Why be Normal?

Thank you to Lola at  http://www.lolasdiner.blogspot.com

Who passed this award along to me.  Maybe it was because I promised updates of the L Word, maybe it was something more.  Regardless, thank you for taking the time to read my blog.  I enjoy writing and it is nice to know that there is a person or two out there reading it!

There are quite a few rules that come with this award, these are:
This Award is presented to bloggers who display consistency in any one or a combination of these conditions:

1. The Blogger manifests exemplary attitude, respecting the nuances that pervades amongst different cultures and beliefs.

2. The Blog contents inspire; strives to encourage and offers solutions.
3. There is a clear purpose at the Blog; one that fosters a better understanding on Social, Political, Economic, the Arts, Culture and Sciences and Beliefs.
4. The Blog is refreshing and creative.
5. The Blogger promotes friendship and positive thinking.

The Blogger who receives this award will need to perform the following steps:

1. Create a Post with a mention and link to the person who presented the Noblesse Oblige Award.
2. The Award Conditions must be displayed at the Post.
3. Write a short article about what the Blog has thus far achieved - preferably citing one or more older Post to support.
4. The Blogger must present the Noblesse Oblige Award in concurrence with the Award conditions.
5. The Blogger must display the Award at any location at the Blog.

I pass this award along to:  Carrie at http://www.littlemisshannah.com

For her inspirational story and dedication to her family.

Jen at:  http://www.darkpassenger.today.com

For all the help her posts have given, even if she doesn’t know it.

What is a home stager?  A professional personal who will come into your home that you are trying to sell and provide advice on changes to make that will increase your potential for selling your home.

Anyone can call themself a home stager, but a real professional will have experience in home decoration or real estate sales.  A true artist, a home stager will be able to make your home more appealing to a neutral audience with a few, inexpensive changes.

Home staging means preparing your home for sale.  In a market that is very buyer friendly, sellers should prepare all that they can for a fair market price for their home.  A home stager will remove the clutter and arrange furniture to maximize floor space.  A home stager will look at your home with a neutral eye and provide a service that may prove invaluable.

Today everyone is trying to save some money and as a potential home seller you may be considering selling by owner. Although not having to pay for the cost of a realtor may be enticing, trying to sell your home on your own is a challenge that most people are not able to handle.

A realtor is a real estate professional that knows the market in your area and will be able to assess your property with a professional eye. A realtor will suggest a fair market price, staging options, and hold an open house for you to try and sell your property.

A realtor will also negotiate with potential homebuyers and deal with any difficult problems that arise as buyers try to obtain financing or a down payment.

Although hiring a realtor seems expensive, it is generally worth the cost and should be considered as part of the expense of selling your home. A realtor works for you and will get you the best deal possible, which in the end will be worth the cost.

As you get close to retirement, you may begin to get nervous about living on a fixed income.  You want to stay in the house you own because you are young enough to enjoy it, but the cost of maintaining the home may stretch your budget too thin now that you are no longer working.  Obtaining a reverse mortgage can be one way to have more money each month, giving you the peace of mind to remain in your home as long as you are able.

With a reverse mortgage, you the homeowner have options as to how you want the loan dispersed to you.  First, you can obtain a lump sum payment.  Roughly estimated, a home worth $200,000 may result in a lump sum payment of $129,000 (AARP Website).   Lump sum payments depend upon a number of factors which include the age of the borrowers, zip code, and whether the home is in need of any repairs. 

If you opt to receive a lump sum payment, any mortgage balance that you have will need to be paid from the payment you receive.  The interest rate is the highest for this type of reverse mortgage.

Second, you can obtain an easily accessible line of credit as your reverse mortgage option.  If you still owe money on your house, you must qualify for a cash payment to pay off the loan.  The rest of the money will then be available to you as a line of credit that you can use at your convenience.

