A New Way of Looking at Things

Sometimes you can have the answer to your question staring you straight in the face and you totally miss it. It may require you to look at the facts in a different way to have the answer become obvious and clear.


The day before Thanksgiving I decided to become organized and have all my recipes laid out. I even pre-cut some items and grouped others. I was determined to have a relaxing Thanksgiving day despite cooking most of the meal. Though not organized well, I have most of my recipes in a binder slid into protective sheet covers - it is a collection of family recipes and articles. I found my mom's stuffing recipe......then it happened ..... I could not find the gravy recipe cut from a magazine we had as our family tradition for years. My daughter who had no clue to the direness of my situation foolishly suggested I "just buy a mix at the store"! I couldn't believe such heresy. I searched cookbooks; I searched online; I searched all computer files but to no avail. Finally after going through my closet (this wasn't becoming so relaxing anymore) I found the original magazine from 1995. The day was saved.


Thanksgiving went smoothly. My husband was making the gravy and I put the finishing touches on the stuffing. As I went to put the recipe back in the binder it happened to flipped over - to expose my long lost gravy recipe!


So what in the world does this have to do with Real Estate? Well sometimes it is easy to become so focused on something you totally miss the obvious - you have to have a house in only this neighborhood, or it has to be at this exact price, or this exact square footage - you may miss out on a great home that could be a great home. You may be listening and interpreting the news too much and feel a lot of unnecessary gloom and doom - or feel prices should be rock bottom. If you are selling and are so focused on how great your home is, you may not see that the potential buyers are right that it may need updating, repairs and a price change. For renters, you may become so focused on the mantra "we can never afford a home" that you might miss out on some great financing and programs for buyers.


How do you get a new perspective? Contact a Realtor and we can help you discover what may have been there all along.

Putting Some "Green" In Your Hands

When it comes to preparing for the holidays, it also means cleaning and touching up your house for company. Does that "clean smell" seem a bit toxic to you? This article gives you some great alternatives to be clean and green.

By Terri Bennett

RISMEDIA, November 24, 2010—(MCT)—It's late November and the thought of guests descending on your home for the holidays may have you in an all-out redecorating rush.

“Do Your Part” this holiday season and go green while you paint, clean, and even accessorize.

We all know that paint can completely and inexpensively change the look of any space. But did you know that it's one of the biggest sources of indoor air pollution? That's because conventional paints contain volatile organic compounds — or VOCs — which are known to cause everything from headaches to certain cancers.

Now, it's easier than ever to get your hands on low or no VOC paint from nearly any paint manufacturer. The cost of low or no VOC paints are comparable to conventional paints and they last just as long. Just look on the can's label to make sure you are choosing the healthiest option for your home.

Another source of those dangerous VOCs is household cleaners. If you're like me, you may take cleaning to a whole other level when company comes to town. Before you spend a lot of money on store-bought cleaners, take a look at the non-toxic options you may already have in your pantry.

Items like baking soda, vinegar, and borax are effective cleaners for every room in your home. They do everything from disinfecting surfaces to killing mold. Go to www.DoYourPart.com/Columns to see specific uses for all these products. Or, if you want to go the store-bought route, look for cleaners that are plant-based and biodegradable such as Method and Seventh Generation products.

Now for the fun part of buying things for your home. If you'll be picking out a new piece of furniture before your friends and family arrive, pick ones that don't emit dangerous chemicals into your air. Some affordable pieces made from medium density fiberboard — or MDF — actually contain a formaldehyde-based resin.

Gas from the formaldehyde is known to slowly release into the air and can irritate eyes and cause breathing problems. Formaldehyde is also used in many furniture adhesives. When shopping, find out what the furniture is made of and if any formaldehyde adhesives are used in the manufacturing process to ensure you aren't bringing toxic pieces into your home.

There may also be some smaller items on your shopping list this year. If you'll be getting some new towels or sheets for your guests, opt for organic cotton items. These pieces are produced from cotton that is grown without using harmful pesticides or insecticides. Not only that, you'll also find organic cotton items are generally softer. Major retailers now offer organic options in every price range. You can also find decorative bed pillows made with organic cotton at many home goods stores.

There are plenty of ways to get in the green spirit this holiday season and it won't cost you any more money or time. So Do Your Part when guests come to visit to make sure your home is the healthiest it can be.

