2. Develop your home wish list.  Then, prioritize the features on your list.

3.  Select where you want to live. Compile a list of three or four neighborhoods you’d like to live in, taking into account items such as schools, recreational facilities, area expansion plans, and safety.

4. Start saving. Do you have enough money saved to qualify for a mortgage and cover your down payment? Ideally, you should have 20 percent of the purchase price saved as a down payment. Also, don’t forget to factor in closing cost. Closing costs – including taxes, attorney’s fee, and transfer fees – average between 2 and 7 percent of the home price.

5. Get your credit in order. Obtain a copy of your credit report to make sure it is accurate and to correct any errors immediately. A credit report provides a history of your credit, bad debts, and any late payments.

6. Determine your mortgage qualifications. How large of mortgage do you qualify for? Also, explore different loan options – such as 30-year or 15-year fixed mortgages or ARMs – and decide what’s best for you.

7. Get preapproved. Organize all the documentation a lender will need to preapprove you for a loan. You might need W-2 forms, copies of at least one pay stub, account numbers, and copies of two to four months of bank or credit union statements.

8. Weigh other sources of help with a down payment. Do you qualify for any special mortgage or down payment assistance programs? Check with your state and local government on down payment assistance programs for first-time buyers. Or, if you have an IRA account, you can use the money you’ve saved to buy your first home without paying a penalty for early withdrawal.

9. Calculate the costs of homeownership. This should include property taxes, insurance, maintenance and utilities, and association fees, if applicable.

10. Contact a REALTOR.  Find an experienced REALTOR who can help guide you through the process.

REALTOR-The Business Tool for Real Estate Professionals

A 1/8-inch crack in a pipe can spew up to 250 gallons of water a day, causing flooding, serious structural damage, and the potential for mold.

Preventing Frozen Pipes

Before the onset of cold weather, prevent freezing of these water supply lines and pipes by following these recommendations:

Remove, drain and store your outdoor hoses inside for the winter. Cover outside faucets.

Insulate pipes in your home’s crawl spaces and attic, even if you live in a climate where freezing is uncommon. Exposed pipes are most susceptible to freezing.

Consider installing specific products made to insulate water pipes like a “pipe sleeve” or installing UL -listed “heat tape” or similar materials on exposed water pipes. Follow manufacturer’s recommendations for installing and using these products.

During Cold Weather, Take Preventive Action

Keep garage doors closed if there are water supply lines in the garage.

Open kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors to allow warmer air to circulate around the plumbing.

When the weather is very cold outside, let the cold water drip from the faucet served by exposed pipes.

Keep the thermostat set to the same temperature both during the day and at night. By temporarily suspending the use of lower nighttime temperatures, you may incur a higher heating bill, but you can prevent a much more costly repair job if pipes freeze and burst.

To Thaw Frozen Pipes

If you turn on a faucet and only a trickle comes out, suspect a frozen pipe. Don’t panic. Just because they’re frozen doesn’t mean they’ve already burst. Here’s what you can do:

If you turn on your faucets and nothing comes out, leave the faucets turned on and call a plumber.

Never try to thaw a pipe with a torch or other open flame because it could cause a fire hazard. Water damage is preferable to burning down your house!

You may be able to thaw a frozen pipe with the warm air from a hair dryer. Start by warming the pipe as close to the faucet as possible, working toward the coldest section of pipe.

If your water pipes have already burst, turn off the water at the main shutoff valve in the house; leave the water faucets turned on. Contact a licensed plumber or building professional to make the appropriate repairs.

Kitsap Co. Department of Emergency Management

Plug large gaps in basement walls. Low-expansion polyurethane foam in a can ($10) is ideal for plugging openings 1/4-inch t 2 inches wide, such as those around plumbing pipes and vents that pass through basement walls to the outside.

A standard 12-ounce can ($5) is good for 250 feet of bead about half an inch thick.  After application, the foam slowly expands to about twice its size, making it a good choice for large cracks.  After it dries, cut off excess foam with a utility knife or putty knife.

The plastic straw applicator seals shut within two hours of the first use, so to get the most mileage out of a can, squirt a lubricant such as WD-40 onto a pipe cleaner and stuff that into the applicator tube between uses.

