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Is Your Family Ready to Upsize Their Living Space?

Written by Marybeth Heckler on July 15, 2019. Posted in Real Estate.

When the housing bubble burst in the early 2000s, a lot of people realized they had purchased homes that were too big for them. Since then, many people have been skittish about upsizing their homes for fear of taking on more than they can afford.

This is certainly a valid argument, but you should still be able to upsize if your finances and lifestyle allow for it. Here are some things to think about as you decide whether or not upsizing is right for your family.

Determine what you need…and if it is a need—The first thing you want to do is determine just how much house you need. If you are currently in a two-bedroom, two bath home with three or more children, then you are going to have to look at a larger home. However, a family with only one child may be able to live comfortably in a two-bedroom home. Ultimately, think about what you want in your new home that your old one does not have. Then decide if these are absolute must-haves or features you can live without.
Do some financial soul-searching—Take a look at your budget for each month. If you are barely scraping by after paying your bills, then you are going to probably have to stay where you are. But if you are able to put a lot into savings or you have discretionary funds that you can use, then you need to calculate that into what you can afford to buy. Look closely at what you can afford before you start to shop around.
Don’t forget to calculate utilities and other expenses—Remember that a larger house also means a higher utility cost. Use your current utilities cost as a baseline. For example, if you are in a 1500 square foot house and pay, on average, $250 a month in power costs. If you upgrade to a 3000 square foot home, you could see your power bill climb to $500. That’s a big jump that you need to factor in when making your plans. The same can be said for other expenses such as lawn care if you move into a home that sits on a larger lot.
Location can have an impact—Remember that it’s not just about the size of the house, but also about the location. If you buy a 2000 square foot home in one neighborhood, you may be able to get a 2500 square foot home for almost the same cost IF you are willing to move to a less desirable neighborhood. This might mean moving farther away from your work or other social requirements. But if you are willing to make this sacrifice, you may be able to afford a larger home.

If your family is growing and you are in need of a larger house, then it’s time to do some research when it comes to your finances and home needs. If you’re ready to make the move to a larger home, you need to make sure that you can afford it before you decide to commit.

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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.

Throwing a House-Warming Party

Written by Marybeth Heckler on May 23, 2019. Posted in Homeowner.

If you’ve finally purchased the home of your dreams, you’re probably itching to show it off to your friends and family. House-warming parties are a great way to do this.

As with any type of party, it takes a little bit of planning to pull off a successful house-warming event.

Here are a few things to keep in mind when planning such a get-together:

Don’t schedule it when you first move in—It’s going to take a while for you to get your home settled and all of the stuff unpacked. As soon as you’ve got most of your things put away and the boxes thrown out, then you can start doing some planning. For most people that will be at least several weeks.
Don’t worry about printed invites—Keep this one simple and informal with email invitations instead of going out and getting them printed up and mailed out.
Invite your neighbors—While you are working on the invites, don’t forget to invite your neighbors. This is the perfect way to get a chance to meet them and let them get to know you in return.
Register—Another thing you’ll want to do is set up a registry so that your friends can buy those items that you need to put the finishing touches on your home. Then, when the party is over, you can get a good handle on what’s left for you to buy for the new house.
Food and Drink—For a housewarming party, you are going to want to keep the food simple and not do a huge sit-down meal. Instead, take advantage of warmer weather this spring and set up a barbeque in the backyard and grill hot dogs and burgers along with chips and other cookout foods. When it comes to drinks, be sure to have a table laid out with sodas and ice and another one set up with adult beverages.
Don’t use the dishes—This is an informal, fun day, and you want to keep the cleanup at a minimum. Be sure to use paper plates and disposable cups so you can just throw everything in the trash and not have to deal with a sink full of dishes.

Now that you have a home, it makes sense that you want to show it off. Throw a housewarming party and be ready to take your friends and family on a grand tour of the new place. This will give you a chance to get to know your neighbors and celebrate your achievement with your loved ones.

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Are You Ready to Be a First Time Homebuyer?

Written by Marybeth Heckler on May 2, 2019. Posted in Real Estate.

Home ownership, for most Americans, is both a dream and a sign of financial independence. But buying a home can be a scary proposition for many first-timers who may not understand everything about this complex process.

Here are some steps you need to take to become a first-time homebuyer:

Get your down payment together

First-time homebuyers can generally get a loan with as little as 3% down. However, this may come with additional fees and requirements such as having to buy private mortgage insurance. Twenty percent is often a better option for a down payment, but that can put home ownership out of most people’s range. A good 10% down means $10,000 for every $100,000 of a home that you want to buy.