Third, you can choose to receive regular monthly payments from the reverse mortgage lender.  For the same home above worth $200,000, a rough estimate of monthly payments is $800.  Again, monthly payments are calculated based on the age of the borrowers, the location of the home, and the current assessed value of the property.

Lastly, you can obtain a reverse mortgage that is a combination of all three.  You can obtain a small cash sum up front to pay off an existing mortgage, keep some money in a line of credit and receive smaller monthly payments.

Qualifying for a reverse mortgage requires that the borrower is at least 62 years old.  There are no credit or income requirements.  Some properties (such as mobile homes) are not eligible for a reverse mortgage.  All borrowers must meet with an approved Department of Housing and Urban Development financial adviser to ensure that all aspects of the reverse mortgage are understood by the borrower.

A reverse mortgage loan is not paid back by the borrower until they die, move out of the home, or sell the property.  The loan is paid back from the proceeds of selling the house.  If there is money remaining either the borrower or their heirs keep the balance.  If the proceeds from the sale of the home are not sufficient to cover the cost of the loan, the lender absorbs the loss. 

Weighing all of your retirement options and deciding what is best for you and for family is a challenging task.  Reverse mortgages are a way for you to enjoy the equity you built up in your home over the years and can ensure that you remain in your home for as long as you are physically able.

A house is one of the best investments a person can make.  Over the years, equity increases so when the home is sold, the owner walks away with money in hand.  If you are thinking about putting your house on the market and want to make the most you can, several modifications could be made, thereby increasing the home’s value.  With today’s market, the more you can do to increase the value of your home the greater chance you have of getting ahead of the competition.In this article, we have pulled some tips together for you, showing key changes that would allow you to increase the asking price.  Now, in some cases, you would be required to make a small investment but one that would give you a better financial gain than what you spent.  However, many upgrades and modifications are not expensive at all while providing you with a significant return.Curb AppealThe best way to add value to your home is by attracting potential buyers from the minute they drive by or pull up.  If a buyer sees junk outside, an overgrown lawn, messy flowerbeds, and an uninviting appearance, then you have just caused them to lose interest.  You can make a small investment and immediately increase the value of your home.Spending a weekend outside, pulling weeds, filling in bare spots with grass seed, adding a few new flowers to give the outside some fresh color, picking up the children’s toys, trash, old railroad ties, and other stuff that makes the outside look messy counts.  You might even enhance the outside of the home with a new front door or a fresh coat of paint on an existing door, adding shutters, or moving an old car to another location.  While these things might not seem like much of a big deal, you can be absolutely, certain that curb appeal is crucial.Kitchen and BathroomsThe two most important rooms in any home are the kitchen and bathrooms.  If you want the most money possible out of your house when selling, these are the two rooms to place the majority of your focus.  Remember, even if you have to invest several thousands of dollars to make the house sell ready, you will get back that money plus some.  For instance, consider upgrading the kitchen floor using laminate, ceramic tile, or natural stone, which is always an excellent investment.  The same is true with countertops.  If you have a colored countertop rather than one with neutral tones, or an old laminate countertop, changing it out to a tan stone is an excellent option.With bathrooms, you can make a few changes that will pay off.  For instance, a common problem seen in many bathrooms has to do with a lack of space.  Making the room appear larger and creating more storage is an excellent means of adding value.  For example, if you have a double sink vanity, you might switch it out for a pedestal or if the light fixture is massive, consider removing it and adding an oval mirror with two beautiful light sconces.StagingAn extremely inexpensive and in some cases, free way of adding value to your home is simply with staging.  This means that you take each room and create a look much like you would expect to see in a model home.  In the kitchen, remove appliances from the countertops, take magnets off the refrigerator, and put knick-knacks away.  This would be the ideal opportunity to pack a large number of personal items, putting them in storage until you move.The benefit of staging is that you make your home far more appealing.  What happens is that instead of potential buyers looking around and envisioning all the changes they would need to make, the home appears clean and ready for move in day.  As a result, you can generally up the asking price some while capturing the attention of more people wanting to buy.