Tag: autumn

Our Favorite Fall Décor Trends This Year

Written by Marybeth Heckler on . Posted in Home Improvement.

The fall is approaching and many of us are already tired of the chaos and confusion that has come with 2020. From COVID-19 to political upheaval, many of us are looking to our homes as a bastion of support and refuge from the world outside. But those of us who have also been stuck inside for the past few months may be looking to make a change in our décor this fall.

Here are the top decorating trends you can choose if you want to make a change this year:

  • Single Colors — For a while, you may have been told to do layers when it comes to colors, pairing up a complementary palette to tie everything together. However, in 2020, many of the designs we are seeing a focus on a single-color scheme. Before you start thinking this may be overwhelming, remember that you can use multiple shades of the same color and also add these with white or cream so it doesn’t look totally monochromatic.
  • Add Color to the Kitchen — Speaking of colors, one of the things you might want to consider redoing is the color scheme of your kitchen. For years now, white has been the dominant color for kitchens. And while it is still the most chosen shade, many designers are pushing people to add color to their kitchen so that it doesn’t look so simple and plain.
  • Invite in the Great Outdoors — Many of us are getting cabin fever thanks to the quarantines and lockdowns. So, you can ease some of the anxiety from this by adding natural touches to your décor. Adding plants and flowers (even if they are fake) can help create a soothing atmosphere. To add to this, include scented candles to bring in some soft lighting with the smells of nature. You can also try using rattan furniture and furniture accents. This material, previously thought to be exclusively for outdoor patio furniture, is another way to add some outdoor feel to your home.
  • Bold Laundry Rooms — One of the most forgotten rooms in the house is the laundry room. But this year, spruce up this bland room with some bold colors or decorative flairs. Chalkboard walls are a great way to enliven the laundry room so you can let the little ones do some decorating of their own. And, if you are like us and love different storage solutions, this is the perfect time to look at what options are out there.

Don’t let the world around you get you down. Take charge of your own home and do a little redecorating this fall with these great ideas to liven up your environment.

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Whether you’re buying, selling, refinancing, or building your dream home, I’m here to help you explore the many financing options available. Ensuring that you make the right choice for you and your family is my ultimate goal. I am committed to providing my customers with mortgage services that exceed their expectations. Find out more by visiting my website.

Autumn Activities Bucket List for Families

Written by Marybeth Heckler on . Posted in Motherhood.

Autumn is almost here, and for many of us it’s our favorite time of the year. Maybe it has something to do with the sights, the smells, and the cooler temperatures that require snuggling up under a warm blanket, but there’s definitely something magical about the fall.

If you’re looking for something to do this fall with your family, we’ve got you covered. Take a look at the following bucket list activities for autumn and find one to try this year. Who knows, you may create a lasting family tradition!

• Visit a corn maze — Cornfields and ears of corn have long been a symbol for fall. This fall, visit a local corn maze and have fun getting lost and trying to navigate through the maze. (Just don’t cheat and walk through the maze “walls.”) This trend has really taken off with some corn maze farms getting VERY elaborate with their designs, including some inspired by John Deere tractors and the television show Stranger Things.

• Get in the Halloween spirit — There are actually a few things that you can do this year to make sure your family is ready for Halloween. First, visit your local pumpkin patch and pick out the perfect pumpkins to take home and carve into jack-o-lanterns. There are hundreds of free patterns for pumpkin carving that you can find.

You can make your own costumes together then go trick-or-treating as a family. If you really want to go all out, choose a theme costume for all of you. I’m a huge fan of the Aladdin, Jasmine, and Abu the monkey family costume.

• Get spooky — If you like your Halloween experience to be a little spookier, try having a Halloween horror movie marathon. For the younger kids, pick out cartoons and family-friendly options like Frankenweenie, Hocus Pocus, or Disney’s Halloweentown.

Older kids may love to be introduced to the black and white monster classics like Dracula, Frankenstein, The Wolf Man, and The Mummy.

If you’re feeling really adventurous, see if any local tour groups are offering ghost or cemetery tours. These can be a great way to find out more about local history and legends while getting a good scare in!

• Autumn treats — Autumn has its own menu of delicious seasonal treats that you should definitely partake in. These include pumpkin lattes (there’s a reason they are so popular), roasted pumpkin seeds, and apple cider. Consider baking a homemade apple or pumpkin pie to celebrate the season and make an extra while you’re at it for your neighbors. Finally, fall wouldn’t be complete without a nice campfire and roasting marshmallows and making smores.

Autumn is a great opportunity to spend time together doing activities as a family. Now that the kids are back in school, take advantage of your evenings and weekends to cross these items off your bucket list.

 

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Whether you’re buying, selling, refinancing, or building your dream home, I’m here to help you explore the many financing options available. Ensuring that you make the right choice for you and your family is my ultimate goal. I am committed to providing my customers with mortgage services that exceed their expectations. Find out more by visiting my website.

Inspiration for a Stunning Autumn Porch Display

Written by Marybeth Heckler on . Posted in Homeowner.

