Merry Christmas

From Heidi's home to your home, HAVE A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!

A New Home For Christmas

A new home for Christmas is a gift that will last a lifetime! 



Contact Heidi Buchberger RE/MAX Realty Center to purchase a new home this Christmas! 

How Long Does It Take To Save A Down Payment?

n a recent study conducted by Builder.com, researchers determined that nationwide it would take “nearly eight years” for a first-time buyer to save enough for a down payment on their dream home.

Depending on where you live, median rents, incomes and home prices all vary. By determining the percentage a renter spends on housing in each state and the amount needed for a 10% down payment, they were able to establish how long (in years) it would take for an average resident to save.

According to the study, residents in South Dakota are able to save for a down payment the quickest in just under 3.5 years. Below is a map created using the data for each state:

What if you only needed to save 3%?

What if you were able to take advantage of one of the Freddie Mac or Fannie Mae 3% down programs? Suddenly saving for a down payment no longer takes 5 or 10 years, but becomes attainable in under two years in many states as shown in the map below.

Bottom Line

Whether you have just started to save for a down payment, or have been for years, you may be closer to your dream home than you think! Meet with a local real estate professional who can help you evaluate your ability to buy today.

Credit: Keeping Current Matters

Home Equity Increasing as Home Prices Rise

  Some Highlights:

• 91.9% of homes in the US have positive equity
• 256,000 homes regained equity in the third quarter of 2015
• 37.5 million homes have significant equity (defined as more than 20%)

10 Houseplants You Can't Kill

Stock your home with these agreeable, hearty specimens and all your friends will be jealous of your green thumb.

• Aspidistra
• Bromeliads

 

Variety of Flower Colors

• Fiddle Leaf Fig
• Haworthia
• Parlor palm
• Pothos
• Rhipsalis
• Snake plant

 

Snake Plant & ZZ Plant Co-Exhist Happily!

• Yucca
• ZZ Plant

Credit- STEVE ASBELL

8 Mistakes that Decrease Your Home's Value

8 Mistakes that Decrease Your Home's Value
 
Keeping up your home’s curb appeal shows more than pride of ownership. It shows respect for your neighbors. When or if you decide to sell, a well-maintained home means it will sell faster and likely for top dollar. Similarly, maintaining your home’s interior is likely to pay off in the end.

Real estate experts told House Beautiful Magazine these eight missteps could cost you in the long run:

Landscaping without thinking ahead – Trees planted too close to the house or driveway without much thought about how big they will get can cause major problems later – like roots causing breaks in the pavement or interfering with sewer or water lines.

Letting the entryway languish – Unkempt shrubbery around the front entry, or a door that needs updating makes people wonder what else has been let go inside.

Choosing funky paint colors – Don’t choose an exterior paint color that is too far afield of neighbor homes and stay away from contrasting trim colors that distract instead of attract the eye.

Neglecting the small stuff – Watch out for dirty windows, torn screens or broken light fixtures that show a distinct lack of care.

Hanging on to old appliances – Pay attention to the age and quality of your kitchen appliances. A stovetop that is too old and scratched to be cleaned properly is a turn-off. In addition, appliances that aren’t energy-savers are costing too much money to run.

Skipping a deep clean – Details matter when it comes to home care. Look out for dirt in the window tracks, dirty grout in the tile or badly stained carpets.

Thinking too small – A small bathroom will seem smaller when tiled with small tiles than with larger ones. Peruse dêcor magazines for ideas that help to open your space.

Neglecting wood floors – Water and vinegar dulls them over time. If you can’t afford to refinish them, have them buffed every few years.

Copyright© 2015 RISMedia

10 Everyday Habits to Make Any Small Space Dweller Happier at Home

Alana's Brooklyn Railroad

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There are plenty of habits everyone should adopt to keep a home reasonably clean and tidy. Here are ten worth practicing in any size home, but especially vital for people living in small spaces when even a small amount of clutter can make your home look and feel messy.

1. Make your bed each morning. In a small room, the bed may take up half the space or more so if it's not made it will look unkempt even if everything else is in order.
2. Take care of your dishes as soon as you're done with them. If you have a dishwasher, put them in it. If you don't, try to wash them right away or, at the very least put them in the sink. Keeping counters clear in a small kitchen is key.
3. Process your paper mail each day. Small space living is a constant fight against "piles". Try to deal with your mail soon after you bring it in—recycle, file, shred, etc.—so you don't end up with even a small pile (which is always a slippery slope).
4. Digitize as much as you can. If you have a piece of paper that *might* be important, but you're not sure—take a photo of it and then recycle it.
5. Straighten as you go. Get in the habit of straightening and returning things to their homes as you walk around your home. Gabbing on the phone? This is an ideal time to do some straightening.

Christina's Sunny South Austin Digs

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6. Put your coat and bag away as soon as you get home. Don't drape them on a chair or leave them on a table. As my husband likes to say "don't put it down, put it away."
7. Deal with in-store or online returns as soon as you can. Don't let boxes or packages or items clutter up your space and don't take the risk that you will lose receipts and other documentation.
8. Break down unwanted cardboard boxes immediately and take them outside to recycle as soon as you can.
9. Cook from your pantry. How many half boxes of pasta are in your cabinet? Or cans of beans you bought for a recipe and never used? Be vigilant about using stuff up before your cabinets are a complete jumble.
10. Put your clothes away each night before bed. Don't let them accumulate at the end of your bed, on a chair or, the worst, on the floor.

Do you have any useful habits in your small home to defend against clutter and mess?

(Image credits: Sherrie and Oliver ; Kate Bowie Carruth )