Designing with Your Teen: Bedroom Décor

It's time to put away the beloved character comforters and sheets - your little girl or boy is no longer a child. The switch from cartoon characters to a more mature bedroom décor can be a smooth experience for both parent and child.

When tweens enter the full-fledged teen years they yearn for independence. They want control and decision-making privileges. It might be scary to imagine teenagers choosing their own paint colors, furniture, and decorations, but with a strong design plan this process doesn't have to be intimidating.

Get Inspired With a Design Board

Teen bedrooms can be mature but still have an element of fun. Their décor can reflect their interests in sports and hobbies in a stylish, organized way. Creating a design or inspiration board is the perfect way to find a happy medium between what parents want and what teenagers want. Choosing the perfect design elements will create a space that fosters confidence and self-expression while avoiding clutter.

The design board should include everything that will go into the bedroom. Not only should it have pictures of furniture and paint and fabric swatches, it should also include details like lighting fixtures and accessories. One to create the board is to cut out pictures from magazines and glue them to a paper poster board. Your teens can also search online for pictures that can be printed out and affixed to the board. Another option is to copy and paste pictures from websites like Pinterest and Tumblr to a blank document on your computer. Once the design board is made, parents and teens can go over it together to be sure both parties agree on the design plan.

Choosing Colors

Don't be caught off guard if your teen chooses an outrageous color like bright pink or black. Bold, funky colors can be a fantastic outlet for their personalities. If you can't deal with all the walls being drenched in an over-the-top color, use the wild color as an accent on a single wall, a border, or as a pattern throughout the room. Another option is to use a more subtle color for the walls and brighter or bolder fabrics and accessories throughout the room.

Bedroom Furniture

Beds, dressers, entertainment centers, desks, nightstands and bookcases are often part of a teen's bedroom décor. If all of these pieces are too much for the size of the space, then consider picking dual-purpose furniture, like a workspace that includes shelving or an entertainment center that houses a television and has shelves for books and accessories. You may want to forego the dressers for under-bed drawers to keep clothing neatly stored. Installing a closet organization system is another way to store everything from clothes to shoes, bags, coats, and accessories.

One thing you don't want to skimp on is shelf space. Shelves are great places to display books, but they are also perfect for displaying trophies, photo frames, and more. When purchasing basic furniture like the bed and nightstand, consider the future use of each piece. Will the furniture be staying long after your teen graduates from college, or will your child be using the furniture to fill a college dorm or first apartment? This will help you decide how much money to invest in the furniture as well as what style options are most appropriate.

Lighting and Accessories

Overhead lights and lamps come in every style imaginable. A simple overhead ceiling fan with lights can provide circulation and bright light when needed. Matching or coordinating small lamps are good for desk areas and nightstands. Dimmer options on all lights are practical features that will allow optimal lighting for any situation.

Framed wall art can give teen rooms a grown up appeal without going overboard. Buying art from a local artist or encouraging your teen to create their own art can make these accessories affordable. Words and geometric designs that adhere to the walls are fun ways to allow teens to express themselves without ruining wall paint.

*** For all the real estate tools and the only Realtor you will ever need, visit TulsaHomeGuru.

Are You Ready to Buy a House?

Cue Michael Buffer yelling, "Are you ready? Let's get ready to rumble!"

Buffer's is a fitting soundtrack for the homebuyer in a seller's market, trying to prevail in catching the seller's attention. The better equipped with knowledge you are, the better your offer will look to the current owner of what you long to possess: the home of your dreams.

Let's take a look at a few ways to get prepared to purchase a house.

Check Your Credit

The highest credit scores garner the lowest down payment requirements and lower house payments. Homebuyers with scores under 620 will find it a challenge to obtain financing and, if they do, they'll pay a higher rate.

You are entitled to a free copy of your credit report once a year. Make sure you order the reports at AnnualCreditReport.com, the only site authorized by the federal government.

When you get your reports, either online or in the mail, go over them, looking for mistakes or anything else you can challenge. It is not at all unusual to move your score up dramatically by disputing and having the agency remove even one negative entry from your credit report.

Pay Your Bills

Lenders determine how much they will loan by using what is known as a debt-to-income ratio (DTI). To determine where you are right now, add up all your monthly payments, including auto loans, credit card payments and any other debt. Don't forget to add in your current mortgage or rent payment.

Divide the sum of your monthly debt payments by your monthly gross (before tax) income and then multiply that result by 100. This is your DTI, expressed as a percent.

What is considered an acceptable DTI varies by lender, but they typically want to see it no higher than 36 percent.

If you find that your DTI is on the high side, pay off some bills or increase the amount you pay each month to bring down the balances. Also, don't take on new debt as this will negatively impact both your DTI and, possibly, your credit score.

Save Your Money

Loans from the Veterans Administration and USDA have no down payment requirements. FHA, on the other hand, requires 3.5 percent of the purchase price as a down payment, unless your credit score is between 500 and 579, in which case expect to put 10 percent down.

For a conventional loan, you'll need at least 20 percent of the purchase price as a down payment on the house. Again, more is better – the more cash you put down, the better the interest rate. The amount of the down payment may also determine whether or not you'll have to pay for private mortgage insurance.

