Your small home...reasons to love it

Hang ‘em high. Look in the picture above and see how they've used wire racks on the wall above your sink to add S-hooks, and hang cooking utensils. It’ll free up a drawer or two.

Nooks and crannies. Bare walls above a phone nook or cabinets, and underneath windows, beg for storage. Make use of that open space above your cabinets with store-bought shelves and brackets painted to match the cabinets.

A freestanding window seat stores rarely-used kitchen gadgets and provides additional seating.

Remember, there's plenty of perks that come with your smaller home:  lower taxes, less maintenance, lower heating & cooling costs, and often times less lawn to mow! 

Yes, you can! Squeeze a small office into your small home, that is. But that doesn’t mean you have to take over one of the kids’ bedrooms—just look for under-utilized space.

One idea might be a store-bought island to be used in the kitchen for bill-paying to a breakfast nook.

Another idea might be to use a closet to accommodate a built-in desk, shelves, and lighting. Make a nearby chair do double duty for your desk.  Whoa!  Never thought of that before.... :)

Those out-of-the-way spaces. Alcoves, lofts, stair landings, basement and garage corners, and bedroom nooks qualify as potential office space. Use freestanding shelving units and bookcases. Plants or privacy screens can “wall” the area without making it feel smaller.

Under-used dining rooms. Formal dining rooms can be overrated. If yours isn’t being used regularly, convert it to a small office. You’ll be close to your main entry, making it easy to receive clients and business associates. If a nearby kitchen or other busy household area is a noisy distraction, install French or sliding doors as acoustic barriers.

It's back to school time!

It's hard to believe that summer is winding down and it’s time for back to school. I’m getting ready to take my youngest to college…sort of like the first day of kindergarten! They have a program for the parents, we get to eat lunch in the college cafeteria with our son, and then they have a ceremony starting their college career. When I step back and look at the big picture, it’s sort of like the kindergarten sendoff. My, how time flies! In the blink of an eye…

Enjoy time with your family! I recommend the book, “A Kissing Hand” if you have a young one entering kindergarten! Ask me about my experience with it...

How to polish up and improve your credit score to take advantage of the real estate buyers' market.

With the economy and job market just coming out of a "down" period, a large percentage of the population is concerned and wondering how less-than-perfect credit scores might affect their ability to take advantage of the current buyers' market in purchasing a home.

In order to know what you need to do to position yourself favorably, you need to understand the different components making up the big picture that is your credit score. Here are the key components, with the percentages that each component contributes to your total credit scoring and a tip on how to improve each one:

•Payment history contributes 35% to your credit score: Make sure to obtain and analyze your credit report yearly. You can get a free copy of your report once a year. Look to make sure that the information is accurate. If you find errors, dispute them until they are corrected or removed from your credit history. If you’ve had a significant hardship such as bankruptcy, make sure that accounts that were involved are showing as paid accounts.
•Amount of debt that you owe contributes 30% to your credit score: Control the amounts that you charge to your credit cards to less than 30% of the total amount of credit available for each card. Paying down the card or cards that are the closest to their limits is a great strategy for increasing your score. Use the free services and tools that some credit card companies offer, like text or e-mail alerts, to track and control your card balances.
•Length of time in credit history contributes 15% to your credit score: If you have an old credit account that you’ve paid off and don’t use, consider using it to pay for a monthly "necessity expense" to keep an aged account active. Active accounts are considered above inactive accounts for scoring purposes, so if you need to use a card, use the ones that you’ve had the longest and then, if possible, pay the balance off at the end of each month.
•Recent credit history contributes 10% to your credit score: Refrain from opening new accounts or from consolidating debt from several cards to one card. Generally speaking, lower balances on a number of cards are better than a much larger balance on just one. And, of course, it goes without saying, paying your bill on time is critical. Just one late payment can have a significant negative effect on your score. If you’ve had major issues with your finances, such as a bankruptcy, opening a new credit account and managing it well and paying on time will help you re-establish a good credit history.
•Number of types of credit being used contributes 10% to your credit score: Again, stating the obvious, don’t open new credit accounts for anything but necessities. Before using credit for purchases or opening new credit, always do a self check to ask yourself, “Is this a want or a need?” Use the answer to that question to guide you into making better financial choices and decisions.
Be persistant and consistant! The accumulation of making better decisions and establishing better financial habits will ultimately lead to higher credit scores. Higher credit scores will lead to significant savings, as a result of qualifying for better interest rates, when it comes to obtaining a mortgage for your new home.

Have your own observation or tip for scoring better credit? Tell us in the comments.

3 Ways to Celebrate Dads in a New Way - Relationships and Money - daveramsey.com

3 Ways to Celebrate Dads in a New Way - Relationships and Money - daveramsey.com

Real Estate Investing has options

Many have made the transition from stock market investing to real estate.  But real estate investing is not for the faint of heart.  I've met some wanna-be landlords who fall prey to the "I don't have money for my kids' Christmas and can't pay the rent" saga.  Others let tenants move in with the "I promise to pay my deposit in 3 monthly installments."  You ought to sit down with me some time.  I have lots of stories to tell!  Some of them legal...

The biggest pitfall I've observed is renting to the first person who can fog a mirror.  Be sure to check out the potential tenant's references and credit history.  Maybe even go two landlords back - they have nothing to lose by telling you the truth.  The current landlord may want to get rid of them or else they'll be surprised to hear they've made an application with you.  I've known people who will even check with the local sherriff's department to see if the applicant has a history of passing bad checks.  All good things to check out.

But don't get me wrong...choosing the right property, and the right place and time can be a good investment.  I have learned lots of tips from working with investors through the years...There are some bargains out there with some foreclosures, but be sure you know what you're getting into.  Sometimes it may be worth more to pay more for a property with major improvements already in place.  It's hard to find those that only need carpet and paint...usually if it needs carpet and paint, it needs roofs replaced, ceilings repaired, frozen water lines repaired, etc.  You get the idea.  Working with a Realtor who knows the market can prove invaluable.  I'd love to teach you what I've learned!

Do you know where your Realtor is?

It's amazing, the life of a Realtor, that is!  I just finished a radio interview on 97.3 FM in the Moberly area.  It's so easy to talk real estate...different types of loans that are available, rehab loans, credit help available for people truly wanting to buy a home.  I find that some people are hesitant to delve into restoring their credit, perhaps because they don't know who to talk to, who will care and not judge them.  I've found several mortgage professionals who DO care, who will give you the tools and steps to make homeownership a reality, just ask me for a referral...

Speaking of real estate 24/7, did you know that the virtual tours Advantage Real Estate offers work 24/7 for homesellers?  We were talking about this recently at the office, and we can track several closings (that we were told about) where the virtual tour gave the buyers the confidence to purchase their new home!  They emailed the link to their parents/friend/spouse which enabled them to give the support necessary to move forward!  Awesome, this technology that's available, isn't it?  If you haven't seen it, check out the virtual tours at http://www.askadvantage.com/.

Inspiration

I lost my friend and mentor in the real estate business last week, my step father, Chuck Boyer.  He taught me (almost) everything I know.  :)   I remember when I decided to get my license over 18 years ago;  he cautioned me about the ups and downs of being self employed.  He taught me to tell the truth, no matter what.  And to communicate with those you work with.  If you tell someone you're going to call them back, then do it.  Follow through.  His knowledge of the industry was unparalled; at one time, he was the education chair for the franchise he was licensed with (which was the top franchise in Texas at the time).  He taught me to never be satisfied with what you know.  Keep learning, and by teaching others, it helps you indirectly too.  He will be missed by many.  I have big shoes to fill.  One day at a time...