David Lee Morton

Generation Y Out of the Basement!

David Lee Morton (DL Morton Realty, Inc. (704)-909-0499) — Mon, 06 May 2013 10:51:38 -0700

Just How Motivated Is Your Seller?

David Lee Morton (DL Morton Realty, Inc. (704)-909-0499) — Thu, 02 May 2013 18:58:26 -0700

How Motivated Is Your Seller?

When purchase prices for homes escalate into the hundreds of thousands of dollars, sometimes a $10,000 difference in an offer price can seem like a small variation, but $10,000 is $10,000. As you go through the process of making mortgage payments, you will no doubt wish you could shave a few months off of your payment term, which is exactly what shaving $10,000 or more will net you.

One of the prime ways of doing so is to locate a seller that is truly motivated to sell a property, sometimes at a minor expense in return for a speedy, smooth transaction. Making low offers is something all realtors have probably done in the past, though it can sometimes seem like a slap in the face to send a below-list offer.

The prospect of saving $10,000 or more should take that embarrassment out of the equation and motivate you to explore all avenues for saving money. There are a few ways to spot motivated sellers that might be more apt to accept an offer below list price than they otherwise would.

Everyone Sells For A Reason
One of the best ways to investigate the motives of your seller is to simply ask. That might seem like a common sense approach, but people often go through entire real estate transactions without asking even the most simple questions about who they are purchasing a very expensive item from.

Your realtor or the seller's realtor may have that kind of information at hand and while they might have reason to guard it, more often than not they will make polite conversation about what a seller's plans are. At open houses especially, realtors may make the effort to chat with you, sometimes answering such questions, in hopes of getting you interested in the property. Let that eagerness work for you and get the information you need that might help you.

There are quite a few situations that might result in a motivated seller, but perhaps the most common are relocations, divorces and financial troubles. As you can imagine, if a seller is involved in any of these three situations, it is probable that speed is an issue and sometimes that speed is worth a bit of a discount on the list price of the real estate property.

Relocations especially can split a seller's attention between two locations, greatly motivating the seller to quickly get rid of an old property to focus on a new one. That split focus can be your gain with a big of a discounted offer that nonetheless represents a quick chance to be done with the real estate.

Each Property Has Its Own Traits
More than just investigating a seller, you can investigate a particular property as well to perhaps indicate a seller that is tired of a particular piece of real estate. For example, properties that are not kept up as well, rental properties especially, could indicate that a seller is tired of dealing with a property and is more motivated to sell quickly, even if at a small discount.

If you want to go the extra mile and go through county tax records, it is entirely possible to find properties where sellers have home addresses far away from the property in question. In those cases, sellers that live far away are usually selling property that they can no longer maintain from a distance and have grown tired caring for. These are perhaps the best candidate to accept an offer below list price as they are tired of the hassle of maintaining a long-distance piece of real estate.

No matter your tactic, there are sellers out there that want desperately to sell you a piece of real estate. Do your homework and investigate just why a seller is doing so and why a particular property is on the market. Those two bits of information could produce the difference between a list-price offer for a piece of real estate and an accepted offer below list price.

Details In The Deal

David Lee Morton (DL Morton Realty, Inc. (704)-909-0499) — Wed, 01 May 2013 13:45:18 -0700

The Deal Is In The Details

No two real estate agreements are the same, the result of the infinite amount of twists and turns any purchase agreement can take. The intricacies of your own property will be unique to you but there are some common themes that can be applied to a purchase agreement to ensure that both buyer and seller are protected.

For home buyers, there are a slew of clauses that can be included in any contract to provide some extra aspects of the contract that could very well come in handy down the road. They could be clauses to save you money or clauses to allow you to get out of the contract without penalty and your realtor will offer up these clauses as applicable in your case if they indeed are.

It is entirely acceptable to make your offer contingent on some other action. In many cases, financial contingencies dictate that a real estate transaction is agreed to only if the buyer can secure financing for the deal. In some cases, this can turn a seller off if another offer is on the table that has no financial contingencies. If you are at all worried about either getting financed for enough money or about a home being offered on before you can push financing approval through, a financial contingency clause is one option for you.

Inspection contingencies can be common in some areas of the country and dictate that the buyer gets a chance to bring in an inspection professional or other consultation to tour the home and point out any weaknesses or issues that may need to be addressed. If issues are found, those can then become part of the negotiation of price or other terms of the contract.

Earnest money clauses can offer to a seller a bump up in earnest money if and when an offer is accepted. To communicate that interest in a real estate property is sincere, a buyer will often put down money in escrow as a good faith effort. By including a clause in the contract for earnest money to go up upon acceptance, that gives the seller a way to make a good faith effort in accepting the offer while still seeing a benefit in added earnest money, communicating an even more serious desire to buy the property.

Of course, the seller has every right to dispute anything in the contract, but that is all part of the negotiation of a deal. It is entirely possible that a particular part of the contract could become a sticking point and discussions will have to be made at that time, but that is what your realtor is for and there is usually some value in including clauses you deem important, even if they could be disputed later.

The best advice is to sit down with your realtor and make clear the clauses or conditions that are important to you. As with all twists and turns in a real estate deal, it is important that as a buyer you feel comfortable with all aspects of the purchase. The contract is perhaps the most important step, so be sure to investigate all of your options with your realtor.

Charlotte NC First-Time Home Buyers

David Lee Morton (DL Morton Realty, Inc. (704)-909-0499) — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 13:27:45 -0700

The Guide For First-Time Home Buyers

Buying a first new home is a big step in anyone's life and the process can initially seem like an extremely daunting task. With all of the information available, advice to be learned from and realtors to choose from, it can certainly seem like an insurmountable mountain of information.

While that may initially be true, there are some steps that you can take that will help you cut through all of that and avoid information overload. The new home buying process is an exciting one and while there are certainly many things to think about, they shouldn't detract from the experience.

Use The Web
Online resources, much like this site, can help you do a great amount of research into a home or area without ever leaving the comfort of your favorite chair. No matter what area you're looking to purchase real estate in, there are undoubtedly many online resources concerning that area. Everything from county governments to local realtors provide handy region-specific tips and tricks that might help you in your search for a new home.

While your realtor will help you with a lot of the information about home prices in the area you're investigating and other related bits of information, it can also be empowering to take a hold of the situation and find the kind of applicable information you're looking for yourself. Anything that helps you get comfortable with the home buying process is a benefit.

Know Your Limits
There are a variety of ways to get frustrated during the home buying process and perhaps chief of all of them is pursuing a home that you simply cannot afford. Every step of the process, from convincing a realtor to show you an expensive property to getting financial backing for a piece of real estate outside your income viability, makes the process more difficult and will ultimately discourage you about the home buying process.

Yes, we would all like to have our first home be the perfect combination of location, size and amenities but many times it is not realistic to purchase a 10-bedroom estate with a first home purchase. If you have an accurate view of what you can afford, it will ease the entire process as your realtor will show you nothing but realistic homes, of which you will almost certainly find one you'll love for a first piece of real estate.

Use Your Home Inspection Right
While in many areas, home inspections are an accepted part of the home buying process, there are parts of the country that have hot real estate markets that perhaps move quickly and don't always incorporate home inspections into the process. Nothing has the potential to blunt your enthusiasm over a new home purchase like problems that could be inherited along with a new home.

Home inspections will often go through the health of a home's furnace, roof and foundation to give you an accurate description of just what kind of state a home is in. Take advantage of that and don't be surprised after a home purchase with problems you'll immediately have to deal with.

A Simple Mineral can help Sell Your Home?

