FSBO Jane

I am all about DIY (do-it-yourself) projects when it comes to home decorating and renovating. This is one reason why I stay updated with BobVila.com. DIY project instructions are so abundantly available there, you could partake in a new project every week! In fact, I’m always so wrapped up in the projects that I never noticed the Hiring a Pro link that is available until recently. How do you know when to hire a pro?

Basically, my advice on whether to go it alone or to hire a pro is to research the type of project you want to complete. Does it sound like something you can accomplish? Do you have the tools you need to complete it? Have others been able to successfully pull of the project without tons of knowledge on the subject? How much will all the tools and materials cost compared to how much it would cost to hire a professional?

If you end up deciding to use a professional, BobVila.com informs you of where to go for free estimates on how much the project will cost, and you can learn how to find a contractor, how to work with a contractor, how to negotiate contracts and more.

For more information on hiring a professional, visit this site.

Thinking of buying a new home? Worried about getting the best rate on your mortgage?

Take a look at the GuaranteedRate.com and Zillow.com!

Here’s how they work:

GUARANTEED RATE.COM*
1. Choose loan: purchase or refinance.
2. Pick the state in which you live.
3. Enter an estimated loan amount.

ZILLOW.COM*
1. Choose loan: refinance or home equity
2. Type in the purchase price of the house.
3. Enter your zip code.

In order to find the best rate, you begin the process the same way on each site entering the type of loan, your location and the estimated amount needed. However, while Zillow provides a list of lenders (leaving you to do all of the work), Guaranteed Rate does the work for you by giving you their result in addition to offering its competitors’ information up front to ensure that you’re getting the best rate possible.

*Neither service requires your Social Security Number.

When you take out a mortgage loan, you are required to pay a certain amount per month until that loan is paid off. However, a prepayment is an amount that you pay before the due date, to reduce the principal balance of the loan. This could mean that you pay more than you need to each month or just some months, you send in extra money at a random time of the month, or you pay the mortgage amount in full. You could pay the mortgage in full if the property was sold, if you acquired a large sum of money and want to use it toward the mortgage, or because of a foreclosure.

Because this prepayment occurs before the loan has fully amortized, you may have to pay a prepayment penalty. Still, if you can get the mortgage paid off and not have to worry about it each month, it may be worth paying the penalty. Discuss the rules and options with your mortgage lender to find out what is the best way for you to pay off your mortgage loan as soon as possible.

With so many different styles of homes on the market, decorating trends become more and more eclectic as each year passes. And the furniture trends for 2010 are no exception.

Modern

• Bright-colored sofas are replacing neutral-toned couches. These days, your furniture may be the focal point of a given room, so it makes sense for it to stand out more. A good option may be a vivid red with tan throw pillows.

• Asian accents are coming back, especially in the form of artwork. However, treat your walls as you would your own body. You wouldn’t get a symbol tattooed on you without researching its true meaning, right? You may think that little character means “happiness and luck,” but it could mean “frog legs” for all you know!

• Environmentally-friendly furniture is a hot trend. What makes them green? They may be created from recycled materials, or the fabric may be organic.

• Gray is the new neutral color. It goes with everything and shows less dirt than white.

Classic• Go for comfort. The look of a given seat may be important to you, but you should purchase a couch, chair, recliner, etc. that you’ll actually want to sit on day after day.

• Antiques never go out of style. If a piece is really banged up, all it needs is a little paint or varnish and you’re good to go!

• If you’re not ready to make a bold statement by purchasing a lime green loveseat, feel free to stick with traditional blacks and browns when you buy seating.

• Although many hipsters are opting for glass or metallic tables, timeless hardwood pieces still reign supreme in most homes.

I read this recent post at the Buy Owner Blog about home selling and thought it was worth pointing out here. The jist of the article is this: When your home isn’t selling, that’s not the time to get discouraged. It’s the time to get proactive.

Citing five tips for maintaining your can-do attitude this year, the article points out the best weapon you have in home selling: yourself.

Here’s a clip:

“In a slow real estate market, it’s standard for a house to be on the market for up to a year or longer. So instead of getting discouraged, change your game. Take it to the next level. There are always new tactics for home sellers to try, such as these five:

• Visit open houses in your town or surrounding towns. Act like a potential homebuyer and gain perspective on what else is out there, and how other home sellers are trying to spark the interest of buyers. Also, take note of what areas of the house you notice first, and remember this when it comes to your own house.”

Read the rest of the post here.

Although I have said before that virtual tours are really helpful when you’re looking to buy a home, there is really no concrete way of seeing a property up close and personal other than to visit it in person.

If you have never attended an open house before, there are some things you can expect. These are things to watch out for so you are prepared to act accordingly. The last thing you want to do is put an agent or a homeowner off by appearing rude or demanding.