Don't forget about closing costs as you save – those are all those fees that can pack quite a wallop at the closing table. Some of the fees are negotiable, and the total varies. Use 3 to 4 percent of the loan amount as a ballpark figure

Arrange Your Financing

In many parts of the country investors are snatching up any house that's in decent condition and reasonably priced. Because they typically offer cash, their offers are the cream of the crop to home sellers looking for a clean transaction and a quick close.

Investor offers are mighty hard to compete against – especially if you go into the process unprepared.

When you look over a standard purchase agreement you'll notice a section regarding financing. It will typically state that the buyer has so many days to obtain a mortgage at specified rates and terms. If the buyer hasn't been pre-approved by a lender for a mortgage, there is always a chance that he won't qualify for a loan.

A savvy home seller knows this. Faced with multiple offers on his home, he isn't about to go under contract with a buyer who is a gamble.

Rule number one, then, when considering the purchase of a home, is to see a lender to get your mortgage preapproved. No, this doesn't put you ahead of an investor with cash, but it puts you in front of other buyers who don't have their financing arranged.

Make up Your Mind

As you get closer to finalizing the first steps toward buying a home, it's time to determine just what it is you want. One story or two? Condo or single-family home? Urban or rural? Determine how many bedrooms and bathrooms you simply must have and any other features that you can't live without.

Hire a Real Estate Agent

There is absolutely no reason to not hire an agent when purchasing a home. The commission is paid by the seller at the close of escrow, so the services cost you nothing. Not a bad price to pay for expert representation by someone who is legally required to protect your interests.

A good real estate agent is, overall, available to show you homes at your convenience. He or she is also familiar with the areas you've chosen for your house hunt. The right agent will follow your wish list to the letter, not wasting your time showing you homes that don't fit your criteria.

Congratulations on your decision to buy a home.

*** For all the real estate tools and the only Realtor you will ever need, visit TulsaHomeGuru.

Decorating Your Deck

The deck is a great, and sometimes underestimated, place for entertaining. A well-decorated outdoor space provides the perfect ambiance for gathering with friends and family, grilling and enjoying the extra time surrounded by nature.

Decks can be transformed with simple solutions, including a variety of plantings, intimate lighting and an array of colors. Get inspired with these deck design ideas to decorate your outdoor space.

Heat-Resistant Blooms

Plants are the most important feature on your deck to create an environment that embraces being outdoors. Nothing is worse than a sterile wasteland of deck space. Potted plants are a simple addition to a deck to add lush greenery and vibrant color. But, overexposure to the elements can fry your beautiful plants, so be sure to consult the experts at your local nursery to select plants that can withstand the heat.

For color that lasts, a few examples of heat-resistant blooms include Angelonia, or the summer snapdragon, with its purple, white or pink flowers. Canna is also another perfect plant for creating a tropical look with large leaves and bright flowers in shades of red, orange, yellow, and pink. Lantana produces multicolored flowers in welcoming shades of red, orange, yellow, pink, and white and is a favorite for butterflies. Butterflies also love the starry clusters of Pentas flowers. Flowering vines with large blooms, like Mandevilla and Passionflower, are great climbers and could be used as colorful backdrops on the deck, either climbing the walls of the house or a tall framework on the deck.

If you are looking for greenery options without the blooms, bamboo is easily grown in containers and creates a lovely, tall green space on your deck. With its big leaves, the banana plant can also do well in large, colorful pots and makes a great big presence out on the deck. As long as you don't have children around to get hurt on the sharp leave tips, a potted Agave is perfect for some architectural flair.

Shade Solutions

Nobody wants to melt in the sun or run inside when it rains. Your deck should offer at least one space that serves as respite from direct sunlight and the weather. Say no way to the boring eyesore of the oversized table umbrella. There are many shade solutions to consider when decorating your deck. Large canopied awnings (freestanding, framed and bolted into your deck, or retractable), DIY shade alternatives (hand-built pergolas with heavy vine coverage or awning fabrics), and inexpensive sun blockers like portable tents are all options to explore. They will keep your deck cooler and screen out harmful ultraviolet rays.

Deck Furniture

The best options in outdoor furniture are pieces that are low-maintenance and positioned like a cozy room in your home. A large sturdy table and inviting chairs will create the feeling of an outdoor room. Select a table that's large enough for your family plus guests. Chairs should be comfortable for lounging and encourage family and friends to linger. Add extra pillows to dress up the seating areas. Choose fabrics, colors and patterns that will play with the color in your plants, creating the perfect backdrop for relaxation.

Accent Lighting

A well-decorated deck is only enjoyed when it is seen. As the sun sets, the stars appear and your guests begin to arrive, the ambiance becomes ideal for entertaining. Selecting the right accent lighting for your deck is necessary for safety, sight and overall aesthetics. A nice balance of lights on railings, stair risers, posts and along other deck bases will create a welcoming atmosphere after dark. "Lightscaping" is the way to go, and there are many options on the market for deck lighting, including solar lights and LED options. Have fun with your accent lighting selections, and highlight your perfect outdoor destination. The deck should be a place to enjoy solitude or the buzzing of friends and family during the day or evening hours.

*** For all the real estate tools and the only Realtor you will ever need, visit TulsaHomeGuru.

Choosing School Districts and Schools

The neighborhoods you consider while house hunting may be determined, in part, by school districts and educational choices. If you'll be sending your children to public school, ratings and other assessment tools can help you judge the merit of the schools near you. If you're considering a private school, you may have to sort through programs with a wide range of philosophical backgrounds. Read on to learn about school ratings, types of schools and other factors to consider.

