NEW YEARS 2015

With the New Year almost upon us I want to take this opportunity to wish you the very best for the coming year. 

I'm looking forward to sleeping in late and kicking back in the easy chair after lunch to enjoy a football game.  

Of course I'll be sleeping in late because, just like you, I'll start off the New Year at exactly midnight on New Year's Eve by singing Auld Lang Syne.  We'll all be singing it and most of us won't have a clue what the title actually means! 

So, just for fun, I looked up the song online to find out its history.  I learned that Auld Lang Syne is a traditional Scottish song.  The version we know today was written (in part at least) by Robert Burns in the 1700s.  The title refers to “old long ago,” or the good old days, as we would say today. I don't want you to stumble around when it comes time to sing it, so I'm passing along to you the lyrics. Have a great New Year's Day and don't forget to break a resolution or two!

Auld Lang Syne

Should auld acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind?

Should auld acquaintance be forgot and days of auld lang syne?

For auld lang syne, my dear, for auld lang syne,

We'll take a cup of kindness yet,

For auld lang syne. 

Should auld acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind? 

Should auld acquaintance be forgot and days of auld lang syne? 

And here's a hand, my trusty friend , and gie's a hand o' thine, 

We'll tak' a cup o' kindness yet, 

For auld lang syne.

WHY SHOULD YOU SHOP LOCALLY?

Do you really care about building community? Want to promote economic growth and support neighborhood jobs? Then shop locally. Here’s why.

As a real estate agent, one of my biggest concerns is ensuring that local real estate values continue to appreciate as neighborhoods improve, businesses grow, and people are able to sustain safe, prosperous relationships with their neighbors. 

There are many factors which contribute to this, but one of the most important steady investments you can make in your community is by shopping local, independent businesses.

Whether it’s the holiday season pushing you to peruse a downtown district, or simply picking up a few things for your everyday needs, making the choice to shop locally and independently can contribute hugely. Consider these economic statistics gathered from a range of credible sources by “Independent We Stand” (www.independentwestand.org), a website dedicated to helping small, local, and independent businesses thrive:

• Small businesses accounted for 65% of all net new jobs over the past 17 years.

• Small businesses employ 77 million Americans.

• 89% of consumers agree that independent businesses contribute positively to local economies.

• Residential neighborhoods served by a successful independent business district gained, on average, 50% more in home values than their citywide markets.

• Independent retailers return more than three times as much money per dollar of sales than chain competitors. Independent restaurants return more than two times as much money per dollar of sales than national restaurant chains.

• If independent businesses regained their 1990 market shares, it would create 200,000 new small businesses, generate nearly $300 billion in revenues and employ more than 1.6 million American workers.

• If just half the U.S.  employed population spent $50 each month in locally owned independent businesses, it would generate more than $42.6 billion in revenue.

• For every square foot a local firm occupies, the local economy gains $179 vs. $105 for a chain store.

Shopping for the rock-bottom price might just short your community in ways you didn’t realize. Try and see your purchases locally as an investment in your home and your neighborhood. The next time you’re thinking of shopping, see where you can do business with people who live and work nearby. Shop local! Shop independent!

If you’re looking for referrals to some of the best small businesses in your area, including insurance agents, bankers, and contractors, please get in touch with a local real estate agent!

TIPS FOR THE PERFECT TURKEY DINNER

Love Christmas Day? Love to cook turkey? Wish your dinner could be like those you see on television cooking shows? 

Follow my tips and you can have a turkey dinner you will be proud to serve your family or your guests.

Whether it is a small family gathering or a huge party, cooking the perfect turkey for the holidays is every chef's goal.  Here are a few foolproof tips to cooking the perfect turkey!

Get The Right Equipment

The first step to the perfect bird is having all the right tools.  You will need:

Heavy duty roasting pan

Rack to keep turkey from resting on the bottom of the pan

Foil to cover turkey

Basting brush to brush turkey with melted butter

Baster for basting with pan juices

Fine sieve for straining the pan juices for gravy

Wire whisk for making lump-free gravy

Good quality carving set

Meat thermometer

Follow These Simple Instructions:

A small, fresh turkey that weighs less than 14 pounds will usually be a more delicious bird.  Large turkeys take longer to cook, which makes the outer meat overcook more easily.  If you're feeding a large group, buy two small turkeys rather than one big one.

Brine the turkey.  Salt draws out the blood, which cleanses the bird and breaks down the meat.  This step is especially important if you purchase a frozen turkey, as it greatly improves the flavor. The steps to brining a turkey can be found on Butterball's official website here: how to brine a turkey.