Here are some quick tips:

• If an appointment is required, adhere to your time. Showing up too early or late is disrespectful.

• Unless there is a sign, you don’t need to knock or ring the doorbell. Walk in.

• If you are greeted by an agent or homeowner, politely say hello and wait for instruction. If the person offers to take you on a tour of the home, accept it.

• If no appointment is necessary and you stopped on a whim, say so. State that you are not interested in buying and that you just want to see the house. For all they know, you could fall in love with the place.

• If you are a friend, neighbor or coworker, say so. This may make you more appealing as a prospective buyer since you have invested interest in the owner of the property, as well.

• If the agent/homeowner tells you to go at your own pace, don’t rush. Take your time moving through each room.

• Whether you are being guided by an agent/homeowner or not, do not show disgust at the décor. If you’re constantly saying, “this needs to be changed,” you may be coming off as a bit rude and highfalutin.

• Feel free to look inside closets and cabinets, but do not pick up the owner’s personal possessions.

• Do not try out the furniture or use the bathroom.

Remember, the seller doesn’t have to sell the house to you, especially if multiple offers are on the table. Take these tips into consideration and make sure your home-buying etiquette is appropriate.

If you’re living in a cold climate region, one of the best features you can have in your home is a fireplace. In some cases, it may cut your heating costs. Other times, it’s just nice to curl up by a cozy fire, especially around the holidays. However, like any other “appliance” in your home, your chimney needs to be cleaned and maintained.

Fireplaces get dirty. Creosote (a thick, oily residue made from wood smoke) and soot (partially burnt remnants created by fire) build up inside the chimney. These substances will eventually clog the interior of the flue cap or the chimney as a whole and create a dangerous fire hazard.

The only way to prevent fire and smoke damage in your home is by a regularly cleaning your fireplace. If you haven’t used the fireplace in awhile, you’ll want to winterize it before you being lighting those fires.

• Remove the flue cap and clean the interior with a nylon brush.

• Make sure you tighten the cap securely when you are finished.

• Check the pipes and doors for leakage. Replace anything that is broken.

• Remove leaf/twig build-ups on the roof.

• Trim any branches hanging over near the top of the chimney.

• Burn a creosote sweeping log to remove the crud from deep inside your chimney.

• If you have never cleaned a fireplace before and you want to make sure everything is cleaned properly, hire a professional chimney sweep.

• Burn dry logs. Wet logs give off moisture that eventually evaporates into the creosote mixture that builds up in the chimney. Dampening the logs while they burn also creates more soot.

Repeat this cleaning process once the winter season is over. Don’t let the creosote/soot build-up fester for months on end. This way, if you happen to encounter a chilly spring day, you can use the fireplace without worry.

For all of you Illinois residents, I just found something you’ll want to check out: this real estate blog that is part of the renowned Chicago Magazine. It is called Deal Estate and it advertises all of Chicago’s most impressive homes that are on the market for much less than what they are worth.

Browsing through, I realized that most of the houses belong in the category dare to dream, ranging from $2 million to over $10 million! They are mansions or estates that, if you have a hidden load of cash, you can score for less than what they are worth. Some of the homes are more affordably ranged around $800K, and though this is still way out of my budget, it’s fun to look at these incredible mansions that reside right in my own city!

Aside from the Deal Estate section of this blog, however, is helpful information for anyone looking into real estate in this area. Where to Buy Now informs you of what neighborhoods have low prices available now and have promising futures. With a combination like that, who wouldn’t want to score a house in Chicago?

Check it out at http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/Deal-Estate/

Don’t waste energy by lighting up your bathroom or a small bedroom with a nightlight. The light remains on all night, wasting energy while you sleep. Even if it’s a motion-activated nightlight, energy is still used through the plug. Instead, try to make one of these eco-friendly, energy-efficient “sun jar” nightlights. It’s basically a mason jar with a solar garden light, a rechargeable battery and an energy-efficient LED lamp. By placing the jar in sun during the day, these materials work together to collect sunlight that will keep the jar glowing throughout the night. It makes a perfect nightlight without having to be plugged in and without using energy!

To read more about the perks of these jars, visit green living ideas.

To read the components and the easy-to-follow directions to make your own sun jar, visit Instructables.

Delinquency is basically the fancy real estate term that means a failure to make a mortgage payment when that said mortgage payment is due. For each mortgage company, the rules could be different. If you have good-standing credit, the company might let the first late payment slide and not mark it as a delinquency. Most companies will record it as a delinquent loan, though they won’t charge a late fee for a number of days. If the loan payment is more than 30 days late, most lenders will contact credit bureaus and the late payment will affect your credit.

Research your mortgage company to see what rules they follow so that you are prepared for the consequences, incase your loan payment is ever late. As a rule of thumb, try to always pay your loan payment on time to avoid situations like this.