Embarrassed By Your Credit Score?

Football scores, Scrabble scores, SAT scores, - when it comes to a credit score we all want to improve, but how do you do it? Below are 9 tips on improving your credit score.~

Tuyl and Margaret La Grange, an award-winning mother-daughter team with Prudential California Realty in Coronado, have compiled their latest list, “Top Tips for Improving Your Credit Score Now.” “Although interest rates are at historic lows, you need to have excellent credit to secure the best possible rate,” said Christine Van Tuyl, real estate agent. “Whether you’re looking to boost an already good score, or if you have a foreclosure or short sale on your record, it’s never a bad time to improve your credit score.”

Top Tips to Improve your Credit

1. Review your current credit report for accuracy. Everyone is entitled to one free credit report per year from each of the three credit bureaus—Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. Get a copy of your credit report and look at it for accuracy. First, make sure that the information in your file is about you and only you, not someone who has a similar name or a similar Social Security number. It is very common for your credit reports to have mistakes or incorrect information. At a minimum, make sure that the information you are being evaluated on is current and correct.

2. Repair credit report mistakes. If you find something on your credit report that is incorrect or missing, you should dispute the mistake by contacting the credit bureaus directly. All credit bureaus have their dispute procedures on their website. They are also required by law to investigate any disputed items and these investigations will usually be done within 30 days of your request.

3. Pay your bills on time. Sounds like a no-brainer, right? Payment history accounts for roughly 35% of your credit score. Paying bills on time is the most important thing to do. If you’re struggling to catch up, contact your creditors to work out a payment schedule.

4. Increase the length of your credit history. This accounts for about 15% of your score. Don’t cancel your old card or get a lot of new ones in a short time span because this can hurt your score.

5. Keep credit card balances low. It’s a good idea to keep the balances below 25% of your available credit. Even if you pay off your credit cards every month, a high average balance will impact your score. This accounts for about 30% of your credit score.

6. Keep new credit requests to a minimum. This accounts for 10% of your score. Every time a lender runs your credit, an inquiry is recorded. If you are trying to get a loan, don’t apply for new credit cards first.

7. Be aware that paying off a collection account will not remove it from your credit report. It will stay on your report for seven years.

8. Pay off debt rather than moving it around. The most effective way to improve your credit score in this area is by paying down your revolving credit. In fact, owing the same amount but having fewer open accounts may lower your score.

9. Beware credit-repair scams. By all means, don’t pay someone to wipe away the negative items in your file. If they don’t follow through, the damaging items will reappear in two or three months.

Please keep in mind that Christine Van Tuyl and Margaret La Grange are real estate agents, not mortgage lenders. For more information on how your credit score will impact your loan and interest rate, please contact your mortgage lender.Read more: http://rismedia.com/2009-11-14/9-tips-for-improving-your-credit-score/#ixzz0X8GxeZQT

It's Official- Tax Credit Extended!

Well you heard it here first (if you follow me on twitter), it's official- yesterday, President Obama signed off on the first time homebuyer's tax credit extension (among other things). It is actually now new and improved. Below are the new requirements:

• First time homebuyer(s) can receive $8,000 or up to 10% of the purchase price
• They must not have owned a property in the last three years
• They must qualify for a mortgage to get the credit (no cash, sorry!)
• Income limits for single people raised from $75,000 to now $125,000
• Income limits for couples raised from $150,000 to now $225,000
• Price limit for the home is $800,000
• Non first time buyers can also receive the credit now- up to $6,500
• Non first time buyers must have owned their property for 5 consecutive years out of the past 8 years
• Contracts must be in placed by April 30, 2010 and closed by June 30, 2010

Here's a great video from the president of Century 21 giving a little more information on the tax credit.

If you have specific questions about whether or not you would qualify for this tax credit, just let me know! CNN Money Article

Time is Running Out for $8,000!

Time is running out! If you are a first time homebuyer or haven't owned a property in at least 3 years, take advantage of the federal government's first time homebuyer's tax credit! After closing your home, you will receive 10% of the home's purchase price, up to $8,000 in check form from the IRS (unless you owe them some back taxes, but that's another topic). There's still some time left, but you have to close on the home BEFORE November 30th of this year. Although everyone is hopeful, there is no word yet on an extension for the tax credit. The process of closing on a home after you have an accepted offer can sometime take up to 30 days so hurry before it's too late! There are all kinds of benefits to being a homeowner, but this great incentive for first time homebuyers is too good to pass up. Feel free to contact me with any questions!

Century 21 iPhone App- Coming Soon!

Can't for the Century 21 iPhone Application to be revealed, sometime this month! Here's a sneak preview for now:

The 5 Hottest Cities for Young People

For those of you younger adults who have been contemplating making a move away from home, your best bet may be to check out one of these cities that are among the top 5 hottest places for young people to move to. Of course you could always try it out and come back- there's no place like home, right?

~~
From the Wall Street Journal
WORK & FAMILYSEPTEMBER 30, 2009.
The Next Youth-Magnet Cities
By SUE SHELLENBARGER.


If you were a recent college graduate in a recovering economy launching a career, looking for a mate or both, where would you choose to live?

Predicting cities that will emerge as post-recession meccas for the young is easy to argue about, but impossible to forecast empirically. Whether you prefer hip, casual Austin, Texas, over the cosmopolitan allure of New York City is partly a matter of personal taste. Still, we asked six experts which 10 cities will emerge as the hottest, hippest destinations for highly mobile, educated workers in their 20s when the U.S. economy gets moving again. Our panelists—demographers, economists, geographers and authors on urban issues—picked their cities based on the criteria they deem most important, from economic diversity to lifestyle.

Big cities dominate our panelists' forecasts. Where trendy smaller cities might have captivated youth in the past, today's recession-scarred young people are more pragmatic, placing "greater emphasis on where high-quality, high-paying jobs are created," says Ross DeVol, director of regional economics for the nonprofit Milken Institute. Northeastern and West Coast cities are ascendant, eclipsing former Sunbelt favorites such as Atlanta.

Journal Community Discuss: In the wake of the recession, what cities offer the most to young professionals? .
Other cities once lauded as youth magnets fell off the radar. Naples, Fla., cited in an influential 2003 U.S. Census Bureau report on migration among young adults, was bypassed by panelists, a victim of the sagging Florida economy. The housing collapse sank another past favorite, former real-estate boom town Las Vegas. And Charlotte, N.C., a banking center, lost some of its luster to the financial crisis.

Quirky urban cultures haven't entirely lost their allure. Our panelists' No. 4 pick is a city with double-digit unemployment—Portland, Ore., a haven for artists, musicians and outdoor enthusiasts. The city has shown "staying power" among youth, says Rachel Franklin, a geographer at the University of Maryland and author of the Census Bureau report.

Where young adults settle is no small thing. People 18 to 29 are the most mobile age group, and their past migration patterns have defined the future of regions, from the long rural exodus of the 1900s to the Silicon Valley boom of the 1990s. Youth-magnet cities gain an enviable cultural allure and a labor-market edge.

The young are likely to be more restless than usual when the recovery comes. The recession has brought migration to a grinding halt: Fewer people moved across state lines in 2008 than at any time since 1950, when the population was smaller by half, says William Frey, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, a nonprofit Washington research organization.

Here's a look at our survey's top five cities:

First Place (Tie): Washington, D.C.
The 2008 election touched off a youthful pilgrimage to the capital that most panelists say won't end soon. "In the eyes of some young people, Barack Obama is America's coolest boss," says Richard Florida, author of "Who's Your City?" and a professor of business and creativity at the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management.

Government hiring is projected to grow fast, and jobs in lobbying, aerospace, defense contracting and professional services are also a draw. Mr. DeVol calls Washington the national leader in high-tech services, surpassing Silicon Valley. Washington's 4,000-plus nonprofits hold appeal for service-minded youth. And amid rising regulation of financial markets, says Barbara Lang, president of the DC Chamber of Commerce, "much of Wall Street is now moving to K Street."

David Gibson Jr., 25 years old, passed up finance jobs in Charlotte, New York and Atlanta to settle in Washington as a financial analyst for the Federal Reserve. Mr. Gibson, who has an M.B.A., figures the capital, with its many universities, can accommodate him for the long haul, enabling him to pursue a Ph.D. if he chooses. He loves the city's museums and live jazz and R&B venues, he says, and its power-center status is helping him "expand my network world-wide."

That combination of factors, says David Plane, a professor of geography and regional development at the University of Arizona, signals "sustained dynamism" for Washington.

The downside: Not all see the current federal hiring binge continuing. "Right now Washington is a magnet. It has become the new New York," says Steven Cochrane, managing director of Moody's Economy.com. But the ballooning federal deficit suggests that "by next year, the government is going to be looking seriously at making cuts."