Cook the stuffing in the oven, not inside the turkey.  A stuffed bird takes longer to cook and dries out the meat.

When carving the turkey, remove the wings and legs first.  Remove each breast half from the bone in one piece, and thinly slice each half crosswise.  Cut each leg at the joint, and then carve the meat from the thigh and drumstick.

These simple tips can help you make the star of your holiday meal-the turkey-taste fantastic, and will have your friends and family talking about it for the rest of the year! 

STAGING YOUR HOME FOR THE RIGHT BUYER

Staging can be a great way to boost your home’s appeal to prospective buyers... but it can depend on the type of buyers in your market. Here’s one perspective on the right way to stage.

Staging a home to sell is the process of redecorating or cost-effectively renovating aspects of your home to present it in the best light. Much like cleaning up a home’s curb appeal to appeal to buyers, staging can position your house to sell faster and for a higher price than it might otherwise.

It’s important to remember with staging that you’re not decorating the home to appeal to you, the seller, but to the prospective buyer. When working with a stager, you have to learn to set aside your own aesthetic preferences and ask yourself how a buyer might see the home. Imagining who those buyers might be can help your stager make decisions about which direction to take the interior design.

So who are the buyers? Can you know? It depends on local market conditions and trends. A common scenario is when Baby Boomers looking to downsize or move into a condo living situation finally decide to put their family home on the market. Often these homes are in need of updating, and frequently the buyers for these homes are younger generations (i.e. Millennials) looking to upgrade from their first house or buy for the first time.

If home hunters in your market are younger, it makes a lot of sense to work with a stager who understands what younger buyers are looking for in a home. In fact, if you’re interviewing stagers, it can be an excellent idea to ask them specifically for examples of how they’ve staged homes to attract younger buyers. Furniture, window treatments, and design accents (or lack thereof) are all a big factor in how younger buyers judge a home. The last thing you want Millennial buyers to think is, “Oh, no, this looks just like my parents’ house.”

Make no mistake, there will be a lot of inventory on the real estate market from Baby Boomers over the next 15 years. If you want yours to stand out, try and look at your home with an objective eye and see if it looks outdated compared to newer construction on the market. Don’t stage for yourself... stage for the generation buying your home.

Ask your local real estate agent to help you find a stager who can help make your home as appealing as possible. I work with my clients to ensure their home sells for the best possible price.

IS A REAL CHRISTMAS TREE RIGHT FOR YOU?

Christmas is almost upon us and if you and your family haven't put up a tree yet, you may be wondering, should you get a real tree or an artificial one? If you want a real live tree, keep the following facts in mind before you buy that Christmas tree.

There is nothing quite like the smell of fresh pine filling your home during the holiday season, and a real Christmas tree can do that better than any candle or air freshener.  Having a real tree is a tradition for many families, but if you haven't had one before and are considering it, there are a few things you should know before you take it on.

Real Trees, Real Mess

A real tree can make a bit of a mess in your home-you will have to vacuum up the dropped needles regularly.  You will also have to keep fresh water in the tree stand and watch out for leaks or spills.  There can also be other natural surprises in a real tree such as insects and spiders!  While this is rarely a serious problem, it is something to keep in mind.

Repeated Cost Or One Time Cost?

Buying a artificial tree is something you can invest in one year and use for many years to come.  A real tree, on the other hand, will have to be replaced every year.  The cost of a real tree depends on where you live.  If you live in a hotter climate where naturally grown pine trees are scarce, you will pay a premium for trees that are imported from elsewhere-and they won't be as fresh!  If you live in a place where pine trees grow freely, the cost will be much less, and the tree will last longer since it will be fresh.

The Hunt For The Perfect Tree

If you just have to have that perfectly shaped Christmas tree, you will find it easier to use in a fake tree.  Still, hunting through a tree farm or forest for the elusive perfect natural tree is a lot of fun for many people, and if you aren't too set on perfection you will probably find something pretty close.  Just be sure the search is something you will enjoy.

A real Christmas tree adds a certain ambience and holiday spirit to any home, but it isn't right for everyone.  Consider the benefits as well as the possible problems with a real tree before you make a final decision on how to get your home ready for the holidays. 

PRESERVING OLD TREES MEANS PRESERVING HOME VALUE

Do you have an old tree on your property that you love? You might want to make sure you do everything possible to preserve that tree... for the right buyer, old growth trees can add tremendous value to your property.

