Making Yourself at Home After a Move

Have you heaved a huge sigh of relief yet? If not, go ahead -- you've earned it.

Now that you've successfully cruised through moving day, you can start turning your new digs into a home sweet home. Of course, your idea of "home" may not include ceiling-high stacks of cardboard boxes. Or maybe you're not exactly smitten with whatever misguided decor (gilded wallpaper? shag carpeting?) the previous owners left behind.

TIP: Establish a sanctuary within your home. Choose one room to paint immediately, and decorate it with items that make you feel warm 'n' fuzzy -- a favorite armchair, a few picture frames, or your projection-screen television. It may be a while before all your belongings are put away and renovations complete, but whenever you need a break from your work-in-progress, you can retreat to this room and feel right at home.

Just don't get too comfortable, because you still have some unpacking to do.

Feeling besieged by boxes? Take it one room at a time. The kitchen is a good place to start -- it's the hub of most homes, and besides, too much takeout can be hard on the wallet. Get bathrooms in order next, and then move on to bedrooms, living rooms, and guest rooms. If you can't find a place for something, sell it or toss it. Don't let it languish in unpacking limbo.

Once your house is in order, take some time to explore your new community. Start with the nuts and bolts:

• Find the nearest post office, bank, grocery store, police department, fire department, and hospital.
• Update your driver's license and car registration with the DMV; if you're not a fan of standing in line, log on to your state's DMV website.
• Register to vote in your new district, and find out where the nearest polling location is.
• Call your town's sanitation department and see if curbside pickup is offered for trash and recycling.
• Get acquainted with the rules and regulations of your apartment complex or homeowners' association.
• Send e-mails or moving announcements to your friends and family with your new address and phone number. For inspiration, read Creative Ways to Announce Your Move.

Once you've made it official, you can focus on the fun stuff. Introduce yourself to the neighbors, and take a few meandering walks until you learn your way around. Subscribe to the local newspaper, get a library card, go shopping downtown, or join the health club. Make it your goal to find the best pizza delivery, deli, or takeout in your neighborhood. It may take some time to adjust, but before you know it, you'll feel like a local.

 

 

 

By Kara Wahlgren, FrontDoor.com | Published: 1/28/2008

http://www.frontdoor.com/Move/Making-Yourself-at-Home-After-a-Move/969

How Working with a Realtor Can Benefit YOU

Buying or selling a home can be one of the most important and complicated transactions you make in your lifetime.  With this transaction comes plenty of paperwork, endless decisions to be made, and unknown obstacles.  A Realtor can help you through the process of buying or selling a home from beginning to end, and ensure your financial and legal protection along the way.  Realtors differ from other licensed or registered real estate agents or brokerages in that they are member of The Canadian Real Estate Association, and as such must adhere to the REALTOR® Code and Standards of Business Practice.  These regulations, ethics and high standards ensure you will receive the best possible assistance while buying or selling your property.  Below is an explanation of ways in which a Realtor can help you.

Skill

Realtors have professional marketing and negotiating skills that can help you buy or sell your home at a price that works for you. 

Knowledge

A Realtor knows the ins and out of the industry and uses his or her education and experience to your advantage.  In addition to their training, Realtors constantly update their knowledge through professional education programs. 

Resources

Realtors have a plethora of resources at their fingertips, which can help you buy or sell a property faster and broaden your options.  Realtors have access to the Multiple Listing Service; thus if you are buying a home, a Realtor can find properties other Realtors are selling, or if you are selling they can list your home so other buyers can discover it through the Realtor with whom they are working.  Realtors can also post signs which can direct buyers’ attention to a home that is for sale and being handled professionally.

Protection

Realtors must follow strict regulations and adhere to a code of ethics that is designed to protect you, the client.  A Realtor is bound to client confidentiality and also must offer you his or her undivided loyalty; he or she must “protect the client’s negotiating position at all times, and disclose all known facts, which may affect or influence their decision.”  Realtors must also “obey all lawful instructions of the seller” and “account for all money and property placed in a brokerage’s hands while acting for the client.”  Furthermore, a realtor can legally incorporate a Property Disclosure Statement into a Contract for Purchase and Sale, ensuring you buy a home with full knowledge of any defects of which the seller may be aware.