First Place (Tie): Seattle
Former Ohio residents Lane Kuhlman, 26, and her husband, Matt Mansbach, 32, mulled several cities, including New York and Chicago, as potential destinations last summer, after Ms. Kuhlman received her master's degree specializing in interactive media.

In their eyes, none could match Seattle's combination of a diverse high-tech sector, cultural life, access to rugged natural terrain and a strong university presence. Ms. Kuhlman has since taken a post as a new-product researcher for Microsoft, and Mr. Mansbach is weighing attending one of the city's grad schools in his field, computer animation. Meanwhile, Ms. Kuhlman says, "we're only 15 minutes from a beautiful waterfall, and there are amazing places to hike."

Anchor to a region of corporate innovators, from Amazon.com to Starbucks, Seattle is "a high-tech and lifestyle mecca," Dr. Florida says. Mr. DeVol says the city's high-tech sector, with 226,300 workers, is just slightly smaller than Silicon Valley's. Joblessness, at 7.7%, remains relatively low. City officials see rapid growth in biotech; Seattle also has tens of thousands of jobs in music and interactive media. And it enjoys a reputation as home to a lot of brainy people.

The downside: It rains half the time.

Work & Family MailboxSue Shellenbarger answers readers' questions. How We Selected Our Top-Rated CitiesNaming the next wave of top cities for hip, highly mobile young adults is far from an exact science. It's more like a parlor game.
The Wall Street Journal sought out six of the nation's leading experts to rank the 10 U.S. cities they see as most likely to emerge as "youth magnet" cities after the recession—popular target destinations among young, college-educated, often single people setting out to start a career, find a mate or both.
The panelists, who were also asked to provide two or three reasons for their selections, were chosen based on their achievements in research, forecasting or authorship in the fields of geography, regional economics or demography.
The methodology used to compile a final list is closer to a straw poll than a scientific study.
Using criteria of their own choosing, experts provided ranked lists of picks. Composite rankings were then assigned to cities based on a point system: Each expert's No. 1 pick was given 10 points, second choices were given nine points and so on, with 10th-place picks receiving one point. Final rankings were determined by adding the total points each city received.
The panelists:
Steven Cochrane , managing director, Moody's Economy.com, head of the Web site's U.S. regional forecasting service and editor of its monthly Regional Financial Review.
Ross DeVol , director of regional economics, the Milken Institute, a Santa Monica, Calif., nonprofit, and researcher on technology and its impact on regional and national economies.
Richard Florida , author of "Who's Your City" and "The Rise of the Creative Class," and director of the Martin Prosperity Institute at the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management.
Rachel Franklin , senior lecturer, public policy, at the University of Maryland; former deputy director of the Association of American Geographers, and author of a 2003 Census Bureau report on migration patterns among young, educated workers.
William Frey , demographer and senior fellow at the Metropolitan Policy Program of the Brookings Institution, Washington, D.C., and a research professor in population studies at the University of Michigan.
David Plane , professor of geography and regional development, University of Arizona, Tucson; a senior editor of the Journal of Regional Science, and researcher on age-related factors in migration.
.
Third Place: New York
Reeling from the financial crisis, the nation's largest city may seem an unlikely pick. But one reason New York's unemployment rate is stuck at a daunting 10.3% is that hopeful job seekers continue to move there, city officials say. Clearly, "the city's mythic status as a place to test one's mettle against the best and the brightest" remains intact, Dr. Florida says.

New York hasn't lost as many financial-services jobs as predicted, says Deputy Mayor Robert Lieber; so far, fewer than half of the 293,000 job losses that were projected by the city from 2009 through mid-2010 have materialized. Residential growth in boroughs outside Manhattan, such as Brooklyn, is making the city marginally more affordable, and some panelists see housing prices falling more.

At Vermont's Middlebury College, New York surpasses nearby Boston as the destination of choice for the class of 2010, says Jaye Roseborough, career-services director. Allison Bailey, a 2009 grad, loves the city's "European lifestyle," she says. After studying in France, "I wanted to be in a 'walking city' like Paris." Working lots of overtime as a litigation assistant for a law firm, she can manage the $1,450 monthly rent for her Manhattan studio, she says. And she is happy to leave behind the long car commutes of her native Houston.

The downside: The city is still unaffordable for many, and the less-pricey suburbs can impose enervating commutes.

Fourth Place: Portland, Ore.
Los Angeles native Ryan O'Leary, 23, didn't expect when he graduated from college with a journalism degree last year to be working construction at this point, he says. But he decided about a month ago to give top priority to moving to the place he most wanted to live, and Portland was it—despite its daunting 11.2% unemployment rate.

Mr. O'Leary, who found an apartment downtown, calls his move "the best decision I've made in a long time." He loves the city's nightlife and neighborhoods, and the city's streetcars—one of which stops by his building—are a refreshing change from Los Angeles's car culture. He continues to job-hunt in his field, public relations, on his days off.

A symbol of "West Coast hipness," Ms. Franklin says, Portland has continued to draw migrants through the recession. An urban-growth boundary fosters a strong downtown culture while containing suburban sprawl, easing travel to nearby mountains and forests. Portland has expanded mass transit and boasts sizeable electronics and activewear companies, several wind- and solar-energy firms, and many green-building projects.

Its quirky culture appeals to musicians and artists: The city has more than its share of oddball events, including an adult soap-box derby and an urban Iditarod (wherein costumed revelers pull shopping carts). "Keep Portland Weird" is a popular bumper sticker. Although Austin claimed that motto first in the 1980s, "we live it pretty well here," says a city staffer.

The downside: While regional officials have laid plans to add 10,000 jobs in the next five years, Portland has done better at promoting its quality of life than fostering job growth. "As nice as it may be to live in Portland," says Economy.com's Dr. Cochrane, "you can only sleep on someone's couch for so long. At some point you have to get a job."

Fifth Place: Austin, Texas
After a year spent traveling and working overseas in 2007, New Jersey resident Olga Garcia, 26, and her boyfriend, Kevin Kurkjian, 27, debated places to settle. Then Kevin announced, "Olga, I've got it figured out: We're going to Austin." She agreed. Both had heard from friends that Austin offered housing and career opportunities and a welcoming, youthful culture. "I had never heard anything bad about Austin," says Ms. Garcia, a marketing consultant.

A state capital and the site of a big University of Texas campus, Austin has become a gathering place for tech- and arts-conscious young adults. Its SXSW media and arts conference, and its Austin City Limits music festival, draw hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. Both unemployment and the cost of living are relatively low. And with significant high-tech, videogame and renewable-energy sectors, Mr. DeVol calls Austin "a model for a thriving 21st-century knowledge-based community."

The downside: Some panelists have doubts about how strongly Austin will rebound after the recession.

APR vs. Interest Rates?

Sometimes I have clients asking me the difference between the APR rate and their interest rate. They are completely separate items, but below is some information that should be helpful that I received from a lender:


APR (Annual Percentage Rate)


If you're willing to know how much your mortgage costs, the APR or Annual Percentage Rate is what you should watch out for. Lenders are required to disclose the APR as part of the Truth-in-Lending disclosure (as per the Truth-in-Lending Act).

What is APR?

The APR is not the actual rate or note rate advertised by the lender. It is the effective rate which represents the cost of borrowing a mortgage loan. Lenders calculate APR taking into account the closing costs and the interest rate on a mortgage. The Annual Percentage Rate is often used to compare mortgage lenders and the programs they offer. However, it is not an effective tool for lender/loan comparison because a mortgage with high APR may often be a better option compared to one with a low APR.

What fees/costs does the APR include?

Some of the fees/closing costs that the APR includes are:

Points (discount and origination points)
Prepaid interest (from closing date to the end of the month)
Loan processing fee
Underwriting fee
Document preparation fee
Private mortgage insurance

Why is APR not the only factor to compare loans?

The Annual Percentage Rate shouldn't be considered as the only factor to compare mortgage lenders or loans. One should take into account other factors like the interest rate, closing costs and lender fees. The APR assumes zero inflation thereby considering that the value of dollar would remain same even after 10-20 years. But this isn't true. Besides, when lenders calculate APR, they assume that the mortgage won't be paid off early even though the average life span of the loan ranges from 5 to 7 years for most borrowers.

The APR also doesn't consider the value of money used for paying lender fees even though you may use it to get a low rate on your mortgage. Until and unless the fees are added to the closing costs, the lenders won't consider it when they calculate APR.

Here's an example to show why you shouldn't compare loans just by the APRs on offer. Just check out the calculation on how to compare loans with different APR explained below. It will give the idea as to what other factors (besides Annual Percentage Rate) should be considered while comparing loans and which lender has the better offer for you.

