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  3 DIY Home Maintenance Tasks to Schedule Now Some home maintenance tasks are best left to the professionals. But there are a lot of things you can do yourself to keep your home safe from damage and comfortable. Here are a few to put on your calendar right now.  Replace Your HVAC Air Filters Keeping the air in your house free and clear of dust, debris, bacteria, and more is always a good thing. Sometimes it’s easy to forget that it’s the HVAC filters that help do that, so mark your calendar to replace them regularly. This is especially important if your home has people more vulnerable to respiratory issues than most, such as the elderly, children, or someone with asthma.  The frequency of how often you change the filters depends on 2 main things: If you have pets What kind of filter you use If you have pets, plan on replacing your air filter every few months. They’re constantly shedding dander in your house and it’s your air filter’s job to help get it out of the air. If...

  How Does My Credit Affect Mortgage Rates? Some clients will ask how their credit affects mortgage rates. While the details are different for every single lender and underwriter out there, a few generalities can be said for this relationship.  How a Good Credit Score Affects Mortgage Rates Let’s pretend John Doe has a credit score of 750. It’s so high because he Always pays bills on time Has had credit lines for years and years (he doesn’t close credit cards) Boasts a low debt utilization ratio (meaning he has low balances compared to his maximum credit limits) Doesn’t open new accounts very often Has had different types of credit accounts (such as student loans, car loans, and credit cards) All of these factors point to one fact at the end of the day – John is good at managing his money and paying bills. Whether he makes $40,000 a year or $400,000, it doesn’t matter. He manages his money well and is probably a good candidate for a mortgage.  His high credit score is evi...

  How to Get Your Lawn Ready for the Spring Wondering how to get your lawn ready for the spring? Here are a few of the most important things to do before we get too far into this beautiful season.  Prepare Your Lawn for Spring by Clearing it Off The first thing to do is clear off any leaves or pine straw still leftover from the fall. Even though you probably already got most of it in the fall or winter, it’s a good idea to get off any stragglers.  There are a few reasons for this.  First, you’re making it easier for your grass to get the sunlight it will need to grow well.  Second, you’re reducing the waste of getting fertilizer or weed killer on this debris.  Third, it will just help your lawn look better.  Once you have the lawn cleared off, it’s time to move on to seeding.  How to Get Your Lawn Ready for the Spring Plant Seeds in the Spring to Fill Patches Over time, it’s common for your grass to die in certain areas. Maybe it didn’t get as muc...

  5 Common New Homeowner Mistakes Wondering what kind of new homeowner mistakes you should avoid? Here are the main ones to be wary of.  Homeowner Mistake #1: Not Saving Money for Maintenance The biggest benefit of renting is the ability to call up your landlord and have them get issues fixed.  Leaky toilet? Your landlord hires a plumber. Garbage disposal stops working? Also on your landlord to fix. It’s not like that when you’re a homeowner. Everything is on you, from fixing minor issues to the big ones. And unfortunately, the costs of these repairs add up over time.  That’s why you need to set aside money every month for maintenance. If you’re lucky, you’ll be able to go a few years without needing a big repair. But eventually, something will break, and you’ll be glad you have that money saved up.  5 Common New Homeowner Mistakes New Homeowner Mistake #2: Changing Things Too Quickly Sometimes when you first move in, you have this desire to change a ton of thin...

  3 Simple, Inexpensive Ways to Upgrade Your Home Looking for a few inexpensive ways to upgrade your home? Here are a few that won’t break the bank but still can have a major impact.  Upgrade Your Home with Paint More than anything else, a fresh coat of paint can do wonders. Here are a few ways new paint can help take your home to the next level.  Lighter paints will brighten up a dark room and help it feel more open. Instead of feeling like the walls just absorb all light, it will reflect the light and make it a more comfortable place to be.  If you don’t want a neutral color, the various colors on the spectrum will affect your mood when you’re in the room. For example, a soft shade of blue can help you feel calm and relaxed in a room. Red raises a person’s energy level, causing excitement and stimulation. A fresh coat of paint can also help mask old smells, such as the smell of pets or smoke. Even though  you  may not realize your house smells like Fido, ...

  How to Find a Handyman in 3 Steps Wondering how to hire a handyman or any other kind of contractor? It’s important to spend a little time on this since they do not come cheap and are doing important things to your home. Here are the main three things to do as you go through this process. How to Find a Handyman Step 1: The Search Finding a contractor begins with actually searching for one. In general, there are three places you can go: Friends and family Contractor review sites Search engines (Google/Bing) A great place to start is by asking people in your network. This isn’t hard, just post a question on Facebook, both to your personal page and neighborhood group. If your area uses Nextdoor, that can be great since it can include a wider area than your immediate neighborhood.  Usually, you’ll get a few recommendations, which helps narrow down your search.  The second place to go is contractor review sites, such as Angie’s List. The great thing about these sites is they ...