David Lee Morton (DL Morton Realty, Inc. (704)-909-0499) — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 12:50:35 -0700

Can A Simple Mineral Sell Your Home?

Though times and tastes have changed in what can help sell a piece of real estate, one of the current hot items is granite countertops. These countertops give your home a modern, updated feel and will often speak volumes to an interested buyer that you have put time and effort into updating your home. This, more than many other things you can do to a property, can increase a potential buyer's likelihood to purchase your piece of real estate.

Though updating and renovating your home may not make sense in a hot seller's market, for those that are trying to sell a property in a bit of a buyer's market, simple steps can make a world of difference in setting your home apart from all the others. Setting yourself apart is really the core tenet of selling a home and anything you can do to achieve that should be pursued vigorously.

While you may not be able to do much about improving the location of your home, you can do much to improve the way your home shows to a prospective buyer and that is where things like granite countertops can make a difference. Interested buyers often pay special attention to a home's kitchen as it is the nerve center of most homes.

Give yourself every advantage. If you know that a kitchen is something that will motivate a potential buyer to go through with the purchase, spend extra time and money renovating that area. Spend the most energy on what will ultimately benefit you most and if you have the funds to do so, granite countertops can help you accomplish that goal.

Is a granite countertop the only thing that can help you sell your home quicker? Of course not. The key here is to keep in mind that you should walk through your home as a potential buyer would. For every bullet point on your home that makes a buyer want to purchase it, there is probably a negative on the list that might make them think twice. Eliminating as many of these negative bullet points as possible will help you sell your home much quicker.

When a typical buyer hears the words "new granite countertops," they will immediately put that on the pro side for your property. For a seller that hears the words "new granite countertops," they will probably first think of the cost involved. This can be true for any home upgrade and sometimes investing in your home can pay off through a quicker sale or slightly higher sale price.

Granite countertops especially have come down in price over time and there is certainly no harm in getting an estimate on your property. However, if that kind of upgrade is out of your price range, perhaps think about taking a fresh coat of paint to the kitchen. Maybe your cabinets could use a little work or updating. Maybe the flooring in your kitchen could use a few touch ups.

No matter what you ultimately determine about the state of your home, there are always ways to improve it. Remember, in a buyer's market you are in direct competition with every other home on the market. To get the quickest sale possible, do more than the home down the street. It's that simple.

Sure, granite countertops can be one way to make a big splash with your home, greatly increasing its sale value. However, don't remain limited to big-ticket items like that. Every home has a few things here or there that can be improved and while there might be obvious ones like new countertops or new cabinets, never underestimate the value of a little paint.

Conversation search engine launched yesterday by Chris Smith

David Lee Morton (DL Morton Realty, Inc. (704)-909-0499) — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 09:03:59 -0700

Conversation search engine launched yesterday by Chris Smith

Check out www.curaytor.com, it's a search engine for real estate related social media conversations. Looks interesting. Very Cool!

Via Adam Todd (Paydirt Real Estate Leads):

Check out www.curaytor.com, it's a search engine for real estate related social media conversations. Looks interesting.

Adam Todd
Referral Fee Leads

116 Henderson St Monroe NC

David Lee Morton (DL Morton Realty, Inc. (704)-909-0499) — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 07:14:52 -0700

Investor Alert! Great Rental Property!

David Morton

DL Morton Realty, Inc.

704-909-0499

Questions?
Schedule a Showing!

Licensed In:
NC/SC

License #:
213902

116 Henderson St

Monroe, NC

Bedrooms: 2

Bathrooms : 1 (1 full)

List Price: $59,900

Living Area Approx : 1400

Schedule a Showing/Request Info

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Do You Think The Interent Can Be Your Agent?

David Lee Morton (DL Morton Realty, Inc. (704)-909-0499) — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 07:49:27 -0700

Can The Internet Be Your Agent?

The number of consumers that go online each year to research at least a portion of a new home search is steadily growing year after year. As the internet gains an even bigger foothold in the United States, its use is likely to steadily grow and accomplish much of that growth in unexpected areas. One of those areas has been the selling of property online.

For some home sellers, selling a home online merges the excitement of the internet with the ability to control the marketing of the property from start to finish. To be clear, having a real estate agent or at the very least a real estate lawyer throughout any selling process will most certainly help you as move along the course of action. Particular if you are on your first home sale, a real estate agent can offer invaluable advice and handle your transaction in a professional manner.

That being said, many sellers will still look at an internet sale as a great way to personally market the property and save a bit on real estate fees in the long run. Are you really ready to sell your property online though? There are some questions you need to ask yourself before you pursue an internet sale.

Am I Comfortable With Online-Only Advertising?
The best way to get a person online and looking at the materials on your property is to catch them while they’re online already. Of course, online advertising is the best way to do so. Some sellers are uncomfortable pursuing only web-based advertising sources and would rather maintain a local perspective through newspaper listings. Figure out which consumer you are before embarking on an internet sale.

Will The Home Show Well Online?
If you are committed to an online-only sale, you will need sparkling pictures of your property in order to convince a buyer to pursue an online real estate transaction with your property. For most people that put their homes for sale online, professional photos serve this purpose well.

A professional photographer will know how to showcase your property and get the most out of the shots taken. These photos will take the place of an initial showing for many online buyers, so ensuring that they make a great first impression is critical to the online selling process.

Can I Transition From The Internet To Personal Contact Efficiently?
Just as a newspaper ad or other marketing material, the internet is merely a tool to help you sell your property, not a replacement real estate agent. The internet will not negotiate for you or find you a title company automatically. It will also not be the only way you deal with a potential buyer and indeed very quickly a potential buyer will want to talk to you to put a voice with the home instead of a web address.

For most sellers, the internet can be a great tool for the selling of a home, but probably not the entire process. With local regulations to be considered and a negotiation process to endure (possibly with a buyer’s agent on the other end), a real estate expert of some kind like a real estate agent or real estate lawyer will still need to be involved in the transaction.

However, if you feel that selling your home on the internet is an exciting prospect and doing so will motivate you better to put time and effort into the sale, it can be a great option. As long as you remember that it is ultimately a mechanism to put you in personal contact with a potential buyer and not the end-all solution to your real estate sale, you can create a positive, efficient, fun internet selling process for your property.

10 Ways to Keep Good Tenants!

David Lee Morton (DL Morton Realty, Inc. (704)-909-0499) — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 17:15:38 -0700

As a landlord, retaining good tenants should be one of the biggest priorities. Good renters make great assets.

The good news is that keeping great renters isn’t too hard. Here are ten things to do to keep good tenants happy and in no rush to move:

1. Respond quickly to complaints about noise or reports of criminal activity, such as drug dealing.

Always enforce rules on noise. If you are aware of any crimes taking place at the rental property, take action immediately. Consult an attorney, or consider hiring a property management company that includes evictions in its services.

2. Schedule maintenance and repairs at times convenient for the tenants, and let them know in advance.

Minimize the impact of repairs and maintenance by scheduling them at the times the renters are least likely to be around, typically between 9 and 5, Monday through Friday. Let the tenants know in advance when repair work is being done, and why.

3. Provide designated parking spots and enforce parking rules.

Having a parking spot with a short walking distance to home is very important for many tenants. Assign parking spots and enforce parking rules. Send warning letters to tenants who break the rules and have their cars towed if they ignore your warning. Also, make sure the parking is well-marked and sufficient guest parking.

4. Follow through on repair requests and other commitments.

It’s simple: do what you say you’ll do. Recognize that all tenants want their repairs handled promptly, efficiently, and predictably. Remember that many tenants are “renters by choice“. They prefer to rent rather than own partly because they want someone else to be responsible for repairs. Have a repair and maintenance process that helps to consistently meet or exceed tenant expectations.