Let's consider 2 mortgages - X and Y, both being fixed rate mortgages of the same amount and loan term (30 years).

Loan X has the following details:

Mortgage amount = $200,000
Interest rate = 6%
APR = 6.25%
Lender fees = $5000


The amount financed (loan amount minus fees, points, etc) = $(200,000 – 5000) = $195,000.

Monthly payment = $ 1199.10

Loan Y has the following details:

Mortgage Amount = $200,000
Interest = 6.25% APR = 6.45%
Lender fees = 1500

The amount financed = $(200000 – 1500) = $198,500

The monthly payment = $ 1231.43
The monthly payments on loan X and loan Y differ by = $(1231.43 - 1199.1) = $32.33

From the calculation on loan comparison with different APR explained above, we see that loan X has a low Annual Percentage Rate and requires you to pay lower monthly payment as compared to loan Y. But you need to pay higher lender fees for loan X whereas if you go for loan Y, you can save $(5000 – 1500) = $3500 in fees.

On the other hand, if you go for loan X, you'll save only $32.33 on a monthly basis. Using this savings, you can recoup the $3500 in = (3500/32.33) = 108 months or 9 years. If you'd like to sell the property within the 9 year period, then you won't be able to recoup the extra fees. In such a case, loan Y will cost you less. So, if you'd like to relocate within a short term, say 5-6 years, then loan X isn't the right one for you. Thus, a loan with a higher APR and low fees may be a better option than one with a low APR and higher fees.

July Home Maintenance Checklist

Hope everyone had a great July 4th! The rain was a little disappointing but despite that, it is nice to have a day off (well, for most of us) and to get some reflection time. I can't believe it's July already! The year is going by so quickly. Here is a great checklist for the month of July, to keep your home in tip-top shape.

July home-maintenance checklist

Use the good weather to clean and repair asphalt, concrete and fences. Prune or remove problem trees and protect landscaping from deer. Conduct your own home-energy audit and put insulating foam jackets on hot-water pipes.
By Marilyn Lewis of MSN Real Estate

Take advantage of warm weather while playing or doing chores to also cast a protective eye on your home and landscaping. By paying attention, you’ll learn to spot deterioration or changes before they turn into problems.

Give your home an energy audit
Take an hour to walk around your home with a notepad in hand, taking inventory of gaps and cracks. Experts estimate that you can save 20% on heating and cooling bills by plugging leaks. Start your inspection inside. Turn off the electricity at the circuit box, then remove switch-plate covers to look for gaps. (Replace them with insulated covers for $3 to $4 each or install foam inserts – also called gaskets – for about 49 cents each. Both can be purchased at hardware stores.) You can insulate phone-jack covers, too.

Next, check the junctures where windows meet walls, walls meet floors and pipes and wires enter the home, plugging gaps with caulk. Other leaky zones include fireplace dampers, mail slots, window-mounted (or wall-mounted) air conditioners, attic doors, baseboards and weather stripping surrounding doors. Look for daylight, feel for drafts and listen for rattles, all clues to escaping heat. Next, check the house from the outside, examining the places where pipes, vents or wiring enter. Examine siding for gaps or damage, paying particular attention to corners where the material joins and where it meets other materials, like chimneys, windows or the foundation.
If you’d rather get a professional checkup, call your utility company for referrals. Many utilities even provide rebates for home-energy audits performed by recommended auditors.

What's your home worth?
Insulate hot-water pipesInsulate the hot-water pipes in the basement or crawl space to save on heating costs next winter. Insulating pipes is done by snapping foam jackets – use pre-slit, hollow-core, flexible foam pipe insulation (called “sleeves”), purchased at a hardware store. (Prices vary but, for example, a 6-foot-long piece of foam insulation for half-inch copper pipe might cost less than a dollar.) When shopping, know your pipe’s diameter to get the correct fit. See Department of Energy installation instructions. Exposed pipes pinch your wallet twice: You waste water running it as you wait for it to heat up, and you waste fuel when heat is lost as hot water runs through exposed pipes.

Tip: Slip sleeves on pipes running between the hot-water tank and the wall and also insulate cold-water pipes for the first 3 feet after they enter the house.
Read: 14 ways to lower your heating bill

Claim your insulation tax credit
The beauty of insulation is that you can get back some of the money you spend. Not only do you save on heating costs, but you can get money back on your taxes. Claim a tax credit for 30% of the cost of insulation materials (not labor), up to $1,500. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 lets you deduct the cost of such improvements as “adding insulation, energy-efficient exterior windows and energy-efficient heating and air conditioning systems,” according to the Internal Revenue Service. That means, if you spend $500 on insulation materials, you can take a tax credit of $150. Learn more at IRS.gov.
Read: Install upgrades and slash your tax bill

Clean patio furniture
Mix up a bucketful of soapy bleach solution to maintain your patio furniture. Here’s the recipe: 2/3 cup trisodium phosphate (TSP), 1/3 cup laundry soap powder, a quart of bleach and three quarts of warm water. Remove cushions before spraying. Launder removable fabric coverings. Use a rag and soft-bristle brush to remove embedded dirt on synthetic coverings, metal and wood furniture. Rinse thoroughly and let dry. Spray wicker furniture with water and protect it with paste wax. Simply shoot the garden hose at resin furniture. To remove rust from metal furniture or bolts use Naval Jelly, available at hardware stores, with a wire brush. Wear rubber gloves and follow directions on the package.

Tip: Return fabric coverings to the cushions and frames on which they belong while still damp, to prevent shrinking.

Clean concrete
Power washers can be dangerous to decks (in the hands of amateurs, they can damage wood), but they’re just the tool for cleaning concrete sidewalks, driveways and patio and pool areas. If your garage or carport floor is marred by oil stains, saturate the area with a solution made from a cup of TSP mixed with a gallon of hot water. (Wear goggles and rubber gloves.) Let the solution soak for a half-hour, then scrub with a stiff-bristled brush. Rinse thoroughly and repeat as necessary.

While washing concrete, watch to ensure that the hard surface directs water away from the home’s foundation. If the concrete sends water toward the foundation, take action. First, inspect around the outside of the foundation for damage, looking for cracks and crumbling. Then check from the inside (go into the basement or crawl space) for water stains and wet soil. If water is getting into the foundation, hire a home inspector or structural engineer to help find a solution. You may need to redirect the drainage by removing or correcting the slope of the concrete. If that’s not feasible, a sump pump could be used to mechanically remove the water. A sump pump’s operation is triggered when water reaches a predetermined level under the home, setting off a floating switch.

Slip 'feet' under deck planters
Since standing water rots wood, make certain that water drains directly onto the ground when you water plants in pots and decorative planters on decks. Make drainage room by setting pots on pot “feet” (sold at garden-supply stores that carry pots). Or use pot stands – some have wheels that enable you to move heavy pots. Or for a frugal solution, just prop bricks under the pots, taking care to ensure that they’re stable.

Patch cracks in concreteInspect concrete for cracks. To patch them, clean the cracked area well with a wire brush and small broom. To repair narrow cracks, use masonry crack filler. It comes in cartridges and can be injected into the crack. For bigger openings, apply vinyl concrete patching compound, smoothing the surface with a putty knife.

Patch cracks in asphalt
You can extend the life of an asphalt driveway or path by inspecting it two or three times a year and using a caulking gun and asphalt patching caulk ($5 to $15 a tube) to repair cracks. If you leave cracks, they’ll grow and plants can take root, widening the damage. Squirt the caulk into the cracks and use a disposable putty knife to even the surface. Every five years, treat asphalt to a coat of asphalt sealer ($50-$100 for a five-gallon bucket). Brush it on with a squeegee or push broom.

Prune or remove problem trees
Get a certified arborist to inspect your trees and tell you if any are hazardous. Trees hanging over your roof, rubbing against gutters or dropping loads of leaves and sticks onto the roof should be pruned. Overhanging branches can provide a ladder for rats and squirrels, and diseased or damaged trees may fall on your home in a storm. A typical arborist’s fee is $65 an hour. (Use the American Society of Consulting Arborists’ directory to find an arborist near you.) For pruning or tree removal, call a tree-care service (here’s the International Society of Arboriculture’s directory.)

