At Home With Valerie

The winter months are quickly approaching, and it's time to prepare your home for the coming months.  In fact, I'm including some quick tips for making sure that you and your new home are ready for the winter months ahead!  I hope that you find these tips to be helpful and useful. Roof repairs: If you can safely get onto your roof to inspect for missing shingles or other factors that may lead to a leaky roof, now's the time to do it!  If not, call in a professional organization and have them take care of the rooftop work for you. Seal it off: Inspect doors and windows to ensure that the weather-stripping is in good condition.  This will keep your house warmer and cozier in the winter months. Hot stuff: Make sure that your heater and ventilation systems are in good working order!  Clean out accessible ducts and replace filters where necessary. Chimney sweep: Creosote, a black substance that builds up in the chimney when wood is burned, c...

When you are ready to buy a home, applying for a mortgage is one of the first and most important steps.   For married couples, this usually involves applying for a mortgage loan jointly.  This means that the loan will be in both of your names and you will be co-owners of the house.   While it may seem like the obvious thing to do, there are a few situations when applying with only one name might be wise.  Here are a few tips on joint mortgage applications. Is Your Credit Looking Good? If one of you has a poor credit rating, it could strongly affect your chances of qualifying for the loan and will definitely raise the interest rate even if you do qualify.  If the person with poor credit does not make a large sum of money and their income is not required to qualify for the loan, it might make more sense not to apply jointly. Employment Doesn't Matter If one of the partners is unemployed, a stay at home mom or dad or homemaker, ...

A fireplace is a great feature in any home, and can create that warm, homey feeling on a cold winter evening that every homeowner dreams of.   Whether you have a gas fireplace or a wood-burning fireplace, there are a few important precautions you should take and safety measures to follow every time you use your fireplace. Keep The Fire Contained Especially if you have an older home, you should verify that the fireplace and hearth are up to code.  The hearth is required to be a certain size to prevent sparks or embers from the fire hitting the carpet or wood floors and starting a fire.  You should also ensure that you have appropriate metal doors or a mesh curtain that will keep the fire and any sparks inside the fireplace itself. Keep anything flammable away from the fireplace, including paper, blankets, furniture, or anything else that could easily catch fire.  If you have a wood-burning fireplace, keep the wood in a spot where a stray spark or ember wo...

What is interior design? As the name implies, it's all about designing a living area – such as a bathroom or basement – while taking into account your needs, tastes, and budget, as well as the characteristics of the space itself. If you've ever sketched out an idea for a renovation – to add a wall, install hardwood floors, or paint – then you've done interior design, as least at an amateur level. Home improvement contractors, when they make suggestions about how to renovate a room, are also acting as interior designers. According to the Association of Registered Interior Designers, "Interior Designers will analyze your needs and budget, prepare and present conceptual solutions and then manage the implementation of the project." Although hiring an interior designer may seem like a luxury for many homeowners, it can actually be quite affordable. Plus, consider that your interior designer can manage your project from concept and design all the way thro...

A recent survey of would-be home buyers revealed fears that the market is too hot, driving many people to sit on the sidelines. Don’t let “macro fears” drive your decision-making process. There’s still plenty of opportunity to find the right home at the right price. If you’ve found yourself paralyzed by this active market, you’re not alone. According to a recent survey of 3,500 buyers, a whopping 58% of potential homebuyers are sitting on the sidelines because they’re afraid the market is too hot. Here’s a breakdown of their top concerns: 1. Affordability: Prices are rising or too high (27%) 2. There's too much competition from other buyers (17%) 3. There aren't enough homes to choose from (14%) While it’s true we’ve seen a dramatic increase in market activity over the past few years, it’s important to remember that what you want isn’t necessarily what everyone else wants. Where you want to live and the type of home you want to live in isn’t nece...

When the temperature outside begins to fall, our heating bills quickly start to rise.  For many homeowners, keeping their house warm in the winter means paying a hefty heating bill. Luckily, there are some ways to help reduce those costs and keep a little extra cash in your pocket for a rainy (and warmer) day. Don't Be Shade-y Even though it may be cold outside, the sun still tries to peak through on occasion.  When it does, make sure to open your curtains and/or blinds in order to welcome the sun's heat into your home.  This will help to add a touch of warmth to help keep your heating costs down.  After all, the time for seeking shade from the sunlight is in the summer. Cool It Did you know that the settings on your water heater could be affecting your heating bill?  It's true.  Check your owner's manual or ask a local expert about the ideal settings for your water heater which, if turned down, may still be able to heat your water ade...

If you treat your home like an investment, you’ll want to make improvements which will pay off when the time comes to list and sell your home. Not every renovation project has to be a major undertaking. In fact, these smaller projects are some of the best you can choose. Not all renovations are created equal. If you’re adding a luxurious new bathroom or a “man cave” for your own purposes, you’re probably not too concerned about your return when the house goes on the market. You’re spending the money for your pleasure and quality of life, not the return. But many homeowners see their home as a financial investment vehicle and understand that it’s quite likely the day will come in 5 to 7 years when they are ready to trade up or move to a new market. With this eye, every renovation is a calculated decision. In this situation, you want to select projects which are likely to provide a good return. Any renovation which improves the value of your home in the eyes of buyers with...

Home inspectors are professionals trained to spot problems and evaluate properties, but this doesn’t mean you should neglect to evaluate a home thoroughly before you buy.  Here are some commonly overlooked areas you can check for yourself. Home inspection professionals are trained to spot problems and evaluate a home’s overall condition. While they have a reputation for being ethical and thorough, they are also still human. Sometimes details escape their attention. If you’re making a major investment in a home, there’s no reason you have to leave 100% of the inspection up to someone else. There are definitely areas you can review for yourself (or hire an outside party to review). Before you sign off on a house, don’t neglect to review these commonly overlooked areas: 1. Roof: Yes, inspectors will consider the roof condition, but they probably won’t be on top of the roof when they do it. This is one area where hiring a roofing contractor to take a look can be...

If you see a haze of condensation on your window, should you be concerned? Maybe. Maybe not. It depends on a number of factors. First of all, an occasional build-up of condensation is normal and often the result of fluctuating humidity in the home. Usually, it’s nothing to worry about. If you’re using a humidifier, try adjusting the levels. If the humidity is being generated naturally, try placing a dehumidifier nearby. Also, remove any plants and firewood from the area, as they can release a surprising volume of moisture into the air. Do you see moisture in between the panes of glass that make up the window? If so, that means the seal has failed and moisture has crept in. Double and triple pane windows often contain a gas (argon, for example) that boosts the insulating qualities of the window. When the seal fails, the gas disappears, making the glass colder and often allowing condensation to creep in. Eventually, you’ll want to get it replaced. If you see...

If you take care to price your home correctly — that is, at a price that is in line with what similar properties in the area have sold for recently — then you have a good chance of selling it at or near your asking price. That doesn’t mean you won’t get a low-ball offer. You might. So what do you do when that happens? First, understand that the buyer may not necessarily be trying to steal away your home at a bargain-basement price. He might simply be mistaken about its true market value. Of course, he might also be coming in at a low price in the hopes he’ll get lucky. You will never actually know the buyer’s motives. So it would be a mistake to get angry or dismiss the offer out-of-hand. That low-ball offer might end up being the beginning of a negotiation that results in you selling your home at a good price. Your first step is to work with your REALTOR® to determine: How serious the buyer is. How qualified the buyer is. (For example, does he hav...