With autumn right around the corner, many people are thinking about sprucing up their home’s exterior with a beautiful porch display for the season. Although many people wait until October to do something Halloween themed, you can find a way to express your style and creativity with a variety of porch displays throughout the season.

Here are ideas to get your brain spinning and your creative juices flowing so you can be the envy of your neighbors this fall:

  1. Start with a splash of color — When people think of the fall, they often think of pumpkins. The big color that pops into their mind is orange. This is a great starting point for your porch color scheme. Don’t stick with just orange, instead choose decorations or items that hit an array of fall “earth tones”—brown, gold, yellow, deep crimson, and even a rich purple.If you do want to use pumpkins, consider a variety of gourds that come in a multitude of colors. Make sure that the items are on planters of varying height. This makes the eye move a little more rather than feeling like a static straight line.
  2. It’s not just about pumpkins — Two other big hits with porch displays are hay bales and mums. You can easily find these at any nursery and the hay bales, being rectangular, work perfectly as the bases to put other items on top of.
  3. Don’t forget the seats — Be sure to include an area of your porch for rest and relaxation. These can be comfortable chairs, rockers, or even a porch swing. Whatever you choose, make sure that they are paired closely together so that you can entertain and converse easily. You don’t want two chairs on opposite sides of the porch, where you have to yell at each other to talk. Add warm blankets so you can snuggle underneath them on cool autumn nights!
  4. Get crafty — Another idea for creating unique planters is to use crates of varying sizes. These can give you the height differences that you want while being interesting eye-catchers. To add the fall sensibilities, you can either choose to paint these in fall colors, or you can get stencils from your local craft store and paint fall flowers or other designs on them.

This autumn, spruce up your front yard by adding something new and original to your porch display. If you follow the steps listed above, you can create an inviting and elegant feel that will add warmth and style to your home.

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Whether you’re buying, selling, refinancing, or building your dream home, I’m here to help you explore the many financing options available. Ensuring that you make the right choice for you and your family is my ultimate goal. I am committed to providing my customers with mortgage services that exceed their expectations. Find out more by visiting my website.

Top 10 Autumn Maintenance Tips for Homeowners

Written by Marybeth Heckler on . Posted in Home Improvement.

It may seem hard to believe, but autumn is right around the corner. For homeowners, this means that it’s time to do a little basic maintenance for your home before the weather dips.

Here’s your top 10 list of home maintenance tips for this fall:

  1. Store your lawn equipment — Store your lawnmower and put it away. Drain and turn off your sprinkler system, then store your water hoses. If you own a swimming pool, follow the procedures for shutting it down and covering it up for autumn and winter.

 

  1. Weatherproof your doors and windows — When you turn your heater on this fall and winter, you don’t want that hot air going out the window! Make sure you seal cracks in your doors and windows and consider adding weather-stripping to make it more energy efficient.

 

  1. Inspect your roof — Your summer, hopefully, was a dry one. That means it is the perfect time to inspect your roof before the harsh rains and snows of autumn and winter move in. Get up there, if you can, and look for any loose tiles. If you really want to get high-tech, use a drone to do the checking for you!

 

  1. Take care of your gutters — When you’re done inspecting the roof, keep your ladder handy to work on your gutters. Make sure they’re clear of all debris so the rainwater that is surely coming can flow freely through and not accumulate.

 

  1. Clear the trees and shrubberies — While you still have that ladder out, now is the perfect time to prune back the trees and bushes (or hire someone to do it for you). It’s a good idea to keep those branches away from the home in the event of storms.

 

  1. Make exterior repairs — While you’re checking out your exterior, walk around looking for anything that might need repairs. A broken window screen, a crack in the sidewalk, or a loose deck plank can be handled now.

 

  1. Service the heater — Just like you get your AC serviced in the summertime, now is when you should get the heater/furnace checked out. You don’t want the temperature to suddenly drop without having a working heating system.

 

  1. Don’t forget the chimney — If your house (or parts of it) is heated by a fireplace, have the chimney professionally cleaned and maintained so that you don’t have any problems when you go to use it.

 

  1. Check your safety devices — Now is the time to change out the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.

 

  1. Stock up on supplies — If you live where the fall months change quickly to snowy winter weather, it’s a good idea to stock up on supplies. Get the quilts and heavy blankets out of storage. Logs (for the fireplace) should be stockpiled. Also, if you don’t already have one, get an emergency kit and portable fire extinguisher for your home, just in case.

 

While the weather is still warm and agreeable, it’s a good idea to knock out some of these maintenance tips. That way, you can enjoy your autumn and prepare for the holidays!

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Whether you’re buying, selling, refinancing, or building your dream home, I’m here to help you explore the many financing options available. Ensuring that you make the right choice for you and your family is my ultimate goal. I am committed to providing my customers with mortgage services that exceed their expectations. Find out more by visiting my website.

Why You Should Buy a Home This Fall

Written by Marybeth Heckler on . Posted in Homeowner.

