The summer heat is often the culprit behind jumps in electricity
costs during the summer months, so do what you can now to conserve
energy and avoid additional costs as the weather heats up. If you're
looking to cut back on your spending throughout the summer, your utility
bills are great places to start when making changes to your everyday
life.
Here are 10 ways to save on utility bills during the summer months,
adopt an environmentally friendly lifestyle and avoid overspending on
household expenses this year.
Switch Off the Lights When You Leave a Room – Turning off the lights when walking out of a room is a great way to curb your energy consumption in the summer.
Use Rain as a Free Water Source – Collecting
rainwater in buckets during a storm is an active way to cut down on your
water usage while taking care of your yard this season.
Close Your Blinds and Curtains During the Day – Keeping the heat out on bright, sunny days is an effective way to control your energy expenses this summer.
Keep Doors and Vents Shut – Closing off parts of
your house where you don't spend much time is a convenient way to limit
cooling costs while at home during the summer.
Spend Your Free Time Outside – Going out every day
to embrace the warm weather and enjoy the great outdoors is a smart way
to use less energy in the summertime.
Find Creative Ways to Cool Down – Drinking
ice-cold beverages and taking cool showers are small ways to save money
on utilities while making the most of the summer.
Put Wet Clothes Out on a Clothesline – Using the
hot summer sun to dry your clothes after washing them is an effortless
way to reduce utility bills and spend time outside.
Monitor the Temperature on Your Thermostat –
Setting a default number for your air conditioning is a simple way to
keep your energy bills from rising when it's hot outside.
Opt for Fans Instead of Air Conditioning – Circulating air throughout your home with fans is an economical way to cool down your living space while using less energy.
Unplug Electronics That Aren't Being Used –
Pulling out their cords when you're not using your electronics and
chargers is an easy way to limit your energy usage this summer.
These 10 ways to save on utility bills during the summer months will
keep you from breaking the bank when the weather gets warmer this year.
Whether you're focused on using less water, running your air
conditioning on a lower setting or another method, it's possible to cut
back on power usage and save money in the process. I would be happy to
answer any questions you may have about how to circumvent high utility
bills in the summertime, so please don't hesitate to reach out to me
today.
If you're starting a family, you might want to consider a neighborhood known for its good schools. Or if your children have graduated, you might want to move to a "hipper" neighborhood. Perhaps your company has moved, and you want to be closer to work. Any of your priorities may have changed over the years. Here are seven ways to evaluate a possible move.
#1: Time the Commute to Your Job
Perhaps you have been spending hours stuck in traffic to and from work and are looking for a much shorter commute. Just because one neighborhood is closer does not mean that you will get there faster. Time the commute from the different neighborhoods you are considering.
#2: Meet the Neighbors
You want to get a feel for the neighborhood? Talk to the neighbors. Just by walking around the neighborhood, you'll get a vibe to let you know if it's right for you. Are the people a little standoffish? Are they hesitant to make eye contact with you?
Are people friendly and neighborly? Maybe a little too friendly and neighborly…? Take a walk around and strike up a conversation with your potential future neighbors to get a good feel for the community.
#3: Go for a Walk Around the Neighborhood
One of the best ways to pick the best neighborhood is to look around it. Go for a walk and drive through the neighborhood on the weekend and on weekdays. Do the same thing at different times of day. Note where there are areas that look a little unsafe or dilapidated. How will that affect your quality of life there?
#4: Attend a Local Festival or Event
Kill several birds with one stone by attending a local event or festival. You'll meet people in the neighborhood and get a sense of the type of community that it is; is it tight-knit? Young? Too old? A little too country? Local events can tell you a lot about the spirit of the neighborhood.
#5: Go Out to Eat at a Local Hot Spot
While you're checking out houses, go to a popular eatery in the neighborhood. Check out the vibe and take note of people's moods. Do they look at you suspiciously? Is the customer service lousy? Is it great and are the people great? You can glean a lot about a neighborhood by simply people-watching at a diner.
#6: See a Play or a Game at a Local School
If you have kids, the quality of the local schools in your neighborhood may be priority No. 1. Before you buy a house and enroll the kids, visit the school. Go to a school play or watch one of the local school's sports teams to get a feel for the level of community support for the school and athletics.
#7: Read About the Local Job Market/Main Industries
Having a job today does not guarantee that you'll have one tomorrow. And even if you do, it's important to know if you are moving into a neighborhood that is growing and thriving or one that is crumbling. Get a local paper and read about the main industries in the area and the state of the local job market.