5. Give the tenants advance notice of upcoming inconveniences that you’re aware of.

If you’re aware of upcoming road closures or a planned power outage, consider sending out a newsletter, email, or a Facebook update to inform the tenants.

6. Understand that tenants want to feel safe at home.

Make sure that any outdoor areas used by tenants at night, such as a parking areas, paths, and entries, are well-lit. Keep on top of preventative maintenance and repairs.

7. Make sure all tenants follow the House Rules.

Good tenants are good neighbors. In return, they want the same consideration. They will follow reasonable rules for the property, outlined in the lease. All of your tenants should read and sign a copy of your rules when they execute the lease. Let the tenants know that rules will be enforced, and eviction can be used if necessary.

8. If you are allowing pets, make sure owners clean up after them!

Tenant retention has been shown to improve if pets are allowed, and certainly there are some great tenants out there who are also animal lovers. If tenants are allowed to keep pets, make sure the lease outlines that the tenant is responsible for all pet damages and for cleaning up after the pets. It is normal to require an additional pet deposit or additional rent.

9. Be polite, courteous, and professional.

Recognize that being a landlord requires great customer service skills. When the phone rings and the call is from a tenant who is paying thousands of dollars a year, speak politely and be helpful.

10. Create opportunities to appreciate the good tenants.

Take time to say “thank you” or send thank-you cards when appropriate. Gestures such as these go a long way in making your good tenants feel welcome and appreciated.

Good tenants know they are good tenants, and they expect to be treated that way. It’s worth the extra effort to keep them. Especially when the rent is paid on time and the property is well maintained.

Three Steps To Home Inspection Zen

David Lee Morton (DL Morton Realty, Inc. (704)-909-0499) — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 07:16:11 -0800

Three Steps To Home Inspection Zen

For many prospective home sellers, going through the process of a home inspection can be a painful process that entails letting a stranger into the home to judge every nook and cranny. As the biggest and most prized possession of most consumers, having the home inspected in this way is a bit like having the inner sanctum of your life on display. Inspections certainly do not have to be like this.

By maintaining an even perspective and keeping in mind three core tenets, you can keep your home inspection process easy and calm. As with most business transactions, getting yourself to view the transaction as someone from the outside might can be difficult, but will ultimately take a lot of the stress out of the situation.

Keep Your Feelings Grounded In Reality
Everyone wants to think that they have the best home on the block, a spotless testament to a diligent work ethic and family prosperity. As homes age, the reality is that they will develop problems here and there that a home inspector is trained to uncover. These problems are certainly not your fault as time has all it needs to damage a foundation or roof all on its own.

No matter how great a condition your home is in, the very nature of a home inspection is to uncover issues that a prospective buyer might have a problem with, so prepare for that eventuality. These problems are no reflection on your care of the home but more its initial construction and degradation over time, two things you have nothing to do with. This is just another step in a real estate transaction and preparing for a few issues here and there will greatly reduce your stress.

Emotions Are Great, Just Not For Inspections
After living in a particular piece of real estate for a long time, there will always be memories and emotions tied to that property. As a seller, you have chosen to move on from those emotions and memories, committing to create new memories in a new property. Keep this in mind as a home inspector goes through your home and comes back with problems or issues.

You might have done a lot of work on a furnace, for example, and remember fondly the day that you got it working again in top shape. If an inspector comes back after looking at the furnace and declares that you need a new one to pass inspection, don't let anger be your first response. No matter what energy and time you've put in to a home, there will always be factors outside of your control, like aging issues and local regulations, which dictate an inspector's actions.

Put Yourself In A Buyer's Shoes
Above all, imagine that you are stepping into your home for the first time, looking at it with a critical eye to determine whether you'd want to live there and what you'd fix if you did. This is the kind of mentality a buyer is bringing to your real estate transaction and the inspector will help them bring to light just the kind of property they are purchasing.

Don't begrudge a buyer of this step as you are going to go through it on your new home purchase and wouldn't have it any other way. Each point brought up on the inspection is a point brought up to protect the buyer and provide as much information as possible, two things you would love to benefit from on your own home purchase.

Having your home picked apart by a home inspector will most likely never be a heart-warming experience, but taking these three tenets to heart will help you get through the situation with class. Real estate transactions represent an important transition period and getting through a simple and easy inspection will only easy that transition for both you and your prospective real estate buyer.

Your Showing Beyond The Basics!

David Lee Morton (DL Morton Realty, Inc. (704)-909-0499) — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 16:59:05 -0800

Your Showing: Beyond The Basics

Cleaning is perhaps the most crucial part of a successful showing. When communicating the value and uniqueness of your home, dirty clothes in the laundry room and stains in the carpet will cut you off at the knees every time. However, while most people think to clean a property and remove clutter from areas of the house, there are some ways that a seller can go the extra mile to interest a potential buyer.

It is important to remember that when you put your home on the market, you are entering into a competition with every other home for sale in your general price range in your area. That means that anything you can do to set yourself apart from the rest of the homes in your area will pay dividends as potential buyers think more about your home than the others out there.

When a potential buyer arrives for your showing, often they have already been to another potential new home and may be on their way to another after yours. During such a cluttered schedule that is typical for most real estate transactions, giving yourself an edge through an exceptional showing can certainly help you secure a deal in the long run.

The Lived-In Blank Slate
When a potential buyer enters your home, that person's thoughts immediately go to how they would fit in this home and how their family would fit in the home. If you have decorated your home in all bright pink walls, that might be just what you want to live in, but it will disrupt the ability for a buyer to picture living in that property.

Avoid this by making sure that your home balances the feeling of a blank slate but still keeping the feeling of home that enhances a buyer's impression of the property. They want to imagine living in the home but they don't want to imagine it with nothing to go on. This follows all the way down to closets and cabinets. People will open your cabinets, so be prepared to make sure that what they see when they do won't turn them off of your home.

Your Furnishings Are Merely Accents
Chances are, you will not be leaving your furniture behind when you move out of your property. A potential buyer will be bringing in entirely new furniture with a new color scheme and may even paint all of the interior walls a specific favorite color. Simply put, the buyer is not buying the way you decorated the property so don't make your decorations the star of the show.

All of the contest of your home should be geared towards maximizing the way the architectural elements of the property show. If one of your big selling points is a breakfast nook, providing the furnishing for that breakfast nook can help a buyer picture having that as a part of daily life. However, if you have an incredibly expensive, ornate table, you will detract from the architecture and focus eyes on the furnishings.

Similarly, you can use this trick in reverse to hide some of the architectural shortcomings of your home. Perhaps a particular window trim is not contemporary enough but you don't want to spend the money to update it. Use a fancy window covering to draw attention away from that part of the property.

While cleaning and removing clutter from your home certainly make up the foundation of a positive showing, going the extra mile before a stranger even steps foot in your home can greatly increase your chances of selling the property quickly. By giving a potential buyer a somewhat generic presentation in the design that is used chiefly to accent the home itself, you will give yourself a leg up on the competition in your area and spur meaningful interest in your home.

Waxhaw NC Property Management- Enhance Your Investment For Sale

David Lee Morton (DL Morton Realty, Inc. (704)-909-0499) — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 15:43:12 -0800

Enhance Your Investment For Sale

There comes a time during the course of any real estate investment when it becomes clear that selling off the property is the best course. When that time comes, getting the most out of your piece of real estate is crucial to seeing the big payoff at the end of the real estate investment experience that you have been expecting over the course of the investment, often many years.