(c) 2010, The Charlotte Observer (Charlotte, N.C.).
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

Tips for Buyers/Sellers in Today's Market

"In a housing market that has had more downs than ups since the bust in 2008, top-selling real estate agent Roberta Baldwin guides both buyers and sellers through the market's troubled waters. Read a few of her quick tips below

Tips For Sellers:

Strive for Perfection

Buyers do not want to do the work -- they want you to do the work. It's not like the old days where you let the buyer decide what to do. They want a new kitchen, a new bathroom, they want everything perfect. If it's imperfect you're not going to sell it as fast.

Price the House To Sell, Not To Sit

If you are pricing it to sit, it will sit and it will keep getting negative feedback. If you aren't motivated you are wasting your time, the time of everyone who looks at it and your agent and at the end of the day you're going to be unhappy.

Be Realistic During Negotiations

Guess what? The negotiation process starts when the offer is given to you and if you think it's pretty good and you want $5,000 more, think twice about that because they just may walk without even listening to your counter. When a buyer makes an offer it's usually the price he wants to pay and not a penny more.

Trust Your Realtor

If you're underwater or behind on your mortgage, trust your Realtor with that information so he can give you the best advice and support from the start.

Tips For Buyers:

Streamline Priorities

I always say to people pick three to five things that you really want, but if you need 20 things you'll never find the house. You need to stick with those five and don't keep changing them every week.

When Buying or Selling, Ask a Professional

Work With the Pros

Honestly you're going to get your education a lot faster if you work with a top agent and also with a top mortgage representative.

Think of a House as a Nest, Not a Nest Egg

A house should be a place that gives you a special feeling and if you're just thinking every minute you're clocking, how much it's worth day to day or how much it's not worth you just can't possibly enjoy the inherent value of a nest.

Don't Get Drunk on Power

It may be a "buyer's market" but real estate is always about negotiation and compromise, so don't get carried away with your power -- it may kill the deal."

Taken from ABC News exerpt http://abcnews.go.com/print?id=11965124

1971 Value is back!

What if you could find gas for 1971 prices or could buy your groceries at that price? Would you buy a car at 1971 prices? Well there is something that is at 1971 levels and that is mortgage rates! Recently 30 year mortgage rates dropped to 4.17%!!!!


While I know that there are buyers waiting to see if housing prices go down, it is important to realize that the bottom line is money in your pocket. As a general rule $1000 in price equates to about $10 in monthly payments - so if you are waiting for a price drop of $5000 you are really talking about $50. HOWEVER if you lock into a low interest rate, that also means less money you have to pay over the life of the loan resulting in potentially larger savings than a price drop.

An example is a $200,000 mortgage at

1990's rates 7.75% would be $1432.82

2009 rate of 5.5% would be $1135.58

Current rate of 4.17% would be $974.54

That's a savings of $161.04 a month just since last year! And the reason you're not buying a home now is why?


http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/realestate/7290693.html

What To Do With An Extra Hour

Don't forget to turn your clocks BACK one hour tonight. You'll be gaining an extra hour of sleep OR what about doing something productive, like clean your bathroom. NAH! But here are some tips to help keep your bathroom clean......


9 Bathroom Cleaning Problems Solved

1. "My shower curtain is crawling with mildew"

Wash it with a bleach solution. Shower curtains can be tricky to clean because they are big and cumbersome. Getting rid of mildew, especially during damp weather, can be especially challenging. Here’s a solution that’s quick, easy, and low-cost: Pour 1 gallon (3.7 liters) of warm water and 1⁄2 cup of household bleachinto a plastic bucket. With plastic gloves on, soak a sponge in this cleaning solution, give it a squeeze to avoid drips, and wipe. The mildew will vanish. Rinse using the showerhead.

2. "I’m ready to toss this filthy shower curtain liner"

Toss it in the washer. Don’t throw away your liner just because of mildew and dirt buildup. Extend its life by cleaning it in your washing machine. Set the machine on the gentle cycle with warmwater and 1 cup of regular laundry detergent or 1⁄2 cup of vinegar. Afterward, whirl it in your drier, set on Low Heat or Fluff, for about 20 minutes. Your liner will come out clean and wrinkle-free. Rehang it immediately.

3. "My brass fixtures look dull"

Polish them with baking soda and lemon juice. Don’t rush out to buy an expensive brass cleaner. Save time and money by making a paste with equal amounts of baking soda and lemon juice. Dip an old toothbrush in the mix and lightly scrub the fixtures. Let the solution dry a few minutes and then buff the fixtures with a clean cloth. They’ll look brand new.