Finding Information About School Districts

School ratings and test score data can be found through your State Department of Education website. According to Project Appleseed, the National Campaign for Public School Improvement, "The [federal] No Child Left Behind legislation requires an annual school report card for all schools. School report cards describe characteristics of the school, including the number of children, various test scores, ratios of teachers to students, ethnic ratios, poverty levels, and more. Report cards can usually be obtained by contacting the department of education in the state or the school district office where the school is located."

If you're considering several regions at once, you can get State Education Data Profiles by accessing the National Center for Education Statistics website. To compare school districts in another way, visit GreatSchools.org to conduct a school search. GreatSchools, which is based in San Francisco, offers free information for parents all over the nation.

What to Consider when Choosing a School

When you look for information about a school district, you have a lot to consider. Not only should you look at test scores and class sizes, but you should also consider the particular needs of your child. Project Appleseed suggests that you should assess schools with these things in mind:

Your child's personality and learning style

Your family's values, budget, and needs

School philosophy and style of instruction

School facilities and personnel

School policies and schedules

The school's reputation in the community

Core curriculum and additional courses

The school's approach to safety

Family and community involvement

If your dream house turns up in a school district with poor school ratings, don't give up hope. It may be possible to get a geographic exception to send your child to a different school. While this may rule out traveling by school bus, it could be a good compromise if you need to be close to work or have other reasons for choosing a home in a less-than-ideal school district.

Transportation

How far will your child have to walk to reach school bus stops? This can be a serious concern in areas with cold winters or in rural areas, where bus stops may be far apart. According to the American School Bus Council, school buses are safer than cars and provide vital transportation to 26 million students every day. With 480,000 buses operating in the U.S. at any given time, there's a good chance your student will be riding one to school.

When assessing transportation options for your child, ask these questions:

Where is the nearest school bus stop?

How long will my child's commute last each day?

When will my child be picked up and dropped off? (You'll want to escort younger children to and from the stop for safety.)

Will bus routes change in inclement weather?

School Violence and Bullying

It's unfortunate, but parents need to consider more than academic ratings before putting an offer on a house. School violence can be difficult to judge. Online school rating websites can be helpful, as can phoning and asking for information on school violence from local school districts. Don't be afraid to ask tough questions; where your child goes to school can have a long-lasting effect on his life.

The National School Safety Center strives to advocate for "safe, secure, and peaceful schools worldwide as a catalyst for the prevention of school crime and violence." Their website offers school safety statistics and resources.

It's Only Your Child's Future!

Not to scare you, but the choices you make today will shape your child's future. All children deserve to learn in a safe, comfortable environment. You know your child best, and as you look for a house in a good school district, you'll need to keep his or her particular needs in mind. If you know your child will thrive in a big, bustling classroom or a quiet space for a small group, for instance, you can use that knowledge to go beyond the statistics. Talk to staff, see if you can tour some classrooms, and take the time to find a great school before you buy a home.

If you need help finding a school district or school near you, you can visit the U.S. Department of Education's website to search their comprehensive database. You can use their search tools to find public schools, private schools, and school districts all over the country. Their database includes facts like enrollment numbers, student demographics, teacher/student ratios, and school contact information.

*** For all the real estate tools and the only Realtor you will ever need, visit TulsaHomeGuru.

Furnish Your Home For Less

Starting out with a "blank slate" can be both a blessing and a curse. The blessing comes if you have enough money to furnish your home with whatever you want from wherever you choose. Furnishing a home on a shoestring, though, takes creativity, an eye for a good value, and possibly some elbow grease.

While some discount stores, such as Ikea, sell inexpensive new furnishings, careful shoppers can find better quality for less money with used furnishings. Here are a few ideas for getting what you need at dramatically discounted prices.

Inspiration

Whether you are furnishing one room or a whole house, it's important to have an idea of how you want the room to look before you go shopping. Once you have the design in mind, it's easier to shop for the components.

Model homes in new home communities are great places to get decorating ideas. These homes are carefully decorated to appeal to a broad range of homebuyers' emotions. Color schemes, accessories, and furniture choice and placement all play to the shopper's emotions.

Interior design and decorating websites may also be good sources of inspiration. Check out Better Homes and Gardens, HGTV, Real Simple and Southern Living for budget project ideas to get your household furnished for less.

Used is Good

One of the hardest things to learn is how to look beyond the obvious wear and tear to the actual "bones" of used furniture.  Look beyond the fact that the upholstery is ratty or the legs are scuffed – look at style.

If you like the lines of the coffee table, buy it. Scratches and dings are easy to fix. Hate the ugly green upholstery on the otherwise perfect Chesterfield-style sofa? Buy it. Have it recovered in a yummy fabric of your choice.

Once you've mastered the technique of not judging furniture by its cover, it's time to go shopping.

Garage and Estate Sales

Yes, there are differences between garage sales and estate sales. The latter is the disposition of goods of a person's estate. The garage sale, on the other hand, is the sale of a person's extra belongings or things they no longer need. Both sales offer used items, but estate sales typically have a better variety, and the items are usually in better condition.

