At Home With Valerie

It’s summer time and the grilling is easy. Check out these BBQ facts and selection of fresh recipes. The good weather’s on its way. Let’s fire it up! Whether you're a die-hard charcoal fan, or more of a Hank Hill "taste the meat not the heat" propane griller, I hope you enjoy these tips and recipes. One of the great joys of owning your own home is making a space for a little outdoor cooking. It can be hard to grill on an apartment balcony! The Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association ( http://www.hpba.org/ ) recently shared these interesting facts for National Barbecue Month. You can see why grilling is so popular! 81% of Americans report that at least one aspect of grilling outside is easier than cooking indoors. The most convenient parts are cited as cleanup (49%) followed by the cooking process itself (40%). The majority of adults (58%) agree that cooking out is more fun and relaxing than dining out and beneficial for avoiding travel (58%), dress...

Congratulations!  Now that you have found the perfect home, all that's left is getting the perfect mortgage.   In order to do that, you will have to know what your lender needs from you in order to get your loan application approved. Property Description When applying for a home loan, you will need to provide the lender with detailed information regarding the property that you intend to purchase, including a physical address, what type of loan you are requesting and how you obtained the funds to be used as a down payment. Borrower & Co-Borrower Information All persons named on a home loan must be able to provide their name, date of birth, current address, former address (if within the last two years), marital status, current and former employment information, telephone number and social security number. Most lenders require tax returns for the two years preceding the loan application, along with current paystubs or, if self-employed, a y...

An open house is one way that REALTORS® attempt to expose a home to multiple buyers at once.  Not only is an open house designed to market the home in a way that differs from a simple listing, but it also opens the door for competitive offers as more than one buyer could potentially fall in love with a home on the same day. Step # 1: Make Your Home Shine A successful open house begins with cleanliness, so make sure that your home is ready to be shown.  This means the clutter should be removed and the home should be “staged” to allow potential buyers to envision themselves living in a beautifully decorated home. Step # 2: Cross Your T's & Dot Your I's Your next step to an open house is making sure that the price is right.  If the day is successful, you may be fielding offers within hours, so be ready to make a deal.  Most open houses are advertised locally in order to attract buyers looking to move into the area, which means a newspaper ad may h...

When it comes to decorating your home, there's a lot more to consider than simply coordinating your window treatments with your carpet.   This is especially true if you have children in the home, which presents a whole new concern for keeping them safe and sound. Take A Look Around When you take a quick glance throughout your home, what do you see?  Is the home decorated for an adult or a child?  If your little one is like most, he/she has a lot of energy and isn't afraid to use it.  To prevent a hard spill, many families replace hardwood or tile flooring with plush carpet or rugs for a little extra padding.  If your child stumbles and falls, the extra cushioning will come in handy. Do you have any furniture with glass inserts or sharp corners, or do you see a lot of breakables throughout the home?  If so, it's time to remove them.  You should get rid of any furniture that could be hazardous to your youngster and this includ...

When it comes to buying a home, the ability and willingness to negotiate is a must for both the buyer and seller.   In general, sellers ask for more than they are actually willing to accept and buyers offer less than they are willing to pay.   The trick is to find the perfect balance so that you, as a buyer, feel good about the purchase price without leaving the seller feeling insulted. Know Your Market Real estate is a business that either favors the buyer or seller, hence the terms buyer's market and seller's market.  When negotiating a purchase price, it's important to know which of the two you are in.  As the buyer, you will have the best chance at a successful negotiation if you research the price of other comparable homes in the area before making an offer. Make It Personal When you make an offer, the seller will see nothing more than a piece of paper with some numbers on it that represent the price you are willing to pa...

Are you looking to make a major change in your life, but find yourself hesitating? Research reveals five flaws that may be sabotaging your success. Lots of people I talk to these days are looking to start new business ventures or find more fulfilling jobs. As a real estate agent, I definitely understand the desire for independence and to do something you love. It can be hard to pursue success in a new venture, though. I’ve often wondered what stands in the way of our desire and our ability to achieve the success. Well, recently I found a little insight into this question. In Jack Zenger and Joe Folkman's book, "The Extraordinary Leader: Turning good managers into great leaders," researchers identified five "fatal flaws" which were effectively "success killers." In contrast to areas where professionals had "allowable weaknesses" (i.e. deficiencies in skills which could be avoided or overshadowed by other strengths), these five weakn...

When you’re home hunting, it’s easy to spot the great and the glaringly bad... but what about the little details that will impact your daily life? Most people overlook these three details. Think you’ve found the perfect home? Think again. There are three little details which can turn an ideal house into the world’s most annoying location. Before you make your offer, take into account these three small, but surprisingly important details: #1: “Let me call you back on my landline.” Does your future dream home have cell reception? Check your signal when you’re on the property and see if it has dead spots, poor/limited data connections, or flat out “NO SERVICE” messages. This is especially important if you telecommute or had planned on skipping a landline entirely. While you can try and live on VoIP connections, WiFi, and other options, the hassle of a hole in cell coverage can wear on you. #2: “Wow, the commute is longer than I thought.” It’s a sunny Saturday aftern...

Does the prospect of a big down payment make home ownership seem impossible? It’s not as out of reach as you might think. Here are five tips to help you climb the down payment mountain. Every month you pay the rent, you’re probably thinking, “I wish this money was going into my future.” For a lot of would-be first-time home buyers, it’s the down payment which makes home ownership seem impossible. Climbing the “down payment mountain” isn’t impossible. Like any major challenge, it’s all a matter of breaking your big, hairy, audacious goal down into practical steps. Here are some tips to conquer saving for a down payment: Find out where your money goes. You can’t start saving if you don’t know where you’re spending. For a month or two, track each expenditure, no matter how small. Get an objective picture of where you’re spending the cash. Get specific about how much you need to save. Even if you’re not 100% sure what your down payment needs to be yet, it’s good to start...

Feeling cramped by your small house?  There are some simple tricks you can use to make tiny spaces look larger and feel bigger. Has your home started to feel a little small for your family? It happens to the best of us. The things we own gradually end up colonizing a lot of our free space, and the house which felt “just right” a few years ago can suddenly feel as tiny as a shoe closet. Fortunately, there are some simple tricks you can try to supersize your small space. Most of these tricks are a matter of changing perspective rather than opening up more square footage. Before you try them, consider a real effort to declutter first. If your declutter campaign falls short, though, these tactics may come to your rescue: Lighten up the walls. Color can make the difference between breezy, cozy, and claustrophobic. Dark colors on walls make them seem smaller and denser, while lighter ones broaden your view and reflect more light. While white can be a bit harsh, there a...