Trees can bring up boundary issues. They may straddle the property line between you and your neighbor or the branches from your neighbor’s tree may drop fruit onto your land. Although state tree laws vary, in general you have the right to trim branches on your side of the property line as long as you don’t endanger the life of the tree. If you kill the neighbor’s tree, you are liable. An arborist who understands local laws can be a great mediator between neighbors.
Read: 'Arborcide' and 4 other nasty tree fights

Clean exhaust fans
Exhaust fans do a lot of work in your home. In bathrooms, they push out moisture to keep walls and floors dry and prevent the growth of mold. (Be sure to run the fan before taking a bath or shower and keep it running for 15 minutes after you leave the room, so moisture has a chance to clear.) Before you begin cleaning the fan, turn off its power at the circuit breaker box. Dust the vents on the fan’s cover (do this monthly). Use a screwdriver to remove the cover. Gently clean the inside of the cover and the fan blade with a slightly damp cloth or spray cleaner and a paper towel. Dry and reassemble. Do this twice a year.

Professional Services
In kitchens, exhaust fans vent moisture along with oily fumes. Making sure the electricity is disconnected at the circuit breaker box, start by removing the washable filter from the stove's exhaust fan. You’ll find the fan either in the range between the burners or in a hood over the stove. If the fan can be pulled out, unplug it, remove it and extract the filter. Otherwise, just remove the filter. Put it through the dishwasher or soak it in warm soapy water. Vacuum the opening of the fan, then clean the blades and housing with a cloth and spray cleaner or degreaser.

Mend the fence
Even the cheapest new fences cost thousands of dollars. Protect your investment by looking for damage and making prompt repairs. Before touring your fence line, mow the grass low so you’ll have good visibility. Watch for signs that dogs have tunneled under the fence. Training and a watchful eye are the best ways to prevent dogs from digging. Otherwise, attaching a 2-foot-wide apron of wire mesh around the inside perimeter of the fence may work. As you walk the fence, test the strength of the connections by gently tugging posts and slats to ensure they’re well-attached. Check fence posts for signs of rot (poke soft spots in the wood for crumbling or decay). Remove and replace the damaged areas. Keep fences painted or stained to protect the wood. Repaint or stain when the original finish is thin, cracked or peeling. Before painting, hose off and scrub dirty boards, letting them dry thoroughly.

Repel deer
Deer can demolish hundreds or thousands of dollars of landscaping in an evening or two. There are several things you can do to keep deer away from your investment:
Use deer-proof plantings. Identify deer-resistant plants or check a plant’s status with Rutgers University’s New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station’s tool. Bear in mind that such lists are no guarantee: Deer often eat plants they’re not supposed to like.

Install a mini fence or put bird netting around prized plants. Garden stores have these materials and can instruct you how to use them.

Spray with a home-made deer repellent. Search online garden forums for recipes for repellents that blend eggs, hot sauce (or cayenne pepper), raw garlic, yogurt or buttermilk and dish soap. Spray every three or four days and after a rain.

Purchase one of the better commercial deer repellent sprays. Check with your local garden store or cooperative extension master gardeners for recommendations. Wikipedia lists cooperative extension services around the country, as does Bayer.

A Greener Way to Clean

Recently I completed all of my courses and received the Nationa Association of Realtors GREEN designation. No matter what your role is in the real estate transaction (whether buyer, seller, builder, developer, property manager, tenant, etc), a NAR Green Designee can help you distinguish fact from fiction and make educated decisions about: green materials, energy-efficient technology, green ratings, green design, green living, green incentives and more! Whether you're going green to save the planet or just save some money, a NAR Green Designee can help you get started- that's me!

All of this has inspired me to be more conscious about my own eco-footprint. I'm in the process of collecting a list of green vendors and resources for my clients. It can be hard to change your lifestyle overnight, but every little bit helps. One great kitchen cleaning products line that I happened upon in the store is the Scotch-Brite Greener Clean. This line of scrubbers, soap pads, wipes and sponges are made with a mix of natural fibers (including bamboo, agave, etc) and also recycled materials (such as recycled plastic bottles, paper and more). In general, one important thing to keep in mind while shopping for green products is also the packaging they come in. A green product isn't very eco-friendly if it's made with a bunch of new plastic & paper. These Scotch-Brite Greener Clean products are packaged in 80-100% recycled content as well.

The Absorbent Cloth, a great alternative to paper towels, is also washable & reusable, which is nice. All of the sponges in this line are biodegradable as well, so you don't have to feel guilty when throwing it away. If you're looking for a little way to start becoming greener, check out these products and let me know what you think!

The Recyclable House

I've been so busy recently with my first time homebuyers that I haven't had any time for posting! I've also been working on getting my NAR Green Designation (almost done!). While studying for one of the exams, I found this interesting article about Ken Ortiz, who is currently the only certified deconstructionist in the midwest. What's a deconstructionist? In terms of homes, it's basically someone who does almost the opposite of building a home. It's not like a demolition, but taking apart something very carefully and re-using the materials. Below is an article from the Chicago Reader explaining some more about this process.

~







If Ken Ortiz has his way, no one in Chicago will ever simply demolish a building again.
By Harold Henderson



Ken Ortiz has more work than he can handle. As the only certified deconstructionist in the midwest, he’d like nothing better than to train some competitors.
Ortiz doesn’t write unreadable literary criticism; he’s a Northbrook-based contractor who takes down buildings and saves almost all the pieces. After doing construction for 25 years and throwing away “tons of good building materials,” he delights in being able to save 23-foot-long two-by-sixes for reuse as two-by-sixes.

And pretty much everybody else is delighted too—environmentalists, preservationists, antiques dealers, even the folks who live around the houses he’s taking down. “I’ve never been involved with something that’s such a win-win for everybody,” he says. But few people realize that there’s an affordable alternative to conventional demolition, and building and environmental regulations aren’t yet geared to let deconstruction become less of a novelty.

Deconstructing a house is supposed to be just like building it, only in reverse. That wasn’t quite true of the house on Wilson where I met Ortiz to watch him at work. From the street, the green stucco three-story looked like its neighbors, except for the telltale 30-foot Dumpster parked in the driveway. (Ortiz hates Dumpsters, but until someone figures out how to reuse or even recycle stucco, asphalt roofing, and plaster, he’s stuck with them.)

The house had been gutted and then some. Gone were the appliances, cabinets, trim, doors, and the never-sanded three-quarter-inch red oak tongue-and-groove flooring. (“We saved 95 percent of it,” says Ortiz.) An orderly forest of upright rough-cut two-by-fours remained to hold up the structure and define where the rooms had been. Overhead, long beams ran the full width of the house.

With the lath and plaster gone, the high-quality siding underlying the stucco was visible from inside. Ortiz’s crew chief and four workers were shoveling the last of the plaster from the kitchen walls and ceiling. (Deconstruction involves more hand labor than conventional demolition.) The small backyard was divided between a “denailing station” and a stacking area for heavy lumber and appliances. The garage, also slated for deconstruction, was being saved for the moment to store molding, flooring (organized by length in banded bundles), doors with their frames and hardware, and a few unique pieces—like the solid oak classical columns that had once separated the living and dining rooms.

Deconstruction is possible because there’s a market for this stuff, and at the high end it’s been around for a while. West Wilson was Ortiz’s fourth deconstructed house, but auctioneer Jodi Murphy of La Grange Park averages an auction a week in the metro area. Last year Murphy and Ortiz worked together on a Glencoe house built in 1950 and renovated in 1994. “After Jodi took out all the pretty stuff,” says Ortiz, “we removed two 48-foot semitrailers full of lumber and building materials.”

Marketing these items requires some organization, and that’s where Ted Reiff and his brainchild, the Reuse People of America, or TRP (thereusepeople.org), come in. Reiff, aka “the man with the velvet crowbar,” is an investment banker turned nonprofit entrepreneur. Now headquartered in Oakland, TRP started in 1993 as a relief operation to help flood victims in Mexico. It’s now active in Seattle, Boulder, Denver, San Diego, Los Angeles, and the Bay Area, has deconstructed more than 1,000 buildings, and is moving into Chicago. Ortiz is TRP’s regional manager.

“Anyone can save something and keep it out of the landfill,” Reiff told the authors of the book Unbuilding: Salvaging the Architectural Treasures of Unwanted Houses. “Contractors save stuff all the time. Their garages are full, their backyards are full”—Ortiz has his own cache of iron window weights from old double-hung windows. “But eventually they throw most of the materials away because they run out of room,” he said. “The challenge as I see it is to move salvaged materials to markets where they can be reused.”