Expect to pay more for estate sale items than garage sale items, and prices are typically not negotiable. In both cases you'll need to supply your own moving labor and transportation, so factor that cost into the cost of the items you want to purchase.

You can find garage and estate sales advertised on Craigslist, in newspaper classified ads, and by following directional signs in neighborhoods.

Consignment Stores

Furniture prices tend to be a bit higher in consignment stores than if you were to purchase the items directly from the owner's home, but you can occasionally find some bargains.

Thrift Stores

Salvation Army, Goodwill, Deseret Industries (in the western U.S.) and hospital auxiliary thrift stores are sources of deeply discounted used household items. Finding something decent is a bit challenging, but once in a while you'll find just the piece you've been searching for, so don't disregard these sources.

Online Shopping

Craigslist is the best online site for inexpensive home furnishings – mainly because it's local. The first place to navigate once you arrive on your local Craigslist page is the "For Sale" section, where you'll find a link named "Free." Everybody loves free, right? Within this category you'll see ads that are headlined: "Curb Alert." These ads contain free items that the owners place at their curb, available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Directly beneath the "Free" section is a link to the furniture section. Here you can find everything from new furniture to gently used designer pieces and ratty junk. Craigslist gives you the opportunity to search by owner or by dealer and to use keywords, which saves you from having to scroll through hundreds of ads for headboards when you're looking for a dining room table.

You may also want to peruse the "Household" and "Antique" sections, also located under "For Sale."

Another website where you can search for furniture is eBay. You can find some bargains here, but keep in mind that shipping charges may just destroy any savings you realize on the items themselves. One way around this is to click the down arrow next to "Sort." At the bottom of the list you'll find "Nearest First." Click on that link to re-sort items according to geographic location.

Etsy is an interesting website for perusing handmade items, such as artwork, containers, planters and pillows suitable for accessorizing.

Finally, join the freecycling group in your area at Freecycle.org. Membership is free, and so are all the items posted.

Shopping frugally allows you to make big, dramatic changes to your home décor without breaking the bank.

*** For all the real estate tools and the only Realtor you will ever need, visit TulsaHomeGuru.

Retirement Planning: Will Owning a Home Help You Retire?

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 build equity, then yes, the home may help you retire. If you are thinking of buying your first home in retirement, there could be problems.

Timing

Ideally, a home purchased to help you financially during retirement is one that will be paid off by the time you bring in the shingle. Unfortunately, that doesn't happen for many homeowners. Forbes.com claims that although almost half of Americans aged 50 to 70 say they plan on using their home's equity to fund their retirement, 37 percent of them are not anywhere near having their mortgages paid off.

That's OK, though, according to Sydney Lagier, former certified public accountant. "With interest rates so low right now," she says, "a mortgage can be an excellent hedge against inflation."

Lagier claims that inflation is expected to soar in the near future, eroding the worth of today's dollar. While this hurts those with savings and investments, it does the opposite with debt.

"A mortgage enables you to lock in today's home price, but pay for it with tomorrow's inflated dollars," Lagier claims.

If inflation is a concern, Lagier suggests taking the money that you would have used to pay off the mortgage prior to retirement and investing it in Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities.

Reverse Mortgage

If you have paid off the mortgage, or at least a significant chunk of it, pre-retirement, there's always the reverse mortgage to fall back on should you need to tap your equity. Of course, you won't realize as much as you would were you to sell the home, but it's "money you get to use while you are alive and pay back when you're dead," according to Lagier.

Offered to Americans 62 years of age or older, the reverse mortgage doesn't come without risks. Although you won't be making house payments, you'll still be required to keep up the property tax payments, HOA fees, and homeowners insurance. Default on any of those and you risk foreclosure. Which is why, according to Lagier, the reverse mortgage is considered a "loan of last resort."

Income Property

Many experts claim that the purchase of income property is a far better retirement investment than depending on being able to tap into your primary home's equity. This investment property could even be your retirement home, rented out until you stop working.

The best time to buy this home is at least five to 10 years before you retire, according to Michele Lerner in an Associated Press article. She also cautions about the risks you take in losing liquidity when you tie up your money in a second home.

The ideal candidate for this scenario is one who has built up an emergency cushion of at least one year's worth of expenses – both current expenses and those they'll take on with a second property.

Don't disregard other risks, such as the maintenance costs for two homes. Appliance and major system failures can be costly to remedy, and if you lack liquidity, they could be catastrophic.

Rent or Buy?

Whether to purchase or rent a home is a common question when folks near retirement. Since rents are rising 5 to 6 percent a year on average, and interest rates are still incredibly low, it appears on the surface that buying is a better option. Dig a little deeper, and it is even more apparent.

With a fixed-rate mortgage your monthly house payment won't change over the life of the loan. Rent? At least once a year or whenever the lease is up for renewal, you'll face a possible rent hike.

Whether or not owning a home will help you retire depends on variables such as your current financial situation, your investment portfolio, and how many years you plan on working. A good financial planner is your best source of information.

*** For all the real estate tools and the only Realtor you will ever need, visit TulsaHomeGuru.

5 Tips For The Best Home Showings

Home routines tend to come to a standstill while your home is on the market. The need to keep the house clean  - and not scare potential homebuyers away - means that kids can't throw their school books on the dining room table, Dad has to pick up his stinky socks, and even the pets need to toe the line.

Keeping the house clean is a good first step toward presenting the home in the best light. But it isn't the only step.

