Starter Home Near Airport, Earthquake Park, desirable location for First Time Homebuyers

  When the littlest member of your family gets close to becoming mobile, it’s time to baby-proof. Some people might enlist the help of a professional, but many take on the task themselves. If you’re a do-it-yourselfer then below are some tasks to get you started!   Place baby gates at the top and bottom of stairs. Cover all sharp corners of furniture, counters, and cabinets with bumpers or padding. Insert safety plugs in all outlets or switch over to self closing outlet covers. Install blind cord wraps next to any windows with dangling cords. Add safety locks to all toilets. Lock cabinets and drawers in the bathrooms and kitchen. Secure furniture that can easily tip over, like bookshelves, TV stands, end tables, and sets of drawers, by anchoring them to the wall. Add pinch guards on the side of the doors. Install door knob or lever covers. Cover stove knobs and install an oven door lock. Purchase garbage cans with lids that lock. Mount your TVs on the wall and tuck away any lo...

  As a homeowner, costs can really start to add up, so it never hurts to take measures to help you reduce your monthly utility bills. Below are a few ways to do just that! Electricity Bill:  Saving money on your electricity bill can be done multiple ways.  Some easy changes include running appliances, like the stove, dishwasher, washing machine, and dryer, at night, opting to air dry clothes, or cooking meals in a crockpot or toaster oven. Set aside time throughout the year to inspect the areas around doors and windows and seal any cracks with caulk or weather stripping.  Additionally, make sure to unplug electronics when not in use or use a power strip to turn them all off at once. Water Bill:  Your monthly water bill can sneak up on you, but small changes can be made to cut costs. Install WaterSense-certified faucets and shower heads and convert toilets to low flow to reduce the amount of water used. Make sure to regularly check toilets and sinks for leaks and...

  Lighting is such a crucial aspect of your home and can affect the ambiance, energy, and vibe in each room. However, sifting through the various styles, bulbs, and placement options can feel overwhelming. Here are a few tips to get you started! 1. There are three different types of lighting. Ambient lighting (or general lighting) fills the room, accent lighting is used to highlight something, such as art, and task lighting is used to help you complete various tasks, such as desk lamps and vanity lights. It’s recommended you have at least two types in each room. 2. Start with selecting task and accent lighting in each room. Many times, the combination of these two provide enough light in a room so overhead lighting may not be needed. 3. To ensure lighting fixtures will mesh well together, try placing images of the fixtures on a Word document to see the full picture before purchasing. 4. Light bulb selection is equally important as fixture selection. By choosing incandescent or halo...

  Before finalizing your home purchase, one crucial step in the process is the home inspection, during which a licensed inspector looks at the structure, plumbing, electrical, HVAC, and more. Here are 5 common home issues inspectors keep an eye out for. 1. Faulty electrical systems. Out-of-date electrical systems, lack of adequate power supply, faulty circuit breakers, or exposed wiring can spell disaster for a home. Inspectors can sniff these issues out and recommend repairs to ensure the home is wired safely and properly. 2. Poor drainage. If the home has landscaping that causes water to drain towards the home, it can cause foundation shifts or cracks, wet crawl spaces, mold, and rot. This can be incredibly costly to correct, so it’s important to determine this before going through with the home purchase. 3. Leaks. Inspectors look for leaks in the roof to ensure there are no damaged shingles, gutters, flashing, or other issues. They also look for any possible causes of plumbing l...

  Purchasing a home comes with many tangible and intangible benefits. One that is commonly overlooked until the start of the year rolls around is the deductions you get on your taxes. As a homeowner, you’re likely able to deduct most, if not all, of your home mortgage interest resulting in a lower tax bill. Interest paid on a loan that was used to buy, build, or complete substantial renovations on your primary or secondary home falls into the deductible mortgage interest bucket. The property can be a house, apartment, condominium, mobile home, house trailer, or co-op. The amount of interest you can deduct does cap out at $750,000, although most homeowners do not reach that threshold. At the end of each tax year, your lender will provide you with a mortgage interest statement, or Form 1098, that states the total amount of interest paid for that year. You are responsible for reporting an accurate total of interest paid when you file. This requires you to itemize your taxes. If you ha...

  Here are the top 5 tips for when you're a first-time homebuyer. 1. Ignoring routine maintenance. Ignoring routine upkeep and maintenance, such as prepping your pipes for winter, clearing gutters,  and filling cracks near doors and walls, can cause big issues down the line. Make sure to budget both time and money for these tasks. 2. Hiring the cheapest option. If you have a job that requires a professional, don't always opt for the cheapest option. Make sure to get several estimates for the work and look for online reviews. Once you do your research, select the professional you think will do the best job. 3. Not knowing your property boundaries. During the closing, you may receive a survey of your home and property, however, it's crucial you know exactly where your property lines are. Outline this before you start planting or building fences or structures. 4. Neglecting the exterior of your home. Once you move in, it's easy to focus your energy on the interior. But don...

  Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the real estate market continues to trend upward. According to analytics firm CoreLogic, in November, home prices were up 8.2% year over year. Interestingly, Idaho (15.7%), Maine (15.4%), and Indiana (13.6%) were the states with the highest increases. Plus, this past year saw record low interest rates, which is certainly a driving factor in the current hot real estate market. While this is great news for existing homeowners, it has posed some difficulties for lower income individuals to afford homes. One major challenge facing the industry is inventory for would-be buyers is at a 12-month low. According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), inventory nationwide is down to a 2.1 month supply. This is a 30% decrease in available homes for sale from the same time period last year. Most real estate professionals consider a six-month supply of homes a healthy balance between a buyer and seller market. This low supply, or low inventory, generally...