Tips For Making Your Small Room Look Larger

You normally find at least one small room in every home. Following are tips that will create more room within a small space.

1. Use similar colors and textures
Use continuous color including the blind so it doesn't distract from the openness the window provides. Blinds with neutral colors that blends into wall colors work the best.

2. Mirrors give the allusion of space
A large mirror on a wall reflects light which will make the room look larger by creating the illution of doubling the room.

3. Use window treatments to frame a scenic photo or piece of art
Do not use several small pieces of art as they tend to break up the room while making it feel smaller.

4. Use window blinds to control light
The brighter the room the spacious it feels. Windows make a small room feel big. Use a window blind that allows light in during sunny times and conserve energy when temperature cools down. Translucent cellular shades or sheer roller shades allows diffuse light to pass through.

5. Think Clean
The more clutter you have in a room the smaller it feels. Keep only what is essential in a small room.

Tips In Saving Money For First Time Home Buyers

Those who are planning the purchase of their first home are experiencing in today's marketplace a wealth of opportunity to do so. Some of the steps that can save you thousands of dollars are:

1. Don't buy if you don't plan to stay
When prices are falling, because of the transaction costs of buying and selling a property, you can easily end up loosing money unless you can commit to keeping the property for a few years. This allows for property value to stabalize and appreciation to occur.

2. Check your credit
Unless you are buying cash, make sure your credit history is as clean as possible before you start the process.

3. Choose carefully between points and rate
If you stay in the house for 5 years or more paying some points to obtain a lower interest rate will save you more money at the end.

4. Hire a home inspector
A home inspector can let you know ahead of time what you will be facing in repair bills. The inspection could allow you to negotiate a home price to account for necessary repairs costs.

5. Get help from a Real Estate professional
Buyers are better off using a professional agent who is up to date with today's market place and transactions.

6. Be patient
The key to obtaining the best deal is to be completely comfortable before signing the contract. In today's marketplace there are multiple choices at any one time to choose from.

Save On Insurance Discount Offered By Fema

After modernizing the flood maps for the last six years, FEMA has run into resistance form legislators and citizens that disagree with its changes.

The Preferred Risk Policy will be offered as a two years of eligibility progam. It will provide the cheapest option to home owners and small business whose properties are located in the newly-designated special flood hazard area.

The program will be available after the new maps take effect by the fall or next winter, depending on the location. The Preferred Risk plan discounts the full rate by 75 to 80 percent. So keep checking and save, save, save!!!

Financial Reform Bill Passed by Senate

The most extensive legislation since 1930 is waiting reconciliation with the House Bill passed in December, after being passed by the Senate last Thursday.

Both Bills have measures directly affecting property transactions that include:

Limits on the ability of mortgage lenders to penalize borrowers who pay off their loans early.

Elimination of Stated-income loans.

Lenders are required to obtain proof that borrowers can pay the mortgage payments by requiring buyers to provide tax returns, payroll receipts or bank documents.

Brokers and lenders will not be able to push borrowers to take loans containing higher interest rates or with risky feature.

How Do You Choose A Teen Friendly Vacation

Summer time is upon us and parents once again confront the process of choosing the destination for their family vacation. When the kids are small is easy to secure a spot that lights up the faces of the smallest family members. But when the teen years arrive it becomes a feat to make it a success.

So how do you plan a successful family vacation that transforms your teenagers into happy participants? The simple answer to keeping teens happy is to give them the freedom to choose their own fun activities. With today technological age the answer to finding such a place is only a few clicks away. The answer to making your teen happy participants is involvement in the choosing part of the project. A simple way to cut down research time is dealing through an expert on "what teens wants".

According to the experts of http://www.familyvacactioncritic.com there are 10 best resorts for Teens.

1. Atlantis Paradise Island - Bahamas
This resorts offers aquatic water park, teen spa treatments and "no adults" hangout.

2. Smuggler's Notch - Vermont
For teens that enjoy the pristine outdoors activities this resort even has activities levels appealing to different age groups. Ages 11 to 15 "The Notch Squad" full of active games and ages 15 to 17 "Mountain Explorers" gives them the freedom to choose their own itineraries.

3. Universal Orlando Resort - Florida
Two popular theme parks offering areas for teen entertainment with both day and night activities.

4. Walt Disney World Resort - Florida
Teens enjoy rides, water parks, and countless day and night time activities specifically designed to satisfy any teen's desire.

5. Beaches Turks & Caicos - Turks and Caicos
This resort offers sailing, water-skiing, windsurfing, scuba diving, teen lounge and dance club.

6. Triangle C Dude Ranch - Wyoming
Teen activities for ages 13 to 19 that has the option of including parents. Some of which are overnight mountain-bike trips, disco nights, excursions to Yellowstone National Part and Grand Teton National Park (water rafting).

