How to Lower Your Credit Card Interest Rate in 4 Steps
Loyal customers that have a solid payment history with a credit card company may want to lower their credit card interest rate. Learn how this can be possible.
Loyal customers that have a solid payment history with a credit card company may want to lower their credit card interest rate. Learn how this can be possible.
Since the onset of COVID-19, remote work has become the norm for many Americans, allowing them to continue to meet some of their expenses while saving where possible. In the late spring of 2020, about half of American workers were … Continue reading →
The post Best Cities to Work From Home in 2021 appeared first on SmartAsset Blog.
Thanks to another year of stellar home price appreciation, the 2021 conforming loan limit will increase to $548,250, per the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA). This is the maximum loan amount for mortgages that can be acquired by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, known as conforming mortgages. The figure is up from $510,400 for mortgages [&hellip
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When shopping for a home, many of us know our basic focal points, such as identifying the right neighborhood or finding a house with the ideal number of bedrooms and bathrooms. These factors are important, but there are other home features (some very large and some very small) that can greatly contribute to the enjoyment of your new home. Let’s make sure you don’t miss any of them. Here are five opportunities to maximize the benefits of your purchase that go beyond just the house and why each one deserves your consideration. Home Buying Consideration #1: The Garage Garages are a very important feature for many homebuyers, and can even end up being a dealbreaker for some buyers. More than a parking spot, garages provide valuable storage and project space, as well as a way to protect your vehicles from all types of damage. When you are first shopping for a home, you may know that you want a garage, but you may not have considered all of the variables that go into the garage design, and which choice is right for you. Garage Design: Why it Matters When evaluating garage design, it’s important to start by considering what you may want to use the space for, and what external factors (such as weather) might impact your use. Here are several major garage design aspects to keep in mind as you house hunt. Rental space: Depending on the size and layout of your garage, is there space that could be rented out full time, or used as a short-term rental to generate additional income? That extra income could be directed towards your mortgage payment. Storage opportunities: Does the garage have room to store what you need to reduce in-home clutter? Is there space for shelves, or even room in the rafters? Potential property value increase: According to the sales comparison approach (SCA), one of the most recognizable forms of valuing residential real estate, a “finished” garage that feels like an extension of the home’s indoor living space is one of several features that can increase overall home value. You may also want to consider the possibilities of eventually remodeling a bland garage in an otherwise perfect home. Attached vs. Detached Garages: Pros vs. Cons One of the biggest distinctions in garage design is whether a garage is attached or detached. Often influenced by lot shape (narrow lots on an alley often have detached garages, wider lots with a driveway often have attached garages) or the age of a home, having a detached or attached garage has both advantages and disadvantages. Attached Garages: Pros Convenient access to your cars, storage, and other items, particularly if you live in an area with an extreme climate Attached garages are often less expensive to build, and can be climate controlled by accessing the electrical and HVAC systems that are part of the home As attached garages are the most popular type of garage, having one typically increases the value of your home Attached Garages: Cons If you’re thinking of adding one, it may not be possible to fit on a narrow, urban lot Since they offer direct access to the home, they can be a security and fire risk They can be hard to add onto or expand, and any additions or changes might require more expensive permits and extensive inspections Adding an attached garage, particularly to a vintage home, may look strange or otherwise detract from the exterior look of the home Noisy garage activities may be heard more inside the home Detached Garages: Pros More flexibility in size, layout and location, lot size and shape permitting It’s easier to add room for cars, storage, and projects, and to add onto if needed Less fire and security risk to your home Less of an impact to the look or curb appeal of your home Can increase the resale value of your home Detached Garages: Cons Particularly in bad weather, less convenient in terms of access Will require separate utilities, HVAC, and more May not be allowed by your HOA or city permitting office Now that we’ve examined the garage, let’s take a look at another key feature — what’s going on with the front and backyard? Home Buying Consideration #2: The Yard No longer limited to just a lawn, yards have now become an extension of the home. A convenient, well-designed outdoor living space is something that many homeowners desire. Yards can be great spaces for entertaining and are often much less expensive to create than comparable indoor entertaining spaces. Here are some important yard elements to consider. Trees and landscaping: Important for both aesthetic and practical reasons, trees and landscaping can increase your yard’s appeal. A mature, well-designed landscape is valuable, as it represents an investment of both time and money. Outdoor kitchen: Whether you are grilling for two or entertaining 200, an outdoor kitchen makes cooking fun and convenient. Fireplace or fire pit: This stylish focal point makes it easy to keep enjoying your yard, even after dark or in cooler weather. Automatic sprinklers, drip system, and misting system: Automatic sprinklers