estero homes: Scoping Out a Neighborhood
- 09/02/15 10:21 PM
Homebuyers enter the process with one of two mindsets. There are those who know what kind of house they want – the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, the type of kitchen and maybe whether or not they want a yard. Then there are those who knowwhere they want to live, such as a specific school district or neighborhood, but haven't completed a wish list of home features. Seldom does a homebuyer tell her real estate agent that she wants a "three-bedroom, two-bathroom home with a gourmet kitchen, a fireplace and a pool in the backyard, located on J Street in the Mountain Shadows neighborhood." While … (1 comments)
estero homes: The Good Faith Estimate, Defined
- 05/04/15 03:57 AM
The Good Faith Estimate, Defined One of the most confusing aspects of the process for first-time homebuyers is the mortgage. Common homebuyer questions include: Where to get one, how to get one, and what does all that jargon mean? Advice abounds, especially on the Internet. One common tip is that you should compare offers from lenders before settling on one – and that's good advice. Each lender that you visit will provide you with a form known as the Good Faith Estimate (GFE). By law, they must provide you with a GFE within three business days of receiving your application. This form contains all … (0 comments)
estero homes: Much Ado About Mulch
- 04/13/15 03:38 AM
Much Ado About Mulch: Everything Homeowners Need To Know Mulch was nature's idea long before it became man's. Fallen leaves, pine needles, rotting wood and vegetation, decaying flowers, ripe fruit, rocks rising to the Earth's surface – the environment naturally produces and disperses "mulch," adding a protective coating to the ground. Knowing the various types of mulch and understanding how best to use them will enable you to assist Mother Nature and easily beautify your lawn and garden. Why Should You Mulch?Mulching your soil might just be the most important thing you can do for your property – not only for the earth itself, … (0 comments)
Whether you work from home or are simply interested in a dedicated space to manage the monthly bills, respond to emails, or work with your children on schoolwork, crafting an environment based on personal needs can be accomplished regardless of the space available. Create a home office with your specific design needs in mind. Keep it Bright and Vivid You need to be alert and attentive while in your home office. Consider a bright color scheme utilizing white as a backdrop and vivid shades of orange, pink or yellow that support energy and optimism. If you have … (1 comments)
estero homes: Baby Boomers must choose: Rent or Buy?
- 10/03/14 05:24 AM
There was a time when nobody had doubts about the value of owning a home. It was considered an incredible long-term investment and ideal for retirement. Today we know that real estate isn't as safe as we once thought it was, at least as a short-term investment, and Americans, young and old, are leery of sinking their life savings into a home as an investment. Knowing this, will owning a home help you retire? That depends on a number of factors, including when you purchase the home. If you buy the home in advance of retirement, when you have the time to … (2 comments)
estero homes: The Money Pit: How to Avoid Buying One
- 09/29/14 11:52 PM
Caution: Money Pit Dead Ahead During the Great Recession a few agos, deferred maintenance was everywhere here in the Greater Fort Myers area. One of the terms you may frequently hear, especially from your agent and home inspector, is "deferred maintenance." Deferred maintenance is, simply, the putting off of routine home maintenance. Whether because of procrastination or lack of funds, many homeowners fail to perform the tasks that a house requires to remain in good condition. Below I am showing a small commercial structure I rehabbed myself before moving a branch into downtown Cape Coral, Florida. When we got … (0 comments)
estero homes: Greater Fort Myers Area Design Tip #5.
- 09/09/14 12:59 AM
Design Tips for Your Children's Playroom When designing a playroom for your children, there are some key factors to consider. This is a room where your children will learn, grow and flourish both physically and socially. It's important to craft an inspirational, fun and safe environment. Combine these elements to create a playful, carefree environment in your home. Color & Theme Consider your child's personality and preferences – and embrace them! Use vivid and bold colors such as red, blue, green, pink or yellow. Use them as your primary wall color, or go with a more neutral shade and accent with these hues. … (11 comments)
estero homes: 10 Projects to "Green" Your Home.
- 09/07/14 11:41 PM
10 Projects to "Green" Your Home "Going green" means living in a way that's environmentally friendly. It uses less water, less electricity, and less fuel, conserving natural resources while protecting the environment. It also saves money on utility bills, which is something all homeowners can appreciate. From simple to elaborate, here are a few ways to green your house and property.
Focus On the Light Replacing your most-used light bulbs with CFLs will lower your electric bill while producing less heat and lasting longer than your incandescent bulbs. While you're at it, consider adding dimmer switches, motion sensors, and timers … (4 comments)
estero homes: 3 Things to Consider Before Buying a Fort Myers Town Home.