For some, safety is everything.
A state's safety can be a crucial
factor in deciding where to relocate
your family. Public safety is also an important
metric in the Best States project,
accounting for 50 percent of a
state's rank for crime and corrections.
While the national crime rate is 373 per 100,000 residents for violent crime and 2487 for
property crime, many of the nation's top states have better crime rates.
Here are the safest states in the U.S. according to violent crime rate and property crime
rate per 100,000 residents.
1. Vermont
Best States Overall Rank: 10
Violent Crime Rate: 118
Property Crime Rate: 1,407
2. Maine
Best States Overall Rank: 18
Violent Crime Rate: 130
Property Crime Rate: 1,830
3. New Hampshire
Best States Overall Rank: 2
Violent Crime Rate: 199
Property Crime Rate: 1,746
4. Idaho
Best States Overall Rank: 32
Violent Crime Rate: 216
Property Crime Rate: 1,744
5. New Jersey
Best States Overall Rank:14
Violent Crime Rate: 255
Property Crime Rate: 1,626
6. Virginia
Best States Overall Rank:11
Violent Crime Rate:196
Property Crime Rate: 1,867
7. Connecticut
Best States Overall Rank:12
Violent Crime Rate: 218
Property Crime Rate: 1,812
8. Wyoming
Best States Overall Rank:26
Violent Crime Rate: 222
Property Crime Rate: 1,903
9. Rhode Island
Best States Overall Rank:21
Violent Crime Rate: 243
Property Crime Rate: 1,898
10. Kentucky
Best States Overall Rank:42
Violent Crime Rate: 219
Property Crime Rate:2,178
Should you buy or rent? This is a question most of us will
likely face in our lives, whether buying a house makes more financial
sense than renting a home. There is a way to understand the financial
impact of buying vs. renting.
When you’re dating, you can spend years searching for
the perfect relationship only to—possibly—wait too long and miss out on
something great. Suddenly, over your sad microwave meal and bottle of
cheap red, you're looking back on your life choices, wondering what
could have been if you hadn't been so darned picky.
Well, the same goes for house hunting.
You can drive yourself crazy searching for your dream home. You've
found houses that have come close, after all. So the perfect one is
bound to appear soon, right? Not necessarily. We know the hunt can be emotionally draining, but at some point you have to go from house hunter to home owner.
We're not encouraging you to make a choice that will fill you with buyer's remorse. But to borrow a line from the Rolling Stones: You can't always get what you want, but if you try sometimes ... you get what you need.
Here are three questions to ask yourself; the answers will help you determine whether it’s time to settle on a home that might not be what your dreams are made of.
1. Are my expectations realistic?
Everyone
has a dream home. Mine is a Craftsman with Victorian high ceilings, art
deco details, and a Mid-Century Modern feel. But here’s the thing. That
Frankenstein of architectural styles doesn’t exist—and your dream home
probably doesn’t either.
“There is no such thing as a ‘perfect home,’” says Ryan Fitzgerald, Realtor®. There's
always going to be something not so lovable in each house you view. The
key to finding the right home is setting realistic expectations.
“You can find a home that meets almost all of what you are looking for,” Fitzgerald says.
Make
a list of your dream features and amenities before you start house
hunting—but be willing to let some of those features go once you start
looking at properties. It helps to score each feature on a scale of 1 to
10—that way you (and your partner, if you have one) are on the same
page about which amenities are deal breakers and which are simply nice
to have.
2. How many properties have I viewed?
Once you're
house hunting, it can be nearly impossible to decide when you’ve looked
at enough houses. After all, the perfect house could be listed any day now.
Go ahead and view online listings as much as you want. There's no harm in real estate stalking in your spare time, but you should set a limit for actual viewings.
“If
you go view more than eight homes [without finding anything], there’s a
good chance you’re confused as to what you’re actually looking for,”
Fitzgerald says. “You’re trying to piece together a home that doesn’t
exist.”
If you find that you're searching for your own
Frankenstein (it won’t work, I promise), take a moment and ask yourself
how many homes you've visited. Have you reached the (self-imposed) cap?
If so, make a list of each property’s strengths and weakness, and then
get ready to compromise.
3. What am I willing to compromise?
If
you’ve set realistic expectations and looked at more than a few houses,
it's time to start making some tough decisions. It might feel like
settling, but you’ll probably thank us later when you’re finally a
homeowner.