For more information, talk to your local CENTURY 21 real estate professional.

 

 

 

Posted by Jules Seaman on March 28, 2011 

 

Buy What You Need, Not What You Want

Make a list of your ideal home and stick to it while house hunting

 

It's easy to be awe-struck by a razzle-dazzle listing. Everyone loves to look at marble countertops, hot tubs and master suites, but make sure a home meets your practical needs before you start indulging your wants. The average person homebuyer keeps a home for about 9 years, so you want to be sure about your investment before you buy. Gather a list of criteria before you start looking at homes, and keep a journal to keep track how each property you look at matches up with your list.

To get started, think about what you dislike about your current digs. Are you tired of bumping into your significant other in your cramped-quarters kitchen? Are you expecting a new family member, or looking to start a family and worried about space? Are you an empty-nester who wants to streamline and downsize? Make a note of whatever it is that's giving you the itch to move, and make sure its at the top of the list for must-have features. If you're happy with your current home but have to move to a new area, try to match your new home with your current abode's amenities.

Next, consider the amount of space you'll need in your new home. How many bedrooms do you need? What's the least amount of square footage you're willing live in? Make your numbers slightly flexible.

Also, consider the things you love about your current home and neighborhood that you would be unhappy without. Love reading in the late-afternoon sun? Look for a house with a sunroom or bright living area. If you can't live without your daily java, make sure the home you choose has a coffee shop within walking distance.

Once you've written the specifics, prioritize your lists. Put things your new home must have at the top, and put wants (things you'd like to have but don't need) towards the bottom. Share the list with your real estate agent to help them find listings in your price range that meet all of your needs.

 

http://www.frontdoor.com/Buy/Buy-What-You-Need-Not-What-You-Want/2336

By FrontDoor.com | Published: 9/15/2008

SMART WAYS TO UNCLOG A DRAIN

With a few inexpensive household items, you can avoid a costly visit from the plumber by clearing drain clogs yourself.

Using cola..
Pour 3 cups of warm cola down your drain and let it sit overnight; the citric acid in the soda will break up any buildup in your pipes. In the morning, run hot water to help flush the remains.

Dissolve it with fizz.
Drop 3 denture tablets down the drain followed with a cup of vinegar. When mixed together, they bubble to dissolve drain buildup. After the bubbling stops, run hot water down the drain.

Bubble break.
Pour a 1/2 cup of baking soda down the drain, then 1 cup white vinegar immediately after. Cover the drain to force the bubbles down into the pipes; let sit for 15 minutes, then flush it down with a gallon of water.

Bring on the water.
Boil a teapot of water and pour it down the drain very slowly.This will loosen any grease or dirt that may be plugging it up.

Take the plunge.
Plungers are not just for the toilet. Buy a mini version at a hardware store and use it to suck up debris that’s stuck in the drain. Tip: If you line the plunger rim with petroleum jelly it will improve the suction.

A family of four, each showering for 5 minutes a day, uses 700 gallons of water a week; this is enough for a 3-year supply of drinking water for one person. You can cut that amount in half by simply using low-flow aerating showerheads and faucets.

 

 

http://www.pillartopost.com/postnotes/postNotes-pillarToPost-newsletter-jan-2011.aspx#window

CREATING A SPA-TASTIC BATHROOM

With these easy changes, it is possible to create the feeling of a luxurious spa right at home.

Keep a supply of bath accessories on hand. A bathtub tray, fuzzy tub pillow, lavish bath salts and oils all help bring the spa experience home. Break out the fluffiest towels By putting your most luxurious, soft and comfortable towels on display, you will create the look and feel of a sumptuous spa. Shed some (candle) light on it. Light a lot of scented candles. Scents such as Vanilla, Lavender and Juniper help create an aromatherapy environment. Get some focus. A potted plant or vase of flowers creates not only a soothing focal point, but it also adds a splash of color. Plush touch. Use the thickest and fuzziest bathroom floor mat you can find. Your wet feet will appreciate this inexpensive addition. Two is better than one. Install a dual shower head for an invigorating massage each time you shower. The best part is most shower heads require no tools to install.

