Category Archives: Homeowners

Homeowners, Real Estate

Finding a Great Home Builder

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Many first-time home buyers or experienced homeowners decide that buying a lot and building their home is the best option for them. Custom building allows for you to design and personalize a space all your own, in a specific budget and timeframe. On the other hand, there is also a lot more work and ongoing decisions that the home construction process requires, with a main one being who is going to build it! Here’s a guide to help you find the best contractor for you.

Make a List

The first step when looking for any professional in your area is to look up your options! With one simple online search you can find tons of potential builders with their websites and contact information. But the internet isn’t always most reliable source, so it may be best to find some potential builders through fellow professionals. Your local real estate agent is a great resource for anything home related, including builders. Another option is contacting your local home builder’s association and asking for a list of members. Lastly, ask friends and family! They might have used a builder or know of someone else who has used one and had a great experience.

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Homeowners

How to Organize Your Garage

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Your garage can seem like a catch-all for your things that don’t quite fit right inside the home. Seasonal decor, outdoor furniture and all types of storage containers can fill up the garage space fast. In order to make the most of your garage and to not be tripping over containers every time you go out to look for something, it’s important to have a system. Here are some tips to help you get your garage looking neat and organized.

Out With the Old

Just like when you are trying to declutter or organize your interior, you need to go through your belongings to see what you want to keep and what you can get rid of. For example, you may have kept tubs of old baby clothes or toys because they are sentimental, but they take up a lot of room and often don’t get used or looked at. Try picking out a few things and then donating the rest to a good cause.

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Homeowners, Real Estate

Tips for Moving During Winter

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Often considered the most magical time of the year, winter can be a tough season for any kind of obligation. Relocating can get messy on any regular day, let alone during a snowstorm or cold day. Luckily, we have some tips to tackle some difficulties of moving during winter.

Watch the weather

If you’re relocating during winter, it’s important to watch the weather forecast. Although weather can change quickly and unexpectedly, you can try to monitor as best you can and plan to move on a day that is reporting a high percentage of no snow or ice.

Prepare the gear for moving during winter.

You can minimize all the risks by preparing the necessary gear. This mostly applies to the transportation vehicle for you and your belongings. Some things you may need are:

  • Tire chains
  • Aid kit
  • Shovel for snow
  • Tow rope
  • Resilient window wipers
  • Warm clothes and blankets
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Homeowners

Preparing Your Home For a Winter Storm

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Do you live somewhere where blizzards are a regular part of your winter life? Many homeowners struggle with having to get ready for a harsh season and harsh conditions hitting their home. Let’s go through a checklist of what you can do to get your home ready for winter.

Stock Up

Now let’s not go toilet paper crazy like we saw in the early months of COVID-19, but it may be a good idea to get a few essential items before being trapped inside because of a blizzard. De-icing salt, shovels, flashlights and batteries are all great items to pick up.  You’ll want flashlights and batteries, just in case the power goes out. The salt is a necessity for many homeowners since oftentimes driveways and walkways get very slick during winter, while the shovel will come in handy once snow starts to build up and you have to dig your doorway or garage out. If you live in an apartment or rented property, the chances are your landlord has hired a service to salt and plow these areas, so you luck out!

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Homeowners

Common Questions About Property Taxes

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The journey in buying a new home is what many individuals dream of but, buying a home is not always easy and many long time homeowners can attest to that feeling. Owning your own home does come with extra duties and responsibilities. One of those responsibilities is property tax.

How much do you know about property taxes? What does it do, and what do you need to know about it when buying a home? If you’re a first-time homebuyer, budgeting the property tax cost is an important first step in knowing what you can afford. 

So, let’s cut to the chase, clarify some things about property taxes and answer some common questions.

What Is a Property Tax? 

Let’s identify first what a property tax is. A property tax is one of the long lists of government-issued tax to all its constituents who own a property, whether it be a house, a rental property or a building. Individuals and other legal entities, such as corporations, are charged with property tax. 