Some of these markets are nearby—locally deconstructed lumber has gone to Habitat for Humanity’s Restore in Elgin. Some are overseas. “We ship a tremendous amount of our product to Mexico, especially southern yellow pine,” says Reiff. Some high-end woods go to Japan—“They appreciate lumber; they don’t have any”—where they may turn up in cowboy-themed restaurants. Other destinations include Belize, Chile, the Philippines, and the Cook Islands. “We’re not in business to hold out for the highest dollar—we’ve got to do high volume.”
Reiff has no plans to compete with Chicago’s existing architectural salvage stores. “The real high-end stuff is not our business,” he says. “We focus on the everyday—doors, windows, flooring. As a not-for-profit with a charter to keep stuff out of landfills, nobody’s doing what we’re doing.” Right now Ortiz is stashing stuff in semitrailers parked in cooperative businesses’ lots; the goal is to open a warehouse in a year or two and eventually establish what Reiff calls a “Home Cheapo, where you can come and buy a door with hardware and frame for $10.”

Like many environmental innovations, deconstruction requires a long view. It costs more up front than conventional demolition, but often costs less in the end. In other words, often you can make more money selling building materials than it will cost you to pay people to remove them carefully by hand. In 1999-2000, a study of the deconstruction of six houses in Gainesville, Florida, found the average cost of deconstruction before salvage to be $6.47 per square foot, greater than the estimated demolition cost of $5.36 per square foot. But when salvage value was included, the net deconstruction cost dropped to $3.19. When you hire the Reuse People you might pay $10-$14 per square foot, depending on the complexity of the deconstruction, and you agree to donate the salvaged materials to the not-for-profit. The tax deduction you can take on the donation, though, can range from $12 to $55 per square foot of salvaged material, which Ortiz says “usually more than offsets” the initial cost.

Every situation is different, but Reiff is confident that within ten years in many cities you won’t need a sharp pencil or a research study to prefer deconstruction. He expects conventional demolition to become less affordable, as landfill fees rise while the cost of bulldozers and the skilled labor to operate them stays high. Meanwhile, deconstruction will become cheaper as new ways to reuse old materials turn up. “Take steel casement windows,” says Reiff. “We used to just break the glass and scrap the iron. Now, in some markets, people with lofts want dividers, so you can hang multiple steel casement windows next to each other” as a partition—a reuse that’s more lucrative and more environmentally sound than recycling them as scrap.

TRP’s contractor-training program runs a total of 16 to 20 hours, many of them on the job. The students already know construction; they’re getting pointers on reversing the process. “It’s how to take out, package, ship, handle, and market services so as to maintain maximum value and maximize their sales and tax-deduction potential,” says Reiff. “Tax consequences, marketing, and how to bid a job are a big chunk of it.” There are tools to be mastered that are unique to the process, like the pneumatic Nail Kicker, which pushes nails out of wood the way they came in.

Last year the Taunton Press published Unbuilding, which Ortiz refers to as “the bible” for the budding industry. The authors are Bob Falk, a research engineer at the U.S. Forest Products Laboratory in Madison, and Brad Guy, professor of architecture at Carnegie Mellon University and president of the Building Materials Reuse Association. They call deconstruction “the ultimate green endeavor,” noting that in 1996 the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimated that “the equivalent of 250,000 single-family homes are disposed of each year, which represents an estimated 1 billion-plus board feet of available salvageable structural lumber, or about 3 percent of our annual softwood timber harvest.” The book’s full of photos that somehow manage to make even half-deconstructed buildings look good. Its how-to tips begin with the elementary—“Remove something only when you are sure that it’s not supporting any other part of the building”—and move on to reminders that old two-by-fours may actually be two inches by four inches, and that there can be a big difference between a 14-foot-1-inch length of lumber (salable as a 14-footer) and a 13-foot-11-inch length (salable only as a 12-footer). Says research architect Thomas Napier of the Corps of Engineers’ Construction Engineering Research Laboratory in Champaign, “Our project people have their routine and rhythm, and there are a lot of skeptics who value low first cost. This book will help.”

Since the Reuse People have worked in western cities famous for being green, I asked Reiff what he thinks of Chicago as a venue. “Ain’t been a better one,” he said without hesitation. “I’ve been flabbergasted every time I come back. Everyone gets it.” Ortiz echoes the point, though he acknowledges that the city official he met when seeking a permit for his first decon­struction job didn’t quite get it. “I told him, ‘We’re gonna do deconstruction, not demolition.’ He said, ‘But when you leave, there’s nothing there, right?’ ‘But I’ll be reusing the stuff!’ ‘But when you leave, there’s nothing there. You need a demolition permit.’”

Some people haven’t thought of deconstruction, but others are in denial, says Reiff: “Typically we’ll talk to someone on the phone and they’ll say the house they want torn down is a piece of junk. And it’s a great house! They just don’t want to believe they’re throwing away something of value.”

In urban areas, lack of working space can make deconstruction seem more like a Houdini act. A house Ortiz deconstructed on the 3900 block of North Janssen came to within three feet of its neighbors on either side. “We had to put four-by-eight plywood sheets over the neighbors’ property to protect it.” When it came time to remove the roof, “we cut down the middle and took it down from the inside.”

Deconstructing a building can be like indexing a book: everyone’s in a hurry for you to get it over with. Each day a developer waits to begin construction costs money, and some jurisdictions compound the problem by not allowing a building to be demolished until a building permit has been issued for its replacement. Glencoe has such a rule, but suburban officials gave Ortiz some wiggle room: “They let us do interior deconstruction without a permit—the house became like a Hollywood set.”

Well-intended environmental regulations can create problems too. For instance, lead paint is a known health hazard and a common obstacle to deconstruction, but as Bob Falk told a class at the Chicago Center for Green Technology, regulation of it is “very confused.” Not only are the regulations from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the Consumer Product Safety Commission, and the EPA inconsistent with each other, none set standards for reuse of wood coated with lead-based paint. Falk and Guy take a preventive approach in Unbuilding, advising their readers to “avoid sanding, grinding, and sawing anything that’s . . . coated with lead paint,” and, if you can’t, to “do it outside, wash your hands afterward, and change your clothes so you don’t contaminate the people you come in contact with.” Long-term, of course, the answer is to design buildings so that they can be deconstructed with minimal cost and hassle.
The market for structural lumber is also limited by industry standards. Used two-by-sixes, for instance, aren’t considered acceptable for their original load-bearing purpose unless they are “regraded” (a very expensive process) as able to serve as such. Falk has done extensive testing of reused lumber and is working with grading agencies to adjust standards. Reiff notes that such lumber is fine for a non-load-bearing partition, closet, or shed. But if you’re intent on reusing it structurally, he suggests that you become well acquainted with the building inspectors. “They have latitude and expertise—often the older guys will allow it.”

Architect Dave Hampton of Urban Habitat Chicago (a not-for-profit working for change “at the intersections of urban agriculture, the built environment, materials recovery and reuse, and emerging local industries”) would like the city to give an informational flyer on deconstruction to everyone who takes out a demolition permit and encourage applicants to choose deconstruction by offering quick approval or reduced fees.

More spectacularly, he’d like to see the city do a high-profile building deconstruction that would grab attention the way City Hall’s green roof did. Is that possible? Ted Reiff has no doubt. “On every job,” he says, “when we leave for the day we see people come and look—walking their dogs by, pointing, and talking. It’s hilarious.” It’s also hopeful. When a house has been part of the neighborhood for decades people hate to see it go down, says Ortiz. “But at least it’s going to continue in some way living on.”

Which is the Most Affordable City to Buy a Home in?

Pick me, pick me!

"For the 15th consecutive quarter, Indianapolis led the nation's large cities (population 500,000 and up) in home affordability. The Indiana capital tops the list due to very reasonable home prices and relatively high median income: Nearly 95% of all homes sold were affordable to those earning the metro area's median income of $68,100."