Landscaping plays a major part in your home’s curb appeal. When preparing a home for sale, it’s common practice to spruce up lawns by planting fresh flowers, bushes, weeding, trimming back trees, and staying on top of the overall condition of the lawn.

But there is one major contributor to your property’s value which you can’t just drop in when you’re getting ready to sell: old growth trees. It turns out that the number and quality of established, mature trees on your property can have a direct impact on the value of your home.

In a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, “Leafy Luxury: Mansions With a Tree Premium” (http://online.wsj.com/articles/leafy-luxury-mansions-with-a-tree-premium-1417015300), reporter Amy Gamerman took a look at several real-life examples of the role stately trees have played in the purchase and pricing of homes. (While many of the homes are luxury estates, it stands to reason that an old, healthy tree on any property can be a powerful differentiating factor.)

A couple of interesting facts from the article:

“According to Wes Kocher of the International Society of Arboriculture ... homes with mature trees and well-landscaped yards can sell for as much as 20% over homes without those features.”

“A 2010 study by the U.S. Forest Service conducted in Portland, Ore., found that the presence of a single “street tree” in front of the home added over $7,000 to its sale price. The street-tree effect spilled over to neighboring houses, increasing property values as well as helping the homes sell faster.”

If you think about it, it makes sense. It can take a generation or two to establish magnificent trees, and it’s not the sort of thing you can easily have transplanted (though people have paid a premium to try this).

If you have old trees on your property, this article might reframe how you think about them in terms of the value of your home. Are they healthy? Is there anything you might need to do to protect your “tree equity”?

If you'd like to see some homes on the market with serious tree equity, get in touch with a REALTOR® today.

DECORATING FOR CHRISTMAS THE GREEN LIVING WAY

Christmas is probably one of the easiest times of the year to use environmentally friendly decorating ideas, and given the more traditional decorating trends for the season and the ever increasing need for all of us to contribute to making the planet a greener place, it's never been easier.  

Here a few great ways to decorate your home for the holidays and be greener at the same time!

Green Tree Ideas

Replace your old Christmas lights with new LED lights.  They use less electricity and last longer than the older ones.

If you put up a real tree for the holidays consider using a live tree that you can plant after the holidays, or be sure you recycle your tree after the season is over.

Only purchase your real tree from a Christmas tree farm or retailer who purchases from farms.  Never cut down a tree in a conservation area or in a public park.

Consider using an artificial tree; be sure that it is recyclable and not made using any harmful materials or chemicals.

Use natural products to decorate your tree.  Berries, popcorn, and other food items that don't perish quickly are a great addition to any tree.

Green Home Décor Ideas

Use real garland and other decorations from nature.  Most garden centers are great places to get environmentally friendly decorations for the Christmas season.

Be sure that you purchase decorations and other holiday items that are durable and reusable year after year.  If you want holiday tableware avoid the paper kind, and choose products that are made locally using environmentally friendly products.

If you put lights on the exterior of your home you may want to reduce the number of hours you turn them on each day, and only have them on when someone is home.

For wrapping and gift giving, use papers and materials that are reusable and recyclable.

These are just a few ideas that you can use to make your Christmas more green while still keeping the holiday spirit alive!  This is a great time of year to show our love for our planet and our fellow man, and keeping the holidays environmentally friendly is a great way to do that.

CHRISTMAS DECORATING IDEAS

Along with the Christmas festivities comes the desire to decorate your home with twinkling lights, wreaths, trees and even yard ornaments featuring the theme of the holidays.  If you want to make your next Christmas decorating venture a real holiday treat, consider the following ideas.

Homemade Wreath Decorations

Create your own lighted wreath by taking a short strand of mini-lights and wrapping them around a plain wreath.  You can use either multi-color or clear lights, and this approach can easily be used for both indoor wreaths and garland decorations.

Creating A Modern Centerpiece With Classic Holiday Style

Use a clear glass vase or bowl as a centerpiece and fill it with round glass ornaments.  For Christmas, the combination of silver and gold or red and green will be ideal.  When paired with the beauty of a simplistic glass holder, the ornaments will add a very modern twist to a very traditional color combination.

Holiday Decorating Scents

A nice bowl of fresh fruit, including oranges, tangerines and apples will give a nice welcoming holiday scent to your home.  For many, the smell of fresh fruit is reminiscent of the December season as fruit baskets are common gifts that are exchanged during Christmas.  You can place the bowl on your dining room table or in the family room, both of which will offer guests the ability to appreciate your style.