When selling your personal home, improvements like new landscaping and new interior work can net big benefits in a raised sale price. Investment properties are much different and going through those types of improvements are nice, but they will not add real value to a property that is being investigated by potential investors.

Raising the value of your investment property goes beyond a coat of paint and is affected most by the cash flow that can be seen from that investment. There are two key ways to make an investment property increase in value in the eyes of a potential investor, increasing the income and reducing expenses.

Bigger Income
When you raise the income seen by the property, you raise the value of your investment property. While that can seem like a daunting task, there are some maneuvers that can be undertaken to make a property more attractive to investors. Raising rent is the most obvious way and while any raise comes with opposition by current tenants, if the real estate market justifies the move, it has to be made.

Many times landlords will get into a rental rut just to avoid a potential confrontation over a $30 per month increase. Getting over that fear can result in better cash flow, but only during times when the market justifies the move. If the market doesn't justify it, perhaps a few improvements to the property can.

Adding components that current renters want can justify a raise in rent that they will not bristle to. Raised rent not only helps cover the expense of the improvement, but adds permanent value to your property that can be realized whenever you decide to sell it.

Smaller Expenses
In situations where it may not be feasible to raise rents either because the market won't allow it or renovations are not possible, reducing expenses is the best way to increase the profitability of a property. Remember, an investment property's sale price relates directly to profitability.

Many times, these types of steps take planning and time to recover expense. Adding better insulation to a property can save on energy bills and over time, it is possible the improvement will pay for itself. At the same time, you can charge more for your investment property because a reduction in energy expenses adds to profitability.

These types of moves are unique to each property and achieving lower costs on things like lawn care or snow removal may be more readily available in some areas than others. Do what you can within your limitations to reduce cost in anticipation of selling so that when the time finally comes, you can point to low expenses and high rent income as proof that you deserve a higher selling price point.

Of course, in a perfect world you would be able to increase income and reduce expenses at the same time, giving you a much more attractive real estate investment that will command a better selling price on the open market.

More realistically, there are at least a few small steps you can take to enhance your investment property in anticipation of placing it on the market. Don't let your real estate investment go out with a whimper. Work to get all that you can out of it to ensure a great return on what is often times a labor of love.

Don't-Miss Home Tax Breaks

David Lee Morton (DL Morton Realty, Inc. (704)-909-0499) — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 15:56:19 -0800

Don't-Miss Home Tax Breaks

By: Dona DeZube

Published: January 10, 2013

From the mortgage interest deduction to energy tax credits, here are the tax tips you need to get a jump on your returns.

Mortgage interest deduction
Private mortgage insurance deduction
Prepaid interest deduction
Energy tax credits
Vacation or second home tax deductions
Home buyer tax credit repayment
Property tax deduction

Mortgage interest deduction

One of the neatest deductions itemizing home owners can take advantage of is the mortgage interest deduction, which you claim on Schedule A. To get the mortgage interest deduction, your mortgage must be secured by your home — and your home can even be a house trailer or boat, as long as you can sleep in it, cook in it, and it has a toilet.

Interest you pay on a mortgage of up to $1 million — or $500,000 if you’re married filing separately — is deductible when you use the loan to buy, build, or improve your home.

If you take on another mortgage (including a second mortgage, home equity loan, or home equity line of credit) to improve your home or to buy or build a second home, that counts towards the $1 million limit.

If you use loans secured by your home for other things — like sending your kid to college — you can still deduct the interest on loans up $100,000 ($50,000 for married filing separately) because your home secures the loan.

PMI and FHA mortgage insurance premiums

Helpfully, the government extended the mortgage insurance premium deduction through 2013. You can deduct the cost of private mortgage insurance as mortgage interest on Schedule A — meaning you must itemize your return. The change only applies to loans taken out in 2007 or later.

What’s PMI? If you have a mortgage but didn’t put down a fairly good-sized down payment (usually 20%), the lender requires the mortgage be insured. The premium on that insurance can be deducted, so long as your income is less than $100,000 (or $50,000 for married filing separately).

If your adjusted gross income is more than $100,000, your deduction is reduced by 10% for each $1,000 ($500 in the case of a married individual filing a separate return) that your adjusted gross income exceeds $100,000 ($50,000 in the case of a married individual filing a separate return). So, if you make $110,000 or more, you lose 100% of this deduction (10% x 10 = 100%).

Besides private mortgage insurance, there's government insurance from FHA, VA, and the Rural Housing Service. Some of those premiums are paid at closing and deducting them is complicated. A tax adviser or tax software program can help you calculate this deduction. Also, the rules vary between the agencies.

Prepaid interest deduction

Prepaid interest (or points) you paid when you took out your mortgage is 100% deductible in the year you paid them along with other mortgage interest.

If you refinance your mortgage and use that money for home improvements, any points you pay are also deductible in the same year.

But if you refinance to get a better rate and term or to use the money for something other than home improvements, such as college tuition, you’ll need to deduct the points over the term of the loan. Say you refi for a 10-year term and pay $3,000 in points. You can deduct $300 per year for 10 years.

So what happens if you refi again down the road?

Example: Three years after your first refi, you refinance again. Using the $3,000 in points scenario above, you’ll have deducted $900 ($300 x 3 years) so far. That leaves $2,400, which you can deduct in full the year you complete your second refi. If you paid points for the new loan, the process starts again; you can deduct the points over the term of the loan.

Home mortgage interest and points are reported on IRS Form 1098. You enter the combined amount on line 10 of Schedule A. If your 1098 form doesn’t indicate the points you paid, you should be able to confirm the amount by consulting your HUD-1 settement sheet. Then you record that amount on line 12 of Schedule A.

Energy tax credits

The energy tax credit of up to a lifetime $500 had expired in 2011. But the Feds extended it for 2012 and 2013. If you upgraded one of the following systems this year, it’s an opportunity for a dollar-for-dollar reduction in your tax liability: If you get the $500 credit, you pay $500 less in taxes.

Biomass stoves

Heating, ventilation, air conditioning

Insulation

Roofs (metal and asphalt)

Water heaters (non-solar)

Windows, doors, and skylights

Storm windows and doors

Varying maximums

Some of the eligible products and systems are capped even lower than $500. New windows are capped at $200 — and not per window, but overall. Read about the fine print in order to claim your energy tax credit.

Determine if the system is eligible. Go to Energy Star’s website for detailed descriptions of what’s covered. And talk to your vendor.

The product or system must have been installed, not just contracted for, in the tax year you'll be claiming it.

Save system receipts and manufacturer certifications. You’ll need them if the IRS asks for proof.

File IRS Form 5695 with the rest of your tax forms.

Vacation home tax deductions

The rules on tax deductions for vacation homes are complicated. Do yourself a favor and keep good records about how and when you use your vacation home.

If you’re the only one using your vacation home (you don’t rent it out for more than 14 days a year), you can deduct mortgage interest and real estate taxes on Schedule A.

Rent your vacation home out for more than 14 days and use it yourself fewer than 15 days (or 10% of total rental days, whichever is greater), and it’s treated like a rental property. Those expenses get deducted using Schedule E.

Rent your home for part of the year and use it yourself for more than 14 days and you have to keep track of income, expenses, and divide them proportionate to how often you used and how often you rented the house.

Home buyer tax credit

There were federal first-time home buyer tax credits in 2008, 2009, and 2010.

If you claimed the home buyer tax credit for a purchase made after April 8, 2008, and before Jan. 1, 2009, you must repay 1/15th of the credit over 15 years, with no interest.