and drip systems can keep your yard looking lush for a low cost, and are particularly valuable in dry climates. Misting systems can also keep you cool on hot days. Deck or Patio: A stylish outdoor surface makes it easy to enjoy your yard, and many new construction materials require little to no maintenance. Shed: Well-designed sheds can go beyond storage, offering everything from a private workspace to extra space for guests to sleep. So, you’re considering the finer points of a yard. But what about adding a body of water to that yard for cooling off on hot days? Here’s the pros and cons of investing in a water element for your next home. Just starting your home search? Here’s the best time to begin. Home Buying Consideration #3: The Pool Pools and hot tubs are perhaps the most controversial of all outdoor home features. Some homebuyers totally avoid them, and some won’t look at a house without them. Which side are you on? Here are some factors to consider. Backyard Pool and Hot Tub: Pros Pools and hot tubs can be aesthetically pleasing Both are also useful for entertaining In warmer climates, pools can provide a way to enjoy the outdoors comfortably If you like to swim, engage in other aquatic exercises regularly for fitness, or use a hot tub for muscle and joint pain, having your own can be convenient In hot climates where pools are common (i.e., Arizona, California, Florida), having a pool can significantly increase the resale value of your home Backyard Pool and Hot Tub: Cons Both pools and hot tubs require regular maintenance that includes chemicals, cleaning, and repair Many families with small children do not want a pool at home due to safety concerns Your insurance cost may be higher, and your utility bills may go up as well, particularly for heating a pool When it is time to sell your home, there are many buyers who will not want a house with a pool A pool is a big decision that comes with both maintenance and benefits alike. You can always opt for a different kind of water feature, like a backyard stream. But if you’re looking to streamline your life, investing in home tech devices is almost a no-brainer. Home Buying Consideration #4: The Appliances and Tech Gadgets As technology improves and designs continually evolve, having up-to-date appliances and other devices in your home has become increasingly important. For example, while attractive kitchens are near the top of many house-hunters’ wish lists, there are items within those kitchens that can help — and items that can hurt — when it comes to increasing a home’s value. Appliances That Can Help Property Value Commercial-grade appliances: Particularly in high-end properties, many buyers expect to see appliances from luxury or professional brands. Smart devices: Thermostats, fire detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, security cameras, door locks, and doorbells are just a few of the relatively new smart home devices that homebuyers are now beginning to appreciate and even expect. Appliances That Can Hurt Property Value Old and energy inefficient: These power-sucking products will cost you in both your utility bill, and the resale value of your home. Homes totally lacking certain appliances: Is your property missing a dishwasher, indoor laundry, or other key features? This can be a major turn-off for buyers who don’t want to have to complete a complicated remodeling and installation project. Mismatched appliances: Appliances from different eras or in different colors can make your kitchen look unfinished and low-quality, even if your other finishes are fantastic. Looking to stock up on home amenities? We’ve targeted the seasonal best deals for doing so. Now that you’ve considered the key interior and exterior components of your dream home, there’s one last important element to contemplate: the driveway. Home Buying Consideration #5: The Driveway Walkways and driveways connect your home to the outside world and play a crucial role in the curb appeal of your residence. Although often overlooked, they are important home features that can be messy and expensive to replace or update. If you are evaluating the driveway at a potential home, or considering an update at your current home, the first choice you will need to make is whether you want asphalt or concrete. Both have benefits and drawbacks that may vary depending on your climate, landscape, and usage needs. Today, many homeowners and buyers are also looking for something beyond the basics, with driveway design trends including elaborate paving materials, irregular shapes, and additional features like extra parking for guests. Know the Tricks, Now Land the House Although these five features may not be your first considerations in the house-hunting process, they are important elements that you will use or interact with nearly every day. Add them to your consideration list, and you will be sure to end up in a customized home that you enjoy and treasure. If you’ve found your ideal home with all the right features, reach out to a PennyMac Loan Officer today or apply online to get pre-approved for the loan that’s right for you.
Youâve got to pretty confident to say youâre #1 in both price and customer service, but thatâs exactly how âOptimum First Mortgageâ describes itself. The Southern California-based mortgage lender isnât afraid to say it has the lowest rates in the industry, or the best customer service. Itâs a bold claim (or two), but based on [&hellip
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People choose where to live based on many factors – availability of jobs, location of family, and the weather all come into play for most folks. Something some Americans may not remember to take into consideration, though, is the livability … Continue reading →
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After a few weeks of talking about ways to go green, I thought an episode on how to save electricity would be a great way to finish out this green series. Hopefully you’ve enjoyed learning ways to save water, to cut down on the amount of trash you create in your kitchen as well as some environmentally-friendly laundry tips.
