Virtual Real Estate Solutions : November 2007

As a first time home-buyer you have great responsibility. You have the responsibility to not only find your home but the responsibility that comes with being a homeowner. Owning a home is a lot different from renting your home. Somewhere along the line you have to open your wallet. For obvious reasons like paying your mortgage but also for the things like water heaters that go bad, appliances and yes even the expensive air conditioning units don't last forever...will you have to chose between the needed repairs and your mortgage ?

I'm sure you have all heard the saying before..." You learn to crawl before you walk, you learn to walk before you run..simply baby steps". This is something that should really be thought of when purchasing your new home. If we reflect back to our first car perhaps, usually they are the beat up hand me down from someone or somewhere else. But, it's affordable and it gets from point A to point B. Sure, we wan't to impress our friends and drive around in that convertible but we heard the saying, crawl, then walk, then you run. We have learned at a young age to take those baby steps and eventually "graduate" to something a little bigger, a little better. The same holds true for purchasing your first home. You start off small and eventually graduate to something bigger. Don't get me wrong, everyone wants a nice house, however, the amount of love, time and passion you put into your house is what is going to make it a HOME, rather than a house.

Why am I saying this? I am saying this because too often I am seeing First Time Home-buyers getting in over their head and no-one saying..."You don't have to do this" It's simple, you want a house to call home, your lender tells you for example you qualify for $165,000 great ! However, you do not have to use up the entire $165,000 !! Think of it like a credit card with a $5,000 limit. We have been taught to keep that balance down, taught to only use half of that limit. This will help increase your credit score and keep you out of debt. The same holds true when purchasing your home. You don't have to use all that $165,000 credit line. You can be conservative. You, as the First Time Home-buyer also need to learn to crawl, walk then run all over again. So often I am seeing young couples qualifying for certain amounts and by-passing some great opportunities for homes less than the qualifying amount because they are only focused on the amount their lender qualifies them for.  It's about taking responsibility, thinking ahead and yes, thinking about some of the what if's.

What if's like :

• If I lose my job will my spouse be able to pay the mortgage without cutting out any other bills ?
• If I get sick and have to go to the Doctor, will I have to chose between my mortgage and my medicine or Doctor bill ?
• If we decide to have a child, can we afford maternity leave, and daycare when I go back to work and still afford to pay my mortgage.
• Car maintenance, will we have to rob Peter to pay Paul if the car needs a new tire or other maintenance, will I still be able to make my mortgage payment ?

These are the 4 questions a lot of people simply do not ask themselves and the answers can make a world of difference in shopping for your home and / or mortgage. Today, we have to get away from the champagne appetites on beer budgets. With gas prices constantly on the rise, the economy slowing down in so many aspects it is far to easy to allow resentment to alter our minds. We resent the fact that all of our hard earned money goes into every bill we have...and in turn...the biggest bill usually is the first to go and unfortunately it is usually the house payment that many buyers feel the need to go. Resentment is like a horrible disease, once implemented it is VERY HARD to get rid off.

I want you to be able to take pride in your new home. Live happy and comfortably. Even when the what if's happen. I want you to know that just because you qualify for a certain amount does NOT mean you have to use it all. Instead, think of it as an honor to have qualified for an amount of money, to have such credit worthiness that you have qualified for your new home, BUT , be practical, think of the what if's..start off slow, learn to crawl, then walk, then run...it will all come in time and what you fill your new house with is what is going to make it a home, not the dollars spent on it !

Remember when we were in school and homework was due and maybe we just didn't want to do it, or it got lost and the old saying was " The Dog Ate My Homework" well my kindergardener gave whole new meaning to why I can't do my homework.

Over Thanksgiving break his Kindergarden Teacher gave the class a project. It was a cute little project that they would use later for creative writing. She sent home a picture of a turkey and they were to disguise the turkey so it wouldn't be eaten. In little baggies she filled with things like M & M's , cheerios, pretzels, tootsie rolls, etc. There was a note attached saying they were to paste all these things to their Turkey to disguise it. Other things could be added like glitter or elbow macaroni , for each child to use their imagination. So over the weekend we pull out the project. I notice the baggy is empty. I said Cole, where is the stuff to do your project, he said I ate it, "you did what"...I ate it, well, why would you do that it was your homework....I was hungry ! Oh my gawwwd I thought, how in the world do I without cracking up laughing tell his teacher there will be no cheerios, pretzels, tootsie rolls like she packed because Cole got hungry !

