There’s no need for an expensive gym membership or high-tech equipment to slim down this year. Here are a few suggestions for creating a home gym, even in a small space:
Designate a space Regardless of whether your workout space is an entire room or just the width of a yoga mat, take steps to separate it from the rest of your living area. Experts agree a dedicated space helps keep you motivated. A room divider can help separate your equipment from the rest of your life — and prevent it from becoming a drying rack for your laundry.
Admire and inspire A $10 mirror can make all the difference when it comes to checking your alignment and preventing injury. It can also give you a way to check your progress, or keep an eye on those love handles for extra motivation.
Equip yourself wisely If you’re short on space, you can find treadmills, rowers, TRX machines, and even bikes in fold-and-stash options. Adjustable weight sets take up a fraction of the space of a whole set of dumbbells. And a chin-up bar across a doorway hogs no floor space at all.
Turn the music up An upbeat playlist can be a huge motivator for going the extra mile. Install speakers in your workout space, or find portable ones that can link to your phone.
Want to find a home with enough space to workout? I’ll help you find a home that will help you meet your goals. Give me a call, shoot me a text, or send me an email.
Bridges all across the country are painted the same shade of Statue-of-Liberty green. It’s a tradition that started right here in Oregon: meet ODOT Green. Drive across Oregon and it’s hard not to notice that many of the state’s steel bridges — from the foggy coast to high desert — are the same shade of sage green. It’s so ubiquitous that the paint’s manufacturer calls it “ODOT Green” after Oregon’s Department of Transportation. Read More Here.
Buying a home is, for many people, an essential part of the American dream. But for people with a checkered financial history – and a less-than-perfect credit score – it can feel like a dream that’s out of their reach.
But just because you don’t have a perfect credit score or a pristine financial background doesn’t mean you can’t buy a home! While it may be a bit more challenging, you can find financing and buy the home of your dreams even if your credit score isn’t quite up to the level you’d like it to be.
Here are five tips for buying a house (even if you have a less-than-perfect credit score):
1. Make Sure Your Credit Report Is Accurate If you’re worried your financial past might prevent you from securing a mortgage, the first step is to go through your credit report with a fine-toothed comb to make sure everything is accurate and up-to-date.
Mistakes on credit reports are more common than you think. In fact, in 2016 alone, consumers lodged 43,000 complaints to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau regarding inaccurate credit reporting, accounting for nearly a quarter of total complaints.
Inaccuracies on your credit report can contribute to a low score – and make it harder to secure a loan. Go through your entire credit report to check for inaccuracies and, if there are any, reach out to the credit agencies to have them removed. Even remove one or two inaccurate negative remarks on your credit score can have a big impact on your score and make it easier for you to secure a mortgage.
2. Pay Your Rent On Time For A Year When offering a loan to someone with a less-than-perfect financial history, lenders want to know you’re responsible and they can count on you to make your payments. And that’s why it’s SO important that you pay your rent – on time – for the entire year prior to applying for your mortgage.
Having a documented history of your rental payments that clearly shows you’ve made your payments on time for at least a year shows your lenders you’re able to pay your living expenses on time. And since you were able to pay your rent responsibly, they’ll be more likely to believe you will also pay your mortgage responsibly.
3. Apply for an FHA Loan The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) can be an excellent resource for potential homebuyers with a less-than-perfect financial history.
An FHA Loan is a mortgage that’s insured by the FHA. FHA Loans have more lenient requirements – these mortgages are available for potential buyers with a credit score of 580+ and at least a 3.5% down payment (500+ with at least a 10% down payment).
If you have some money to put down and are concerned your credit score could be holding you back from securing a mortgage, you’ll definitely want to explore an FHA Loan. Just keep in mind that in addition to your mortgage, you’ll need to pay insurance premiums (since the FHA is insuring your loan in case of default).
4. Find A Co-Signer If there’s any possible way to have a friend or family member with higher credit score and better financial situation, do it.
Having a co-signer can help you avoid all the negative aspects of applying for a loan with less-than-stellar credit, including sky-high interest rates. Over the course of the loan, securing a competitive interest rate can save you thousands to tens of thousands of dollars in interest.