Display Your Christmas Cards

Take some felt or fabric and create a hanging decorative piece to show off all of the Christmas cards you receive.  You can use a small safety pin to attach the cards to the fabric, so that the beauty of the front of the card is seen.  This can be hung on a wall, or support post or beam or the railing leading up your stairs.

Turn Out The Lights

Turn out your normal overhead lighting each night, light up the tree and burn candles throughout the house for a peaceful and relaxing setting.  Watch your favorite Christmas movie, sing carols and just share good times together.

HANDY FLOOR PLANNING TOOLS FOR YOUR HOME

Interested in a home, but not 100% sure the floor plan will work with your furniture? Try using these free floor planning tools to help you decide.

When marketing a listing, lots and lots of photographs help give buyers an idea of what the home is like before they tour the property. Professional photos online increase the amount of qualified interest in a home. But one often overlooked piece of information you can provide to help buyers is an accurate floor plan.

Up-to-date, detailed floor plans give buyers context for all those photos presented with your listing. While photos tell buyers how the rooms look, the floor plan can help them understand a bit more about the flow of the home, the relative location of the home’s amenities, and (most importantly) give them an idea if their furniture will fit. If a buyer has an heirloom piece of furniture they’re unwilling to part with, a floor plan can save everyone involved a lot of time and energy. There’s no sense in going down the path of offer and counteroffer if the floor plan turns out to be a deal breaker.

If you don’t have a current floor plan of your home, there are a couple of handy resources online to help you create one. (If you’re buying a home, these tools can also help you visualize how you might like to arrange the furniture in a room once you’ve moved in.) Check out both of these tools online and see which one you like to use the best:

FloorPlanner.com: With Floor planner you can recreate your home, garden or office in just a few clicks and furnish your plans with our huge library of objects. (http://www.floorplanner.com/)

RoomSketcher.com: Anyone can create state-of-the-art 3D visualizations of homes and properties with RoomSketcher. (http://www.roomsketcher.com/)

Regardless of the tool you use, consider creating a floor plan to give your listing an information advantage over others in the market. Going the extra mile to make it convenient for prospective buyers to get a clear picture of your house is both helpful and it inspires trust.

Have questions about floor plans? Curious which aspects of your home’s floor plan are the most marketable? 

Contact me today: valeriemcconville@realtyexecutives.com

USING YOUR OLD STUFF TO CREATE A NEW ROOM

Have you ever noticed how some people seem to have a knack for creating inviting rooms?  

One of the joys of owning your own home is having the freedom to decorate a room to please yourself.  The only problem is, most of us don't even know where to start!  

Today I am sharing with you some simple tips on re-arranging a room that can make the difference between “okay” and “wow!”

Before you start your room re-arrangement, first empty the room completely.  Take down all the wall décor and remove any rugs.  Now, look at the room as if you are seeing it for the first time.  Consider what activities you want to take place in the room.  Let form follow function.

The number one mistake people make is to push all the furniture back against the walls of a den or living room.  This makes conversation difficult and creates a walkway through the middle of the conversation area.  Try pulling your furniture out into the room into a cozy grouping for conversation.  Experiment with placing the seating group at an angle instead of neatly lined up with the walls.  A rug and a coffee table can anchor the seating group so that it looks like it “belongs” in the center of the room.

Instead of spreading out your wall hangings along the walls, try grouping several pieces together for stronger impact.  Also, it is easier to create “random” groupings than symmetrical designs, which require careful measuring and spacing.

Now that your furniture isn't lining the walls you can add depth to your wall décor by creating three dimensional groupings.  If you have a grouping of pictures or accessories on the wall, try placing a small table or chest below them.  Dress the table top with two or three favorite objects of varying heights to add dimension.

Make a dramatic impact by slip covering your old furniture.  At a fraction of the cost of new furniture you can extend the life of your old sofa and add a new color and texture to your room.

Show off your collections!  Whether it's rocks, seashells, marbles or buttons, you can purchase inexpensive clear glass containers to show off these items on a coffee table or chest.

Take advantage of your new arrangement to get rid of accessories you really don't like-that old lamp, the dried flower arrangement that is years past its prime, and the afghan that is picked, balled and knotted.  Less can be more!

PERIODIC HOME INSPECTIONS THAT SAVE MONEY

Routine home inspections can save you a lot of money. While you don’t have to have a top-to-bottom walk-through to spot problems, there are four areas you’ll want to regularly keep an eye on.

