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.

Timeshares 101

"Timeshare" used to be a dirty word, and it still leaves a bad taste in many mouths. Say the word to some folks and they begin conjuring up images of a group of people who could make used car salespeople look like amateurs.

Time has changed the timeshare industry, softened its edges and blurred its old, shyster image.

What is a Timeshare?

The word "timeshare" describes a person's right to use a vacation property during a specified block of time each year. The property is typically a condo in a resort complex and your access may be as part owner or on a lease-type basis, depending on the contract. Timeshare units typically feature "at-home" amenities, such as fully furnished kitchens and laundry rooms, and they range in size from studios to multi-bedroom units.

Types of Timeshares

Timeshare companies offer variations when it comes to access. The different programs include:

• The choice of vacationing the same week each year.
• A more flexible plan wherein you reserve the particular time slot you want on an annual basis.
• Choosing a different location every year.

Advantages of Owning a Timeshare

The biggest advantage of a timeshare over a traditional vacation home is that you pay only for the time you use it. Other advantages include:

• Maintenance: There is none. Your maintenance fee pays for all the upkeep.

• Ease of planning: When you own a timeshare, you always know when you'll be vacationing and where.

• Vacations are less expensive: When you use the property's kitchen, you'll save the money that you would have otherwise spent eating in restaurants.

• Flexibility: Use the timeshare company's exchange program to swap locations with other owners. This way you can visit a new place each time you vacation.

Disadvantages of Owning a Timeshare

• Fees: Timeshare maintenance fees can run up to $500 a month and frequently rise 4 percent every year.

• Value: Timeshares don't hold their resale value like traditional residential real estate purchases.

• Financial: Paying upfront for your vacation and paying fees on time may be challenging in a bad economy.

• Trading with others: To trade vacations with other timeshare owners you'll need an attractive location and time period. If you don't, you may find it impossible to locate someone willing to trade with you.

What to Consider When Shopping for a Timeshare

Timeshare sales people are really good at what they do. They may offer you a free night at the resort, and all you have to do is attend their tour or presentation. The pressure to buy is subtle yet high. Resist their urgency and resist the temptation to buy immediately because it's a "limited-time offer." Think before you sign on the dotted line. The Federal Trade Commission suggests that you consider the following:

• Ask questions. While the salespeople should be able to answer your questions, talk to current owners as well. How often do the maintenance fees increase? Are there supplemental fees that you need to know about? How well managed is the resort?

• Check the timeshare company's record with the Better Business Bureau and the attorney general of the state in which it's located.

• Have your attorney go over the contract before you sign it.

Remember that the cost of the timeshare is higher than the amount offered by the salesperson. Add to that figure the interest, taxes and maintenance fees. Oh, and don't forget to factor in the cost of airfare to and from your timeshare.

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

Safety for Children: A Homebuyer's Guide to Kids' Rooms and Play Areas

Children alter how families look at homes during the home buying process. A family with children has to consider extra bedrooms, extra bathrooms, and safe places for children to learn and play. Indoor and outdoor recreation should be fun and comfortable, while safety should always remain the highest priority.

Kids' Rooms

Kids' rooms should be large enough for children to grow in. A tiny room may work for a 6-year-old, but could be terribly cramped for a teenager. Kid's rooms should include the following:

• Room to grow
• Accessibility
• Storage space
• A safe exit for emergencies

Families generally want kids' rooms on the same level of the house as the master bedroom. While a teenager might accept, or even want, a basement bedroom, small children's rooms should be close enough for you to access them quickly at night.

Consider the amenities you want in kids' rooms. Bookcases, closet organizers, and other storage space can be a real asset. Some solutions can be added after the home is purchased, but a house with built-in storage can be a plus.

Safety is also a consideration: In case of fire or similar emergency, you'll want to make sure that your children will be able to safely escape their bedrooms. Children's Hospital Boston reports that "over half of children ages five and under who die from home fires are asleep at the time of the fire," but also that "children in homes without working smoke alarms are at greater risk of fire-related death and injury in the event of a fire." This means that you should consider several fire escape routes when looking at the bedroom configuration in your prospective home, but you should also carefully assess the number, location, and condition of smoke detectors in your home no matter where the children will sleep.

Family Rooms and Dens

A home with a family room and a separate, more formal living room will let you relax while the kids are watching shows or host guests while your kids enjoy a minefield of Legos® on the floor in the adjacent room. When the children grow older, the toys can be picked up and the family room can become a place for study, arts and crafts, or hanging out with friends. A den can become a home fitness center, a library, or a guest room when your children fly the coop.

Play Sets and Play Areas

Outdoor playsets and play areas can be real bonuses when families with children go house hunting, but always keep safety in mind. Playgrounds and play areas are only an advantage if they are safe areas for children. While your kids may be delighted by a ramshackle tree house, your first thought should be whether or not it's safe.

