As a retired school teacher, I always think about how exciting kids are at this time of the year. They are bustling with energy to get back to school and reconnect with their friends. It’s also an exciting time for some parents as well as a frightening time for others.
For those parents who have said goodbye to the last child out of the nest it can be a very lonely experience to turn around and hear the silence for the first time. If looked at from a different angle it can also be a great time to reconnect with your dreams and goals and go for it once again.
What a great way to show your kids you are never too old to explore and live your life with exuberance and abundance. Their back-to-school time can be your back-to-your-life time.
It can be nerve wracking determining when the repair, the renovation or the clean up is beyond what you either can’t do or have time for. When you notice that those things you used to do in a flash are not getting taken care of you will need to stop and figure out why.
When you find yourself slacking, most of the time it comes down to either a lack of time or energy. If you need to get something done like fall trimming or removing debris you can always hire your children or a neighborhood teen.
You can also put out a simple flyer for a handyman in the neighborhood or look at the want work section of your neighborhood newspapers to find the right person that could bring you a great deal of relief. The most important thing to know is your own limitations. Once they have been met, you will need to call upon someone else who can help.
Recently congress passed the new housing bill that is supposed to help home owners who have been caught in two very different situations. The first deals with loans call ARM’s (adjustable rate mortgages) that have a certain time frame of payments (2 to 10 years) before “adjusting” to a higher rate. When rates were somewhat static, this type of loan seemed okay, however, as rates started to rise, payments became outrageous so people could no longer afford to pay them.
The second issue is the decrease in the housing market making some people drastically upside down in their home. In other words, they bought the home for $300,000 and now that house is selling for $225,000 so they owe substantially more on their house than it is worth. As good as it is that the government is trying to help those caught in this economic struggle; there is some bad news that has come with the relief.
The bad news is the elimination of the non-profit seller down payment assistance programs as of October 1, 2005. These programs have been around for a long time and have helped many people get into homes when they could not have otherwise. This gives the buyer 1 less option to come up with a down payment.
What they can do is; save 3% to 5% or more for the down payment; get a gift from parents; or go through the THDA grant program to get up to 7% for down payment and closing cost assistance. Buyers can still ask for up to 3% closing costs assistance from sellers on most loans and will need to consult their loan officer as well as their realtor.
The kitchen is one place where cleanliness really stands out during a showing. For your kitchen is not only a prime candidate for germs and bacteria but reflects the rest of the house and the way you live.
Always start from the top and work your way down. For example, begin cleaning on the counter-tops, then move to the floor. It’s best to begin by washing all the dishes. Once your sink is clear and all the dishes have been cleaned, dried and put away you can focus on the counters. Using bleach is very helpful since it kills bacteria and can really clean those coffee and tea stains.
It is important to maintain your kitchen appliances as well. Be sure to wipe them down and get any splatters on the wall behind them. Next, spray your counters and collect any crumbs, especially those hiding under the toaster.
Once you are done, it is a good idea to tackle the fridge because you never know who will open it up. Throw away any old or spoiled food and wipe up any sticky messes. Finally, do not forget to sweep and mop the floor. Now your kitchen is a showplace and ready for potential buyers.
There was a time in American history when those living on the farm moved to the city in mass. This move was an economic one as young people came off the land and wanted to fill industrial jobs waiting in almost every major city in the country.
That was followed by people moving from the inner cities to the suburbs where they felt there was more room and better schools to raise their families. The money was good and they could afford the commute and enjoy great shopping and activities in very close proximity to where they lived.
Today we are starting to see another shift. Families are starting to sell their homes in rural areas as well as the suburbs and move closer to where they work. This will force schools in the metro areas to improve and sustain good standards; more private education options and better shopping inside the beltways of major towns and cities.
The speed at which this shift happens will heavily depend on how fast the cost of transportation rises and pushes families to make this decision. If you can save money on transportation then you have more to spend on food and other necessities.
If you are looking for an old-new way to approach your home in arranging and decorating, feng shui just might be what you’re looking for. This Chinese art is literally thousand of years old and has been documented to do exactly what it says it does; maximize the positive and eliminate the negative in and around your space.
Feng shui has a total of eight major areas that are associated with areas in your home. This is the same in every home and consists of career, friends, children and creativity, marriage, reputation, money, family and health, and knowledge. Most feng shui consultants have studied under masters in this art and do a complete analysis on your home.