Research mortgages

Next, you are going to want to look at different mortgage options. Become familiar with conventional loan programs like Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac as Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loans. If you are a veteran, you can also look into VA loans that may require no down payment.

Set your budget

Look at your finances and determine what you can afford to spend each month on a mortgage. This will prevent you from wasting time looking at houses that are outside of your budget range and keep you from getting in over your head with a mortgage that you can’t afford.

Shop around for interest rates

Don’t take the first bank you look at as the best for interest rates. Saving just a fraction of a percentage point has the possibility to save you thousands of dollars in the long run.

Get pre-approved

One of the best things that you can do as a first-time homebuyer is to come to your real estate agent armed with a pre-approval from a local bank. This can give you an advantage when you make an offer on a home as an owner will generally choose someone with pre-approval over someone without it.

Research the neighborhoods

If you are looking for a home, you need to list out the amenities you are looking for—such as proximity to public transit or shopping sites or the quality of the schools. Once you start looking at neighborhoods, be sure that they fit into these qualifications. Before you make an offer on a home, you should also research the crime rate for that area.

Don’t forget about closing costs

Another thing you need to do when you are calculating your budget is to remember to figure in closing costs. Estimate between 2% and 5% of your total loan when you are making this figure.

Being a first-time homebuyer can be an exciting (and terrifying) prospect. But with a lot of research and acquired knowledge, you can take the nervousness out of this process and perhaps even find the home of your dreams.

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Top 10 Spring Home Maintenance Tips for Homeowners

Written by Marybeth Heckler on April 25, 2019. Posted in Homeowner.

Spring is here and that means it’s time to break out of the winter doldrums and break out the toolkit for some home maintenance work. Want to know how to keep your house looking spic and span and running smoothly for the rest of the year?

Here are our top 10 tips for getting your home in shape this spring:

Clean gutters—Leaves and debris have a tendency to clog up the gutters so break out the ladder and clear those out. If you don’t, you’ll wind up with damage to your roof.
Check your tiles—Speaking of the roof, now’s also the time to check out the roof and look for any loose tiles. If you really want to have fun with this, break out that drone you bought the kids for Christmas and fly it over and get pictures to see if you’ve got any missing tiles.
Inspect the outside—Now is also the time to do a walk around your property and check to make sure that your fencing is intact and that there isn’t anything else that needs a repair from the winter storms.
Pressure wash the outside—If you really want to spruce up your exterior, then rent a pressure washer and clean off any of the grit and grime that has accumulated over the past few months.
Repair screens—While you’re dealing with the outside, remove and inspect your screens for any holes. If you need to, replace these screens. If they’re still holding up well, then clean them and reset them so you can open the windows this spring and let in some fresh air.
Clean your dryer—It’s important to clean the dryer trap every time you use it. But some of the lint still makes its way into the vent and can clog it up. Use the hose attachment on your vacuum to clean this out.
Clean your fridge—While you have the vacuum out, clean the refrigerator’s coils. Get rid of the extra dust and it will run more efficiently.
Replace your filters—You need to do this about once a quarter, but now’s the perfect time to take care of this.
Replace smoke detector batteries—A good rule of thumb is to replace the batteries in your smoke detectors when the time change occurs. This will make sure you can keep your house safe for another couple of seasons.
Have your HVAC inspected—Now is the perfect time to have your HVAC inspected and maintained. You don’t want the air conditioning going out this summer, so get it checked while it’s still relatively cool.

This spring do a little bit more with your traditional spring cleaning. By taking care of these 10 items, you can ensure that your house will be clean, well maintained, and safe.

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Planning Out the Perfect Garden

Written by Marybeth Heckler on April 18, 2019. Posted in Home Improvement, Homeowner.

April is designated as National Garden Month and if you’ve ever considered starting a garden in your backyard, now is the perfect time to do it. But, if you’re worried that you may not have the green thumb needed to keep it alive, then don’t panic.

Check out these steps you can take to plan your garden ahead of time:

Do some research—The United States is composed of various climates, all of which are good for growing specific vegetables at specific times. Use this website to calculate which growing zone you live in and which vegetables should be grown and at what time of the year. This will help you figure out what you should begin with when it comes to growing a garden.
Test your soil—If you have never done this before, it’s a good idea to have your soil tested to see if there will be any issues with growing and to get suggestions on the best plants to grow. You can do a variety of tests on your own, but I’d suggest collecting a sample and taking it either to your local farm agency or a nursery and having them professionally test it. Then, you can order your seeds for the plants you plan to grow.
Map your garden—Measure out exactly how much of your yard you can dedicate to a garden and then map it out using graph paper. You should also determine exactly what you plan to grow and how much space you are going to need for it. (For instance, are you going to just grow one type of vegetable, such as carrots, or do you want to plant a mixture of different types?)
Create a calendar—Once you know the plants you’re going to grow, determine how much growing time you’ll need for each type to reach maturity, how much sunlight they will need, and how much watering and care you need to provide them. Then, create a calendar for your garden so you know exactly when you should water them, when you should perform maintenance on them, and when you should be ready to harvest them.
Till your soil and plant—Once you have it all planned out, go ahead and till your soil and begin planting your seeds. Be sure to follow your calendar when it comes to planting, but also follow it in terms of care and harvesting.

Once you get your garden planned out, it’s just a matter of following your calendar and making adjustments depending on weather and other conditions. When you get this started, you can experience the joy of harvesting your own vegetables at home.

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Getting in Touch with Your Inner Interior Designer

Written by Marybeth Heckler on April 11, 2019. Posted in Home Improvement, Homeowner.

If you’re many people, you probably spend a lot of time watching shows on HGTV or TLC like Trading Spaces, Fixer Upper, or Property Brothers. These shows have almost single-handedly rejuvenated the interior design and remodeling craze. But most of us don’t have the option to hire Chip and Joanna Gaines to design our homes for us.

So this month, let’s look at some tips and tricks that will let you get in touch with your inner interior designer so that you can make some major changes to your home.

Do some research (and dreaming)—One of the best things to generate ideas for your home is to start doing a lot of research. The good news is that this is easier than ever. Social media sites like Pinterest and Instagram have an abundance of pictures and infographics that can help give you ideas about how to easily transform your house. You can also check out design magazines and websites online.
Pick your colors—Now that you have some ideas about what you want your room to look like, you should pick out your color scheme. Go for a rule of three. The first color will be a neutral or understated color that will serve as the main color for the room’s walls. Then, have a second, complementary color that will be a bit bolder and will serve as the color “pop” with your furniture or possibly an accent wall. Finally, the third color should be another bold color that coordinates well with the second. This will be the color for your accessories such as pillows.
Get bold—When it comes to furniture, you don’t want to have a lot of little furniture pieces that are going to make your room look cluttered. Instead, choose one bold piece of furniture like a sofa that you can build the rest of the room around.
Use your words—One of the biggest trends in the last few years that can really add a personal touch to a room is a message. Many people are using “word art” pieces to express a simple theme in the room like “love” or “family.” Others are using wall appliques of messages that present a personal philosophy as a kind of designer mantra for your home.

These are just some of the ideas that will help you begin creating your own interior design style. The important thing to remember is that you should go with what speaks to you. There are all kinds of theories about how to properly decorate a home. But what really matters is going with what makes you feel comfortable and happy.

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Popular Home Colors in 2019

Written by Marybeth Heckler on April 4, 2019. Posted in Home Improvement, Homeowner.

One of the hardest parts of designing interiors is choosing the right colors that will define the space. And for moms, it’s particularly difficult because hubby is usually not much help with picking out colors. (You’d be amazed how many women have brought home paint samples and then complained that their husbands can’t tell the difference between four very distinct shades of blue or white. It all looks the same to them!)

When it comes to picking colors, everyone seems to have an opinion. Let’s look at some of the hottest colors of the year:

Coral—According to Pantone, the official color of the year is living coral. Coral works well with more muted and understated tones. It may not be for everyone, especially in large doses. However, this bold color definitely catches your eye and invites you in. For those who don’t want to make such a bold choice, you can instead use this as a choice for the trim or an accent color with furniture or accessories. If you want something to brighten it up and give you a more optimistic feel, this is the color for you.
Hunter Green—According to interior design influencer Becky Shea, hunter green is one of the top colors of the year. This is a great choice for those who don’t want shockingly bold colors and instead want something darker and more subdued and serious. According to Becky, one of the great things about this is how it “works beautifully with natural elements and neutral tones.” But this one is also a positive color because there is no feeling of gender definition. Hunter Green works well as a gender-neutral color for almost any room.
Hazelnut—If you want something in a different vein from the previous two, you can’t go wrong with varying shades of hazelnut. This creamy color choice has been popular for years and probably won’t go out of style anytime soon. Hazelnut is homey and comforting and, depending on the shade you choose, can also seem to make smaller spaces feel larger. Another feature that makes hazelnut great is its ability to work with almost any furniture color palette. There’s no need to worry about buying a new living room suite to match the paint.

What’s important in choosing a color for your home is simply finding something that speaks to you. By doing this, you can find something that you will be happy and comfortable with for years to come.