But before you ask someone to cosign your loan, remember: a cosigner is taking legal responsibility for your debt. If you default on your mortgage, the lender can take legal action against both you AND your co-signer. Make sure you’re able to afford the mortgage and can manage the payments before letting someone co-sign your loan.
5. Make A Plan To Refinance If there’s no way to avoid a mortgage with a high-interest rate, it’s ok! Just because you’ve got a high-interest rate now doesn’t mean you’ll have a high-interest rate forever.
If you get stuck with a high-interest rate, make a plan for how you can better your financial situation so you can refinance and get a lower rate in the future. Set a date to refinance and strategize ways you can improve your credit score before then, like lowering your total credit card debt, paying all of your bills on time, or looking into credit consolidation options.
There’s no way around it – the better your credit score and financial history, the better (and less expensive) your mortgage will be. But financial mistakes don’t have to keep you from buying the home of your dreams. With determination, a bit of creativity, and these tips, you’ll be well on your way to buying your home – even if you don’t have a perfect credit score.
Selling your home doesn′t just mean hiring a realtor to stick a sign out front. There are a lot of preparations you should make to ensure you get the best offer possible in the shortest time.
Repair. Just because you’ve gotten used to the cracks in the walls and the rattles in the radiators doesn’t mean a buyer will too. If you have hardwood floors that need refinishing, be sure to get it done—hardwood is a huge selling point. Buyers like to snoop around, so be sure to fix any sticky doors or drawers as well. Finally, don’t forget to address any issues with the exterior—fences, shingles, sidewalks, etc. After all, without curb appeal, some buyers may never get to see the inside.
Neutralize. You want buyers to see themselves in your home. If your living room has lime green shag, wood-paneled walls, and all your collectibles and personal photographs, this will be much harder for them to do. Try replacing any bold color choices in your floors and walls with something more neutral—beiges, tans, and whites. Repainting and reflooring will make everything look fresh and new, and help prospective buyers imagine all the possibilities.
Stage. Once your house is clean and updated, it’s time to play dress up. Home stagers can add small details and décor touches that will bring out the possibilities in the various spaces in your home: lamps, mirrors, throw rugs and pillows, flowers, decorative soaps and towels, patio furniture. Home staging can be particularly useful if your home is especially old or if the exterior looks dated. Think of it as a little mascara and rouge—if it’s done right, you notice the beauty, not the makeup.
There’s no need to master feng shui to make a room flow or look larger. My favorite trick is to paint the ceiling bright white – the whitest white you can find, and the walls very light off white. It reflects light beautifully!
Looking to buy a home? Here are five essential tips for making the process as smooth as possible.
Get your finances in order.
Start by getting a full picture of your credit. Obtain copies of your credit report. Make sure the facts are correct, and fix any problems you find. Next, find a suitable lender and get pre-approved for a loan. This will put you in a better position to make a serious offer when you do find the right house.
Find a house you can afford.
As with engagement rings, there’s a general rule of thumb when it comes to buying a home: two-and-a-half times your annual salary. There are also a number of tools and calculators online that can help you understand how your income, debt, and expenses affect what you can afford. Don’t forget, too, that there are lots of considerations beyond the sticker price, including property taxes, energy costs, etc.
Hire a professional.
While the Internet gives buyers unprecedented access to home listings and resources, many aspects of the buying process require a level of expertise you can’t pick up from surfing the web. That’s why you’re better off using a professional agent than going it alone. You really should have an agent that will represent only you in the transaction who will have only your interests at heart and can help you with strategies during the bidding process.
Do your homework.
Before making a bid, do some research to determine the state of the market at large. Is it more favorable for sellers or buyers? Next, look at sales trends of similar homes in the area or neighborhood. Look at prices for the last few months. Come up with an asking price that’s competitive, but also realistic. Otherwise, you may end up ticking off your seller. Of course, I’ll help you with that. I can provide a CMA for each property that you’re seriously looking at.
Think long term.
Obviously, you shouldn’t buy unless you’re sure you’ll be staying put for at least a few years (if only for capital gains reasons). Beyond that, you should buy in a neighborhood with good schools. Whether you have children or not, this will have an impact on your new home’s resale value down the line. When it comes to the house itself, you should hire your own home inspector, who can point out potential problems that could require costly repairs in the future. I have several inspectors that I have worked with in the past and trust to do a great job for you.