1. Odors

Have you ever walked into a home and been immediately assaulted by nasty odors? Cigarettes, grease, cooking odors, diapers and pets all leave their mark on the way a home smells. While it's almost impossible to rid the home of cigarette smoke without painting, there are ways to get rid of other odors.

Have the carpets professionally cleaned and deodorized.

Launder or dry-clean all curtains and drapes.

Consider having your upholstered furniture professionally cleaned.

Clean the grease from the range hood.

Keep the dog bathed and groomed to keep doggy smells at bay.

Place dishes of potpourri or scented candles in random areas throughout the home.

2. Sounds

Like the smell of a favorite perfume, we become habituated to certain things, including sounds. If you've ever lived under a flight path or next to railroad tracks, you understand how quickly one can get used to annoying sounds and not even hear them after a while. Strangers in your home, such as potential buyers, will hear the yappy dog next door, however, so here are some tips to mask the noises in your home.

Play some music, softly, while the home is being shown.

Invest in a white noise machine.

Play a sound-effects CD softly in the background.

3. Sights

Light and bright are the operative words when considering the ideal way to present your home to buyers.

Change all the light bulbs in the home to higher wattage bulbs. Leave the lights on for showings, including closet lights.

Paint the walls. If you can't paint, clean the walls.

Remove heavy drapes and replace them with lightweight fabric that allows natural light into the home.

Don't neglect the outside of the house. Before a showing, make sure that the planting beds look clean and attractive and that the lawn is mowed.

4. Set the Scene

If you've ever toured model homes, you are familiar with the concept of staging – the art of carefully crafting interiors that appeal to homebuyers. If you're on a tight budget and can't afford a professional designer, make some simple changes that appeal to buyers.

Create vignettes throughout the home. Set the dining room table with attractive dinnerware or create a cozy nook in the bedroom with a small table and chairs. Group items in threes, use different heights, and keep it simple.

Fresh flowers add so much to a home, from masking odors to adding pops of color and texture. A gorgeous bouquet on the dining room table can take the place of a fussy centerpiece. Night stands are ideal places to set small vases of flowers.

Bathrooms are important, so pay close attention to how you stage yours. Get rid of the countertop clutter and add fluffy towels and a new shower curtain.

5. Security

Since sellers should make themselves scarce when the home is being shown, it's important to take security measures. Lock up or remove valuables, weapons, prescription drugs and money.

Don't leave personal items - especially paperwork with your financial information - lying around in plain sight.

Whatever you can do to make your home appear move-in ready will appeal to buyers. Tour some new home communities for more ideas and inspiration so that your home shows like a model.

*** For all the real estate tools and the only Realtor you will ever need, visit TulsaHomeGuru.

Kitchen Redecorating on a Budget

Although many claim that they're willing to undertake minimal cosmetic fixes, the typical homebuyer wants a home that is move-in ready. Two rooms in particular are important to them: the bathroom and the kitchen. Outdated, worn and unattractive kitchens and bathrooms drag down the value of the home and may make it harder to sell.

Pressing the buyer's kitchen "hot button" may not necessarily require a complete remodel of the room, but merely a freshening up. Even the smallest of budgets can provide some attractive updates to everyone's favorite room.

Paint Dramatically Transforms the Kitchen

When redecorating any room, fresh paint on the walls is the best place to start. Paint adds an instant transformation, and, depending on the color, can make a room appear larger. It also provides you with a base color on which to build the rest of the kitchen's color scheme.

Most real estate staging experts caution homeowners to use neutral paint colors to provide a broader appeal. One designer, however, claims that green is the new neutral color on which to build your color palette.

Benjamin Moore, on the other hand, claims that Lemon Sorbet is the trendy color of the year. If you're confused, play it safe and use Sherwin-Williams "color visualizer," which allows you to actually picture the paint color before you slap it on the walls.

Update Your Kitchen Cabinet Hardware

If you're lucky enough to have attractive kitchen cabinets that don't require painting or refinishing, replacing the hardware may be all that's needed to give them an updated look.

Home improvement stores offer the kitchen-decorator a mind-boggling array of hardware for your kitchen cabinets. From stainless steel to hand-forged pewter, there's a handle or knob to match any kitchen decor.

Accessorize to Add the Final Touch

Kitchen accessories include not only the decorative, but the functional as well.

Let's start with the decorative: New throw rugs, window coverings and linens that compliment your new wall color will tie the room into a cohesive whole.

Artwork isn't something a lot of people think about when decorating the kitchen. Be on the lookout for interesting pieces, such as plates, tapestries and sconces.

Lighting is not only necessary but can add a distinctive decorative touch. When creating House Beautiful's Kitchen of the Year, designer Robert Stillin used table lamps on the kitchen counters to soften the "laboratory" feel of the kitchen.

Under-counter lights add a soft glow, while sleek track lighting is a must for an industrial-style kitchen.

Add a new kitchen faucet that coordinates and compliments the new décor. Try to match the finish to the new cabinetry hardware to pull the room together. Again, your local home improvement store offers an array of faucets.

Stuck for ideas? Model homes are staged to sell, so if there's a new home community nearby, take a tour of the models and bring your camera to photograph kitchen ideas that you'd like to replicate.