America's Best Bargain Cities

Look who tied for #5!

~~~~

Provided by Forbes.com

Zack O'Malley Greenburg
Thursday, May 14, 2009

Try these places if you want to get the most for your money

Nearly a decade ago, after making a donation to a volunteer-run radio station in Austin, Texas, local librarian Red Wassenich was asked why he chose to support a broadcaster with a penchant for playing strange crooner music. "Because it keeps Austin weird," he said.

Since then, the phrase "Keep Austin Weird" has become the city's official rallying cry against the establishment of large chain stores near mom-and-pop shops--and, more generally, for maintaining the city's eccentric feel. The city may be weird, but perhaps more redeeming is that it's also a bargain to live there: Austin is the place where people pay the least to get the most.

"Austin has always been really different from the rest of Texas," says Wassenich, 59.
He's talking about the city's weirdness, but he might as well be talking about its affordability and profusion of job opportunities. Four other Texas cities make the list of America's Best Bargain Cities, but none come close to Austin, whose 5.5% unemployment is the best in the country and about half the national average.

Behind the Numbers

To determine which U.S. cities are the best bargains, Forbes looked at the country's 50 largest U.S. metropolitan statistical areas and metropolitan divisions--geographic entities defined by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget used by federal agencies in collecting, tabulating and publishing federal statistics.

We assigned points to metro regions across four data sets: Average salary for workers with a bachelor's degree or higher, from PayScale.com; annual unemployment statistics, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics; cost of living, from Moody's Economy.com; and the Housing Opportunity Index, from the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo, which measures the amount of homes sold in a given area that would be affordable to a family earning the local median income based on standard mortgage underwriting criteria.
Austin earned high marks across the board.

"They have the triple-whammy of being a university town, a state capital and a technology center," says Al Lee, director of quantitative analysis at PayScale.com, a salary data aggregator based in Seattle. "It makes for a very robust economy and a great place for people to work."
Second on our list is Phoenix, Ariz., but what makes this city affordable isn't quite the same formula as in Austin. The real estate bust left the desert oasis as one of America's emptiest cities, which has also driven down home prices. As a result, Phoenix is one of the most affordable big cities in the nation.

Washington, D.C., rounds out the top three, thanks to an employment rate rivaled only by Austin. That comes as no surprise to Lee.

"Between defense spending under Bush and stimulus spending under Obama, it's been an incredibly strong time," he says.

Further on, the list includes a few places that may raise an eyebrow or two. Ritzy Cambridge, Mass., clocked in at No. 11 because of extremely high salary scores, while Detroit's rock-bottom housing costs earned the city a No. 15 rank--despite an astronomical 13% unemployment rate. That's roughly twice Austin's rate.

Lone Star Constellation

While the capital of Texas graced the top of our list, the rest of the state's large cities performed admirably too. All five of Texas' biggest burgs--Houston, San Antonio, Dallas and Ft. Worth--were among the top 10 best bargains. Not a single city in Texas ended up on our list of most overpriced places.

Part of the reason is that Texas offers some of the best incentives for entrepreneurs looking to start or move a business, according to Eduardo Martinez, a senior economist at Moody's Economy.com. Like Phoenix, Texan metros "have picked up a lot of California companies that have left because of high operating costs," he says.

Still, the state's future is far cloudier than its big blue skies. Martinez warns that Texas is vulnerable because of its exposure to America's foundering auto industry via manufacturing. The Lone Star State may also be aversely affected by the expected decrease in defense spending as contracts won in the Bush years begin to expire.

Back in Austin, though, residents are facing a different sort of challenge: To keep the city weird--and to themselves.

"Tell people not to move here!" says Wassenich.

In Depth: America's Best Bargain Cities

1. Austin, Texas
(Austin-Round Rock, Texas)
Cost of Living: 3 of 50
Housing Opportunity: 24 of 50
Unemployment Rate: 1 of 50
Average Salary: 20 of 50

2. Phoenix, Ariz.
(Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, Ariz.)
Cost of Living: 13 of 50
Housing Opportunity: 14 of 50
Unemployment Rate: 6 of 50
Average Salary: 21 of 50

3. Washington, D.C.
(Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, D.C.-Va.-Md.-W.Va.)
Cost of Living: 38 of 50
Housing Opportunity: 21 of 50
Unemployment Rate: 2 of 50
Average Salary: 4 of 50

4. Fort Worth, Texas
(Fort Worth-Arlington, Texas)
Cost of Living: 16 of 50
Housing Opportunity: 10 of 50
Unemployment Rate: 8 of 50
Average Salary: 34 of 50

5. Cincinnati, Ohio (tie)
(Cincinnati-Middletown, Ohio-Ky.-Ind.)
Cost of Living: 9 of 50
Housing Opportunity: 7 of 50
Unemployment Rate: 23 of 50
Average Salary: 33 of 50

5. Indianapolis, Ind. (tie)
(Indianapolis-Carmel, Ind.)
Cost of Living: 13 of 50
Housing Opportunity: 1 of 50
Unemployment Rate: 17 of 50
Average Salary: 41 of 50

Read on for more lists, rankings and real estate coverage including stories on America's most overpriced cities and places where homeowners are the most in debt.
Click here to see the full list of America's Best Bargain Cities.

More Q&A on the First Time Homebuyer's Tax Credit

I've had a lot of clients recently ask me some more specific questions about this $8,000 (or 10% of the purchase price) tax credit for first time homebuyers. Here is some more Q&A about the tax credit:


If I'm getting married and my spouse already owns a home, but we both need to be on the mortgage for a new house, would I still qualify for the tax credit?

• For a married couple, if one person owned a home within the last 3 years and the other did not, they don't qualify for the tax credit. However, if an unmarried couple jointly buys a home, and one person owned a home (within 3 years) and the other did not, they can "designate" the tax credit to that person who will be able to claim it on their individual tax return.

I need my parents to co-sign on the loan for the house with me. Can I still get this tax credit?

• Yes, this rule also applies for parents to co-sign on a mortgage. The parents own a home. The son or daughter is FTHB—the child can claim the tax credit.

It's past April 15th and I've already filed my taxes. Even if I did buy a home this year, would I have wait until 2010 to get the $8,000?

• No. You can file an amendment for your 2008 returns and still get the money this year. I've already have a couple of clients who were in this situation and it took them about 6-8 weeks to get the check in the mail.

And here is a list of situations where you would not qualify for the credit:

• The taxpayer’s income exceeds the phase-out range. This means joint filers with MAGI of $170,000 and above and other taxpayers with MAGI of $95,000 and above.
• The taxpayer buys his home from a close relative. This includes his spouse, parent, grandparent, child or grandchild.
• The taxpayer does not use the home as his principal residence.
• The taxpayer sells his home before the end of the year.
• The taxpayer is a nonresident alien.
• The taxpayer is, or was, eligible to claim the District of Columbia first-time homebuyer credit for any taxable year. (This does not apply for a home purchased in 2009.)
• The taxpayer’s home financing comes from tax-exempt mortgage revenue bonds. (This does not apply for a home purchased in 2009.)
• The taxpayer owned a principal residence at any time during the three years prior to the date of purchase of the new home. For example, if an individual bought a home on July 1, 2008, he cannot take the credit for that home if he owned, or had an ownership interest in, another principal residence at any time from July 2, 2005, through July 1, 2008.

If you aren't sure about how your credit is but maybe contemplated buying a home, feel free to contact me with any questions, big or small at rebecca.upton@century21.com

A photograph is usually looked at - seldom looked into. ~Ansel Adams

I just purchased my very first DSLR camera! I'm so excited to use it on some real estate. The only thing is, I have yet to purchase my wide angle lens, a necessity when taking real estate shots. The Canon EOS Rebel XS model is the one I chose to go with. Robert's Camera here in Indianapolis was having a spring sale and I got this camera with kit lens, 2 batteries, charger, bag, a lot of SD cards, more accessories, and even a free class at the Jewish Community Center that I will be attending on Tuesday evening! I'm looking forward to this class because it has been a while since I've held a SLR camera in my hand, and it sure wasn't digital.

Although we do hire a professional photographer who comes in to take the pictures, there have always been certain angles that I wished I would have had in hindsight. Re-shoots can also be expensive and I like to change our listing photos when the seasons change (hate to see those snow shots in the middle of July!).

Although I have had a lot of good photos come out with my little Canon Powershot SD450 (a little point and shoot) I always knew that I would not be able to capture those great interior shots the way I wanted. A while back when I was in my staging class, the instructor recommended us to get one of those $30 magnetic wide angle lenses to attach to our point and shoot. It worked in a way- we did get a wider shot which was great. However, the corners of the image were blurred that and the lighting was never great because I didn't have the right kind of flash. It's an essential.

I have had lots of compliments on my photos from my little camera, but at lot of it has to do with what shots I choose to take (which ones I know that my point & shoot can handle) and preparing the scene. Staging is a huge must in my book, because most of us can't see beyond the litter box in the bedroom or exercise machine in the dining room. I was flattered that a couple of agents were even upset with me on occassion because my pictures were deceptive (the house was not in tip-top shape, like the photos were showing) but hey, that's marketing.

So I'm still two accessories away from taking the perfect real estate photos, but I'm closer than before! I'll definitely post some pictures using both cameras, so you can see the difference.

Oh and if you don't think photos make a difference, check out one of the blogs that I follow: www.lovelylisting.com