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Home Sellers, Homeowners

Five Reasons You Should Sell Now

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With the global pandemic causing many home sellers to put their listing on hold or to take it off the market completely, right now is actually a great time to put your house up for sale. Although, COVID-19. caused weariness, it has actually not affected the market in a negative way like many thought was possible. Here are five reasons to pull the trigger and sell your home now.

Demand is High

The market has more demand than ever right now with not less people selling and more people looking to buy. With the pandemic, many people have resisted listing their home, making it more of a challenge for those looking for their dream place. Plus as more millennials join the market looking to buy for a growing family or a young professional purchasing their first home, there is a growing demand that is just going to continue into the upcoming months.

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Homeowners

Six Ways to Keep Your Smart Home Secure

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There’s no question that smart homes are a trend that’s here to stay. One research group estimates that 28 percent of U.S. households will be smart homes by 2021. Although smart homes can surely make everyday activities a little more convenient, they can also put homeowners and property owners at risk if they aren’t secured properly. These devices are typically connected over a WiFi network, so it is important to make sure that your network is as secure as possible. Here are a few easy steps you can take to make sure your smart home devices give you maximum security.

Change Your Passwords

It might seem obvious that “pass12345” is not a great password, but it is important to take stock of your online accounts and ensure your login credentials are secure. Generic passwords, while easier to remember, are generally less secure. Typically, more secure passwords contain special characters and numbers and are also unique and different for every account.

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Homeowners

Cleaning and Repairing Your Home Gutters

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One of the biggest responsibilities of a homeowner is to look out for their property’s well-being. They should ensure that every corner of their property is well taken care of, including the landscape’s smaller details. This also includes looking out for what needs to be cleaned out, performing maintenance or checking if a repair is needed- like on your gutters!

It may seem to be the least meticulously attended part of the house, but it plays a vital role that prevents your home from experiencing interior and exterior damage. If you have given less attention to your home gutters in the past, this article may inspire you to change that.

We will cover the importance of your home gutters, including when is the right time to change the entire gutter system, or if a regular cleaning will do the trick.

Understanding the Role of a Home Gutter Better

When you ask any home maintenance experts, they will say that every part of your house structure is essential. All of them are crucial in their own way.

Your gutters play an important role in keeping your home from damages. If you are concerned with proper ventilation and roofing conditions, you should look into your gutters. 

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DIY, Homeowners

Creating A Movie Night Right at Home

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Are you missing going to the movie theater? During a time when most of us are trying to stay home, you may be missing out on your favorite past times! You may not be able to go grab snacks and sit down in the theaters, but you can make your favorite snacks and binge classic films right in the comfort of your own home. Here’s some ways to make a backyard cinema you can enjoy with the whole family.

Large Backdrop

The first step to creating a great movie night is having the right place to watch your makeshift “big screen”. If you have a shed in your yard that may be the best backdrop since most do not have windows on the side walls. No shed? No worries! You can always use the backside of your own home. Just make sure there are no windows that could ruin the image of the movie due to lights turning on and off in the home or from the reflection.

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Homeowners

Creating Your At Home Gym

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With COVID-19 shutting down workout facilities around the country, you may be looking for ways to work on your health and fitness inside the safety of your own home. Check out these five tips below to create the perfect gym for you that will make sure you won’t slow down on your goals- open gym or not!

Decide on the Essentials

The first part of creating the perfect at home gym is finding the right equipment. Most of us won’t have the equipment just lying around since you are used to it being provided by your gym, but you only need a few things to make the most of your workout. A floor mat, resistance bands, dumbbells and a jump rope are a great place to start. The floor mat can be used for several different workouts, core strengthening, yoga and more, depending on what you like. Resistance bands or dumbbells can be used for lower and upper body weightlifting. A jump rope is a challenging but fun way to get cardio in.

Of course, if you are just starting our fitness journey and are wanting to start a little easier, don’t be afraid to just use your body weight! This is still an effective way to get yourself moving and stay active without the need for different equipment.

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