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Published with permission from RISMedia.

Being turned down for a mortgage can be devastating, but you may still be able to achieve your dream of owning a home. Your lender should provide you with a letter explaining why you were denied. You can use that information to make changes to improve your chance of getting approved for a mortgage in the future, either with the same lender or with a different company.

Boost Your Credit Score
One of the most important factors in a lenders decision is a mortgage applicants credit score. You shouldve checked your credit report for errors before you submitted your loan application, but if you didnt, check it now. Lenders frequently misreport or fail to report information, and data from different peoples reports sometimes gets mixed up. Errors in your credit report may have caused your application to be rejected through no fault of your own.

If your credit score is low because of high credit card balances or missed or late payments, work on bringing it up by paying down your balances to lower the percentage of available credit youre using and by paying all your bills on time. If you have a foreclosure or bankruptcy on your credit report, those derogatory remarks could affect your credit score and your chance of obtaining a mortgage for years. You may need to let some time pass and work on rebuilding your credit before buying a house.

Lower Your DTI
A lender looks closely at an applicants debt-to-income (DTI) ratio, or the percentage of gross monthly income thats used to pay credit card bills and loans. If a lender rejected your application because your DTI is too high, you can lower it by paying down your debts and/or by increasing your income. If you have high loan payments, you might be able to lower them by refinancing.

Put More Money Down
If you want to make a small down payment and borrow most of the money for your dream home, the lender may consider your application too risky. You might be better off finding more money for a down payment or applying for a mortgage through a lender that routinely offers loans to borrowers with small down payments.

Stick With Your Job
Most lenders want a mortgage applicant to have been in the same job for at least two years. That helps the lender be confident that an applicant is capable of holding down a job and is likely to repay the mortgage. If you recently started a new position, focus on impressing your boss and building a stable work history.

Dont Give up Hope
If youve been denied for a mortgage, find out why the lender turned you down and take action to address the issue. Youll have a better chance of qualifying if you work on improving your financial circumstances. You can also submit another application to a different lender that has more lenient terms or that offers mortgages for people in circumstances like yours.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

Whether you’re stuck indoors or eager to get outside and enjoy the sunshine, these activities and exercises can keep your kids, and the whole family, engaged and healthy.

Daily Workout

Create a list of five to 10 daily exercises. Complete each workout, crossing them off as you go. Set goals to encourage them and even offer a reward for a job well done.

Obstacle Course

Create an obstacle course from existing toys and sports equipment. Feature age-appropriate challenges and encourage healthy competition to strengthen the body and the mind.

Scavenger Hunt

Keep your kids active and encourage a bit of exploration from practically anywhere. Even break up into teams for some friendly competition.

Family Yoga

Create your own quiet and calm oasis right in the comfort of your living room. Follow along to an instructor or create your own yoga program that fits each of your needs.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

Smart home technology continues to grow in popularity among luxury buyers, and millennials in particular. Its a feature that can help your property to stand out from the rest, yet many homeowners are still on the fence about installing an automation system in their home.

Truth be told, there are plenty of benefits of having smart home technology. Here are just a few of the ways it can improve your life!

Energy Efficiency
Smart thermostats are proven to reduce the energy required to heat and cool your home. This means that in addition to lowering your impact on the environment, youre also saving on utility bills each month. Some systems can even monitor water usage to ensure there isnt a leak thats going to run up your bill.

Security
Once youre able to control and monitor your home security through your smartphone, theres no going back to the old days. You can see whos ringing the doorbell via live video stream when youre at work or unlock the backdoor for the dog walker when you go away for the weekend.

Convenience
The convenience that smart home technology affords is virtually endless, whether that means preheating the oven on your way home from the grocery store or turning on the coffee maker before youre out of bed. Youll soon start to wonder how you ever got anything done before.

Entertaining
When friends come over, you can use voice commands to turn on some tunes, get the mood lighting just right, and fire up the grill, all while mixing cocktails. Dinner parties just got that much easier.

Peace of Mind
Perhaps smart home technologys greatest quality is the peace of mind that comes with having control over your house. You can check on the baby with a camera-equipped monitor or make sure you closed the garage door while youre on vacation and rest assured that everything is okay.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

Here are a few of the latest smart home technologies that can keep your home clean.

Smart Faucets

A touch-free faucet that turns on and off with motion sensors or voice commands can help to reduce the spread of germs in your home.

Air Purifier

An air purifier with HEPA filtration can, in theory, remove any virus particles from the air in your home.

Steam Cleaners

Steam cleaners are touted for being able to eliminate 99.9 percent of virus particles.

Smart Security

Smart security allows you to unlock your door without touching the deadbolt or thank delivery drivers via a speaker system.

Published with permission from RISMedia.