Of course we improvised and this poor Turkey was an array of colors from yarn, beads and anything else we could find. The turkey was disguised now as a peacock. As we did the project we read books on Thanksgiving and about the Pilgrims. At the end and after completing everything I asked my son :

"What did you learn from the project and books today, " He said, Don't eat your homework ~"

I'm telling you Kids do say the craziest things and I have made a scrap book for all my children with things they say and do because how easy it is to forget.

As for his teacher, from now on I think I will call her with news like this...so she doesn't read my note while sipping coffee.....

So my black Friday was less than productive with all the hussle and bussle. Today, I feel totally hung over and feel like someone is just squeezing my brain. But I have to say I learned alot from watching yesterday. It amazed me at what some people will do to get that Nintendo Wii or that Navigation system. It amazed me to see pushing and shoving instead of shaking hands and wishing someone a very safe and happy Holiday Season. It totally floored me to hear bells ringing from the Salvation Army at 5:00am in hopes to collect enough money for the less fortunate. To me, there was no Holiday cheer in the air, except for those bells. It was more about how much money can I spend, the greatest and most expensive gift's under the tree. It seemed like people were just buying to buy whether a great deal or not, whether really needed or not !

As for me I spent a whole $78.00 during my Holiday...blackhole...adventure. Trust me, you think your amazed you should have seen the look on my husband's face but more importantly I am proud of myself ! This year I made a promise to myself that I wouldn't buy, just to buy. I wouldn't buy to have the presents be taller than the tree. That's not what Christmas is all about. Now, don't get me wrong, I love to give, always have and Christmas is truly my favorite time of the year. But for me, it's the season. It's not about the gifts, it about the cheer, the friends and family, watching the look on my children's face when they open their favorite present on Christmas morning. Yesterday, I did more than just go to Wal-Mart, KMart and such. I also went to our local Thrift Stores that are run by The Salvation Army, Habitat for Humanity and Cumberland Good Samaritans. As I entered these buildings I was very surprised to see just how packed they also were. While browsing I heard a mom as she pushed her cart with her 2 children. I heard her tell her little girl who couldn't be more than 5 maybe, that sometimes Santa drops things off here for boys and girls and Mommy's and Daddy's have to come and pick them up for Christmas morning and try not to look. You could tell she was trying to "mask" some of the things she had in the cart with an old blanket. I thought, wow, here's a mom, probably struggling like I once did and doing her best to get a few presents under the tree and here we all are running around like crazy people to hit the stores at 5:00am and spend hundreds of dollars and pushing and shoving to get it. This gave me an idea. My kids have so many toys, toys they don't even remember they have that are buried at the bottom of the toy box. Toys, they certainly will not miss. When I got home yesterday after seeing almost bare shelves in the aisles of my local thrift stores, I went through my children's toys and have 3 bags I will be donating today. The Holidays are so much about giving, so much more than the pile of presents under the tree. A toy, marked with a $1.00 can bring so much joy and cheer to a less fortunate child.

As for me, I made a list and a promise to not go overboard this year. I am sticking to my list and staying with it. I am not buying just to by. I am not using my credit cards either. I knew Christmas would come and I have saved all year. Christmas is not about maxing out credit cards, it's not about the most expensive present, it's not about getting so angry that you run someone down with your cart ! It's about doing what you can, doing what you can afford today, buying things you can actually utilize, giving and making someone else's Christmas a little brighter, teaching our children "The Story of Christmas" and entering a new year debt free !

Yesterday I learned you can learn so much from observing....if you are the teachable kind !

I know, I know, everyone is being bogged down by Christmas post's already. But this is a more serious look at the Holiday Season. Unfortunately, the Holiday Season can sometimes bring out the worst in people. The crime rate goes up and so does the suicide rate. Depression sets a whole new statistic and dangerous times can sometimes be off the charts this time of year. All around us, sometimes on the very street we live on there are those who are down and out. Who cannot provide Christmas for their families, maybe feel alone, trapped. There are some without jobs, some may have lost someone near and dear to them and around the Holidays the feelings come 10 fold.

As Real Estate professionals we see alot of people. We come in contact with alot of people. As even just a person we do the same. I want this Holiday season to be happy and safe for everyone. There are things you can do to safe guard yourself, your loved ones, and those around you.

Shopping safety tips :

For women especially, try to avoid leaving your purse open. Keep them zipped or buckled at all times. If you decide to leave your purse in the cart keep your hand and eye on it at all times. This year it's recommended to carry your purse over your shoulder so you have complete control.