If you’re looking for a few tips on where to get started, here are several things that just make common sense to do whether you believe in the art of feng shui or not.
- Clean junk out of closets and out from under the beds as these hidden piles block energy throughout your home.
- Keep your kitchen counters clear and your dishes washed as this area is the “heart” of your home.
- Clean up the piles of messes as this affects your finances and your health.
- Throw out broken and chipped articles around the house as they impede your progress to wealth.
More than anything have some fun with this wonderful old Chinese Art of feng shui.
While washing clothes may sound like an easy task, it becomes even more complicated if you are doing the laundry for a woman or if you have a female child. Their clothes tend to have a wide variety of washing instructions, and as one of my male friends recently said, “We don’t have a clue!”
So here is a laundry lesson for those who haven’t got a clue. You will want to start by first sorting your laundry by color. It is useful to look at the tag of every shirt or clothing item that you pick up. Some tags will suggest you hand wash or that you hang dry and you will want to set them aside. Make piles for red/pink, whites and darks. Then, you will need to separate the pile of clothes that need to be dry cleaned and hand washed.
When each load is done washing and you move the selected items to the dryer, do not forget to hang those that cannot be dried. Again, check the tag for drying instructions. Begin to hand wash the clothes that cannot go in the washer while you are washing the remainder of your laundry.
In doing so, you will be able to have a closet full of clothes to chose from, because all of your clothes will be clean and dry at the same time! Save the dry clean only items for drop-off the next time you run errands or go to work. You can save some time and money if you gather items from each member of the household so that you make the most of your trip.
Some people may laugh heartily when I regale them with stories about my lake living life. After all, not too many years ago I was embedded in the hullabaloo of city life and seemed to enjoy it. I awoke every morning to the buzzing of an alarm clock radio followed by immediately jumping out of bed to get ready for the hustle and bustle of city life. However, I traded all that for breezy mornings and the blissful chirping of song birds and lapping waves against a silent shoreline.
The laughing always stops when I add how peaceful lake living is as compared to the city life. I astound them with how much I love the stillness of the early mornings, especially in the winter months and the beauty of the water, still as glass. It is fascinating to watch the wildlife; especially our resident heron fish for his breakfast and the old wise owl rotate his head almost 360 degrees.
Nothing beats watching the full moon in the evening with its glorious light shining on the rippling water. I love the fact that I can cool myself many nights from spring through the fall by sitting on the porch overlooking the lake and sipping iced tea. And then there is the sunrise and experiencing the freshness of the morning bathed in the first glow of the suns rays across the lake…peaceful and invigorating at the same time. Just a wonderful way to begin any day!
Though I live on Old Hickory Lake in Hendersonville, Tennessee there are several wonderful lakes in Tennessee that will give you years of enjoyment and peace. You can rest assured that you have made a sound investment that will repay you handsomely should you decide to stay or sell. I know that if I ever sell there will always be another rat eager to remove themselves from the hectic race out there in the city.
Having a neatly organized and clean closet when showing a house is not only important, but makes it easier to find exactly what you are looking for, especially when you are in a hurry. You will be able to say goodbye to lost or missing items!
Before you begin, determine if your closets are overloaded. Boxing and storing half of the items or discarding unused items or those you haven’t used in the last year will make the closet appear twice as large.
You will then want to start at the top. If you have storage at the top of your closet, it is best to stack everything from the biggest bin to the smallest. This will allow for making the most of your available space.
Next, you will want to sort your clothes. Start with jackets and long sleeve items on the far right. Then, hang your t-shirts and tank tops. You’ll find it is much easier to quickly get what you are looking for if you sort the clothes by color as well. Another great trick when sorting clothes by color is to arrange darker colors near the front of the closet and lighter ones near that back for a great visual effect. You will also be able to find what you’re looking for much quicker.
Buying inexpensive plastic hangers (often available for 10 for $1) will make all the clothes in the closet hang at the same height. This plan keeps hanging items from getting overlooked because of different hanger sizes.
Once you’re finished, if you feel like your closet is still too cramped, take advantage of your dresser and place some t-shirts in a drawer. Finally, at the bottom of your closet you should organize your shoes. If you don’t have a shoe rack, put the biggest shoes towards the back. Sandals and flip flops should be stored towards the front. Now you have a clean closet that you can proudly show to anyone!