Eyes from a Realtor

"Kitchens are extremely important in today's market. If there's potential you might sell your home after you redecorate, say within a year or two, you might want to weigh the costs of the project with the current market value." Brian Pingleton, a Tulsa Realtor with Keller Williams, can offer many options when it comes to a homeowner who wants to redecorate but also consider return of their investment. He has some helpful insights when it comes to helping owners get the most out of their home value. "Trends are also something to consider, and it might mean the difference of having your home on the market for 30 days, or, 3 months and longer.

*** For all the real estate tools and the only Realtor you will ever need, visit TulsaHomeGuru.

The Real Estate Transaction: What Could Possibly Go Wrong?

"Anything that can go wrong will go wrong." While Edward Murphy was referring to the use of new measurement devices, his rule can be aptly applied to the real estate transaction without a hiccup. 

From the very first step – getting preapproved for a mortgage – to choosing a real estate agent to the close of escrow, the process is full of pitfalls.

If you're considering the purchase or sale of a home, it's a good idea to know what could go wrong during the process. While some problems are hard to anticipate, others happen with enough frequency that they offer lessons, allowing you to become informed and, hopefully, help you to avoid some of the biggest problems.

Choosing a Real Estate Agent

Your real estate agent is the driver of the transaction. As such, he or she will steer the transaction around common roadblocks and avoid certain pitfalls. That is, if you choose the right agent.

What happens if you don't? Several things:

• Your house may not be priced properly.
• Your house may sit on the market longer than it should.
• If you're buying, you may end up paying more than you should.
• A complicated transaction, such as a short sale, may have details that are allowed to fall through the cracks.

Avoid these potential problems by hiring an experienced real estate agent. When selling your home, your first concern is getting the most money for the home. An agent familiar with the area is much better able to determine market value than one from outside the area.

An agent with proven marketing capabilities will get your house in front of more buyers than an agent who hasn't a clue about marketing. If you own a specialized home, such as a luxury home or beachfront property, or you are performing a short sale, you need an agent experienced in these types of sales.

When purchasing a home, you need a savvy negotiator in your corner - an agent who can go to bat for you and get you the best possible price on the home.

Counteroffers

The offer to purchase is a document full of potential pitfalls. Some of these include:

• Price.
• Insufficient earnest money.
• Inappropriate closing date.
• Requests for personal property.
• The buyer isn't preapproved for a mortgage.
• Requests for repairs or allowances.

Of course, there are many, many more, but these are some of the most common. These problems are typically addressed via a counteroffer. This document says to the other party, "I accept the offer as long as the following conditions are met." This is the nuts and bolts of negotiating, and it's fraught with perils.

If you've done a good job of carefully selecting your real estate agent, this is the time to rely on him or her for advice. The decisions are ultimately yours to make, but expert advice should be considered.

Home Inspection

The home inspection presents another opportunity for a deal to fall apart. Home repairs can be costly. Some can make you want to walk away from the deal. If you decide to remain engaged in the process, you'll need your old friend the counteroffer to request repairs or a reduction in the price of the home to allow for the cost of repairs.

Appraisal

When markets change rapidly, appraisals become more challenging. When home prices began to stabilize after the latest recession, for instance, appraisers had nothing to base home values on but the depressed recession prices. Foreclosures particularly drag down values, and many homes aren't appraising for as much as homeowners and their agents expect them to.

If you're the seller or buyer of a home that doesn't appraise for the purchase price, your options include:

• Reducing the price.
• Raising the amount of the down payment.
• Challenging the appraisal.
• Walking away from the deal.

Closing

Lots of things can go wrong at closing. Some of the most common events are:

• The lender pulls a soft credit report and finds that the buyer has made some large purchases, changing his income-to-debt ratio to the point where he no longer qualifies for the mortgage.

• Your paperwork is delayed by the lender and your attorney pushes the closing to another day.

• The funds don't arrive.

• One of the parties is unhappy with the information on the HUD-1.

Not every real estate transaction has problems. In fact, most sail along smoothly. While it's hard to hold your excitement in check, the best time to let it loose is when your agent hands you the keys to your new home.

For More Info

To find out more about real estate transactions, or if you're interested in taking the next step toward selling your home or buying a new one, contact Tulsa Realtor, Brian Pingleton. He has the knowledge, experience, and resources to help you in every facet of real estate. 

*** For all the real estate tools and the only Realtor you will ever need, visit TulsaHomeGuru.

Applying for a Mortgage? Avoid These Common Mistakes

If you're a first-time buyer, an itch to start looking at homes typically starts just after you make the decision to buy. The feeling may be so overwhelming that it's the very first thing you do. That's mistake number one: Looking at homes without knowing how much you can spend on a home isn't just a mistake, it's silly.

So, how do you know how much you can spend? By visiting a lender and getting preapproved for a mortgage. Sure, it's not as exciting as actually looking at houses, but it's the first step in a process that, if not followed, presents plenty of potential pitfalls that may make it impossible for you to purchase a home.

Before you put pen to paper, though, signing away a big chunk of your salary for the next 30 years, do yourself a favor and prepare.

Check Your Credit

Did you know that up to 79 percent of Americans' credit reports contain errors? Twenty-five percent of credit reports contain errors that may result in the denial of credit, according to the U.S. Federal Reserve. That's why it is so important that you check yours before setting foot into a lender's office.