Most people think about buying a new house when the spring is approaching, the weather is nicer, and the temperatures are higher. But the problem with buying a home in the spring or the summer is that it’s when everyone else is buying one too.

If you want to get better deals and more options, then you might want to consider waiting until the temperatures dip and the weather gets a little softer in the fall.

Here are specific advantages to why you should consider buying a home this autumn:

 

  1. Reduced Competition — The most obvious reason why you should consider the fall for your home buying is because of the reduced competition from other buyers. This means that you have the chance to consider your options more thoroughly. You won’t have to jump at the first house because it might not be on the market tomorrow. Bidding wars are not likely during the fall months.

 

  1. Sellers are Motivated — This one goes hand-in-hand with the first point. Because there’s less traffic looking at houses, your sellers are motivated and willing to accept less for the home or to offer other things, such as flexible move-in dates and assistance with closing costs.

 

Many of these homes have been on the market since spring and the sellers may be willing to work with you because they’re frustrated with not selling their home. And with the holidays right around the corner and end-of-the-year tax advantages slipping away, homeowners are highly motivated to be flexible so they can unload their house.

 

  1. More Time with Your Agent — Another bonus of the reduced traffic is that your real estate agent is not going to be as busy as they might be during the summer. This means they can spend more time helping you search for the best house and the best deal. It’ll be easier to schedule meetings and appointments that meet your schedule rather than working you in around their other clients.

 

  1. Cheaper Home Goods — Many people don’t think about the deep discounts on home goods at the end of the year. These are products from appliances to bedding and window treatments that you may need when you move into your new home.

 

  1. See the House in a New Light — In the spring and summer, the neighborhood is likely to look its best and be less busy with people away on vacation. In the fall, you can see the house and the neighborhood in all its glory. If there are problems with leaky roofs or foundation issues, the fall weather will showcase these faults more readily.

 

  1. Better Rates — There are many other fields that all depend on the housing industry. Banks and lenders, as well as movers and contractors, all depend on making money from the sale of homes. When business is slow, such as in the fall, you can get better rates and deals from these businesses.

 

Fall time is becoming optimal for buyers who are looking for motivated sellers and more individual attention from your real estate agent. The lack of traffic and the end of the year deals makes all of this the perfect time to buy a home.

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Whether you’re buying, selling, refinancing, or building your dream home, I’m here to help you explore the many financing options available. Ensuring that you make the right choice for you and your family is my ultimate goal. I am committed to providing my customers with mortgage services that exceed their expectations. Find out more by visiting my website.

Preparing for the Fall Homebuying Season

Written by Marybeth Heckler on . Posted in Home Improvement, Homeowner.

Although traditionally the warm weather months of spring and summer have been the best for home sales, many people still like to get out and start house hunting when the weather takes a slight dip during the fall.

The cooler temperatures seem more ideal for visiting and touring homes to (eventually) pack up your belongings and move into a new house. If you have been thinking about buying, but haven’t decided to make that move just yet, remember that you can still take advantage of tax breaks that are given to homeowners so you can claim them on your taxes when you file in 2020.

If you are looking to make a home purchase, here are a few things you should do:

Educate yourself

The first thing you need to do, especially if you’ve never purchased a home before, is to educate yourself. Many of the types of loans, requirements, and terms used by realtors can be quite confusing. You can find many government offices, libraries, and real estate agencies will offer introductory courses to educate homeowners on all of the intricacies of this complicated process.

Get your finances in order

The next thing you will need to do is assess your finances and determine your budget. This means that you need to check your credit score to determine if you have the credit needed to buy a house. (Generally, a score of 740 or higher is necessary to get lower interest loans.)

You should also evaluate your budget by determining just how much you can afford monthly and how much you can place as a down payment on the property. This will help determine “how much house” you can afford and help you narrow down your search later on. Once you determine how much you plan to pay on the house upfront, you need to transfer this money into an account so that you can easily cut a check or transfer the funds.

Get preapproved

Another thing you can do to help make the process even easier is to get preapproved for your home loan. This way, you can make an offer on your dream house as soon as you find it without having to play “wait and see” to show that you will be approved for the loan. If there is a bidding war for the house you are interested in, this preapproval will give you a competitive edge over the other prospective buyers.

Tour the neighborhoods

In order to find your dream home, take the time on weekends to tour neighborhoods you’re interested in. A lot of homeowners who are looking to sell will take advantage of the fall temperatures to host open houses. You can sometimes bounce from open house to open house on a Sunday with several in the same neighborhood. No matter how much you may fall in love with the first house you see, it’s important to shop around and find the one that is perfect for you.

Fall is a great time to get out and start looking at a new home for you and your family. Not only do the cooler temperatures make the house hunt more comfortable, but you can also get your family moved into your perfect home without breaking much of a sweat.

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Whether you’re buying, selling, refinancing, or building your dream home, I’m here to help you explore the many financing options available. Ensuring that you make the right choice for you and your family is my ultimate goal. I am committed to providing my customers with mortgage services that exceed their expectations. Find out more by visiting my website.