Just make sure you’re not compromising on something you’ll regret later.
“If you’re going to compromise, do not compromise on location,” Fitzgerald says.
The
real estate adage “location, location, location” bears repeating here.
After all, a great house won’t matter much if you’re driving two hours
to work every day or the only nearby grocery store closes at 7 p.m.
If you’re not sure where to compromise, ask your Realtor. That’s what they’re there for.
The exception to the rule
After months of searching (especially in competitive markets), you might feel the pressure to choose something—anything—just to achieve homeownership and stop throwing away your money on rent.
We're
going to contradict ourselves a bit here and tell you this: Sometimes
it's OK to keep looking. When you’re deciding on a home, you should
always consider the current market, even if it means you’ll be shopping
for a little while longer.
“If you are having trouble finding a
home and you have proper expectations, don’t settle—especially if you’re
in a hot market,” Fitzgerald says.
If you’re in a sellers’
market, homes can go quickly and you might just be missing the window of
opportunity. It might make sense to wait a little longer than rush to
try to beat out an overzealous buyer. After all, competition can
breed short-lived desire—and you don't want to be stuck with a dud after
the admirers have moved on to the next attraction.
I’m a first-time buyer. How
do I decide how much house I can afford?
The
key to purchasing your first home is understanding your finances. Preparing
your budget requires more than knowing your account balances—it also means
knowing what you can borrow. Meet with lenders before calling your real
estate agent. Compare mortgages and ask about programs for first-time buyers.
When
you find your dream home, get a home inspection before you sign. If the
inspector finds costly problems and you’re facing extensive repair costs, your
agent will likely recommend that during negotiations he or she ask for a
reduction in the home price or other compensation from the seller.
Don’t
forget other costs. Factor in the expense of commuting, if applicable. Also ask
to see previous years’ utility bills so you can adjust your budget accordingly.
And do consider an energy audit, which may justify the expenditure by
suggesting ways of reducing your energy costs.
When you’re ready to find a home, the last thing you want to do is limit your possibilities. Dream big, right?
But you’d be totally bummed if you found a perfect pad, only to learn you don’t qualify for the home of your dreams.
If you don’t earn a loan pre-approval before you start looking, you might actually prevent yourself from finding—and buying—your dream home.
Here’s why.
Streamlined Hunting With Pre-Approval
Most homeowners start out by browsinghomes for sale onlineto get an idea of what neighborhoods and housing styles they like. If you don’t know what you can afford, you may be looking out of your price range and wasting your time. You may also be looking below what you would have qualified for and not getting the right home for you.
If you start off by getting a pre-approval, you can sort by price, identify the right neighborhoods, and find your dream home much faster.
Better Results From a REALTOR®
The bottom line is this: REALTORS® prefer to work with home buyers who have a pre-approval in hand for two reasons.
First, a REALTOR® knows the deal isn’t likely to fall through, and second, when they know what you want and what you can afford, REALTORS® are able to do a better job of finding your dream home.
For example, you told a REALTOR® you want a historic home, but the asking price for these homes varies widely. If they don’t know what you can afford, they can only do a general search across several price ranges and may miss hidden gems.
On the other hand, if you have pre-approval, a REALTOR® would know what exactly what to focus on and would be able to suggest different neighborhoods, sizes and conditions of homes to match your needs—making it easier to get you exactly what you want.
Higher Acceptance Rate for Buyers With Pre-Approval
Once you find the perfect home, the next step can go two different ways depending on a pre-approval.
If you’re not pre-approved and you find a home you want to make an offer on, you’re taking a gamble. REALTORS® and sellers are less willing to accept offers from a buyer without a pre-approval. Odds are, they’ll go on to the next offer—and you’ll miss out.
However, if you are pre-approved, you have more room to haggle. Sellers may be more willing tolower the asking price, include appliances, coverclosing costsor make other allowances to work with a pre-approved buyer.
Less Stress With Pre-Approval
Finally, skipping this step can wreak havoc on your stress level.
If you aren’t pre-approved, you’ll spend longer looking for homes. You may not feel like you’re getting great service from a REALTOR®. You may get turned down once you’re ready to make an offer.
All of this adds more time and stress to what should be a very exciting time in your life.
On the other hand, if you’re pre-approved, you have less to worry about: you know you’re a qualified buyer, you know there are lenders willing to work with you, and you can feel pretty confident when you make an offer.