7. Grand Palladium Kantenah Resort and Spa - Mexico
All inclusive resort offer water activites and teen clubs with 24 hrs beach/snack bar to keep them happy all night long.

8. The Tyler Place Family Resort - Vermont
Activities include water skiing, wakeboarding, tubing, hiking and climbing,and many others. Teens are provided with their own resort bikes.

9. Fairmont Scottsdale - Arizona
This resort offers golf, tennis, water activities, teen lounges, hot air balloon flights, horseback riding, mountain bike and ATV.

10. Four Seasons Costa Rica at Papagayo Peninsula - Costa Rica
Activities such as surf, snorkel sea kayak, hike horseback riding, pools, beaches, teen lounges, salsa lessons and spa provides more than enough diversions to keep your teens happy.

Or you can make it a family project and google resorts offering the activities that will keep your teens occupied and eager to go.

Confusion Over Drywall Fixes for Chinese Drywall

In dealing with the aftermath of the Chinese Drywall problem there are competing and conflicting guidelines on fixing the homes containing the corrosive Chinese Drywall.

Landmark decision by a federal judge in New Orleans ruling in a recent case forces the removal of all drywall, regardless of whether it's Chinese.

Under the guidelines of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission taking out the drywall that has been determined to be "problematic" and leaving the rest behind if practical is recommended.

Same problem is occuring on how to deal with the electrical system. Both the federal judge and the federal agency says to replace the whole electrical system. However, the National Association of Homebuilders advocates replacing all low-voltage wiring and only the damaged ends of high voltage wiring.

These are very real differences among the various remediation protocols in dealing with the aftermath consequences. It seems it will be quite a while before a consensus is reach as to what the standard will be leaving the consumer with real uncertainty as to which course of corrective action they should insist upon. If you find yourself in this situation make sure you obtain legal council and protect your rights, until they can figure out the safe method to be followed.

Taking Advantage Of Memorial Day Sales

Spring cleaning seems to be turning into spring remodeling for many homeowners.

With the retailers and contractors continuing to offer good deals, homeowners are sprucing up their homes appeal and value by remodeling and picking up the maintenance that has been postponed during the last 2 years. The most popular items are:
painting, installing new floors and carpets and upgrading kitchens and bathrooms.

In their recent earnings reports, Lowe's and Home Depot's posted better-than-expected fourth-quarter results and said consumers seemed to be more willing to take on costlier projects.

So take advantage of the Memorial Day Sales and SAVE by doing the projects that give you the biggest Bang for your Bucks. Paint, re-carpet, upgrade floors, change appliances and fixtures. As the economy improves prices will once again rise.

Memorial Day Weekend Fix Up Time

As Memorial Day approaches we find an abundance of home-improvement items on sale. Spring time brings the opportunity for the do-it yourselves to pick up the materials needed to fix home problems. One that should be checked and fixed are gutter problems.

Buyers are drawn to homes that are well-maintained and one that has a gutter problem can cause you the sale.

Clearing clogged gutters:
This is the most common problem of all with an easy fix. All you need is a tall ladder and a garden hose. The fix includes clearing the muck from gutters and then flushing them with a garden hose to make sure the water drains properly.

Straighten sagging gutters:
Replacing broken or missing hangers that secure the gutters is also inexpensive. All you need is a tall ladder and new hangers and fasteners. It's an easy install.

Plug leaks:
All that is needed is a tall ladder, caulking and a tube of gutter sealant.

This type of maintenance is inexpensive but will provide a huge return in the prevention of costly home deterioration caused by clogged, sagging and pluged gutters.

As Lenders Tighten Standards What Should You Expect

In todays market the number of mortgage products offered to consumers are far less than previously offered. But the amount of income documentation required of borrowers has increased.

The three government entities that currently dominate the mortagage market underwriting standards for borrowers are The Federal Housing Administration, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. It is highly unlikely that a bank will issue a mortgagge that is not guaranteed by on of the three entities. Therefore, If you are looking to purchase it is imperative that you get pre-qualified for a loan. This should be your number one step in the purchasing process. Keep in mind that there are good loans available for qualified buyers and interest rates are at historic lows as well as properties prices.

FHA Loans requires borrowers to put down just 3.5% if they have a credit score of 580 or above. In contrast a conventional loan require a credit score of 740 or above.

You will need the Documentation of a borrower's income for at least the last two years plus information about total debt, which includes any assessmnets, credit card balances and auto loans as well as how much cash is available for a down paymnet.

You must be organized and provide copies of your tax records, bank statements, W-2's and be prepared that lenders will take into account what their loan-to-value ratio is. The banks today are looking the debt to be in the 40-45% range, which is in line with historical lending standards.