Uncategorized

One of the most important steps to making your home look its best is to get rid of stuff. We accumulate a lot of things after living in a house, and when it’s time to sell, all of those possessions can make a house look cluttered.

Thankfully, the internet makes it easy to pass on your unwanted items to people who will make good use of them, thanks to websites where you can sell just about anything: clothes, toys, kitchen supplies, furniture, books, frames, etc. Each site has its pros and cons, and this guide can help you find the right one for you.

Decluttr.com is a site where you can sell just about anything. All you do is register, let them know about the things you want to sell, and you’ll get an offer. For items like CDs and DVDs, you can even use a barcode scanner to enter your items. You can also sell cellphones, tablets, laptops, books, Legos and video games. You don’t have to send photos or create listings.

They even help you remove data from your items. The downside is that you won’t get the best possible price, but you’re essentially guaranteed to get something for your items.

It’s hard to believe it, but eBay has been around for more than 20 years. You can sell just about anything here, and the advantage is that you set the price you think is fair. The negatives are that you’re not guaranteed to sell items because a shopper has to find your items and make a bid. Plus, you have competition. For example, if you want to sell DVDs because you now watch everything via streaming, you can be sure lots of other people are doing the same. It takes more work, but if you put in the effort and successfully sell items, you could walk away with some decent money.

Craigslist can be a very effective way to sell larger items, especially furniture, but it’s also helpful for items that are heavy, or could break in the mail, like kitchen appliances. Entering listings is easy, and another advantage is that each site is local, so you’ll probably be able to arrange sales quickly.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

Living near a lake, pond, river or ocean can allow your whole family to bond while swimming and participating in other water-based activities. Always keep your childrens safety top of mind.

Take Precautions
Make sure the house has locks that young children cant unlock when no one is watching. If its possible to put up a fence with a locked gate to keep your kids away from the water, even better.

An accidental drowning can happen in seconds. If your kids arent strong swimmers, each should wear a Coast Guard-approved life jacket designed for a child of his or her size and weight when in or near the water. Floaties, inner tubes and other devices wont keep a child from drowning if there is a strong wave or riptide.

Set and Enforce Rules
Dont just tell your kids to stay away from the water; explain why they should, in age-appropriate terms. It can be hard for young children to grasp the seriousness of hazards around them, especially if they have never personally experienced danger or seen someone else in trouble. Expect to have the conversation several times before it really sinks in.

If the water is deep enough for your kids to jump in, teach them to take turns and to give each other enough space to avoid collisions. Dont let them dive unless youre sure that the water is deep enough, there is nothing underneath that could cause injuries, they know how to dive correctly and they are supervised.

Keep Your Kids Safe
Make sure a responsible, sober adult who is a good swimmer stays near children at all times when they are close to the water and enforces the rules. Never let a child go in the water alone.

Enroll your kids in swimming lessons when theyre old enough. Getting children acclimated to the water at a young age can help them develop a love of swimming, as well as a respect for the potential danger. Regular practice in the body of water near your house can reinforce lessons taught in formal classes.

Be realistic about your childrens abilities and understand the differences between a pool and an open body of water. A child who does a great job of swimming laps in a pool may struggle if a boat whizzes by on a lake and kicks up a large wave.

Teach your kids about fish and other aquatic wildlife. Educate them about possible dangers and what to do if they encounter a creature while swimming.

Explain that lightning and water are a dangerous mix. Teach your kids to get out of the water immediately if theres any thunder or lightning or signs that a storm is brewing.

Enjoy Life on the Water
Growing up near a body of water can allow kids to get exercise, enjoy nature and spend quality time with family and friends, but it comes with risks. Teach your kids how to stay safe in the water.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

Losing a home to foreclosure can be devastating, both emotionally and financially. Foreclosure has some long-term consequences that you may not expect but that could affect your life for years.

Damaged Credit
A foreclosure can cause your credit score to drop by over 200 points. It can take years of faithfully paying credit cards, auto loans and other bills on time to restore your credit to where it used to be.

In the meantime, having your credit score fall off a cliff can make it difficult or impossible to qualify for a new loan or credit card. If you do manage to get approved, youll most likely have high interest rates that can slow your financial recovery.

Housing Troubles
If you want to buy another house, youll have to wait several years before you can qualify for a mortgage. You might be able to get a new mortgage sooner if you wound up in foreclosure because of extenuating circumstances, such as a job loss, illness, injury, or death in the family, or if you apply for a loan through the Federal Housing Administration.