A home doesn’t have to be a repair time bomb waiting to go off. In fact, one of the simplest and most cost-effective ways to prevent major repair bills is a simple schedule of inspection. Not having basic systems in your home inspected from time to time because you’re afraid of having to make a minor repair is like avoiding going to the doctor because you don’t want to know about a lurking health problem. Which is better: A wake-up call from your physician, or a major heart attack?

A home inspection for routine maintenance doesn’t have to involve the thorough inspection conducted during a home sale. In fact, if you keep an eye on four fundamental areas of your home, you’ll head-off big repair or reconstruction bills in the future.

1. Pest Evaluation (Every Spring)

Depending on where you live, you may have routine pest control to take care of ants, roaches, and other bugs. But it’s a good idea to have a termite and powder post beetle inspection each spring. If undetected, these particular pests can eat away your home’s value.

2.   Roof Inspection (Every Fall)

Before severe weather arrives, be absolutely sure your roof is up to the beating it might take from snow, rain, and high wind. Roof inspection prevents leaks and keeps unwanted creatures from making your house their personal nest.

3. Electrical Inspection (Every five years)

A faulty electrical box, obvious frayed wires, and electrical work that falls out of code are all areas of concern. A fire is perhaps the most devastating event in a home owner’s mind, so periodic review of your home’s electrical system can help prevent a nightmare scenario.

4. Plumbing (Annually)

Water is a pernicious destroyer of homes. From slow leaks that grow mold and attract bugs to sudden pipe failures that can flood a basement, plumbing needs to be monitored. A plumber can spot corroded pipes and other simple fixes.

Home maintenance is about protecting your largest investment. With a smart schedule for keeping up with your home, you can protect your savings and sleep well at night. Need reference for reputable inspectors? Call your local REALTOR® today!

THE BENEFITS OF LED LIGHTING

LED lights have come a long way. Did you know that modern advances in manufacturing and design have made these lights even more useful and efficient? See why LEDs are a great choice for your home.

Do you want to make your home as energy efficient as possible, but you find the light from CFL (Compact Fluorescent Lights) unappealing? It’s time to take a new look at modern LED lighting.

Advancements in LED lighting have completely changed the face of energy efficient lighting. When they were initially developed, LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) were solid bulbs first limited to single-bulb use. Gradually manufacturers began to cluster these bulbs to create more powerful light sources for flashlights and directional lighting. Now, however, advancements in clustering, lens design, and positioning have made these bulbs suitable replacements for almost any home lighting scenario.

While they used to be very expensive, research breakthroughs as recent as 2009 made the manufacture of LEDs drastically cheaper. With this breakthrough, LEDs rapidly became competitively priced with CFL bulbs.

Benefits of LED lighting include:

High durability: While traditional bulbs have a filament which is fragile and subject to damage, LEDs handle shocks extremely well.

Lower temperature: LEDs run cool, producing significantly less than 4 btus/hour, compare to more than 80 btus for incandescents. This is a real plus in the summer months when ambient heat from lighting can build up.

Longevity: LEDs can live ten times longer than CFL bulbs and outstrip even the heartiest of incandescent bulbs.

Energy efficiency: LED bulbs typically draw between two and 17 watts of electricity. CFLs and incandescent lights can consume three to thirty times more energy.

Both cool & warm light available: Advancements have made it possible to choose “cool” lighting for big, task-based areas of the home and “warm” for accent lighting and more cozy applications.

Standard, dimmable, and 3-way available: Many people don’t realize that there are LEDs now for a full range of switching applications and don’t necessarily require switch replacement (i.e. for dimmable applications).

If you're looking for greener choices with long-term benefit to your bank account, consider LEDs.

FINDING A MORTGAGE BROKER

If you are in the market for a new home, or looking to refinance your existing mortgage, then you will want to consider the option of hiring a mortgage broker rather than an individual lender or lending institution.  

With times being as tough as they are for so many people, and the instability of the financial markets, shopping around for the best deal in a mortgage is of vital importance.  A mortgage broker is a one-stop mortgage option that can save you time, and most importantly, money.  Here are just a few reasons you should consider a mortgage broker.

Who Are Mortgage Brokers?

Mortgage brokers are financial professionals who are paid a commission to match lenders and borrowers.  They usually work with dozens of lenders as freelance agents and can match you with a lender than offers the best mortgage for your financial situation and personal needs.  They are qualified to evaluate your credit situation, offer you a variety of loans from different lenders, and can submit the home buyer's application to one or more lenders.  A good mortgage broker is able to find a lender to suit a buyer with just about any credit rating.