Generally speaking, store-bought playsets are safer than DIY play areas slapped together by an inexperienced handyman. Having said that, some amateur-built jungle gyms are well thought-out, inventive, beautifully-constructed, and safe enough for children to use. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) publishes a broad variety of safety information on playground construction, materials, and components.

When building or buying a play structure, think about its placement in relation to your home and the street. Constant supervision is important whenever children play, so make sure the space is visible from where you plan to spend time. The National Program for Playground Safety also recommends watching out for age-inappropriate equipment, hard surfaces, poorly-maintained equipment, and protuberances where children can become trapped.

Swimming Pools

At first glance, a swimming pool seems like a great idea for families with children - it sounds great to have pool parties or just cool off on a hot day. Take a step back, however, and consider swimming pool safety.

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, approximately 350 children under the age of five drown every year in swimming pools - more than three times as many as drown in all other areas of the home (like bathtubs, hot tubs, landscape ponds, and other water containers). A swimming pool safety cover is essential for a backyard pool, but it isn't enough. Many other precautions are recommended to make swimming pools safe places for children:

• Constant parental supervision
• Door alarms
• Safety fences
• Underwater motion detectors
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• Even all of these safety precautions don't completely guarantee your child's safety around swimming pools. Many parents decide the allure of a swimming pool isn't worth the safety issues. Those parents who do purchase a home with a swimming pool must commit to enclosing the pool securely and remaining vigilant as long as they have children in the home.
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Safety, Comfort and Growing Room

Family homes should be safe and comfortable. While children do need practical and fun spaces to relax, play, and grow, parents should also consider safety when looking for the place that their children will call home. If you're shopping for a home for your young children, think ahead to what they'll need when they're in high school. If your family might grow, think about whether you need extra space now or whether you can plan for a future addition. Consider whether the pool, playground, or tree house you're looking at is more likely to enrich your children's lives or endanger them. When you look at potential homes with your kids in mind, you can choose a home that offers the promise of a safe and enjoyable childhood.

*** Contact the only Realtor you will ever need, visit TulsaHomeGuru.

Buying Land: 5 Things to Consider

Whether you're building a residence, need extra storage, or are purchasing as an investment or farm property, the time to buy land has never been better.

It's still a buyer's market in many areas, yet many sources claim the housing market is turning a corner. In fact, due to the election year and historically low interest rates, many areas are experiencing bidding wars that have not been seen since before the economic recession. Combined with an aging existing home inventory, this new flurry of activity has prompted many homebuyers to consider land for their next purchase.

While the decision to buy land may be easy, the process is certainly not.  Here are five tips for buyers interested in purchasing land:

1. Walk the property line. Request a plot plan of the property and walk the entire border line. Make sure your agent and the seller are clear with you about where the property begins and ends and where the site setbacks are. Many first-time land buyers are not familiar with judging acreage and may not always immediately know what land is included in the listing. Alleviate any confusion from the beginning by having the seller or agent walk the property line with you.

2. Research the neighborhood. Get to know the surrounding neighborhood. What does the property line border? Another lot, a farm, a subdivision? What is the nearby land being used for? If you're planning to build a home on the property, be sure to check the surrounding properties for potential noise or construction. If you plan to purchase farm or horse land, you'll want to be sure you don't have any ground contamination or runoff issues from surrounding properties that could impact your future crop or livestock.

3. Check for utilities. Does the property have any utilities set up? Was there any soil or percolation testing done for sewer or any cost estimates for installation of utilities? Is the property zoned for horses, and do you need any permits? In most instances, your real estate agent will be familiar with these issues and will ask the seller on your behalf. However, the buyer should be aware of them and any possible costs that may arise after the sale so he or she can work them into the offer price.

4. Ask about taxes, HOAs and assessments. Do you know how much the property taxes are? Are there any existing assessments on the land? Does the lot or land reside in a common interest community with a homeowners association? All of these factors should be considered when buying property and should determine your price when making an offer.

5. Get the right help. Use an experienced real estate agent and lender. Land sales are different than home sales, and agents who primarily sell land are more difficult to come by. An experienced agent will know the right questions to ask and can help narrow your search significantly. You may also find that your loan options are more limited than if you were buying an existing home. If you're planning to build, you may want to consider a lender who specializes in construction loans and can finance the entire project. Be advised, though, that many lenders shy away from offering full financing for undeveloped land or unfinished construction. In these cases, because there is no collateral and greater risk to the lender, you may find you need a larger down payment or have to settle for a higher interest rate on your loan.

With the right amount of research, preparation and support, buyers should have no difficulty finding the property of their dreams at a reasonable price.