Everyone is entitled to a free copy of his or her credit report once a year. Get yours at AnnualCreditReport.com, the only source authorized by the Federal Trade Commission to provide the free credit reports.

Fix any issues on your report before applying for a mortgage.

Tell the Truth

Not too long ago lenders were busily providing what have come to be known as "liar loans." These were mortgage loans to people who couldn't afford them and were obtained by means of a "no document" process, meaning the applicant didn't have to prove his or her income or verify assets.

Those days are over, and obtaining credit is nowhere near as easy as it once was. Although you may be tempted to stretch the truth on your application to ensure you get the loan, don't give in to the temptation. The lender may dig up the truth, and you will be denied the loan.

Turn Down the Job Offer

One of the first things the lender will look at is your employment history. They want to see a minimum of two years with your employer or in your current field. While switching employers during the loan application process may not derail the loan, it will most likely delay the process while the new employment and salary are verified.

Don't Make Major Purchases

House hunting is exciting and shopping for the new house is probably top-of-mind. Don't do it.

The lender may run what is known as a "soft pull" of your credit just prior to closing escrow. If, for some reason, the closing is delayed beyond 30 days, you can almost count on the lender pulling your credit again.

If new debt is high enough to change your debt-to-income ratio, you may no longer qualify for the mortgage. So keep the credit cards safely tucked away in your wallet until after escrow closes.

The loan application process isn't nearly as glamorous and exciting as touring homes and shopping to outfit the new home, but it's the most important step in the process. Don't make any major financial or life changes between applying for the loan and closing escrow, and you should have no problems.

Consider Local Experts

There are so many options to choose from when it comes to lenders, and everyone has their own situation to consider. Sometimes working with a loan officer or lending company who is just down the street might help you avoid potential frustrating communication scenarios. For a list of local lending options, contact Brian Pingleton, a Realtor with Keller Williams in Tulsa, and he will direct you to some choices that his clients have considered excellent in handling their transaction.

*** For all the real estate tools and the only Realtor you will ever need, visit TulsaHomeGuru.

How to Stage a Vacant House

Most homeowners learn about the value of staging their homes for sale from their real estate agents. The statistics are clear: Staged homes sell quicker and for more money.

What happens when you don't live in the home? If you've used it as a rental or had to move to the new home before putting your current home on the market, you're stuck with a vacant home for sale. The average homebuyer doesn't have the ability to look at empty rooms and realize their potential, according to Kiki Wanshura, regional sales manager at Obeo, a virtual tour and marketing solutions company in Utah.

When confronted with the need to market a vacant home, the homeowner has several options.

Hire a Professional Home Stager

Think back to the last time you were in a model home. Everything was perfect: the furnishings, accessories and color palette. Model homes are carefully staged to emotionally appeal to buyers. This is one reason so many new-home buyers overspend on upgrades – trying to get their home as close to the model as possible.

Hiring a professional stager to stage an entire house may cost from $2,000 to $5,000, depending on where you live and the size of the home.

Stage the Home Yourself

A less expensive alternative to hiring a professional stager is to do it yourself. Most large cities have furniture rental companies where you can rent a sofa and end tables or enough furniture to fill an entire house. Use large moving boxes as beds. When covered with a comforter or quilt and lots of fluffy pillows, unless someone touches it, nobody will know it's not a real bed.

Purchase accent pieces from thrift stores, garage sales or online, such as at Craigslist or eBay. Hang a shower curtain and some towels in the bathroom, and place a few decorative items on the kitchen counter.

Model homes are good sources of ideas, or go online and look at some home decorating sites for inspiration.

Virtual Staging

What would you say if I told you that you could stage your vacant home, even replace the flooring and paint the walls for a couple hundred dollars? With virtual staging, you can do all that and more.

Virtual staging is a relatively new concept that is catching on all over the country. Virtual staging professionals work off of photographs of the rooms and add furniture and accessories from their digital warehouse.

Although the house won't look the same in person as it did online, virtual staging captures the buyer's attention at that important stage when they're looking at homes online. It's important to let buyers know that the photo they're viewing online has been virtually enhanced to avoid giving them the impression that they're being deceived.

The cost of virtual staging may run as high as $100 per photograph, according to Kim Palmer of the Star Tribune.

Hire a Home Manager

Nothing gives a home that lived-in look as much as when someone actually lives in it, with food in the refrigerator and clothes hanging in the closets. And there are now businesses that can help home sellers achieve this look. For example, Showhomes is a nationwide home staging service that provides what they call "resident managers" to live in vacant homes while they're on the market.

The managers are meticulously screened and most bring their own furniture and accessories. Best of all, rather than the homeowner paying for utilities on the empty home, the resident manager pays them. Showhomes purchases the additional homeowner insurance required.

Hiring a professional tenant is not for everyone. Showhomes, in fact, only supplies its services to homeowners whose homes are listed at $500,000 or more. They charge a staging fee of anywhere from $1,000 to $3,000 and, at closing, the homeowner pays .25 percent to 1 percent of the list price to the company. Since Showhomes is a franchise, some pricing structures may differ by region.

"On a million-dollar home, we would typically charge a $2,500 setup fee and a $5,000 success fee if and when the home sold, paid at closing," Thom Scott, director of operations for Showhomes tells the Daily Breeze. "If we didn't succeed in producing a sale, the homeowner would only pay the setup fee."