Why A Broker Can Work For You

While the idea of a commission fee paid to a broker may not seem worth it, in most cases this cost is passed back to the lender.  Brokers provide a service to lenders which saves them time and resources, and often they are willing to absorb this cost.  Lenders who work with brokers are also more aware that their offer will be competing with other offers from different institutions, and in many cases this means that you are getting the most competitive rates and terms available.

A mortgage broker can definitely find a mortgage that can work for you, but as in hiring any professional, be sure you are certain they are qualified to give you advice and services you are requesting.  Your REALTOR® can give you the names of reputable brokers in your area, and there are also a number of organizations that monitor the profession.

FIRE PREVENTION TIPS FOR YOUR KITCHEN

The kitchen is the hub of most homes, but it can also be a dangerous place where fires start and burns are common. Check out these tips for a safer kitchen from the National Fire Prevention Association.

The kitchen is the hub of many happy homes. We gather family, entertain guests, and cook special meals for loved ones. 

Unlike the basic kitchens of even thirty years ago, today’s kitchens feature double-ovens, deluxe, multiple burner stove tops, warming drawers, and even indoor grilling stations. 

But the kitchen can also be a dangerous place. 

Did you know that most cooking fires in the home involve the stovetop? The leading cause of fires in the kitchen is unattended cooking. Any number of simple mistakes or lapses in attention can turn a festive time into a disaster. To prevent this from happening, keep these handy kitchen fire (and burn!) prevention tips handy, courtesy of the National Fire Prevention Association

• Be alert: If you’re exhausted or have been consuming alcohol, don’t use the stove or stovetop.

• Remain in the kitchen when frying, grilling, or broiling food. If you leave the kitchen during these activities, turn off the stove.

• Use a timer when baking, roasting, or boiling food to remind you to check these dishes.

• Keep anything which could catch fire (oven mitts, wooden utensils, packaging, paper towels, dish towels, or curtains) away from your stove. This includes loose clothing and long hair!

• Keep a lid nearby to smother grease fires. Slide the lid over the grease fire and turn off the stove. Leave the pan covered until it is completely cool. Alternately, keep baking soda or a large quantity of salt nearby to smother the fire. Do not use water! Water will only spread the fire!

• For an oven fire, turn off the heat and keep the door closed.

• Maintain a 3-foot “kid free” zone around the stove where food is prepared or carried.

• Keep your stove’s hood or exhaust fan free of grease. Build-up is dangerous.

A printable PDF of many of these tips is available here:

http://www.nfpa.org/~/media/Files/Safety%20information/Safety%20tip%20sheets/cookingsafety.pdf

Remember: If you do have a kitchen fire that you cannot control, get everyone safely out of the house and call 911 / emergency services.

READY TO BUY A HOME? ASK YOURSELF A FEW KEY QUESTIONS FIRST.

A home is one of the biggest purchases many people will make in their lifetime. Which is why planning and preparation are critical when it comes to paving your path to home ownership.

Ask yourself the following questions and answer them honestly to determine if now is the right time for you to buy.

Can you afford to own a home?

Whether it’s a sellers market or a buyers market, knowing what and IF you can afford a home is critical. The National Association of REALTORS® notes correctly that homes and financing are closely intertwined and describes financing as the difference between the purchase price and the down payment, commonly referred to as debt or the mortgage. The best case scenario is to have some money saved for a down payment and additional money set aside for closing costs. In some cases, though, closing costs can be worked into the price of the home.

Here’s another great exercise: roughly determine how much a monthly mortgage payment you can afford. In addition to your monthly rent or current mortgage payment, take the rest of the money it would take to pay the new mortgage and put it into a savings account. Do this for six months. There are two good things for this exercise:

(1) You get a feel for what it would be like paying the new mortgage and (2) you now have some money saved for potential closing costs or even a down payment on the house! Be sure to talk to your REALTOR® or a mortgage professional for information on loan programs that match your financial needs.

Do you know what you want?

Whether you are moving up to a larger home, are a first-time home buyer or are purchasing a second house, knowing what you want will simplify your home search process. Talk honestly and openly about details such as: square footage, floor plans, neighborhoods, nearby schools and style. Do you have a special need such as an extra bedroom suite, a large upstairs, a pool or a screen porch? Do you have a particular time frame to buy? By answering these questions honestly, you’ll have a more realistic view of what you really want in your future home.