Until you can buy another house, youll have to rent a home or live with family or friends. If you search for a new apartment or house to rent, the landlord will most likely check your credit. A foreclosure could make the landlord decide not to rent to you.

Employment Complications
If you apply for a new job, the company may check your credit. Depending on the type of position, your foreclosure may or may not be a problem. If youre seeking a job handling a companys or clients money, a business may be unwilling to hire you if it seems that youre unable to manage your own money.

Unexpected Debts
If a lender forecloses on your home and the house is sold for less than the amount you owe, the difference is known as a deficiency. Depending on the law in your state, the lender may obtain a deficiency judgment against you and collect the money by levying your bank account or by garnishing your earnings from your job.

You might also have to pay taxes. The Internal Revenue Service considers a loan thats canceled as income, which means its subject to taxes. If youre going through foreclosure or fear that youre heading in that direction, talk to a tax professional about your potential tax burden.

Understand the Possible Implications of Foreclosure
Losing your house to foreclosure could affect many important aspects of your life long after the event. If youre facing the prospect of foreclosure, talk to your lender and a housing counselor about possible solutions to avoid it.

This article is intended for informational purposes only and should not be construed as professional or legal advice.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

In todays luxury kitchens, the countertops take center stage. Whether youre redesigning your cooking space before putting your home on the market or trying to find the perfect surface for your new kitchen, the classic look of dark soapstone counters is always a stylish choice. Before making any decisions, however, heres everything you need to know about maintaining this timeless material.

Apply Mineral Oil
Soapstone is prized for the beautiful patina that it develops in under a year. If you want to speed up the process and ensure that it appears evenly, the best way to do so is by applying a thin coat of mineral oil across the surface once a week for the first couple of months. After the patina has developed, youll only have to reapply the oil about once a year.

Use Cutting Boards
While soapstone is particularly hardwearing, its one weakness is that this surface is prone to scratching. For this reason, you should never chop food directly on it and be sure to always use a cutting board. If you do notice any light scratches, its possible to remove them using a fine sandpaper or you can hire a professional if youre not comfortable doing it yourself.

Easy cleaning
Unlike many other surfaces that are prone to staining and etching, soapstone is a nonporous material that can stand up to acidic substances. For this reason, you dont have to worry about applying a sealant and can regularly wash it with regular soapy water or an all-purpose cleaner without causing any damage.

Heat Resistant
If youre not sold on soapstone already, another major benefit that this surface has going for it is that its heat-resistant. That means you can place a hot pan directly on your counter rather than scrambling for a trivet when its time to take the food off the stove.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

When selling a home, there are rules you must follow. If your house has mold, termites or there’s some old heating tank buried in the basement, and you know about it, you can’t pretend those problems don’t exist. Disclosure laws are in place, and require someone to disclose this important information before a sales contract can be signed.

While the disclosure laws differ from state to state, it’s pretty universal that fraudulently concealing any major problems is a no-no. That means if your foundation is crumbling or your basement floods every time it rains, you’ll most likely have to say something.

Some states don’t have a standard disclosure document but instead employ the“Caveat Emptor or “Buyer Beware rule, stating it’s the responsibility of the buyer to ascertain if there are any issues with the home.

Property disclosure plays a vital role in a real estate deal. Today, it is almost standard for written disclosures to be included in the contract, so when you sign one, be truthful. If not, you’re looking at costly fees and possibly a major lawsuit.

The first step is to confer with your real estate agent and/or attorney about what’s required to disclose. You can also check with your town’s city planning department about local ordinances and disclosures that can come into play.

Generally, you are only responsible for disclosing information that you personally know about. So, if there’s a condition you didn’t know about, and weren’t told about when you previously bought the house, it’s not necessary to hire an inspector to come look for things.

However, some states do require more investigation on your part. There are laws that require a homeowner to search for some of these major problems (especially mold and lead paint) whether you see problems or not.

If you’re in the market for a new home, you should always demand that a disclosure statement be included a part of the contract. This will protect you in the event something does pop up once you move in. While you can’t force someone to sign this, a simple threat that you’ll walk away will, more often than not, force a buyer’s hand.

If people do refuse, and you still want the house, it should send up a red flag that something might be wrong, and you should invest a little more in inspections and do your due diligence about the neighborhood. Better to be safe than sorry and make sure the home of your dreams doesn’t turn into a nightmare.

Published with permission from RISMedia.