August, 2009

And housing experts are saying that availability for the country’s poorest seniors will be among the most pressing housing issue in years to come. According to the Seattle Times, one in six people will be aged 65 or older by 2020, compared to the current ratio of one in 12… and that means a demand for more affordable housing for the elderly. A recent congressional study says that demand for subsidized senior housing already outweighs projected future supply, and many existing buildings are in dire need of upgrades and repairs. Despite the best efforts of nonprofit groups and developers, new construction is simply not keeping pace with demand, especially in these credit-crunched times. The low-income senior population lives mostly on fixed incomes from Social Security. The most recent Census Bureau data shows that two in five households 65 or older earn less than half of the U.S. median income. Meanwhile, about one in 10 household heads in this age group live in poverty.

You’ve got to keep in the black if you want to keep a good credit score, and if you’re in the market for a new home, you know how essential a good credit score is. What you may not realize, however, is the definition of a “good credit score” has changed somewhat:

• 740 – 850: Excellent. Borrowers qualify for the best financing terms
• 700 – 739: Very good. Borrowers receive favorable financing
• 660 – 699: Good. Borrowers should qualify for most loans
• 620 – 659: Fair. Borrowers may qualify but will pay higher interest
• Below 620: Poor. Borrowers will likely not qualify for a loan

If you are a borrower looking to buy a home with what used to be considered ‘good’ credit, a credit score in the lower 700s and want to put down a smaller down payment then your loan could be more expensive than you thought, so work to stay out of the red and get your credit score up as high as it can be.

Let’s look at blue. You might hear about the “summertime blues,” but when is the best time to buy or sell a house? With people concentrating on the spring and fall markets, you have less competition in the summer. Often in the fall market and the spring market prices go up. Just waiting an extra few weeks at certain times such as mid-August or early January could save you a considerable amount on your new home. If you’re selling, in the fall a whole new set of buyers are just starting with the hopes of being in a new home by the end of the year. All of this can mean means higher prices or even multiple offers. Of course, it all depends on where you live, too, so check out prices seasonally and speak to a realtor about the best times to buy and sell where you live.

Which brings us to yellow. Get out your yellow pages and find yourself a good REALTOR®. Finding a good real estate agent is essential to enjoying a painless real estate transaction. The question is how can you find the best real estate agent for you? Well, The best agent for you is an experienced professional who will listen to you, conduct themselves in an ethical manner and knows your market. All REALTORS® are licensed to sell real estate as an agent or a broker but not all real estate agents are REALTORS®. REALTORS® belong to the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® and pledge to follow the code of ethics, a comprehensive list containing 17 articles and underlying standards of practice, which establish levels of conduct that are higher than ordinary business practices or those required by law.

And that’s quite a palette to paint a real estate picture with.

The good thing about decorating your home with the colors of the day is you’ll find a plethora of furnishings, accessories, windows treatment in those tones and colors; so if you’re going to buy ready made things from retailers you have a endless supplies of options for what you are looking for.

The down side about decorating with the colors of the day, is that your look will become dated very quickly, so you need to be careful.

It’s easy to stay with neutrals on your walls and furnishings – and not just beige, but tones of soft muted olives or golds and even off-white — then you have the ability to bring punches of color, just by changing an area rug or window treatment, or toss pillows, to give your house or your room a complete total transformation for very little money. It’s a way to keep updating things without starting with huge pieces like a new sofa or a new recliner.

One of the trends people do is to bring quirky colors in their homes, but they don’t know how to do it; the secret is to find a way to bring those punches of color without overwhelming the space and do we want an accent wall in that punch of color or some vases, pieces of art that also incorporate that color. You can do that and pick strategic places around the room to put those little punches of color without doing the entire room in that color, and a good decorator will help you do that.

Many people have the idea that if you are selling, everything needs to be beige… This isn’t necessarily true. You want people, when they walk into your home, to feel like they could live there. There’s going be ten other houses in your area that are going to be similar to yours, and you need to have that thing that will make it pop. That’s not to say that you need to go paint your walls orange or fushia or lime green — you want to make it neutral enough so people can come in and imagine themselves in the house — but use punches of color, so even if your room is neutral, there is something grabbing people’s attention when they come in.

You can see more of Sherry’s work on Designed to Sell, weeknights at 6 eastern on HGTV, or at her website www.chic-home.com

First…mowing. Most people cut their lawns far too short, thinking if they cut their lawns shorter, they can wait longer in between mowing. While that might be true, by cutting your lawn too short, you’re putting unnecessary stress on it. Try not to cut your lawn shorter than three inches. Leaving your lawn a little longer encourages deeper root growth, which makes your grass more efficient at using water, saving on your water bill. A lawn with healthy roots is also better able to fight off diseases and pests. It also makes it durable, so if you’ve got kids and animals running across it, it’s more likely to survive the use.

Next…watering. Like most plants, grass needs water. But maybe not as much you think — only about an inch per week. How do you know if your lawn is getting enough? Go out and get a rain gauge. Or, you can make one yourself out of a tuna can (just make sure it’s clean first!) Keep it out for a week or so, and measure the depth of the water. If it rains a lot where you live, you can water less. But don’t over water your lawn! It can lead to fungus. And when you do water, it’s best to water for long stretches once or twice a week, rather than for just a few minutes each day. It encourages deeper root growth.

Last…feeding. Like all living things, your lawn needs nutrients to survive. You’ll need to feed your lawn two to four times a year, depending on its condition. Make sure you use a product meant for your area and the time of year you are using it. And, don’t forget to follow the directions carefully. You can certainly have too much of a good thing in the case of fertilizer. If you use too much, you’ll damage your lawn and spend all season trying to get it to grow back. Just remember: a well-fed lawn means a lawn that’s more resistant to pests and weeds.

And speaking of those, how you control them varies. You’ll need to diagnose what kind of bug is bugging you. You can treat the problem yourself with available pesticides or herbicides. But when in doubt, call in an expert.

There’s three simple steps to keep away the brown, while putting a bit more in your pocket come closing time!