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

Lead-Based Paint: Keep Your Family Safe

Lead is a metallic element found in rocks and soil virtually everywhere in the world. Tiny lead particles can be toxic if individuals inhale or swallow them. Over time, those inhaled or ingested lead particles may accumulate in blood, bones and soft tissue. The lead can cause permanent damage to the central nervous system, kidneys, brain, and red blood cells. This is lead poisoning, which can ultimately lead to death.

Infants and small children are particularly vulnerable to the effects of lead poisoning. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reports that lead can harm children more readily for three reasons.

First, "babies and young children often put their hands and other objects in their mouths. These objects can have lead dust on them." Additionally, "children's growing bodies absorb more lead," according to the EPA, and "children's brains and nervous systems are more sensitive to the damaging effects of lead."

Lead-Based Paint Dangers

Lead-based paint is one of the biggest sources of lead poisoning. "The federal government banned lead-based paint from housing in 1978," reports the EPA, while "some states stopped its use even earlier." While lead's toxic effects were understood early in the 20th century, it took decades before it was phased out of use in the United States.

Lead-based paint in good condition typically doesn't pose a risk. Trouble arises when the paint ages and chips or flakes. Small children might eat those paint chips and run the risk of lead poisoning.

Also, if lead-based paint is scraped, sanded, or heated with an open flame (as it would be in the process of paint stripping for the purpose of renovating or remodeling), then lead particles can become airborne and inhaled. Just as bad, those particles can land in carpet fibers and fabrics where they can gradually recirculate.

Be particularly mindful about using a vacuum to clean up paint chips; lead can penetrate your vacuum's filter system and recirculate through the air exhaust stream.

Government Efforts to Reduce Lead Exposure

Fortunately, the government has come to understand the potential dangers of lead-based paint. By 1960, lead-based paint was used in only one-third of all American homes. By 1977, the United States government banned lead in many household products as part of its Lead-Based Poisoning Prevention Act. Since then, federal and state agencies, including the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and the EPA have taken additional steps to get lead out of paints, drinking water, automotive fuel, and other products and to minimize the dangers to people living with lead in older homes.

The EPA passed a rule in April of 2010 requiring renovators of 1978 and older homes to obtain training (for individuals) or certification (for firms) for "lead-safe work practices." Renovators aren't the only people with a legal responsibility to help prevent lead exposure:

• Landlords must share lead-based paint information with potential tenants of structures built before 1978. They must disclose "known information" about lead in the building prior to leases becoming effective.

• Sellers of 1978 and older homes are required to include a disclosure of lead-based paint hazards on sales contracts and to disclose "known information."

• Buyers of 1978 and older homes are entitled to have a check for lead performed within 10 days of being notified of the potential for exposure.

A pamphlet detailing some ways to minimize lead exposure in the home is available from the EPA. For more EPA recommendations, you can call 1-800-424-LEAD.

Testing for Lead-Based Paint

If you have reason to suspect lead-based paint is in your home, have it tested by a qualified laboratory. Contact local, county or state health and environmental services for information or referrals to certified testing laboratories. Home testing kits can be unreliable, but the government works hard to make testing affordable and accessible to residents of older homes. A booklet about how to test for lead is available from the EPA.

Lead Paint Removal

If you have lead paint in your home, and if it's peeling, chipping or excessively aged, have it removed immediately (if it's still in good condition, it's probably still harmless). Lead paint removal can be a costly and time-consuming process, but you might have to endure much dearer costs by leaving it alone and exposing yourself and your family to its very real dangers.

Call on a qualified, experienced professional to handle your lead paint removal. If you insist on doing it yourself, consider these important tips:

• First, conduct all testing for lead-based paint thoroughly and accurately.

• Be sure you meet the EPA's requirements for training before you begin.

• Move your family (pets, too) off the premises for the entire procedure. Do not move back home until the job is finished and the area is cleared.

• Make sure any pregnant (or soon to be pregnant) women are out of the house long before you start the paint removal process.

• Do not use belt sanders, propane torches, heat guns or dry sandpaper. These tools will spread lead particles into the air, creating an inhalation risk.

• Note that lead dust can remain in the air and throughout your house long after the procedure is completed.

Removal Alternatives

If your paint is still in good (intact) condition, you may be able to eliminate any potential dangers by covering it with wallpaper or simply repainting the surface with safe (non-lead) paint. Another alternative is to install a layer of wallboard over the surfaces painted with lead-based paint. Consult with a qualified professional for evaluation or paint removal.

The long-term danger of exposing growing children to lead is very real, but avoidable. With care, you can protect yourself and your family from lead by having your home tested for lead-based paint if it was built before 1978, undertaking any renovations only after obtaining EPA-certified training, and using trained professionals for lead-paint removal. If you think there's been lead-based dust or chipping paint in your home, have a blood test performed on any vulnerable family members. Therapies are available to help patients with acute lead poisoning, but the safest thing to do is avoid exposure in the first place by making the home safe.

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