If you used the tax credit in 2009 or 2010 and then sold your house or stopped using it as your primary residence, within 36 months of the purchase date, you also have to pay back the credit. Example: If you bought a home in 2010 and sold in 2012, you pay it back with your 2012 taxes.

That repayment rules are less rigorous for uniformed service members, Foreign Service workers, and intelligence community workers who get sent on extended duty at least 50 miles from their principal residence.

Members of the armed forces who served overseas got an extra year to use the first-time home buyer tax credit. If you were abroad for at least 90 days between Jan. 1, 2009, and April 30, 2010, and you bought your home by April 30, 2011, and closed the deal by June 30, 2011, you can claim your first-time home buyer tax credit.

The IRS has a tool you can use to help figure out what you owe.

Property tax deduction

You can deduct on Schedule A the real estate property taxes you pay. If you have a mortgage with an escrow account, the amount of real estate property taxes you paid shows up on your annual escrow statement.

If you bought a house in 2012, check your HUD-1 Settlement statement to see if you paid any property taxes when you closed the purchase of your house. Those taxes are deductible on Schedule A, too.

This article provides general information about tax laws and consequences, but shouldn’t be relied upon as tax or legal advice applicable to particular transactions or circumstances. Consult a tax professional for such advice; tax laws may vary by jurisdiction.

Insuring Your Biggest Possession

David Lee Morton (DL Morton Realty, Inc. (704)-909-0499) — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 05:54:26 -0800

Insuring Your Biggest Possession

For many home owners, real estate is the single biggest asset they have. Along with that comes a lot of extra time and care spent on the home, everything from mowing the lawn to paying property taxes. Home owners' insurance is one of those bits of upkeep that must be done to make sure that the significant investment you've made in your piece of real estate is protected.

Choosing a home owners' insurance package can seem like a standard bit of business but not all agents and not all insurance packages are created equal. There are a few things you should keep in mind when investigating insurance agencies and the kind of home insurance packages they offer.

Be Comprehensive
Don't settle for one quote from the biggest insurance agency you can think of. Big insurance agencies come with a lot of prestige and a strong track record, but those traits can sometimes translate into the ability to charge more for their services. Often times, there is a middle ground to be found where the reliability of the company is still sound but maybe it's not the biggest company on the block. Those types of companies can often represent good deals in home owners' insurance.

In addition, do not just settle for a company-specific agency. There are a vast number of independent insurance agents in every community free to offer you the best package for your situation, no matter what company may have it. Independent insurance agents only exist because of this advantage, so they are certainly worth doing homework on.

Don't Be Afraid Of Deductibles
Think about the kind of situation that would eventually call on you to invoke your new home owners' insurance. Is it the small repair that needs to be done after a minor accident or is it the large scale repairs needed after a tree falls on your garage? In many cases, you can get a discount on your premiums by agreeing to front more of the money yourself for any claim. By deciding to pay for small claims yourself without involving your insurance company, you can feel comfortable choosing a higher-deductible plan that saves you on your monthly premium.

Pile On The Discounts
Insurance of all types sees a whole slew of discounts for certain situations that make you less of an insurance risk. Just as car insurance companies will offer a discount to good drivers and students with strong grades, home owners' insurance companies sometimes offer discounts for features like security alarms and other safety-enhancing installations. Make sure you investigate those possibilities so that you can receive all of the discounts your home deserves.

Of course, combining different types of insurance under one carrier can also be a source of discount. Do not be afraid to get quotes on what a combined car insurance, home owners' insurance and life insurance package, for example, may cost from various providers. You can always switch your coverage and sometimes the savings seen through combining types of insurance packages is significant.

Researching home owners' insurance can sometimes seem like an arduous task and comparing packages that may have their own unique requirements can sometimes be difficult. However, by going through the process of collecting quotes from various agencies, you can get a good idea of the market for home owners' insurance on your home.

From there, go with the policy that offers you the best coverage at the most reasonable price with acceptable conditions. Every company is different and every insurance agent is difference. As with any stage of buying a home, make sure you feel comfortable with what is going on and always feel free to consult your realtor if you want a second opinion on a particular issue. The home buying process is an exciting procedure so don't let yourself get bogged down by home owners' insurance or anything other part of the process. Do your homework and you will come away with a policy that makes you feel secure in your new investment.

Pump Up Your Credit Score

David Lee Morton (DL Morton Realty, Inc. (704)-909-0499) — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 10:58:03 -0800

Pump Up Your Credit Score

Though the exact breakdowns of what credit score garners what interest rate vary from lender to lender, all will tell you that credit score does indeed play a role in the kind of financing you can receive. If you are interested in buying a home and taking out a mortgage to do so, your credit score must be something you spend some time thinking about and possibly investigating in order to make it better. The difference between two interest rate brackets can mean thousands of dollars of savings, so just how do you go about raising that score?

Know Your Credit History
Federal law has allowed every consumer the ability to pull their own credit report each year from all three of the accredited companies in the United States that offer credit history services. In doing so, you can look over your own credit history to possibly find errors, obstructions or other sticking points that a lending agency would see when they pull your file to investigate your viability for a real estate loan.

All of the loans, credit inquiries, credit cards and other outstanding debts you've accrued will show up on the credit history and anything that you see is something the lender may take into account when creating your rate. You do not harm your own credit by pulling your credit report each year, so don't be afraid of harming yourself by doing homework on your own credit worthiness.

Use Common Sense on Payments
There is no better advice for raising a credit score than paying your bills on time, in full, every month. That means paying your utility bills, credit card bills and loan payments every month, in full. It goes without saying that a history of missed payments will harm your credit, so don't let the temptation to hold off on paying that $300 credit car bill for one more month keep you between raising your credit score by a few points.

If you do carry a balance, and many people do, try to keep it out of the neighborhood of the limit for that particular card. By maxing out your cards, you are telling a lender that you have actively lived beyond your means and could be doing so again in applying for a loan. Keeping your balances under half of the maximum allowed by your card is generally advisable to show an ability to pay off your debts.

Don't Over Extend
If you go in and pull your credit history each year, that will not harm your credit and is called a "soft pull" because it has no bearing on your credit score. If lenders are continually pulling your credit history, those are "hard pulls" that do in fact affect your credit report.

A large number of inquiries into your credit history can indicate that you have tried to open a lot of credit in a short period of time, something that can make lenders squeamish about lending you money. These credit inquiries are done every time you apply for a credit card, so try and keep your new credit card applications to a minimum each year. These include the store credit cards that so many retailers are offering these days. The convenience of having an extra retailer-specific card should not outweigh your desire to get the best real estate loan rate possible when the time comes for a new home purchase.

Personal credit is an extremely important component to your ability to purchase anything with a high price tag, especially as it relates to a real estate purchase. Maintaining the best personal credit history possible goes a long way towards improving your credit score that any lender will see when pulling your file. When the time comes for you to embark upon the exciting process of buying a new home, don't let your personal credit be an obstacle. Maintain your personal credit score and you will set yourself up for the best interest rates for any loans you pursue.

Home and Garden!

David Lee Morton (DL Morton Realty, Inc. (704)-909-0499) — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 04:55:02 -0800

Start A Kitchen Herb Garden

There is nothing like fresh fruits and vegetables from your own garden to give your health and taste buds a treat. Starting a kitchen herb garden is a great and easy way to give your food the fresh taste of summer all year round, and it is easy and inexpensive, too!

Pick A Spot That Gets Good Light

Most herbs require a good amount of sunlight to grow, so choosing a spot where they get direct light is important to making sure your herbs flourish. If your kitchen doesn’t get sufficient light, consider moving your herbs to a room that gets better light or purchasing an indoor herb garden kit that has a grow lamp.