How’s your credit?

The best way to ensure your loan is approved by the lender is to keep your credit in check. The best advice? For at least one year prior to purchasing a home make absolutely sure you pay your rent, credit card bill, car payment or any other debt in full and on time. Not sure if you’re credit score is in a good spot? Ask your REALTOR® to recommend a lender or mortgage professional who can answer all your home financing questions.

Careful planning and preparation will help you throughout the entire home buying process. Once you have these questions answered start the interview process for a real estate agent. Find the one that’s right for you, and then be on your way to making the dream of home ownership a reality!

HOW TO PROTECT YOUR PLANTS THIS WINTER

Now’s a good time to start thinking about how you’re going to protect your home’s plants this winter. Here are some simple tips for keeping them alive!

When the colder months settle in, there’s no reason to sacrifice all of your plants. Depending on the type of plants you have and the severity of your winter, there are ways to help ensure your favorite decorative greenery sees another spring.

Before it’s too late, take the time now to plan your plant protection strategy. These tips selected from gardening experts from around the web should help many of your most beloved shrubs, bushes, trees, and potted wonders make it through the harsh weather.

Move potted plants off concrete and onto the earth. Protecting the roots of a plant can be key to its survival. The top of a plant can often endure more trauma than the roots. Concrete can warm considerably in the sun, and then become very cold at night. This heat/cool cycle and the rapid swings in temperature it brings can damage roots.

Plant in big pots. Soil is insulation for root systems. In a 10-gallon pot you’ll have ten times the protection a 1-gallon pot provides. It can also be useful to buy a pot with a thickness greater than one inch as a means of helping further shield the roots.

During winter, water at the warmest point in the day. When temperatures climb above freezing, water your plants. Water is often used as a defense against freezing temperatures, in part because when water freezes it releases heat. Also, wet soil does a better job protecting from invasive cold than dry soil (which contains air pockets).

Position plants where temperature swings are lower. Often southern exposures will experience the greatest temperature fluctuations, so consider northern or eastern positions around the house.

Group plants defensively. Gather your plants together, placing the “weakest” of the bunch in the center and the heartiest selection on the outside, forming a border. You can also create a barrier around the group to help shield the plants from excessive wind.

Mulch for additional insulation. Mulch can help create a blanket of protection. Hay or a thick layer of leaves can also work.

Consider bringing some plants indoors. Certain potted plants might have the best defense inside. But if you do bring them indoors, bring them in before it gets too cold. The shock of moving from a chilly autumn night to a heated home can be dangerous.

With a little planning and luck, you can extend the life of your plants and the beauty of your home.

JUST IN TIME FOR HALLOWEEN: CREEPIEST PLACES IN ALBERTA, CANADA

With Halloween just a few days away, I thought it might be fun to tell you about some really creepy places here in Alberta. 
All of these locations are real and they really are haunted! You just might want to visit some of them to see for yourself. In the meantime, keep your lights on when you are alone in the house!

• Banff Springs Hotel in Banff is an alleged paranormal site. An anonymous young bride, who died of a broken neck on her wedding day in 1932, has also reportedly been seen by patrons within these grounds. Dressed in her wedding gown, she was descending a staircase. She tripped on her gown and fell down the stairs. Her ghost can reportedly be seen dancing alone in the dining room, only to burst into flames. The apparitional resident is reportedly a former employee of the hotel. A bellhop who died after announcing his retirement in 1976, Sam Macauley, has lived on in the eyes of some guests and hotel staff members who claim to have seen visions of the man in full uniform, helping out guests just as if he had never left. They have reported sightings of a bartender's ghost telling customers that they have drank too much and need to go to bed. An apparitional headless male bagpiper has been occasionally haunting here. Click here: http://www.fairmont.com/banff-springs/

• ​Firkins House, Fort Edmonton Park in Edmonton. An anonymous young boy is one of many apparitions which roam in this early 20th Century home. In the study area, there is one particular piece of furniture that attracts a ghost to it. An anonymous female figure usually shows up in pictures taken there, often in the middle of the bookcase. The rest of this park has paranormal reports from tourists about spooky footsteps, and the feeling that someone or something is directly behind you. It was featured on Creepy Canada. http://www.fortedmontonpark.ca/

• ​Fort Saskatchewan. Many male convicts were hanged at the Northwest Mounted Police outpost on this historic site in May 1923, but only one woman. Florence Lassandro was dubbed the "Mob Princess", and her specter is one of many apparitional figures seen wandering the grounds and in the preserved buildings. It was also featured on Creepy Canada.                                             http://www.fortsask.ca/residents/culture/heritage/museum