There are very few monsters who warrant the fear we have of them. ~Andre Gide

So, I'm not really one of those people who likes scary movies or stories for that matter, but this one just really grabbed my attention. Mostly because, I'm pretty sure I showed this home to a client about a month and a half ago. I am now freaking out. Good thing they didn't write an offer or I would be hiding in the corner breathing into a paper bag. It was raining that day, and I had problems getting the lockbox open too. I don't usually show houses at this low of a price range (nothing wrong with it, but usually just don't have people looking in that range or neighborhood) but this was a "floor call" and so I guess I was the lucky person. Funny thing is, I've been following up with these people all this time and haven't heard anything since...



Today I heard on the radio broadcast of WRTV news that the house where Sylvia Likens was tortured & murdered in, was bulldozed. I had not really heard much of the story, and I'll spare those who don't want to know that gruesome details, but basically in the 1960's when she was about 16 years old, Sylvia's parents who were carnival workers, sent her and her younger sister to live with their neighbor Gertrude Baniszewski, while they were on the road working. They paid Gertrude $20 a week to keep the kids in line. This lady already had 7 kids of her own, by several different men who were abusive with her, and this may have something to do with her craziness and depression which lead her to torture & kill this poor girl.



Anyway, the house at 3850 E. New York Street in Indianapolis has a lot of history (actually listed with someone in my office at one point, bet they didn't know what they were getting into) but has never been able to hold an owner or a tenant steadily. At one time, it was a shelter for abused women, but it was boarded up and today apparently bulldozed.



There have actually been several movies (An American Crime) and books (The Girl Next Door) based off of the "most horrific crime in Indiana" but now that the building is gone, all that is left of this appalling case is rubble now, but hopefully after the dust settles she will be able to rest in peace.



Some articles related to the case:

Indy Star Library

The Cabinet

(Just an FYI, in our Indiana purchase agreements, there is a clause in there stating that we are legally obliged to inform clients of any craziness going on- so murders or big crimes yes, but if the neighborhood kids say the boogie man lives there, no that doesn't count. Had I written up a contract, the listing agent would have told us at that point because there is info in the system. Still, creepy!)

There are no passengers on Spaceship Earth. We are all crew. ~Marshall McLuhan, 1964

Happy Earth Day! I think for the most part, it's a good thing that the trend of going green has become more mainstream. At least people are aware of the direction that we need to head and with more companies realizing this, they are able to make products and services that are making it easier for people to do so. Here's an article that I snagged from BHG.com that lists 10 easy ways to go green.



10 Easy Ways to Go Green

by Kelly Tagore





Change a Light Bulb
Installing a compact fluorescent bulb (CFL) is the quickest, easiest way to save energy -- and money. Unlike incandescents, CFLs convert most of the energy they use into light rather than heat.
Good for You: They consume about 75 percent less electricity and last up to 10 times longer (10,000 hours as opposed to 1,500). Replace one 75-watt incandescent bulb with a 25-watt CFL and save up to $83 over the life of the bulb.



Unplug Things That Glow
Anything that has an LED (light emitting diode) that glows even after you turn it off continues to draw power (that you pay for). Your TV, cell phone charger, and printer are likely culprits. Unplug the offenders from wall sockets and plug them into power strips instead. When you leave a room, flip the strip switch to cut the flow of electricity.
Good for You: Unplug appliances and electronics that glow and you could save $200 a year.



Recycle Your Electronics
Americans tossed out a whopping 5.5 billion pounds of electronics -- TVs, stereos, cell phones, and computers -- in 2005, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. The result? Millions of pounds of chemicals and heavy metals ended up in the ground even though it's easier than ever to recycle electronics. The Consumer Electronics Association created mygreenelectronics.org to help people find a recycling resource in their area. The site also provides a list of electronics, from laptops to baby monitors, that are easier on the environment and your energy bill.
Good for You: The average American household has three cell phones stashed in a drawer. Sell unused cell phones to greenphone.com. You'll receive about $35, and the phones will be refurbished and resold. If 1 million people recycled one cathode-ray tube TV this year, we'd keep 4 million pounds of lead out of the ground.



Audit Your Energy
It's easier to save energy when you know exactly how much and where you're using it. Investing in a home audit takes a couple of hours and pays off with a list of things you can do to curb consumption. Find an auditor through your utility company (at low or no cost), or hire one ($450-$650). A list of auditors certified by the nonprofit Residential Energy Services Network, is at resnet.us (click on Consumer Information).
Good for You: On average, an energy audit shows how to save up to 30 percent on utility bills.



Support Local Farmers
If your food could talk, it would tell quite a tale. Typical grocery store produce travels nearly 1,500 miles before it ends up on your plate. All this traveling burns fossil fuels and results in carbon emissions -- a fancy term for pollution. Buying from local farmers means you're not only getting the freshest food possible, you're saving energy.
Good for You: To find farmers nationwide, visit localharvest.org, sustainabletable.org, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture at www.ams.usda.govfarmersmarkets/map.htm.



Fix That Drip
When you next fill your water glass, think about this: We each use about 100 gallons a day, enough to fill 1,600 glasses. Household water consumption has increased by 200 percent since 1950, even though the population has grown by only 90 percent. As a result, more than 36 states are expected to face water shortages in the next six years. Stemming the flow is as easy as fixing a leaky faucet or toilet; a dripping faucet can waste up to 74 gallons a day, a leaking toilet up to 200 gallons a day.
Good for You: Repair a leaky toilet and you can save $30 a year, which may not sound like much until you realize it means 73,000 gallons.



Let Your Grass Grow
Spending less time tending to your lawn actually makes it greener -- in every sense of the word. Most grass species fare best when they're kept at least 2 1/2 inches tall. The length creates more surface area to absorb sunlight, which creates thicker turf and deeper roots, which means you won't need to water as often.
Good for You: Save money by letting grass clippings remain on your lawn; it adds nitrogen to the soil and discourages weed seeds from germinating. You'll need less fertilizer and herbicide. Plus, leaving clippings on lawns means less in landfills; in 2005 Americans disposed of more than 12 million tons of yard waste.



Look for the Label
When it's time to replace a household appliance, choose a product with an Energy Star label. Sponsored by the EPA and the Department of Energy, the Energy Star program rates products from light bulbs to kitchen appliances. Energy Star labels guarantee that products are energy-efficient. For example, a battery charger labeled with the Energy Star logo will use 35 percent less energy than a standard one. You may even be eligible for a tax credit when you purchase an Energy Star product. Information at energystar.gov.
Good for You: A household with Energy Star products uses about 30 percent less energy than the average household -- an annual savings of about $570.



Do Full Loads
Whenever you wash just a few clothes or dishes at a time rather than waiting for a full load to accumulate, you're wasting water, power, and money. The average American family of four washes about 540 loads of laundry a year, which consumes up to 21,000 gallons of water, and more than 150 loads of dishes, which uses about 1,500 gallons. Most of the energy consumed by washers goes toward heating the water -- about 90 percent in the clothes washer and 80 percent in the dishwasher. Combining half-loads, choosing short cycles, and using cold or warm rather than hot water in the clothes washer racks up savings.
Good for You: Wash two fewer loads of clothes and one fewer load of dishes a week and save up to 4,500 gallons of water a year.



Work the Critters
Your backyard ecosystem is as intricate as any wild patch of land, and it pays in many ways to enlist its creatures on your side. Birds eat many insects; they just need a water source and trees and shrubs for cover and nesting. Many insects are beautiful -- and beneficial. Ladybugs aren't just cute; they are voracious eaters of aphids.
Good for You: To understand which backyard insects are garden friends, visit garden.org and click on Pest Control Library for photos.

Peep Show

What to do with all that extra candy the easter bunny left behind? Make a diorama! Don't let your kids rot out their teeth on that sugary stuff, let them play with it! Check out these fun Peeps Creations from the 2nd annual Washington Post's Sundary Source Peep's Diorama Contest.

Happy Passover!

Happy Passover to my Jewish friends! Passover starts tonight at sundown and lasts until nightfall on Thursday, April 16th. It usually last eight days and commemorates the exodus of the Hebrews from Egypt. A Seder meal is held on the first night of Passover at home and it is basically a big feast. New clothes, fine china, it's like the Chinese Lunar New Year! Here are some ideas for setting your Passover table.

Wondering what you should do for the Passover holiday, the website which I found here gave almost a spring cleaning list. I think in every culture there is a "spring cleaning" to purify yourself and your home. Sometimes it takes something like a holiday, relatives visiting, or some other event to force you to get your home in order. at least it does for me.

Buy a Foreclosure With No Down Payment

The Indiana Housing & Community Development Authority (IHCDA) has come out with a new loan program for those who are interested in purchasing foreclosure HUD properties. You don't have to be a first time homebuyer either! The NSP (Neighborhood Stabilization Program) will be available starting on April 9th and basically offers assistance with the down payment, closing costs, the rehab costs or a combination of all three. There are different ways this program can be used as well- second mortgage, etc.