4. "The nooks and crannies in my bathroom are hard to clean"

Use an old toothbrush. An old toothbrush is the perfect time-saving bathroom-cleaning tool. For example, you can use it to clean the tracks of your bathtub’s sliding glass doors. Simply spray bathroom cleaner on a paper towel and wrap the towel around the bristle end of the toothbrush. Then scoot the brush along the tracks to dislodge dirt. Or put the little bristles to work on the grime that collects around the rim of a bathroom sink. Once the bristles have loosened the dirt, just mop it up with a damp sponge.

5. "I hate those mineral deposits on my bathroom faucet"

Remove them with white vinegar. No one likes crusty white deposits on a faucet. Try this easy solution: Before you go to bed one night, head to your kitchen for a bottle of white vinegar and three paper towels. Saturate the towels in the white vinegar and wrap them around the faucet like a cocoon. In the morning, remove thetowels. Fill the basin with warm water, plus a squirt of dishwashing liquid. Dip an old toothbrush in the solution and scrub the faucet toremove the final bits of mineral deposit.

6. "I have scum buildup on shower doors."

Use furniture oil to prevent buildup. Cleaning soap scum off a shower door is a tough, time-consuming job. Try using lemon oil furniture polish as a barrier against the scummy buildup. The next time you clean the door, follow up by wiping it with furniture oil on a soft rag. Let the oil sit for two minutes and then polish off the excess with a dry cloth. The furniture polish will leave a slight film of oil that will act as a buffer against future soap scum. Using a shower squeegee (available at discount stores and supermarkets) after every shower will also discourage the buildup.


7. "My glass shower doors are filmy"

Clean them with vinegar, baking soda, and salt. Stubborn mineral buildup on glass shower doors is no competition for a few common household ingredients—white vinegar, baking soda, and salt. Spray vinegar on the door and let it sit for a few minutes. Next, create a paste with equal amounts of baking soda and salt. Use adamp sponge to rub this paste over the door; then rinse well.


8. "My bathroom grout is grungy with mildew"

Spray it with vinegar. Mildew on grout is no match for that miracle household cleaning dynamo called vinegar. Just pour somewhite vinegar into a container, dip in an old toothbrush, and scrub away at the mildew. Or pour the vinegar into a spray bottle, squirt it on the mildew, and let it sit for ten minutes. Rinse with water and apply the old toothbrush if necessary. Bleach is effective in removing mildew from tile grout. Fill a spray bottle with equal parts of household chloride bleach and water. Spray the grout, let it sit a few minutes, and then wipe with a clean white cotton cloth.


9. "Those nonslip bathtub stickers won’t peel off"

Loosen them with laundry presoak. You know the ones: They’re shaped like flowers and fish and are stuck on with industrial-strength adhesive. Instead of ruining the smooth surface of your tub trying to scrape them off, follow these simple steps for removing them: Carefully lift corners on each sticker using your fingernail or a plastic scraper. (Metal will scratch most tubs.) Spray the stickers with a good dose of laundry pretreatment product, such as Shout or Spray ’n Wash. Let the stickers soak in the spray for a few hours. This should loosen the stickers and allow you to peel them off. Wipe up any adhesive residue and the laundry spray. Clean and rinse the tub thoroughly.

Mortgage Rates Back Down Again After Brief Rise

Mortgage rates revisited record lows this week, with the average rate on the benchmark conforming 30-year fixed mortgage rates returning to 4.42%, according to Bankrate.com’s weekly national survey. The average 30-year fixed mortgage has an average of 0.37 discount and origination points.


The average 15-year fixed mortgage hit a new low of 3.81%, and the larger jumbo 30-year fixed rate did as well, sinking to 5.04%. Adjustable rate mortgages were mostly lower, with the average 5-year ARM falling to 3.57% and the average 7-year ARM retreating to 3.87%.

Mortgage rates fell back into record low territory this week. The Federal Reserve has announced another injection of $600 billion over the next 8 months, but it remains to be seen if this is enough to push Treasury yields and mortgage rates lower, and if so, by how much. Even if the Fed is successful in pushing rates lower, it doesn’t alter the fact that many would-be borrowers are upside-down, living on a reduced income, or concerned about a lack of job security, Bankrate analysts said.

The last time mortgage rates were above 6% was Nov. 2008. At that time, the average rate was 6.33%, meaning a $200,000 loan would have carried a monthly payment of $1,241.86. With the average rate now 4.42%, the monthly payment for the same size loan would be $1,003.89, a savings of $238 per month for a home owner refinancing now.


Source: Bankrate.com


Read more: http://www.houselogic.com/news/articles/mortgage-rates-return-record-low-territory/#ixzz14LOsTkIL