HOME DESIGN TURNOFFS

Before putting your home up for sale, it pays to take a good look around. Is your home décor out of date? Will it appeal to prospective buyers, or send them running out the door?

Barbara Ballinger, architecture coach and columnist for the Style, Staged and Sold blog, says that while vintage features may appeal to some buyers, they could cost you a sale. Here are a few designs that could turn off potential buyers.

· Excessively bold or dark paint or tile colors, such as deep plum or jet black

· Walls painted with lacquered or high-gloss finish, faux- and sponge-painted walls, and wallpaper

· Worn, cracked laminate countertops and backsplashes

· Outdated bathrooms with small sinks, short toilets, squat bathtubs and tight shower spaces

· Stained and worn wall-to-wall carpet or worn linoleum

· Bedrooms decorated with a theme that is incorporated through the carpeting, walls, ceilings, light fixtures and furnishings

· Too many mirrored walls, ceilings and doors in a single room

· Ceilings with too many recessed lighting spots

UNDER LOCK AND KEY

While many homeowners say home security is a priority, they may not be taking the necessary precautions with their keys and locks. A recent survey by Kwikset, which manufactures locks and hardware for residential homes, finds that 47 percent of homeowners did not change or re-key their locks when they first moved in to their home, and nearly one-third have never changed or rekeyed their locks. More than half of homeowners surveyed also say they routinely loan house keys to friends or contractors, increasing the chance that the keys could fall into the wrong hands and be copied. Home security experts at American Lock and Key offer several tips to help you secure access to your home.

· Don’t hide keys in obvious places, such as under an exterior floor mat or a planter. Most burglars know the most common places to hide keys. If you must hide them, keep keys stored in a secured key box.

· Keep keys separate from your address, so if they are ever lost or stolen, no one can identify where they belong.

· Immediately change or re-key the locks when you move to a new home. A locksmith may charge $40 to $100 or more to re-key locks or, if you prefer to do it yourself, re-key kits are available at hardware stores for less than $20.

· Keep garage doors secure, especially those that connect to the house from inside the garage and doors leading to the garage from outside. Use a padlock to secure the inside of the garage door.

· Keep windows locked, especially on the home’s lower level where they can be an attractive target for criminals.

For all of my personal security lock and key needs as well as my business needs I use Gary Beaver with Bay to Beaches. Great service, great prices and when he’s done the sense of security feels great! Gary can be reached at (415) 388-9020.

Helping Unemployed Homeowners

Unemployed homeowners who are struggling to pay their mortgage may be eligible to receive financial assistance through two new federal foreclosure-prevention programs facilitated by the U.S. Treasury Department and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The Treasury Department has made $2 billion of additional assistance available through the Housing Finance Agency’s (HFA) Hardest Hit Fund to help homeowners who are struggling to make their mortgage payments due to unemployment.

HUD also announced a $1 billion Emergency Homeowners Loan Program to assist homeowners who are at risk of foreclosure and have experienced reduced income due to job loss, underemployment or a medical condition for up to 24 months.

To qualify for this program, borrowers must meet the following criteria:

· They are at least three months delinquent on their mortgage payments and have a reasonable likelihood of being able to resume repayment within two years.

· The mortgage must be for the borrower’s principal residence.

· Borrowers may not own a second home.

· Borrowers must demonstrate a good payment record prior to the event that produced the loss of income.

Seventeen states and the District of Columbia which had an unemployment rate at or above the national average over the past 12 months are eligible to receive assistance under the Hardest Hit Fund. States will use the funds to develop programs that provide temporary mortgage assistance to eligible homeowners while they continue to seek employment or get job training. Eligible states include: Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Mississippi, Nevada, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee and Washington, D.C.

For more information about
these programs, visit
http://www.hud.gov/

"Oh, by the way… If you know of someone thinking of buying or selling real estate, who would appreciate the kind of service I offer, I’d love to help them. So, as these people come to mind, just give me a call with their name and business number. I’ll be happy to follow up and tend to their needs."

Tips on Holiday Tipping

There are no hard and fast rules on holiday tipping, experts say. How much to tip, or whether to tip at all, depends on several factors, including the quality and frequency of service, the relationship you have with the provider, how long they have worked for you, where you live (since amounts can be higher in large cities), and your budget.

The Emily Post Institute offers the following guidelines for holiday tipping, but also advises consumers to let common sense and the holiday spirit be your guide. If financial circumstances limit what you can give, a handwritten note is always appropriate.

• Babysitter – One evening’s pay, plus a small gift from your child
• Barber/Hair stylist – Cost of one haircut or a gift
• Child’s teacher – Check the school’s policy. If allowed, give a small token gift of appreciation, not cash
• Day care providers – $25 to $70 each, plus a small gift from your child for providers who give direct care to your child(ren)
• Dog walker – One week’s pay or a gift
• Personal fitness trainer – Up to the cost of one session
• Housekeeper/maid service – Up to one week’s pay or a gift
• Doorman – $15 to $80
• Garage attendant – $10 to $30 each
• Letter carriers – Gift up to $20, no cash per U.S. Post Office regulations
• Massage therapist – Up to one session’s fee or a gift
• Handyman service – $15 to $40
• Real Estate Agent – One or two referrals of people you know who will buy or sell a property in the next 30 days