Choose A Good Selection Of Herbs

While there are great herb garden starter kits that offer a useful selection of herbs, if they are not herbs you use often in cooking they are probably not the best choice. Also be sure you choose herbs that are compatible with the kind of light available in your space.

Know The Right Conditions For Growth

As mentioned, herbs need a considerable amount of sunlight, but they also require rich moist soil to grow to their full potential. Having your indoor herb garden by the kitchen sink is ideal. Also, making sure the soil gets proper drainage by planting herbs in pots with draining holes and adding stones to the bottom can make a big difference.

To Fertilize Or Not

There are a number of resources on indoor herb gardens that recommend you use fertilizers to give your herbs the maximum growth potential. However, there are many great natural choices that will not affect the taste or nutritional value of your herbs, and are better for the environment.

A kitchen herb garden is a great way to boost the nutritional value and taste of your food, and will bring some of summer’s taste and feel into your home all year!

When Shoud I Rent or Buy?

David Lee Morton (DL Morton Realty, Inc. (704)-909-0499) — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 16:37:44 -0800

The line between buying and renting can often be a fine one for people just starting out and wondering which is right for them. The benefits of buying and the attractive prospect of having equity in a home often weigh against the less restrictive nature of renting and the deferred responsibility of home repairs through renting. Making the decision can depend on a variety of factors, but perhaps biggest among them are the general real estate appreciation seen in the area and the time you plan to be in the property.

Real estate market appreciation can be a difficult figure to tie down in regards to a particular area. A considerable amount of data and time is needed to properly do homework on the expected appreciation on a certain home. We have all heard stories about booming areas that have flattened out and seemingly depreciating areas turning around economic fortune.

Real estate appreciation plays a key part in the difference between buying and renting. A quick and dirty rule of thumb states that the cost of buying and then subsequently selling your home is about 10 percent of the purchase price of your home. That 10 percent encompasses things like closing fees, realtor commission and other associated costs. That 10 percent markup is something that needs to be made up for in real estate appreciation of value of the home. If your area does not appreciate by that amount, you probably will not make up the difference.

That rule plays into the second strong factor in deciding whether to buy or rent: the length of time you plan to stay in a particular town or home. If you need to see that 10 percent appreciation to just break even on the transaction costs of buying and selling your home, staying in the home for only a short while does not give the real estate much time to appreciate. The longer you stay in a home, the greater its odds of appreciating in value, ensuring that you not only cover that 10 percent, but then have built up equity in the home as well.

Though some people think that equity is an automatic feature of buying any home, that is not universally true and that comes down to time spent living in a home as well. When you buy, you pledge to pay not only the purchase price of the home but the interest payments on your mortgage as well. Over the first few years of payments, much of what you will be paying goes towards that interest amount and little goes towards paying down the principle, the purchase price of your home.

For those people that only plan to be in a particular town for a few years or even shorter, buying a home does not often make sense when renting offers the ability to perhaps pay less and escape some financial obligations on things like repairs and particular utilities, depending on your rental agreement.

Of course, cost of the area also plays a big part in the buying or renting decision. In some areas, you may be able to purchase a particular home and pay $1,400 for your mortgage payment, taxes and associated fees for a property that might otherwise rent for $800 or so. While I by no means suggest that cost is not an important factor by not including it in the two biggest factors contributing toward a buy or sell decision, time spent in a particular property can erase many of the cost fluctuations seen in a short-term stay at a property.

Of course, there will always be exceptions to every rule and your situation is unique to you. If you have buying or selling concerns during the home-buying process, consult a realtor or other real estate authority that can shed some light on the exact financial situation you are looking at in either situation. Realtors can provide to you estimated mortgage payments and other critical information that can give you a better foundation to make a decision from. It is important that you feel comfortable with your decision to buy or rent, so do the best homework possible to ensure a strong, confident dicision.

Are Foreclosures Worth The Risk?

David Lee Morton (DL Morton Realty, Inc. (704)-909-0499) — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 10:46:08 -0800

Are Foreclosures Worth The Risk?

Many home buyers and real estate investors have been prompted by steadily increasing interest rates to be more aggressive in their hunt for bargain homes. Competition for the best-priced and most attractive homes has only increased in most real estate markets and because of that intensity, foreclosures are drawing more and more interest from prospective home buyers and investors.

While foreclosures certainly offer some financial benefits, there are also risks involved, as you might expect. Not every foreclosure is the same and while the interest in them is growing, you need to be aware of what to look for when evaluating whether or not a foreclosure opportunist is right for you. Here are some things to look for.

Pre-Foreclosures
Pre-foreclosure properties can offer an attractive investment or home purchase opportunity to those willing to work for it. There exists a period of time in between when a home owner is notified that their loan is in default and when the bank actually seizes the home to put it on the market to recoup expenses. During that period of time, it is possible to purchase the home and satisfy financing requirements on it.

There are two negatives at play when going the pre-foreclosure rate and both discourage a majority of the potential investors that contemplate the pre-foreclosure route. One is the extremely brief period of time available to complete a deal. The period of time is regulated by individual states and usually consists of a couple months.

The other discouraging aspect is the necessity to deal with a home owner that is probably embarrassed by the foreclosure and may not even be aware that such information is made public. Knocking on a door or picking up a phone to contact someone that may not even be aware of pre-foreclosure purchases can be a difficult thing to do.

The Risky World Of Auctions
The best advice for those pondering auctions as a way to get in on foreclosed property is to simple not get involved at all. The risks are immense when dealing with a bank-run auction as you will most likely not have seen the house, have no way to protect yourself against title problems should they exist and must pay in cash.

That collection of traits discourages most investors and rightfully so. There is simply too much uncertainty when dealing with auctions to know for sure that the low sticker price is necessarily worth the hassle of going through title clean up issues and scraping together the cash for a purchase.

Foreclosed Homes
As the final step on a bank's path of foreclosure, the home is put up for sale on the real estate market, though often for at least close to its market value. Because a home has traveled through a variety of steps and banks are in no hurry to lose money on any loan, savings are often slim on foreclosed properties that make it to this step.

However, there are certainly positives. Most likely there will be at least some kind of discount off of the market price of a property, albeit slim and deals are much easier to put together. Real estate transactions more closely follow the format of common real estate transactions and offer similar protections.

So, as you go through the process of deciding to get involved with foreclosed property, make an effort to decide which step of the process you want to target. There are opportunities all along the path of foreclosed properties, but each step has its own pros and cons that must be weighed against potential benefits. Having a clear plan will save you headaches later as you complete the purchase.

Reply! Real Estate Leads

David Lee Morton (DL Morton Realty, Inc. (704)-909-0499) — Sun, 13 Jan 2013 18:24:38 -0800

Has anyone ever purchaesed leads from Reply! Real Estate? Did you have results?

Thanks,

David

Curb Appeal!

David Lee Morton (DL Morton Realty, Inc. (704)-909-0499) — Sun, 13 Jan 2013 16:39:44 -0800

The Ultimate Selling Buzz Word: Curb Appeal

Chances are, in the mind of a potential buyer, your home is not the unique gem that you might think see it as. It can be hard to understand that, but most homes have a pretty basic structure that might change from home to home but does not vary greatly overall. If you are aiming at creating that elusive buzz word, curb appeal, understanding that and playing up the strengths you do have can help you tremendously.

Curb appeal can help you cut through a lot of the hassle of selling your home buy motivating buyers to want your property before even setting foot inside the real estate. With a surplus of interested buyers, you can skip the process of even hiring a real estate agent and simply sell it to one of the interested parties that has demonstrated interest in your property.