- 09/07/14 11:33 PM
3 Things to Consider Before Buying a Fort Myers Area Town House Have you ever noticed how the terms "town house" and "condo" are sometimes used interchangeably? This is most likely because both types of housing structures may be governed by homeowners associations. That, however, is where the similarity between the two ends. Comparing condos with town houses is akin to comparing apples and oranges. When most consumers hear the word "condo," they picture a unit in a larger structure. For the most part, this is accurate. The problem, though, is that "condominium" is actually a form of ownership, not a … (1 comments)
estero homes: Selling Your Home: 3 Must-Knows Before You List
- 09/07/14 11:19 PM
Selling Your Home: 3 Must-Knows Before You List Sometimes the hardest part of selling a home is making the decision to sell it. Our homes give us roots, provide sanctuary, house memories and, hopefully, give us some financial security. It's a huge decision to sell a home. Once made, however, additional decisions will come fast and furious, so take some time now, before the frenzy, to understand three salient points about the successful sale of a home in today's real estate marketplace. Cape Coral, Fort Myers, and Sanibel homes sell quickly so you must be preapred. What is Market Value? One … (6 comments)
Social media facts I took from reputable sites: • On average, in the course of a year, we will share 415 pieces of content on Facebook; we’ll spend an average of about 23 minutes a day on Twitter, tweeting a total of around 15,795 tweets; we’ll check in 563 times on Foursquare; upload 196 hours of video on YouTube, and send countless emails. • Facebook now has over 1 billion active users. That means that one out of every seven people in the world has a presence … (1 comments)
Recently, I decide to try to grow my company so I thought that I would pursue some fresh new digital content. Up to this point I made my own and created a YouTube Channel to house the media items. From there I could post on Facebook, ActiveRain, LinkedIn, etc. First I needed to find an affordable souce. I surveyed YouTube looking for good examples and finally discovered a small local company that fit my budget. Here are 3 pieces that were made for me at a cost of $4500 total. The project took two weeks and I … (2 comments)
estero homes: How to Avoid Buying a Money Pit
- 07/02/14 01:12 AM
Evidence of Deferred Maintenance Ah, real estate lingo. Get ready to learn a whole new language as you go through the real estate transaction. One of the terms you may frequently hear, especially from your agent and home inspector, is "deferred maintenance." Deferred maintenance is, simply, the putting off of routine home maintenance. Whether because of procrastination or lack of funds, many homeowners fail to perform the tasks that a house requires to remain in good condition. before after For instance, failing to replace a cracked or broken wax … (13 comments)
estero homes: Can Pets Hurt a Home Sale?
- 07/02/14 12:58 AM
Can Pets Hurt a Home Sale? Dogs do the darndest things when they're bored. Take Squishy, for instance. Lauren came home late one night from her job as a nurse to find that Squishy –her usually well-mannered dog – had torn her sofa to shreds, right down to the woody skeleton. Wading through the chunks of foam and scraps of distressed leather, she noticed something else: Squishy had enough time to not only disassemble the sofa but also to chew up the living room baseboards. While a ruined sofa won't impact a home's value, gnarled-on baseboards most definitely will.
Americans … (1 comments)
estero homes: Creating a Garden Your Kids Will Love
- 06/02/14 02:25 AM
Creating a Garden Your Kids Will Love Gardens don't have to be off-limits to children. In fact, creating a designated garden area for your kids can provide hours of fun as well as opportunities for learning. If you have limited space, allocating even a small garden bed for your child to care for can give him a sense of accomplishment and an ongoing project that changes with the seasons. Here are some tips for creating a garden space that works for children and grown-ups alike.
Make the Garden Interactive A garden space for kids is not something to be admired … (7 comments)
Most real estate agents have tales of clients who just can't seem to look beyond a home's minor flaws, be they ratty floors or sagging screens. Then, there are those clients who can envision the possibilities of a house that's seemingly being held up by a prayer. If you fall into the latter category but are short on cash, here's a solution: a government-backed loan that covers not only the purchase price of the home, but the cost to rehab it as well. It's a loan provided by … (4 comments)
estero homes: Chemical-Free Weed Prevention Tactics
- 06/02/14 02:03 AM
Chemical-Free Weed Prevention Tactics If there's one thing all gardeners hate, it is weeds. Fortunately, there are a number of chemical-free tactics you can use to control weeds in your garden. And in the long run, most of them will be cheaper than spending money on toxic, synthetic chemical weed controls. A weed, by definition, is any plant that grows in a place where it's not wanted. With that thought in mind, let's discuss some weed prevention tactics.
Prevent Weeds Naturally With Other Plants If you want chemical-free weed control, plant other plants. That's right. Plant the plants that you … (0 comments)
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Conventional FHA Alternatives The changes in FHA-backed financing have many homebuyers seeking an alternative and, although it's been around since 2006, Fannie Mae's My Community Mortgage Program's time has come. This is a conventional loan product, ideal for first-time homebuyers lacking a large down payment and with limited credit histories. With flexible underwriting and a 3 percent down payment requirement, My Community Mortgage is a lower-cost alternative to FHA in many instances. "Say you want to buy a $180,000 house and you don't have much cash for a down payment," hypothesizes George Souto, … (0 comments)
estero homes: Chemical Free Weed Prevention?
- 05/19/14 04:24 AM
Chemical-Free Weed Prevention Tactics If there's one thing all gardeners hate, it is weeds. Fortunately, there are a number of chemical-free tactics you can use to control weeds in your garden. And in the long run, most of them will be cheaper than spending money on toxic, synthetic chemical weed controls. A weed, by definition, is any plant that grows in a place where it's not wanted. With that thought in mind, let's discuss some weed prevention tactics.
Prevent Weeds Naturally With Other Plants If you want chemical-free weed control, plant other plants. That's right. Plant the plants that you … (3 comments)
estero homes: Good Credit but No Down Payment? There's a Loan for That!
- 05/19/14 04:01 AM
So, Warren Buffet spends more on dinner than you make in a month, and you've never required the services of an investment banker, but you have good credit and you long to own your own home. What if we told you that there is a mortgage loan program out there for people just like you and (here's the best part) it requires no down payment? Despite what you may have been hearing in the media about lenders tightening their belts and mortgage requirements becoming more stringent, the USDA offers a zero-down mortgage for folks who don't make gobs of money.
Homebuyers enter the process with one of two mindsets. There are those who know what kind of house they want – the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, the type of kitchen and maybe whether or not they want a yard. Then there are those who knowwhere they want to live, such as a specific school district or neighborhood, but haven't completed a wish list of home features.
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