Here is a breakdown of the program:

• The DPA (down payment assistance) that you will be given is either 20% of the purchase price or $15,000, whichever is less (that is a lot of money!!!)


• Can be used with an FHA, VA, Conventional programs


• Must be an owner occupied property (so you can't do this for something you want to rent out)


• You have to take 8 hours of home ownership training (they do this so that people are fully aware of everything, and since they are giving you the down payment, it's probably worth it).


• Repairs by the contractors will be done before closing


• Homes that are 50 years and older may be up for 'historic review' (to make sure it's structurally sound and stuff)


• If you move in 5 years or less, you have to pay all of the down payment back. 6-10 years, it is pro-rated for 1/5 of the amount every year.


• Other requirements & information available.

There are also income limits to this program and other stipulations to qualify for the program. However, if you have had your eye on a home in great neighborhood that needs a little bit of tlc, or have thought about owning but nothing that "looks nice" is in your price range, this may be a great program for you.

1616 Yandes- 2BR/1BA & in Great Condition!

The list of homes that are available under this program is located at this website. I have a list of preferred lenders that you can talk to about this program or feel free to contact me with any other questions at rupton@c21scheetz.com if you are interested.

(There are other DPA & low interest rate programs for first time homebuyers for homes that don't need to be fixed up so feel free to contact me with any other questions)

Too Extreme?

The "Extreme Makeover" show has been in Indianapolis the past week. If you have never seen an episode of this show on ABC, basically they pick a family somewhere in the country that "deserves" a new home because they are do-gooders in the community. They have staff and tons of help from the community and other sponsors to actually help build/renovate/decorate the house. The family usually goes on a vacation and then they come back, are surprised, and everyone's happy. I have seen a couple episodes of this before, never was a huge fan (I prefer watching other hgtv shows, like budget makeover, or this old house).

I know several people in my office, realtors in other offices, and people in the community have been helping with this project for the past week. Today they will be filming the unveiling of the makeover to an Indianapolis Public Schools worker, and his family of three sons. They seem like a nice, deserving family.

My issue is more with the premise of the show. I know this opinion won't be very popular, but if you know where this area is in Indy, it's all smaller homes, a little run down and several foreclosed properties all around. Not the absolute "worst" area but certainly not a place I would invest tons of money into one house for. Again, this family seems to be really great, the dad does a lot for the community, but why don't they just spread the wealth? I'm not trying to be a socialist here (those who know me well, know that I'm far from that) but it doesn't make sense for this show to spend all this money, time, and effort into one home. What happens when they leave and the family moves in- the house could get broken into, they have to be able to afford the high maintenance of this now bigger and totally remodeled house, and if/when they need to move and go to sell in a few years, who would buy it? The realtor pricing that home is going to have a difficult time.

A more ideal home makeover show, in my opinion, would be to pick a small neighborhood or few blocks where 'Extreme Makeover' could come in and replace some windows, siding, roofs, perhaps update some electrical and plumbing, do some nice landscaping, and then of course the cheapest way to beautify a home- paint. This way, an entire area would benefit, they would bring the value of the homes around it up, and everyone collectively could have a sense of pride about where they live. To be fair, I think Estridge (Carmel based home builder) is helping with some neighborhood landscaping, but I wonder how much it will really help. I will probably go drive by it next week and check it out for myself.

Buying and selling homes is a funny business. Even though a house is your own, your neighbors' homes around you affect it just as much as the condition you keep it in. Changing a whole neighborhood, which would attract new businesses and make people want to come to that area- that would have a bigger impact on people in any neighborhood. To me, that's an extreme makeover.

Even the gods love jokes. ~Plato

Happy April Fool's Day! This Old House (one of the websites I frequent) has an absolutely silly online article about some of the craziest homes in the world- check it out.

The Path to Your Dreams!

Spring is finally here! April is also just around the corner, which is great news for buyers out there!

April is Century 21's Open House Month and to promote it, a special sweepstakes will be held. One lucky winner will be put on the path to their dream home! The winner will receive $221,000 towards the home of their choice! To register, feel free to stop by one of my open houses or email me at rupton@c21scheetz.com for more details. I mail/email you an entry form for the sweepstakes.

Mixing It Up

An extended family’s modernist, off-the-grid retreat



Architect Kyu Sung Woo fulfilled a decades-old promise to create a place for his family to live together when he completed a compound of three homes in Vermont last summer. It blends architectural traditions of New England and Korea.



By The Wall Street Journal

Kyu Sung Woo recalls frequent visits in his childhood from his grandmother, uncle and other relatives living next door. But during the Korean War, Woo and his family fled his hometown, now part of North Korea. His grandmother and uncle's family stayed behind, and were never heard from again.

Woo and his father vowed to buy another property where the remaining family could come together. Decades later, the promise was finally fulfilled: A modernist wood-and-metal compound designed for three generations of his family sits atop an 11-acre clearing in Vermont, amid birch, maple and pine trees. Inside, every room contains enormous windows and glass sliding doors, drawing the eye to the rumpled white blankets of snow-covered hills outside.
"We started a bit late, but I think we're enjoying the land now," says Woo, now 67, as he watches his toddler grandsons snatch icicles from a deck and scale 6-foot snowdrifts. An architect who splits his time between Seoul and Boston, Woo recently became the first in his profession to win South Korea's Ho-Am Prize, that country's highest honor.

Despite the 21-degree temperatures on a recent Saturday, the sun had warmed the kitchen-dining room to a steamy 87 degrees. Woo and his family retreated to a cooler spot in the 50-foot-long living room for a late lunch, sitting shoeless on floor cushions and munching on baked chicken, grilled asparagus and artichokes.

"So much of Korean life and culture is about shared spaces, taking off your shoes and having meals together," says Wonbo Woo, Kyu Sung Woo's 33-year-old son and a Manhattan-based producer for ABC News. "It's the core of what the family does in Putney."

Completed last summer for roughly $300 a square foot, Woo's structures -- two connected living areas and a shed -- bear steeply pitched roofs and roughly triangular shapes that hark back to New England barns. Yet they also draw inspiration from traditional family compounds in Korea, thousands of miles away. "He's got one foot in American and European modernism and one foot in Asia," says Stanford Anderson, an architecture professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The buildings are "really brought together in a creative and imaginative way."
The home uses under-floor radiant heating, found throughout Korea. The framing of landscape views is partially inspired by Asian cultures, as are the large sliding doors that lead outside onto wooden decks, similar to sliding screen doors that lead to outdoor courtyards found in traditional Korean homes.

In an embrace of American traditions, Woo positioned the 3,200-square-foot compound atop the hill to avoid insects and to take advantage of long southern sun exposures. The buildings, just 15 feet wide at the widest point, have corrugated metal siding on the north-facing facades and stained cedar elsewhere. Off the grid, the retreat draws water from on-site wells and is powered by solar panels and a generator. The home is sparsely decorated with Swedish antiques and midcentury-modern pieces.

While many of Woo's commissioned homes are focused around central living rooms, his Putney compound is very different. "This is a very outward-looking house -- they want to be in nature," says architect Ozzie Nagler, Woo's longtime friend and mentor, who celebrated his 80th birthday in Putney. "But it works so well internally, too."

In the 1970s, Woo and his father, a painter, bought 20 acres in South Korea for their family, but they rarely visited and sold the land 10 years later. The idea remained dormant until 1999, when Woo's work designing dormitories for Bennington College brought him to Vermont. In 2003, he bought 250 acres of virgin forest near Putney, a rural town of 2,600.

What began as a single cabin with one child's bedroom quickly became two linked structures with two kids' rooms, inspired in part by Woo's daughter's becoming pregnant with her second son. The compound is designed so that more buildings can be added as the family grows. Woo's modernist compound is unusual for the area. In Brattleboro, 11 miles away, a 4,000-square-foot Cape Cod on a little over two acres is on the market for $799,000.

Woo designed something for everyone. For his wife, a concert pianist, he designed the living room, a long unadorned space with French acoustic fabric stretched across the ceiling, where she can practice and host small chamber concerts. Son Wonbo's bedroom faces south and west ("I tend not to be a morning person," he says). For his grandsons, he created balconies above the hallway, accessible from the top of their bunk beds and partially enclosed by Plexiglas, so they can spy (and drop small objects) on passers-by in the hallway.

Daughter Ilyon Park, a 36-year-old nonfiction writer in New York, describes the retreat as a "four-generation-and-beyond house, with the memory of my grandparents behind it." She adds, "It's a brand-new house with history, if that's possible." The house is still evolving; Woo pulled out fresh drawings detailing a new one-bedroom wing and roof deck the family is attaching to the living room.

In the fall, the family hosted a reunion for Woo's wife's clan. They are planning a second reunion for the Woo side this summer.

By Sara Lin, The Wall Street Journal