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• Hotel Macdonald in Edmonton. An unseen apparition of a horse-drawn carriage is heard through the halls on the top floor in this hotel.                         http://www.fairmont.com/macdonald-edmonton/

• Jasper Park Lodge in Jasper. There is a very steep staircase in one of the signature cabins, Point Cabin, that is haunted by a housekeeper who fell and broke her neck on it. She has been known by visitors to push people on the staircase as well as being responsible for the chilly winds that sometimes blow down it. People have also reported a feeling of being watched on the staircase and in the connecting hall and animals are said to be very hesitant about going on the stairway. Security guards have claimed to receive phantom calls from the cabin only to arrive and no one is there. A senior couple dressed in old-fashioned clothing have been seen by patrons either dancing or sitting at a table in one of the restaurants. Children's hand prints appear on the window in the main ballroom and people have noted an eerie feeling of being watched in the ballroom. http://www.fairmont.com/jasper/

• La Bohème Restaurant Bed and Breakfast in Edmonton. Legend has it that a female employee in the building was murdered and dragged down three flights of stairs to the basement. She was dismembered and fed piece-by-piece into the furnace there. The original furnace is still in use and the sound of her head banging on the floor down three flights of stairs can be heard by patrons at night. http://www.laboheme.ca/

• Multicultural Heritage Centre in Stony Plain. White misty figures have been seen in the main building. During the reconstruction of the kitchen in the basement objects would be moved or disappear and reappear elsewhere on their own. An apparitional woman dressed in 1940s clothing is occasionally seen in the corner of people’s eyes. Stools have stacked on tables at night when no one was present. There is also a second smaller building called “The Oppershauser Building” that is also active. The spectral figure has been referred as “George” after a former owner of the house. Paranormal activity includes spectral footsteps are heard and objects have flown off the walls on their own, objects placed in the upstairs closet have a way of disappearing and reappearing elsewhere in the house. Disembodied faces have also been in the windows at night as well as spectral voices. http://multicentre.org/wp/

• Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village east of Edmonton. Most famous of the ghosts is a wagon master who rides through town pulling a wagon seeking for workers to go on a ride with him. Other paranormal activities are light anomalies, spooky footsteps, disembodied voices and glimpses of apparitions. It was featured on Creepy Canada.           http://www.history.alberta.ca/ukrainianvillage/

• Walterdale Playhouse in Old Strathcona. The residential specter is "Walt". He is most active in the back staircase and the Green Room. He has been known by visitors to develop chilly breezes, help people up the stairs, turn lights on and off, move props, play the piano and create apparitional footsteps. Patrons of the theatre have also reported the strong smell of horse manure in the part of the building that used to hold stables for the fire hall. http://walterdaletheatre.com/

Have a safe and fun Halloween!

IDEAS FOR STAGING YOUR HOME THIS FALL SEASON

Play up the fall feel of your home starting with the outside of your home. Make sure all leaves are raked and flower beds cleaned up. Let beautiful fall colors be shown by the trees around your home, not by the dead ones laying on the lawn.

Since we are talking about the outside your home, make sure the back yard is picked up and summer free. So put away all pool toys, tiki torches and beach balls. Have fun taking out warm colored cushions for your patio furniture and a fire pit to sit around.

Finally place pumpkins by the front door and a beautiful fall wreath. But do not carve your pumpkins it will cause them to rot faster.

Move inside

Start with fresh fall florals. There are so many options but a few are; marigolds, Mexican sunflowers, and strawflowers. Place in entry way, master bedrooms, and florals are a great add to any mantel.

To make your home feel warm and welcoming invest in some throws and pillows to match your floral arrangements. The colors should be of the season and inviting. You can add this to any couch or bed.

Keep those bare areas in tact with any kind of fall decor.

Use fall scents that are pleasing to the senses

Tie the experience with the much loved holiday cooking, with holiday scented candles. Some great choices are pumpkin spice, baked apple, vanilla cinnamon, or cranberry.

To also add to the experience of smell , have your dining table centerpiece be a cornucopia or gourds. This will help them envision Thanksgiving dinner in their new home.

Too Much is Too Much

Make sure not to overdo the fall decorations. Even though the buyers will appreciate coming into a refreshingly decorated holiday house, at the same time they want to be able to picture their own furniture and home decor in the house.

Keeping the decorations tasteful and minimal is best!