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When Should You Start Your Home Remodel?

Written by Marybeth Heckler on March 21, 2019. Posted in Homeowner, Remodeling.

Spring has always been a popular time to go on a major cleaning spree around the house. But what if you want to do more than just have a spring cleaning? When is the best time to do a major remodel of your home or property? Well, there is actually a system that can be followed.

Let’s look at the best season for each type of remodel so that you can make your plans for the coming year.

First Quarter (January to March)—Even though it can be numbingly cold during this time of year, the good news is that unless you live in a place that gets extreme snow, you will generally have good, solid ground that is relatively dry, as opposed to the spring when the rains come in.

Because of these conditions, it’s a good time to do additions on the house, such as a new sunroom or that man cave he’s always wanted. If you are adding a new room to the house, you can get the exterior work and frame done and then move on to doing the inside when the weather gets rainy in April.

This is also a good time to schedule a remodel because most construction companies don’t do a lot of work during this time. Since this is the “off season,” you can usually get a good deal from the company that is looking for some downtime work.

Second Quarter (April to June)—The weather is getting rainy and warmer, but this is also the #1 time of the year to build a new home. Because of this, construction companies and supplies will probably cost you a lot more. If you do want to do a spring remodel, consider a porch or patio since the ground will have thawed out enough to dig out the area.

Third Quarter (July to September)—The hottest time of the year means that your remodels need to move indoors to take advantage of your home’s air conditioning. Because of this, you will do well to complete an inside renovation such as a bathroom or kitchen remodel.

If you do need to do something outdoors, most construction companies will focus on roofing jobs because of the relatively dry weather and the higher temperatures which are needed to properly seal roofing tiles.

Fourth Quarter (October to December)—This is the right time for smaller remodel projects, like maybe a new shower or a minor tweak in your den or kitchen. Most people don’t want to completely tear out the whole house for a major renovation during the holidays, so construction companies are used to these types of smaller jobs.

There’s a perfect time for everything—from when to buy a new car to when to plant a flower garden. Remodels are no different and once you get the standard calendar down, you can begin to map out your renovations that will make the most sense for your home and budget.

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Top 10 Home Maintenance Tips for Winter

Written by Marybeth Heckler on January 31, 2019. Posted in Homeowner.

Winter is here and in some parts of the country the snow and ice have hit with a vengeance. Your home is taking the brunt of this assault in protecting you from the cold and elements.

In any climate, your house needs attentive maintenance; paying attention to those little issues and repairs will save you a lot of hassle and costly repairs later.

Here are the Top 10 winter maintenance tips for your home that you need to handle this season:

Clean the gutters—Even if you don’t live somewhere with a lot of snow, you are still probably going to get increased rain this winter. Be sure to clean out your gutters early on so that the water does not get backed up and cause structural damage.
Inspect the roof—While you are checking the gutters, also give the roof a good inspection. Look for any loose or missing roof tiles or shingles that could cause leaks during winter storms.
Seal your doors and windows—If you want to save money on heating costs, be sure to apply/replace weather-stripping and sealant around all your doors and windows. This will help keep the cold air out and the hot air in.
Check your pipes—The cold can bring on burst pipes, so this winter make sure to check all your pipes and wrap them with insulating tape. This will keep you from having to make costly plumbing repairs later.
Prepare a winter emergency kit—You never know when bad weather will strike. Make sure that you have an emergency kit including candles and matches in case of a power failure. Also have a battery-powered radio, a supply of canned foods (and a manual can opener), and plenty of bottled water.
Check the portable generator—If you own a portable generator, then you know that it can be a lifesaver during winter storms. Be sure to start it up and make sure that it is running smoothly and make any repairs that you may need. You don’t want to try to crank it up when a storm hits only to find out it’s not working.
Trim your tree limbs—Winter storms can also bring external damage from falling trees and tree limbs. Walk through your property and clear out any limbs that are too close to the house or cars. Also, if you have older trees that may snap easily, you should consider having these removed before the storms take them out – and your house with them.
Clean the chimney—If you have a fireplace, make sure that it is professionally cleaned to remove built-up soot and residue. This can be particularly dangerous to you and your family.
Replace the smoke detectors’ batteries—About every three months, you should check your smoke detectors and replace the batteries so that they’re working properly.
Reverse your fans—If you have a house with high ceilings, flip the directional switch on your ceiling fans. This will help to push warm air down and keep you warmer this winter.

If you take care of your house, then it will take good care of you. Be sure to complete these maintenance tasks early so that you don’t have to make major repairs later this winter.

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