Budgeting Your Project

FSBO Vs. Realtor

Sellers want to find every dime from the sale of the home that they can. Many sellers think that the commission earned by a realtor is wasted money and decide to sell their house as a FSBO, or even available by owner. In some cases, this may be quite a intelligent choice when you are selling your house, if houses are selling quickly in your area and you are inclined to do the job. Selling a house is far more than just sticking a sign in the yard and signing a generic contract downloaded on the internet. Paperwork There’s a great deal of paperwork involved in a property transaction; both you and the buyer may lose a lot of money and time if it is worded or handled incorrectly. This is especially true concerning particular stipulations, the composed additions to some contracts which act as exceptions to the contract or…

Eclectic Homes

FHA Termite Guidelines

The Federal Housing Administration, or FHA, insures mortgages across the nation and throughout the application enables borrowers to obtain financing with little if any downpayment. The lender needs particular instructions, such as for termites, to confirm that the land is well-built and also to protect its investment. In some areas of the nation, termites are a threat to land and are scrutinized to aid in determining property condition. Termites and other wood-destroying insects destroy property and causes billions in damage each year. Properties must meet with specific criteria concerning termites to qualify for an FHA loan. Termite Inspections Not all properties are subject to termite inspections under FHA. It only needs a termite inspection if the property has signs of termites or the area in which the property is located in is famous for termite activity. Areas with hot climates have more termite activity, even though wood-destroying pests are found…

Budgeting Your Project

Common Mistakes With a Reverse Mortgage

Homeowners 62 and older have the choice to take out a reverse mortgage on their home. A reverse mortgage is based upon the owner's amp & equity;mdash;the amount the house is worth, less any mortgages or home equity loans attached to it—and the owner doesn't need to pay it back so long as the house is her main residence. Borrowing Too Far Lenders charge a reverse mortgage to be arranged by fees, as they do to other types of loans; the bigger the loan, the higher the charges. According to the Federal Trade Commission, taking out a loan means spending money on charges than required. Not Considering Alternatives Loan fees and other expenses can add up to thousands of bucks, therefore it's worthwhile to check at options to a reverse mortgage. A home equity loan or line of credit, as an instance, will need to be repaid sooner, but if…

Eclectic Homes

Is Homeowners Insurance Needed?

Homeowners need insurance as it protects them from costly liability suits, covers them in case of weather- or fire-related damage to their homes, also pays for losses sustained from theft. When a homeowner owes money on his house, he wants to get insurance to protect both himself and the lending company. Homeowners whose homes are completely compensated for also carry insurance to protect themselves financially. Construction Coverage At the minimum, all lenders require the construction of the house to be insured. Policies cover losses from fire and weather, but may not cover a building that’s damaged by earthquake or flood. Homeowners can add protection against these dangers to the policy, which will increase the premium. Conventional insurance policies cover damage from fire, smoke, hail, wind, vandalism and theft. The building is insured for its value. At a volatile housing market, worth can go up or down quickly, and it’s the…

Budgeting Your Project

Mortgage Elimination Programs

Should you own your home, chances are good your biggest monthly invoice is the mortgage payment. Imagine how much you could save monthly expenditures if you didn't have to make that payment anymore. Mortgage financing programs aim to get you there. What they all have in common is the practice of paying the principal amount of your loan sooner compared to amortization schedule requires. You can pay off your loan one year before or 10 years earlier–or any time schedule you select, depending on how far and when you pay down the principal. Biweekly Payment Strategy Many lenders and private companies offer a biweekly mortgage program, which works in one of two ways. If offered right by your creditor, it's probably your payment will go directly to reduce your loan every fourteen days. This causes the principal portion of your loan being paid sooner because one-half of your former payment…

Eclectic Homes

In Praise of Silliness

As I tossed and turned another night, worrying about whether to spring for a cowhide rug or stick with sisal, I couldn’t help but wonder: Why was I carrying my house so badly? Sure, decorating is expensive. But is therapy. Every now and then, it is necessary to cut loose — to engage your inner child and let your freak flag fly. I am not referring to painting your home in polka dots. I am referring to adding one thing that’s a little unexpected. Perhaps it’s an unusual accent shade or upholstery fabric, or a wall treatment. Or perhaps it’s a thing you’re showing from context — shifting something commonplace to some work of art. There is nothing really so disarming as a adult who knows how to be a child. I am not on my second youth yet, but I am working on it. After all, I purchased the…

Bedrooms

Dreaming in Color: 8 Enchanting Purple Bedrooms

Purported to be a relaxing color, purple is an excellent color choice for a bedroom. Darker, cooler purples may sense a bit heavy in a place, so that they will need to be offset with a fantastic number of natural or artificial light. You can warm up cooler purple colors with a healthy dose of light to medium wood tones. Hotter raspberry hues pair nicely with cool neutrals like grey, or metallic accents like stainless steel or brushed nickel. I’ve pulled together eight pulling purple bedrooms out of , along with my favourite purple paint colours that you may try in your own bedroom. Jennifer Ott Design Purple paint choices for bedrooms (clockwise from top left): 1. Purple Haze KM3065-1, Kelly-Moore2. Fragrant Lilac 4001-5B, Valspar3. Lavender Lining 006-4, Mythic Paint4. Violet Petal 1382, Benjamin Moore5. Painted Sunset 29-9, Pratt & Lambert6. Purple Rhapsody 244-6, Pittsburgh Paints7. Blueberry Popover 610D-5, Behr8….

Life

Kitchen Traditions: Tomato Season Meets a Family Legacy

September is a special month in my home. It is tomato season, and so a time to celebrate my family’s Sicilian heritage. My kitchen has been marked throughout the entire month with telltale signs of all the tomato sauce and pasta producing: tomato-streaked cabinets and flour-dappled floors. It all started eight decades ago when my dad started growing tomatoes in the yard. His return was so prolific, we didn’t understand how to consume all of it. “We should make Nona’s tomato sauce!” he exclaimed. The sparkle in his eye made me understand how much he loved his grandmother’s sauce, where he had been practically weaned. Nona, as her grandchildren and great-grandchildren called her, came to Ellis Island in the Old Country in 1920. She, with only the business of my toddler grandfather, made her way out to California to fulfill my great-grandfather, who’d found them a house. (This photograph is…

Windows

Storm Door Installation Tips

Installing storm window repair is one of those home fixes that you need to undertake before the cold and winter months come. It’s a very easy project to do which requires the use of basic tools that you may already have at home. Door Measurement and Orientation Using a tape measure, determine the width and height of the door opening. This is basically the space that’s defined by the inside portion of the casing. Although most storm window cleaning are reversible, you generally should install it in such a way that the hinges will be on the same side as the front portion. If the type of door that you have comes with a screen and glass and they are both removable, you should take them out now. This can help to lighten the load which makes the installation much easier. You can simply put the screen and the glass…

Eclectic Homes

Breaking from the Kitchen Work Triangle

You might be knowledgeable about the kitchen work triangle and its emphasis on an efficient kitchen design. But did you know that this notion has been in use for more than a hundred decades? Initially developed in European kitchens, the conventional kitchen work triangle was fine-tuned from the 1950s, when kitchens were reconceived as one-person spaces separate from the rest of the home. Those kitchens usually included just a range, refrigerator and sink; the arrangement of these attributes shaped the work triangle. Today’s kitchens are extremely different, inspiring new designs, but they still assemble on the older logic of the efficient workspace. Rempe Construction Open concept. Putting the fridge at the entrance to the interior work place enables family members to get the fridge without interrupting the cook. Both the fridge and wall mount have a drop-off zone in immediate reach. Based upon the exact space between the sink and…