Plug small gaps in basement walls.  Caulk makes the best gap-filler for openings less than 1/4-inch wide, such as those cut around electrical boxes.  Silicone costs the most (about $8 a tube) and works well when sealing nonporous materials, such as metal flashing.  Acrylic latex caulk ($2 to $4 a tube) is less messy to work with and cleans up with water.  Use high-temperature caulk around vent pipes that get hot, such as those for the furnace or water heater.

Seal air leaks where foundation meets the wall.  In most older houses with basements, air seeps in where the house framing sits on the foundation.  Spread a bead of caulk between the foundation and the sill plate (the wood immediately above the foundation), and along the top and bottom edges of the rim joist-the outermost piece of framing material that runs along the top of the sill plate.

By:  Jeanne Huber   Published: December 14, 2010

1.  Color your world. You can change the look of a room in a matter of hours with paint, and it’s not just about the walls. Ceilings, trim, and chair rails can be punched up, and there are many faux finishing techniques that are perfect for the do-it-yourselfer.

2. Update window treatments. If your windows need a makeover, lighten them up with simple drapery panels.

3. Rearrange the furniture. Create a new look without spending a dime! Map things out on paper before you start moving pieces around, especially the heavy ones.

4. Re-purpose a room. Do you have a living room or extra bedroom that’s not being fully utilized? Turn it into an office, gym, or media room or playroom for the kids.

5. Accessorize! Little details can make a big impact. If your current accessories have lost their luster, replace them with decorative books, candles, and interesting pieces that reflect your personality and hobbies.

6. Don’t forget the floors. Nothing beats the smell of fresh carpet, to give your home that “new house” feel.

7. New countertops can transform a kitchen or bath, without having to remodel the entire room. And you don’t have to spend a fortune: affordable laminates now come in styles that look amazingly close to real granite, marble and quartz.

8. Think spring. Add fresh-cut flowers and new house plants to green up your living spaces, and remind you that spring is on its way!

9. Decorative moulding can add instant glamour to any room, and it’s easier to install than most people think.

Types of attic insulation                                                                                                           Add insulation to your attic one of three ways:

Roll-on or blanket-type insulation comes as rolls of fiberglass batts, either 15 or 23 inches wide-designed to fit between the width of typical framing. If your attic already has some insulation in the attic floor, roll out the batts at right angles to insulate over the framing members. (If you’re doing the job yourself, blanket-type material is easiest to work with. Be careful not to compress it or it won’t be as effective.)

Loose-fill or blown-in insulation requires a machine that shoots a stream of loose-fill cellulose over the existing attic floor framing. This is typically a job for an insulation contractor. The advantage is that loose-fill insulation does a great job of filling in small crevices and other hard-to-reach areas.

Sprayed foam polyurethane is a good choice if you plan to turn your attic into a finished room, In that case, you’ll want to insulate the roof-not the floor. Sprayed foam polyurethane molds to rafters, blocks water vapor, and has a high R-rating per inch. Expect to pay about double the per-square-foot cost of roll-on and loose-fill insulation.

How much attic insulation is enough?                                                                                  To determine how much to add, look up the recommended amount for your area, then subtract the value of your existing insulation. If you don’t know, you can figure it out using the Home Energy Saver online energy audit tool.

(REALTOR® Content Resource, published September 21, 2010)

2. Appreciation. Real estate has long-term stable growth in value. While year-to-year fluctuations are normal, median exitsting-home sale prices have increased on average 6.5 percent each year from 1972 through 2005, and increased 88.5 percent over the last 10 years, according to the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®. In addition, the number of U.S. households is expected to rise 15 percent over the next decade, creating continued high demand for housing.

3. Equity. Money paid for rent is money that you’ll never see again, but mortgage payments let you build equity ownership interest in your home.

4. Savings. Building equity in your home is a ready-made savings plan. And when you sell, you can generally take up to $250,000 ($500,000 for a married couple) as gain without owing any federal income tax.

5. Predictability. Unlike rent, your fixed-mortgage payments don’t rise over the years so your housing costs may actually decline as you own the home longer. However, keep in mind that property taxes and insurance costs will increase.

6. Freedom. The home is yours. You can decorate any way you want and benefit from your investment for as long as you own the home.