So while curb appeal is an ever-changing characteristic, there are some basic things you can do to help your home show better and look better to everyone that drives by. These can be simple things like adding shutters around windows that might look out on to your porch and can be as complex as adding new products to the front of the home like a refurbished garage door or better looking porch railing.

Windows
Windows make up a lot of the expense of a home, but are sometimes neglected when it comes to dressing up your property for potential sale. Adding things like shutters to the exterior of your property or repainting trim on each window can make your home look words different. Paint especially is an inexpensive input for your property, so putting in a little manual labor can make a big difference in your curb appeal.

Landscaping
Landscaping is perhaps the aspect of a home that most people think of when they hear the term curb appeal. If your front lawn has gone with mowing and is chock full of weeds, you can guarantee that a buyer will have a slightly negative feeling about your home before ever setting foot in your real estate.

You can combine the landscaping and window aspects of your home by making sure that your bushes and other items are trimmed away from window beds. These may look like they were planted with good intentions when your home was built a few decades ago, but letting light into your property and showing off the amount of windows will ultimately do more to increase your curb appeal.

Walkways
Your driveway and other walkways that lead to your home serve as a visual line that grabs the buyer's eye and directs it toward your home. If a walkway or garage is full of holds and has not been cared for, this travel of the eye will only hurt the curb appeal of your property.

Take advantage of the way a buyer will look at your home and pay extra attention to the walkways and driveway. If you have some nice landscaping elements around a path to your home that might wind its way to your front door, you will have almost instant curb appeal and will set your home apart from the other 50 properties a buyer might be shown that day.

Common sense is the biggest asset when it comes to developing curb appeal. If something on the exterior of your home is broken or dirty, fix or clean it. If you drive by and wince at a particular eye sore in the front yard, remove it. Put yourself in a buyer's shoes and ask yourself what you would want to see when you drive up to your new home and what you wouldn't. Change accordingly and you will help yourself develop some elusive curb appeal.

Cut the Risk of Catching the Flu by 51%!

David Lee Morton (DL Morton Realty, Inc. (704)-909-0499) — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 15:43:09 -0800

An easy action that takes just 20 seconds can cut your risk for catching a cold, flu or other contagious diseases by up to 51 percent, recent studies show. And if everyone made it a regular habit, one million deaths a year would be prevented, according to the Centers for Disease Control, which calls this habit the single most important way to avoid spreading infection.

Frequent hand washing with soap and water can save you money—and misery—by helping you avoid medical bills, missed workdays, or having to stay home with a sick child. And you’ll also protect your friends and family: A CDC survey found that 40 million Americans a year fall prey to illnesses spread by hands, which can harbor up to 500,000 bacteria per square centimeter.

The 11 Germiest Places in Your Home

Clean Hands Save Lives

Not only does lathering up protect you from respiratory illnesses like colds, but it also helps ward off more serious conditions, including hepatitis A, meningitis, and potentially life-threatening superbug infections, such as MRSA. Overall, 80 percent of all infectious diseases are spread by touch.

Here are just a few research findings that illustrate the protective power of clean hands:

Kids who washed their hands four times a day had25 percent fewer school absences due to contagious diseases and 57 percent fewer sick days due to GI bugs.
When 40,000 Navy recruits were instructed to wash their hands five times a day, their rate of respiratory infections fell by 45 percent, according to a study published in American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
A 2011 study found that when students disinfected their hands three times a day with ethanol gel sanitizer, there was a 66 percent drop in pupils who missed four or more days due to illness and a 20 percent rise in students with zero absences, compared to data from the previous year.
Hand washing reduces risk for colds and other respiratory illnesses by 21 percent, according to the CDC.
Washing with soap and water lowers risk for diarrhea and severe or fatal intestinal infections by up to 59 percent, a systematic review published in Lancetreported.

At-Home Remedies that Really Work

Our Dirty Little Secrets

Ninety-one percent of Americans say they wash their hands after using a public toilet, but an observational study conducted in the six US airports found that only 26 percent of men and 17 percent of women actually did. And here’s something to ponder before you shake someone’s hand during cold and flu season: A recent survey also found that only 24 percent of men and 39 percent of women always wash their hands after they cough or sneeze.

Hand hygiene among doctors is even worse, with 73 percent of pediatric ICU physicians claiming that they soaped up between patients, but when the MDs were secretly observed, only 10 percent actually washed. If doctors and nurses were more diligent about hand hygiene, up to 80,000 Americans lives would be saved each year.

Experts caution patients to ask healthcare providers a simple question before any hands-on exam: “Did you wash your hands?” That’s important even if the provider is wearing gloves, reports Texas Health Resources Infection Control.

When to Wash Away Germs

To stay healthy and avoid spreading germs to others, the CDC and other experts advise washing your hands before and after preparing food, before eating, after changing diapers or using the toilet, after sneezing, coughing or blowing your nose, after touching an animal, and after touching garbage.

Follow these simple steps:

Wet your hands with clean, running water (warm or cold) and remove jewelry. A recent study compared bacteria counts on the hands of 50 healthcare workers who wore rings to 50 who didn’t. Hand washing lowered levels of staph bacteria by nearly 50 percent for those without rings, but only 29 percent among ring wearers.
Lather up with soap. Avoid antibacterial products, which don’t work any better than regular soap, according to the Mayo Clinic, and can even lead to bacteria becoming resistant to that antimicrobial ingredient.
Rub hands together for at least 20 seconds. To get the timing right, kids can recite the alphabet as they scrub. Pay equal attention to all surfaces of both hands: Research shows that righties don’t wash their right hand as carefully as the left, while the opposite is true for lefties. Fingernails and fingertips typically harbor the most microorganisms.
Rinse thoroughly under running water—the force of the stream sweeps dirt and germs down the drain. And be sure to dry well, which helps rub away remaining microbes. A study published in Epidemiology and Infection found that when people touched someone else with freshly washed, but damp hands, they transferred a whopping 68,000 microorganisms, compared to just 140 when their hands were dry.
The CDC says that while soap and water is best, hand sanitizers containing at least 60 percent alcohol can do in a pinch. However, they don’t eliminate all types of germs.

The Best Places to Visit for a Healthier You

New Home in Hunter Park, York SC!

David Lee Morton (DL Morton Realty, Inc. (704)-909-0499) — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 19:57:32 -0800

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A Friend, A Home, A Mortgage

David Lee Morton (DL Morton Realty, Inc. (704)-909-0499) — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 17:19:00 -0800

A Friend, A Home, A Mortgage

There comes a time over the course of any renter's time in a particular piece of real estate where it seems that the payments are providing a great stream of income for a landlord but little for you. Indeed, as incomes begin to creep up and the ability to handle at least a portion of a mortgage becomes a possibility, more and more renters are beginning to feel that way and enlist a friend to make their home ownership dreams happen.

There is a time in life where particular income levels can outgrow renting but perhaps be too small to take on a full mortgage. As a way to either bridge that gap or land a home above a single person's income level, friends are beginning to team up in greater numbers to operate as co-owners on a home. As with any real estate transaction, these deals require a bit of care and, more importantly, asking some tough questions of yourself and your prospective co-owner.

Why Do You Think Co-Ownership Is For You?
Everyone that ponders co-ownership needs to be sure about why it seems like a good idea. Problems can arise when you and your friend are not on the same page about the benefits you hope to see through co-ownership and that discord can harm the search for an actual home. Are you looking for tax benefits on the new property? Are you looking to upgrade your surroundings by sharing the mortgage burden? Are you hoping to build equity and sell the home in five years? These types of motivations are common and the only way to be sure that you and your prospective co-owner are on the same page is to go ahead and ask them. It may seem silly, but this step has to come before ever going to a showing or looking at an open house as your target will change based on what you are trying to accomplish.