Hire a Local Expert

Some Realtors actually provides similar services at a reduced rate when using them to list your home. Brian Pingleton of Keller Williams in Tulsa is one such agent. He offers incredible opportunities to for sellers, such as help with staging on a budget, organizational techniques, increasing curb appeal, and more. "The whole idea is for a potential buyer to see the home not as the current seller does, but how the buyer sees the property in their own mind, using their own furniture and decor.  Homes that are staged well generally sell faster and for more money. If that's important to a seller, they could be losing money by not taking some simple steps for preparation, especially since it is generally inexpensive and quick to do."

*** For all the real estate tools and the only Realtor you will ever need, visit TulsaHomeGuru.

Quick Guide for Starting Vegetable Gardens

So, you purchased a home, started a home garden,and now you're ready for the next step: growing food. Not only is vegetable gardening a fun way to reduce your grocery bills, many edible plants are also ornamental. If you think a veggie patch has to be unattractive, think again.

If you're just starting out, you might want to start with a small space dedicated to vegetables. Keep in mind, though, that well-designed vegetable gardens can produce 600 to 700 pounds of produce per year per 1,000 square feet, according to the University of Kentucky's Agricultural Department.

Even with much less space, vegetable gardens can produce an abundance of food. Because 1,000 square feet is about the size of five parking spaces, even in the space it takes to park one car, more than 100 pounds of various vegetables can be grown.

Planning a Vegetable Garden

A garden plot should have well-drained, good soil. Vegetables need at least six hours of sun per day. If dogs, cats, deer or rabbits could be a nuisance, protect the plot with a fence. The size of your vegetable garden should reflect not only the amount of space you have to work with, but also the amount of time you're willing to spend working on it.

When planning what vegetables to plant, grow only those foods your family will eat. Plan in advance for the space a full-grown plant will require and avoid overcrowding by providing trellises to support tomatoes, pole beans, squash and cucumbers.

Taller vegetables, such as corn and artichokes, should be planted toward the rear of the garden to maximize sunlight for all plants. Permanent vegetables such as asparagus and rhubarb can occupy one side of a garden where they will not interfere with tilling.

Vegetable rows are more productive when they're as long and continuous as possible. This allows for the best tillage and less soil compaction, giving the roots more room to breathe.

Vegetables that grow quickly - such as lettuce, spinach, radishes, beets and carrots - can be planted in multiple crops throughout spring and summer for continuous edibles.

Raised-Bed Gardening

Raised beds give the gardener the option of planting vegetables in places with poor soil quality or poor drainage. One advantage of having a raised bed vegetable gardenis that the beds warm more quickly in the spring, lengthening the growing season. Also, because you don't step onto the soil in a raised bed, the soil doesn't get so compacted and less tilling is involved.

Raised beds can be of any size and design. They can be constructed of many things including wood, bricks, concrete blocks or even corrugated galvanized steel, and can be filled with quality soil and compost. Because raised beds drain more efficiently, they may require more frequent watering.

Container Vegetable Gardening

Not everyone has a handy backyard plot. Apartment balconies or patios and even windowsills are ideal places to grow vegetables, too, because nearly all vegetables can be grown in containers. Vegetables prefer at least six hours of sunlight a day, and plants such as tomatoes, eggplant, cucumbers and peppers need the most sunlight. Leafy vegetables, such as lettuce, spinach, cabbage and parsley can tolerate more shade.

Most vegetables will do well with 6 to 8 inches of potting soil, although root vegetables - such as beets, carrots and radishes - need deeper soil. Container vegetable gardening requires more frequent watering and fertilizer use than ground-grown vegetable gardening. If you opt for containers, be sure to check soil moisture daily.

Classes of Vegetables

When starting vegetable gardens, it helps to have an understanding of what different plants need. Here we list different classes of vegetables along with a few tips to help you get started.

• Root Crops: Cool-weather plants such as beets, carrots and parsnips can be sown early, even before light frosts end.

• Alliaceous Group: Onions, leeks and garlic are also hardy, cool-weather plants. They also can be sown early because they can withstand frost and cool weather.

• Brassicaceae Group: This cool-weather group consists of plants such as cabbage, kale, broccoli and cauliflower. In warmer climates, cabbage and kale can be started in the fall and harvested the next spring before the weather gets hot. In cooler climates, better results come from starting these plants in a hotbed or greenhouse starting in February. They can be transplanted in May or June.

• Solanaceous Group: This group includes the popular tomato, eggplant and red pepper. These vegetable plants do not tolerate frost and need longer seasons. They should be started early under glass and transplanted when the danger of frost is past.

• Cucurbitaceous Group: Cucumber, melon, squash and pumpkin are in this group. They do not tolerate frost and should not be planted until the threat of frost is past.

• Leguminous Crops: Vegetable plants in this group include peas and beans. They differ from each other significantly, though. Beans are warm-weather vegetables. Bean seeds need to be planted when soil is warm and dry to keep them from rotting. Peas are cool-weather vegetables and are among the earliest vegetables to be planted.

• Salad Plants and Pot Herbs (or Greens): Leafy vegetables make up this group. They should receive plenty of water. Almost all vegetables of this type will be sown in the spring. Most are cool-weather plants.

*** For all the real estate tools and the only Realtor you will ever need, visit TulsaHomeGuru.