House Match: Starting Out, This is the most important purchase you're likely to make. You want to get it right.

THE QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF

Regardless of how ideal the market may seem, it's still a good idea to sit down with your real estate agent and think about how you see your life in three or five years and ask yourself some pointed questions.

Can I afford it?

Buying a house will have a significant impact on your finances, so make sure you can handle it.

Housing is more affordable than ever and incentives like low interest rates and the new expanded tax credit are enticing buyers to enter the market. But purchasing property involves a lot of upfront costs: closing costs, down payment, new furniture, moving expenses. Do you have enough cash?

Create a budget for the monthly mortgage payment and homeownership costs, such as general maintenance if you buy a single-family home or homeowners association fees if you buy a condo.

Am I mortgage-worthy?

Say you saved enough cash, but what about your credit? It's not a secret that getting a mortgage these days is harder than it used to be. Lenders are looking closely at all documentation of your income, debts, assets and liabilities, to make sure you don't exceed the maximum debt-to-income ratio. And when it comes to credit scores, the most competitive interest rates (the 5 percent you may have heard about) only go to buyers with credit scores above 700.

The key is to review your financial situation before you check out open houses. Use our affordability calculator to see what kind of monthly mortgage payment you can comfortably afford.

Do I plan to live here for at least five years?

Most personal finance experts say that unless you plan to live in a home for at least five years, you likely won't recoup any of the expenses associated with buying and later selling the house.

Plus, your first few years of mortgage payments primarily pay off interest, not your principal, so you will not have built up a lot of equity in your home. You may be better off renting if you expect to move in the next couple of years. Just because you live in a buyer's market doesn't mean the time is right for you to buy.

If I buy with another person, how will this affect me?

Buying real estate with another person has its perks, if you both have stable financial situations. By combining cash and resources, you're likely to get a bigger, better place than you each would as individual buyers. Plus, when you're starting out, it helps to share the financial burden with someone else.

But before you start house hunting together, sit down, lay all your cards on the table and get the answers to these important questions. Whether you're buying with a spouse, domestic partner, relative or friend, setting the ground rules first will save you both a lot of headaches in the future.

Is it worth the money?

Frey admits that she's spending slightly more than she wanted to, but, in the end, she decided it was worth it because "the appliances stay, the kitchen is remodeled and it's a house that I won't outgrow in a few years."

In other words, the place in which you live is an investment and the money will always be relevant, but that old-fashioned moniker "home sweet home" is decidedly modern these days. People aren't buying houses anymore; they're buying homes.

 

By Geoff Williams and Annalisa Burgos, FrontDoor.com | Published: 10/07/2009

http://www.frontdoor.com/buy/House-Match-Starting-Out/55312/p2

Mortgage Request Documentation Checklist

When buying a new home, some documentation is needed to support your mortgage request.  By providing your mortgage specialist with the documents that are indicated on the list below, you can work together to finalize your mortgage needs efficiently.

Information that describes the property you are buying:

• Purchase and Sale Agreement
• MLS Listing with photo
• Name, address, telephone number of your solicitor / notary

Confirmation of your down payment:

• Savings or investment statement from within last 90 days
• Sale of an existing property – a copy of the sale agreement
• Gift letter
• Withdrawal from RRSP through Home Buyer’s Plan

Employment verification:

• Copy of latest T4 slip
• T4
• Letter of employment
• T1 General and Notice of Assessment (NOA if self-employed)

Other information that may be required:

As part of your application process, your mortgage broker will ask you questions relating to what you owe and own, what some of the projected expenses relating to the property are, such as taxes, heating costs and condo fees, and whether you will be using the property to generate income.

http://www.century21.ca/Blog/Mortgage_Request_Documentation_Checklist

Angela Slager is with CENTURY 21 Heritage House Ltd. in Woodstock, ON.