Save on Home Insurance

If you’re looking to cut monthly spending in your new home, check out these tips for trimming the cost of your home owners insurance.     Purchase home and auto insurance from the same provider. Many companies will offer a discount for multiple policies.     Don’t smoke. Smoking causes thousands of accidents every year. If no one in your home smokes, you could be eligible for a reduced rate.     Reevaluate your assets annually. As your possessions age, they may decrease in value. Take a little time to determine exactly what your property is worth to shave coverage costs.     Install security systems and fire protection. Insurance companies know how effective these tools are. Up to date home security keeps you safe, and your insurance rates low. Stay tuned for more great hints on saving big on your policy!

Inspirational Message!

 

 

Thank you to Jeff Weishaupt of
New York Life Insurance Company for sharing

Safty Tips for Your Backyard

One of summer's greatest pleasures is hanging out in the yard with friends, pets and family. Keep your yard comfortable and kid-safe by following these maintenance and planning tips:

TIPS TO KEEP YOUR YARD SAFE

• Designate a play area a few feet away from the house, porch, garage or nearby road to reduce the danger of lead or chemical poisoning. Homes built prior to 1978 may contain high levels of lead in their paint, and when these paints chip or peel, they can contaminate nearby soils with lead. Another source of lead contamination in soil may come from a nearby busy highway that has been active prior to the removal of lead in most gasoline. When children play in lead-contaminated areas, they may ingest the poison by accident. 

• Plant and maintain grass or other ground covering in yard play areas to help remove impurities from the soil and provide a soft cushioning for falls. 

• Keep kids indoors, or sunblock them adequately, during peak sunshine hours, between 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. 

• Provide a light source for evening play to help guard against accidents. 

• Paint or reseal older CCA treated play structures to guard against arsenic poisoning. Many playground structures made with pressure treated lumber contain arsenic, a poison that can harm your child. To guard against arsenic poisoning, coat these structures with a sealant every couple of years, and make sure your children wash their hands after playing on pressure treated wood and prior to eating. 

• Pick up pet waste regularly, and make sure your kids wear shoes in yards where pets do their business to avoid hookworm, tapeworm, ringworm, roundworm or Salmonella. Worm eggs can last for years after pet feces has been composted into the soil. (Pet waste makes lousy compost, by the way, and is actually toxic to your lawn.) Quick poop-scooping is the key to keeping your yard safe for pets and kids.

Swimming Ponds

More people are seeking an alternative solution to traditional chlorine-based swimming pools. An elegant, eco-friendly solution has been big in Europe for decades, and is just now making its way to the U.S.: Natural swimming pools or swimming ponds. These pools can be surrounded by beautiful greenery, and are a safe, pleasing place to take a swim.   Swimming ponds have crystal clear water, and require no chemicals to maintain, because they are self-cleaning small-ecosystems. The swimming area is separated from an area of aquatic vegetation that acts as a natural filter. These natural pools have lower maintenance costs and are around the same price to install as traditional pools.

Seller Tip: Don’t Overlook the Garage

The garage is an essential part of your home's exterior, and one that many people forget to take into account when they prepare their home to go on the market.  The garage door is the single largest architectural component of most residential properties, so it isn't as if people simply aren't going to notice it.     A wooden garage door, rather than a metal one (or facelift of similar quality), is one of the best face-lifts that you could give your home.  Not only does it distinguish your home from the others on the street, it also lets potential buyers know that attention to detail and high quality materials are par for the course with your home.    There is an increase in perceived value of the home that is usually several times higher than the actual value of the garage door.  Of course, a great garage door doesn't keep you from having to clean out the inside of your garage – that part is still one of the less than pleasant chores that comes part and parcel with inviting people to tour your home in the hopes they will make an offer.

Home Remodeling: A Perfect Time to Go Green

Going green has come to mean everything from buying compact florescent lights to installing a solar array on your roof. Each brings its own set of benefits and unique price range. A perfect time to begin your transition to “green” is when home repairs and remodeling are needed. And you don’t even have to spend a lot of money to transition from products that are unsustainable and damaging to the environment to those that have been made from recycled and/or are produced with proven sustainable methods. But to choose your products, you will have to do your homework. Identify your project, create a list of items needed, and then research an ever-growing list of green alternatives. Review the choices for a wide variety of recycled and environmentally friendly products from local and chain building suppliers. This research can most likely be done on the websites of these stores, which will save you time and gas in the process.   Repair or Update Your Porch or Deck – Look for a ‘green’ label on your lumber. The Forest Stewardship Council approves wood products that are taken from a healthy forest by identifying them with a green logo with their initials, FSC, and a half-check/half-tree symbol. If you want a more worry-free deck or porch, you will want to choose wood that has been treated to resist insects and rot with a copper formula, ACQ, and not arsenic or chromium.   New Floors – There are several choices for new and durable floor coverings. Bamboo, cork, and what is called ‘true linoleum' is three. Bamboo grows profusely across the world and therefore is considered a viable renewable resource. Cork flooring is a byproduct of the wine industry – made from the wasted cork after wine corks are punched out. Both bamboo and cork are durable, reduce noise, and are easy to maintain. True linoleum is made from wood and cork "flour", limestone dust, rosin (from pine trees), and colorants all mixed with linseed oil (from flax seeds) and baked onto a jute backing. An acrylic sealant is added as a topcoat. Presumably, when it's time to remodel, true linoleum can be shredded and turned into compost.   New Countertop for a Green Kitchen – Changing your countertop might not seem like a significant move from conventional to green, but if you are considering a new one then you should consider Paper Stone. Its name says it all because it is a countertop created from recycled paper fibers and resin, but is durable and heat resistant. It looks and performs like stone but doesn’t require land-damaging quarrying.   Greening Your Bathroom – A simple change of water fixtures in your bathroom can help to conserve water use. Most households consume 75% of their yearly water intake in the bathroom with showers, toilets, and sink. Simple steps don’t even involve new fixtures, like turning off the water while shaving or brushing your teeth. However, if you really want to reduce water waste, replace worn shower heads with a low-flow or adjustable water head and replace old toilets with full/half flush systems.

The Advantages of Ownership

Deciding to purchase a home will likely be the largest and most important purchase you’ll ever make. There are a number of advantages to being a homeowner that you may want to consider.   Long-Term Investment With every mortgage payment, you are one step closer to acquiring your own home. Also, with every improvement you decide to make, it adds value to that investment.   Equity Your home will increase in value even as you pay down your loan; this means you will easily build equity. Equity creates wealth and it helps accomplish future financial goals like your child’s education or retirement.   Tax Advantages Real estate taxes and mortgage interest are tax deductible. Often, these tax breaks make home ownership as affordable as renting.   Satisfaction The pride you get from accomplishing your goals and maintaining your home makes life more enjoyable.