What Happens If You Get That Dream Job Offer?
Any plan needs contingencies and getting involved with a co-owner is no different. What happens if you get the job offer of a lifetime in a different state? Discussion needs to take place about the possible options that face both of you if one of you decides to leave town. There are a number of options available should that occur.

Of course you can both go your separate ways and sell the house but sometimes this ruins your goal of building equity if that is what you set out to do. Another option is to buy out your friend and pursue someone else as a new co-owner. No matter what your decision, it should be made before ever getting involved in the transaction to ensure a seamless transition should the time come.

How Much Do I Trust You?
While it may seem crass to ask this in regards to how you feel about your prospective housemate, the fact of the matter remains that a significant portion of your financial future is tied up with this person. If you have doubts about whether your friend has the ability to make regular payments, that should send up a red flag and end the discussion there.

Often, the loans given in these types of situations make both parties entirely liable for the entirety of the loan. That means if your friend skips town without paying, your bank can hold you solely liable for the entire balance of the loan, not the half you planned on paying. Be sure of who you get involved with for co-ownership as it could save you financial headaches in the future.

Co-ownership can be a great way to solve the problem of wasting money on rent and wanting to build equity without the income level to do so. However, before ever traveling down that path, you need to ask you and your prospective housemate these questions to make sure that you aren't getting in over your head. Stay careful and you will ultimately find the right living situation for you.

Awesome Story to help keep your Marriage Healthy!

David Lee Morton (DL Morton Realty, Inc. (704)-909-0499) — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 17:46:02 -0800

Very Interesting....

MARRIED OR NOT, YOU SHOULD READ THIS ...

“When I got home that night as my wife served dinner, I held her hand and said, I’ve got something to tell you. She sa...t down and ate quietly. Again I observed the hurt in her eyes.

Suddenly I didn’t know how to open my mouth. But I had to let her know what I was thinking. I want a divorce. I raised the topic calmly. She didn’t seem to be annoyed by my words, instead she asked me softly, why?

I avoided her question. This made her angry. She threw away the chopsticks and shouted at me, you are not a man! That night, we didn’t talk to each other. She was weeping. I knew she wanted to find out what had happened to our marriage. But I could hardly give her a satisfactory answer; she had lost my heart to Jane. I didn’t love her anymore. I just pitied her!

With a deep sense of guilt, I drafted a divorce agreement which stated that she could own our house, our car, and 30% stake of my company. She glanced at it and then tore it into pieces. The woman who had spent ten years of her life with me had become a stranger. I felt sorry for her wasted time, resources and energy but I could not take back what I had said for I loved Jane so dearly. Finally she cried loudly in front of me, which was what I had expected to see. To me her cry was actually a kind of release. The idea of divorce which had obsessed me for several weeks seemed to be firmer and clearer now.

The next day, I came back home very late and found her writing something at the table. I didn’t have supper but went straight to sleep and fell asleep very fast because I was tired after an eventful day with Jane. When I woke up, she was still there at the table writing. I just did not care so I turned over and was asleep again.

In the morning she presented her divorce conditions: she didn’t want anything from me, but needed a month’s notice before the divorce. She requested that in that one month we both struggle to live as normal a life as possible. Her reasons were simple: our son had his exams in a month’s time and she didn’t want to disrupt him with our broken marriage.

This was agreeable to me. But she had something more, she asked me to recall how I had carried her into out bridal room on our wedding day. She requested that every day for the month’s duration I carry her out of our bedroom to the front door ever morning. I thought she was going crazy. Just to make our last days together bearable I accepted her odd request.

I told Jane about my wife’s divorce conditions. . She laughed loudly and thought it was absurd. No matter what tricks she applies, she has to face the divorce, she said scornfully.

My wife and I hadn’t had any body contact since my divorce intention was explicitly expressed. So when I carried her out on the first day, we both appeared clumsy. Our son clapped behind us, daddy is holding mommy in his arms. His words brought me a sense of pain. From the bedroom to the sitting room, then to the door, I walked over ten meters with her in my arms. She closed her eyes and said softly; don’t tell our son about the divorce. I nodded, feeling somewhat upset. I put her down outside the door. She went to wait for the bus to work. I drove alone to the office.

On the second day, both of us acted much more easily. She leaned on my chest. I could smell the fragrance of her blouse. I realized that I hadn’t looked at this woman carefully for a long time. I realized she was not young any more. There were fine wrinkles on her face, her hair was graying! Our marriage had taken its toll on her. For a minute I wondered what I had done to her.

On the fourth day, when I lifted her up, I felt a sense of intimacy returning. This was the woman who had given ten years of her life to me. On the fifth and sixth day, I realized that our sense of intimacy was growing again. I didn’t tell Jane about this. It became easier to carry her as the month slipped by. Perhaps the everyday workout made me stronger.

She was choosing what to wear one morning. She tried on quite a few dresses but could not find a suitable one. Then she sighed, all my dresses have grown bigger. I suddenly realized that she had grown so thin, that was the reason why I could carry her more easily.

Suddenly it hit me… she had buried so much pain and bitterness in her heart. Subconsciously I reached out and touched her head.

Our son came in at the moment and said, Dad, it’s time to carry mom out. To him, seeing his father carrying his mother out had become an essential part of his life. My wife gestured to our son to come closer and hugged him tightly. I turned my face away because I was afraid I might change my mind at this last minute. I then held her in my arms, walking from the bedroom, through the sitting room, to the hallway. Her hand surrounded my neck softly and naturally. I held her body tightly; it was just like our wedding day.

But her much lighter weight made me sad. On the last day, when I held her in my arms I could hardly move a step. Our son had gone to school. I held her tightly and said, I hadn’t noticed that our life lacked intimacy. I drove to office…. jumped out of the car swiftly without locking the door. I was afraid any delay would make me change my mind…I walked upstairs. Jane opened the door and I said to her, Sorry, Jane, I do not want the divorce anymore.

She looked at me, astonished, and then touched my forehead. Do you have a fever? She said. I moved her hand off my head. Sorry, Jane, I said, I won’t divorce. My marriage life was boring probably because she and I didn’t value the details of our lives, not because we didn’t love each other anymore. Now I realize that since I carried her into my home on our wedding day I am supposed to hold her until death do us apart. Jane seemed to suddenly wake up. She gave me a loud slap and then slammed the door and burst into tears. I walked downstairs and drove away. At the floral shop on the way, I ordered a bouquet of flowers for my wife. The salesgirl asked me what to write on the card. I smiled and wrote, I’ll carry you out every morning until death do us apart.

That evening I arrived home, flowers in my hands, a smile on my face, I run up stairs, only to find my wife in the bed -dead. My wife had been fighting CANCER for months and I was so busy with Jane to even notice. She knew that she would die soon and she wanted to save me from the whatever negative reaction from our son, in case we push through with the divorce.— At least, in the eyes of our son—- I’m a loving husband….

The small details of your lives are what really matter in a relationship. It is not the mansion, the car, property, the money in the bank. These create an environment conducive for happiness but cannot give happiness in themselves.

So find time to be your spouse’s friend and do those little things for each other that build intimacy. If you are not in a relationship now, remember this for the second (or third) time around. It's never too late.

If you don’t share this, nothing will happen to you.

If you do, you just might save a marriage. Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up. ♥

Enhance Your Investment For Sale

David Lee Morton (DL Morton Realty, Inc. (704)-909-0499) — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 17:14:14 -0800