMI premiums you can deduct, but your income may reduce the deduction amount.

Tax savings on the gain when you sell. This one seems almost too good to be true. When you sell your home, the amount of your gain from the sale is tax-free if you meet the criteria. If you are married, you can earn up to $500,000 on the sale, and you won’t have to pay tax on the earnings. If you are single, you can earn up to $250,000 without paying any federal tax. There’s only one catch: You have to own and occupy your home for at least two of the past five years.

The Correct Way to Shovel Snow Around Your House

Snowfall can be a beautiful thing, but only for so long. At some point, you'll want to get it off of your home, sidewalk, deck or wherever else it blocks your way or poses a potential hazard. Professional snow removal services are often available, as are snowblowers. But if you're the old-fashioned sort, you'll get out the snow shovel and do it yourself--just make sure you're doing it the right way.

Preparations
Shoveling is hard work, so don't make it harder on yourself by drinking caffeine or smoking beforehand. Stimulants like these can increase your heart rate and put extra stress on it when you shovel.  If there's snow, it's cold, so put on several layers of clothes to start. As you shovel, take them off as need be. It's better to be overly warm rather than not being covered well enough.  You're probably going to sweat, so drink plenty of water before you go out. Sweating isn't a summer-only activity and dehydration is always a possibility.  Stretch your muscles by running or walking in place for a few minutes. Stretch your arms and legs, but pay particular attention to your back: bend forward, backward and to each side several times. You can also lie on your back and bring your knees to your chest to focus on your lower back.

Shoveling
Use a lightweight shovel with a smaller blade, preferably one with a bend in the handle because it will take some of the stress off your lower back. You'll lift less snow with a smaller blade, but also put a lot less strain on your body.  Go slowly and pace yourself. Hurrying to get finished can lead to overexertion and injury. Take frequent breaks.  Shovel snow shortly after it falls, if you can. It is lighter than packed, melting snow.  Stand so that your feet are even with your hips. Bend your knees, not your back, and keep the shovel close to your body. Push snow instead of lifting it, if that is viable for your situation. If you must lift it to remove it, scoop the snow into the blade, then use your stomach muscles and legs to lift it--not your back. Turn your entire body, not simply your torso, to dump the snow to either side.

Warnings
Shoveling snow can cause a quick rise in your blood pressure and heart rate. In fact, one study points out that two minutes of shoveling snow brought sedentary men's heart rates to levels higher than aerobic exercise.  Hypothermia--a decrease in body temperature--is always a threat in cold weather, even if you are working hard. Make sure you wear enough warm clothing and go inside to warm up as necessary.  Shoveling incorrectly--that is, using your back to lift--can cause back strain and even serious injury, especially if you do not engage in a regular exercise regime.

Josh Schwab
Broker Associate
Keller Williams Executives
303-324-1112

Where are people moving to or from?

Where is America moving?

 The 2011 Migration Patterns study results provide a snapshot of relocation patterns, showing an overall increase in the number of moves over last year.  Southwestern and Mid-Atlantic coastal states were popular destinations in 2011. The Midwest continues to lose residents, but Michigan became a balanced state after six consecutive years of steady outbound moves. For the sixth year in a row, Washington, D.C. had the highest percentage of inbound moves, while Ohio came out the clear leader in the highest percentage of outbound moves.

Other migration trends:

Northern States With the exception of New Hampshire, which went from an inbound to a balanced state, and Massachusetts, Connecticut and West Virginia, which transformed from balanced to outbound states, the Northern States saw relatively few changes in moving patterns from 2010 to 2011.

Southern States

The Southeast remains balanced with the exception of Louisiana, which switched from a balanced state to an outbound one in 2011. Southwest states Texas and New Mexico continue to be inbound states, as well as Mid-Atlantic states Virginia and North Carolina. After becoming a newly inbound state in 2010, Kentucky is now balanced.

Midwestern States

Again seeing the majority of its states with more outbound than inbound moves, the Midwest region only has three balanced states – Iowa, South Dakota and Michigan. Despite uncertain economic conditions, Michigan became a balanced state following a six-year streak as an outbound state. Wisconsin, Nebraska and Kansas finished 2011 as outbound states – all of which were previously classified as balanced states for seven, nine and 10 years in a row, respectively.

Western States

The annual study shows that the majority of the Western states remain balanced with only two states changing status. Utah is now an outbound state and Wyoming is now balanced.

Josh Schwab
http://yourdenveragent.com
303-324-1112

Top 10 Skills You Need To Fix Common Household Problems (steps 8-10))

Here is a continuation of my blog from the last two days on skills every home owner needs to fix common household problems

8. Stem a flood — and save your wiring

As a safety measure, you should know where your main water and electrical shutoffs are. The water shutoff will be near where the water enters 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. The main electrical switch will be in or near the main box. 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) from getting fried.

9. Paint a double-hung window

Forget the blue tape for this job. Your No. 1 tool is a 1½- to 2-inch sash brush. Its angled bristles come to a point, giving you a fine line. Raise the bottom sash and lower the top sash so they've almost switched places.

1. Paint the exposed parts of the top sash, now on the bottom, including the muntins.
2. Carry a thin line of paint onto the glass to seal the glazing.
3. Nearly close the window and paint the rest of the top sash.
4. Paint the entire bottom sash, without getting paint between the sash and the stops (the pieces of wood in front that hold them in place).
5. Paint the casing, sill and apron. Before the paint dries, move the sash up and down. "If you can't see a clear crack between the sash and the stop because of wet paint," says Tom Silva, "then you just glued the window shut."

10. Stop an overflowing toilet

A toilet works by gravity: The water in the tank — just enough to fill the bowl — drops down and pushes waste through the drain. The float drops, opening a valve that lets in water to refill the bowl and the tank simultaneously. The valve closes when the float rises far enough to shut off the water.
If the water from the tank can't leave the bowl fast enough, the refill will spill over. To stop the refill action, take off the top of the tank, grab the float and pull it up to close the valve. That should give you time to reach down and shut off the water, or at least wait for some of the water in the bowl to drain.