7. Stability. Remaining in one neighborhood for several years gives you a chance to participate in community activities, lets you and your family establish lasting friendships and offers your children the benefit of educational continuity.

(Realtor Magazine)

1. Find a real estate agent who you can connect with. Home buying is not only a big financial commitment, but also an emotional one. It’s critical that the REALTOR ® you chose is both highly skilled and a good fit with your personality.

2. Remember, there’s no “right” time to buy, just as there’s no perfect time to sell. If you find a home now, don’t try to second-guess interest rates or the housing market by waiting longer – you risk losing out on the home of your dreams. The housing market usually doesn’t change fast enough to make that much difference in price, and a good home won’t stay on the market long.

3. Don’t ask for too many opinions. It’s natural to want reassurance for such a big decision, but too many ideas from too many people will make it much harder to make a decision. Focus on the wants and needs of your immediate family – the people who will be living in the home.

4. Accept that no house is ever perfect. If it’s in the right location, the yard may be a bit smaller than you had hoped. The kitchen may be perfect, but the roof needs repair. Make a list of your top priorities and focus in on things that are most important to you. Let the minor ones go.

5. Don’t try to be a killer negotiator. Negotiation is definitely a part of the real estate process, but trying to “win” by getting an extra-low price or by refusing to budge on your offer may cost you the home you love. Negotiation is give and take.

6. Remember your home doesn’t exist in a vacuum. Don’t get so caught up in the physical aspects of the house itself – room size, kitchen, etc – that you forget about important issues as noise level, location to amenities, and other aspects that also have a big impact on your quality of life.

7. Plan ahead. Don’t wait until you’ve found a home and made an offer to get approved for a mortgage, investigate home insurance, and consider a schedule for moving. Presenting an offer contingent on a lot of unresolved issues will make your bid much less attractive to sellers.

8. Factor in maintenance and repair costs in your post-home buying budget. Even if you buy a new home, there will be costs. Don’t leave yourself short and let your home deteriorate.

9. Accept that a little buyer’s remorse is inevitable and will probably pass. Buying a home, especially for the first time, is a big financial commitment. But if also yields big benefits. Don’t lose sight of why you wanted to buy a home and what made you fall in love with the property you purchased.

10. Choose a home first because you love it; then think about appreciation. While U.S. homes have appreciated an average of 5.4 percent annually over from 1998 to 2002, a home’s most important role is to serve as a comfortable, safe place to live. 

(REALTOR The Business Tool for Real Estate Professionals)

2.  They don’t act quickly enough to make a decision and someone else buys the house.

3.  They don’t find the right agent who’s willing to help them through the homebuying process.

4.  They don’t do enough to make their offer look appealing to a seller.

5.   They don’t think about resale before they buy.  The average first-time buyer only stays in a home for four years.

(Realtor The Business Tool for Real Estate Professionals – The National Association of Realtors)

•  Search areas with an earthy or musty odor

•  Look for signs of excessive moisture or water damage

•  Look for signs of discoloration on ceilings and walls

•  Search behind and beneath materials (refrigerators, sink cabinets,   carpet, vinyl flooring)

•  Be familiar with the symptoms of mold-related illness

Sometimes, mold growth is hidden behind walls and may be difficult to locate.  In such cases, a combination of air (outdoor and indoor) and bulk (material) samples may help determine the extent of contamination and the type of treatment that is needed.  Consult a specialist.

 (Pillar To Post, Postnotes, News and Information, Vol 8 Number 2)

Home Safe Checklist                                                                          

True or Needs Fixing

1.  Electric outlets are not overloaded with lots of plugs

2.  Electric cords are in good condition

3.  Electric cords do not run under rugs or furniture legs or near hot   appliances

4.  Electric appliances are used away from water

5.  A multipurpose fire extinguisher is kept in the house

6.  All danger and warning signs are read and carefully followed

7.  Electric appliances that can get hot-such as heaters, toasters, and light bulbs-are kept away from things that can burn

8.  Safety caps are inserted in outlets when small children are around

9.  Small appliances are turned off and/or unplugged when people leave home

10.  All extension cords, lights, and appliances used outdoors are labeled for outdoor use

(Over the Fence-Homes & Land Magazine, Volume 9-Issue 8-Aug 2011)