While in parking lots. Know your surroundings. Watch for unexpected people in and around cars. If shopping at night try to bring someone with you. I recommend in the dark putting your bags in the back seat Not in the trunk. The trunk shields your view while opened. I was taught in a self defense class to always hold your keys in your hand with one key sticking out between your pointer and middle finger in your dominant hand. This aids as a weapon if you should need it.

For the men : While shopping switch your wallet from your back pocket to the front or the side pocket of your pants. Pick pockets are really good, but only if their prey allows them to be. Confusing them just proves your one step ahead. And please keep watch in parking lots and also know your surroundings. Although you may not be the predators prey, your eyes and ears can save someone else !

Burglar proof your home :

There are several systems out there like ADT but there are also several mock systems that are very affordable. They mimics the true burglar alarm system , stickers and all. The sound at the points of entry with loud alarm sounds like it would be armed through a company.  You can find these at Wal-Mart, K-mart, Radio Shack for examples.

When leaving your home secure all windows and doors. Most burglaries take place between the hours of 6 and 8 am. Cut down shrubs or alleviate them together to not provide hiding spaces. Lock your car doors every evening. Park in your garage if you have one.

Unfortunately, last year my family and I lost a dear friend 3 weeks before Christmas from depression which resulted in suicide. Here are some signs of depression and what you can do to help someone :

Be supportive, Be concrete and direct, though kind. If you are not sure how to broach the topic of a friend's depression, try starting off by listing any changes in behavior that you have noticed recently. Avoid being overly light-hearted or confrontational. Try to encourage your friend/family member to seek help, offer to go with them. In severe cases notify your local suicide prevention hot-line from there they will direct you.

On some Happier notes : I always encourage to donate to toys for tots, your American Red Cross, your schools. Making someone else's Christmas can make yours brighter. There may be several places in your area in need of donations even if only can goods. Volunteering at local shelters is a great way to give back this Holiday Season. There are several that need help simply handing out food. This is a great way to stay in touch with the true meaning of the Holiday Season.

Wishing you and yours a very safe and happy holiday season !

I was recently asked if I had a spaghetti casserole recipe. And..yes, I sure do ! I love these quick throw together meals especially with work and kids. What's so great about this recipe is that you can replace several of the ingredients for others to your liking or just pull some out. Like, taking out hamburger meat and adding left over turkey...it's great...I have even substituted the Hamburger meat with baby ( or salad ) shrimp. You will need :

1 8 oz pkg spaghetti, cooked & drained ( its better to snap spag in half

1 lb of Hamburger meat ( or substitute turkey, chicken etc)

1 med size onion, chopped ( I chop really fine, cooks alot better )

1 cup fresh sliced mushrooms, sauteed ( better if sauteed in garlic and butter, adds some zest)

1 package of mild or hot sausage ( boil first, then cut into slices, I boil to get all the fat out, well most it )

1 16 oz can crushed tomatoes

1 16 oz can tomato sauce

1 package of spaghetti sauce mix ( the dried kind )

1 cup shredded fat-free mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup  Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven: 375°F

Brown meat & onion in large skillet remove grease. Add your mushrooms and sausage simmer and stir occasionally for about 5 - 10 minutes. Then add your crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce with your package of dried spaghetti sauce and cover on low heat 5-10 more minutes.  Pour half the mixture , tweak if need be over cooked spaghetti mix well. Take half your mixture and pour into casserole dish ( spray dish with non stick spray) layer top with mozzarella cheese add some more sauce on top then pour remaining over top of cheese and sauce. Bake in the oven at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes. The last 10 minutes pull out casserole. Top with remaining sauce blend and cover with mozzarella cheese and sprinkle some Parmesan. Bake until cheese is melted, no longer than 10 minutes.

Enjoy !
 

Buying is one of the biggest joys in many peoples lives.  Whether it's your first home, a vacation home, or an investment property, you need the powerful resources that the above average Real Estate agent can provide you.  You have a lot of choices for real estate in Crossville, TN or the surrounding area's and it will be my pleasure to assist you with your real estate needs. 

Where do you go for help when your interest are outside of my market area?  If you want to buy a home in California or Florida, where do you turn?  In order to help those of you looking to relocate away from my expert assistance, I will interview you and Realtors in the area you are searching in and match you with the Realtor who can assist in all your needs. I will help you make your relocation as stress free as possible.

If you need help or can't find the answers you seek, give me a call.  I will be more than happy to help you.

 931-210-8277 cellular/direct