If you’ve ever Googled “How to save electricity,” you’ve found out the hard way that there are hundreds of tips out there. Some of these tips are easy to implement, but some of the ways to save electricity that are suggested online are tips like, “Use candles instead of turning on lights.” While this will certainly save electricity, it’s not incredibly practical. That’s why I decided to put together a list of some of my favorite, easy-to-do tips to help you save electricity.
If your parents were like mine, you probably still have a voice rattling around your head saying, “Turn off the lights!” whenever you exit a room. Our parents had it right, because there’s absolutely no reason to keep a light on in a room you are not in. If you can commit to simply turning off the lights in every room when you leave it, you can save electricity immediately.
Whether you are going to return to the room in 10 minutes or 10 seconds, there’s no reason to have the light on while you’re not in the room.
Just like there’s no use in keeping lights on while you’re not in a room, there’s no use in keeping electronics on while you’re not using them. When you leave for the day, make sure all your electronics are off. This includes your TV, sound system, computer, and any other electronic gadgets you may have around your home.
Did you know that electronics that are plugged in, and not even turned on, can account for 5-10% of electricity used in a home?
Taking it one step further, did you know that electronics that are plugged in, and not even turned on, can account for 5-10% of electricity used in a home? Computers, printers, coffee makers, and even phone cords that are plugged in can be energy vampires, sucking electricity (and your hard-earned money) when they aren’t in use. So you may want to invest in a power cord that you can plug most electronic devices into. That way, you can simply unplug off just one switch when you leave for the day (instead of walking around unplugging things throughout your home). Yes, it might take 2 more seconds of your time to turn the power cord on than simply turn the electronic device on, but it can make a big impact in your electricity bill.
If you live in an area of the world where you use your air conditioner a lot, this can play a major part in your energy consumption. If you want to save electricity, there are a few things that you can do to make sure your air conditioner is running as efficiently as possible.
First, have your air conditioning unit serviced annually. Most companies charge a nominal fee to have this service completed. It involves cleaning out the coils and checking for any small repairs that are making your unit work overtime. Next, make sure you change your air filters monthly. These filters catch a lot of dust and dirt, which starts to clog them. The more clogged the filters, the harder your air conditioning unit has to work to get the air to pass through the filter. If your filters are any color other than white, making a slight whistling sound, or worse yet, are bent because they are being sucked into the vent, change them immediately. This change alone will save a ton of wasted electricity from being used to cool your home.
A couple of quick swaps in your house can help you save electricity. The first you may want to consider is using ceiling or box fans instead of running your air conditioner as much. Oftentimes, just circulating the air in a room will help the room feel cooler. Instead of running the massive cooling unit outside your home, a fan uses about the same amount of electricity as a light bulb. For every degree you can raise your air conditioner, you save about 5% of the energy being used. I live in the desert of Arizona and my fellow dessert-dwellers are very familiar with this technique. It costs an arm and a leg to cool a house in Arizona to 70 degrees, so most people set their thermostats between 77 and 81 degrees and run the fans to do the rest. It keeps us comfortable, both with the feeling inside our house as well as when we see our electric bills!
Another easy change is to switch incandescent light bulbs to fluorescent, otherwise known as CFL, light bulbs. CFL bulbs use just 25% of the energy of regular light bulbs, so when you combine that with always shutting them off, you can dramatically save on your electricity consumption. Just remember that CFL bulbs contain a small amount of mercury, so they need to be disposed of properly. Check with your local government agency to see how they require these bulbs to be disposed of.
The final tip on how to save electricity is to make sure you don’t have any drafts coming into your home. If you hold a feather around the edges of your windows and doors, the feather should be perfectly still. If it wavers, that means outside air is getting into your home. The more outside air that gets into your house, the more your air conditioner or heater has to run. Seal up your windows and doors with weather stripping, which is available at your local hardware store and is relatively easy to apply.
Also, during the summertime, keep the sunshine out of your house using room darkening blinds and curtains. By keeping the sun out, especially from south and west facing windows, you will keep your house from heating up, which will do a big part in helping to save electricity.
These are just a few tips to save electricity to get you started.
In spite of most people taking advantage of technology, people with disabilities continue to face challenges including going online to have access to information they need. Itâs been said that adults living with a disability are less likely to seek help online compared to those who donât have a disability. Three times less is the […]
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Homie donates $15,000 to the Girl Scouts Pine Council to foster creativity and entrepreneurial skills. Click here to find out how weâre helping turn a cookie castle dream into a reality.
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