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New buyers can get overwhelmed by the additional expenses incurred during homeownership. Besides making monthly mortgage payments, homeowners may have to pay for gardening, pest control, pool maintenance, plumbing fixes, electrical work and more.

But the good news is that tax time offers homeowners a number of deductions and credits not available to renters. Check with a tax consultant to see if these deductions apply to you.

Private Mortgage Insurance
PMI is the premium you pay every month until your equity equals 20 percent of your homes value. Luckily, these premiums can be deducted from your income.

Mortgage Interest
If you paid more than $600 dollars in mortgage interest during the tax year, every penny you paid is deductible”and that includes interest on a second mortgage.

Local Real Estate Taxes
Some taxpayers overlook the fact that homeowners can deduct local, state and even foreign real estate taxes on their federal returns. Lower-income homeowners may also get special property tax benefits from their state or municipality, so look into further breaks specific to your community.

Losses From Weather, Fire or Theft
While nobody wants a tree to fall on their house or burglars to make off with their flat screen, the IRS grants a break to any property or casualty loss that is more than 10 percent of your gross income and is not reimbursed by your insurance.

Moving Expenses
If you moved 50 miles or more for a new job during the tax year, you can deduct your moving expenses. (Note, that if you started the new job more than a year before purchasing the new home, the moving expenses are not tax deductible.)

Selling Costs
If you sold a home during the tax year, the commission paid to a real estate agent is tax deductible, as are any legal fees and closing costs. Just like home-improvement costs reduce your cost basis, so do your selling costs.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

Significant works of art require being exhibited in a way that does them justice.

Heres what you need to know about displaying your art at home…

Assess the Space

Is the space best for a few large paintings or several smaller works?

Group pieces that are connected in some way, like style, color or motif.

Lighting

Warm, dimmable light bulbs are best to illuminate the artworks natural hues.

Avoid direct sunlight, as it can cause fading.

Consult a Professional

Bring in a professional to help curate your space.

Services can outfit your home with museum quality hanging systems to take your collection to the next level.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

First, establish eye level, which in most houses is 57 to 60 inches from the floor.

The center of the picture should be at this point.

Second, consider your space. Is your artwork landscape or portrait?

Coordinate that with the space, or hang portraits side by side and landscapes one on top of the other.

Third, keep it neat.

If you’re creating a gallery wall, align them on a grid.

You can also begin with one in the center, and arrange outward.

Above all, look for symmetry. It’s important that everything is even throughout your home.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

For many of us, cleaning out our garage is no simple afternoon task. Most garages hold years of accumulated and forgotten items, and clearing them out is a serious job. Below are five tips to help you make the most of the big clean-out.

Pick a date. To avoid procrastination, choose a hard date on your calendar for your clean-out. Depending on the size of your garage, a full weekend may be in order. Tell your family members about the date to make sure they will be around to pitch in.

Gather your resources. Stock up on large trash bags, visit your local grocer’s for discarded cardboard boxes and”if you have enough lurking in your garage”consider calling your county’s waste management service to see if you can order a dumpster.

Ask for help. Do you need to borrow a friend’s pickup truck to lug your unwanted items to the dump? How about a power washer to clean the floor once it’s clutter-free? Line these things up in advance for easy cleaning.

Pile it right. At the start of your clean-out, create three piles: to keep, to sell, and to donate. As you come across items in your garage, add them to their respective area and keep moving. Once something has landed in a pile, try to resist the temptation to move it.

Organize, organize, organize. Set yourself up to re-organize your space once it’s squeaky clean. Do you need more shelving units? Hooks and bins? Gather these items in advance.

I hope you found this helpful. Contact me for more home and real estate insights and info.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

If you have ever owned any stainless steel products, you know how beautiful and appealing the look can be. Stainless steel appliances give a renovated kitchen that POP! it needs, while steel also makes for a very durable cookware product that never disturbs flavors, yet guarantees a balanced heating of foods. It also resists corrosion and rust – a bonus for the steel fans!

But sometimes stainless steel appliances can be difficult to keep clean. Here are some quick and easy tips for cleaning steel and maintaining that fresh metallic look:

Clean with water and a cloth. Microfiber cloths are the best option to use when cleaning stainless steel because they absorb all of the water. It’s also a safe product to use to avoid scratching steel surfaces. You’ll want to avoid paper towels or any cloth or towel with a rough surface intended for non-stick cookware. This especially includes steel wool! When drying, dry along the grain to avoid water spots. If you clean or dry aggressively against the grain with regular scouring pads, you will leave marks on your appliance or pan, so be sure to take it easy.

Only use a drop of dish soap. For most cases, a drop of mild dish soap and warm water is all you’ll need to clean a pan or pot, so don’t overthink it! Just be gentle. Alternatively, using white vinegar as a cleaner has also been proven to work. Try it out – that stuff is like magic!

Glass cleaner is your friend. Fingerprints on stainless steel is one of the biggest complaints and it’s a valid concern! No matter how careful you try to be, fingerprints will always end up on your fridge. Spray glass cleaner on a microfiber cloth to get the job done. Wipe away the fingerprint using soft circular wipes. There are newer finishes of stainless steel that are fingerprint resistant, so if you are buying new products be sure to do your research and seek those out.

Keep a stainless steel cleaner on hand. If you need to remove stains or scratches from your stainless steel, using a steel cleaner is a great option. Read the directions on the cleaner and be sure to test the product on an unnoticeable location, just in case. Even if you aren’t trying to remove a stain or hide a scratch, stainless steel cleaner or glass cleaner will help your appliance shine. As always, rinse the area thoroughly afterwards and towel dry.

Stainless steel can be finicky, but with a little TLC, stainless steel will keep your kitchen looking sleek and stylish for years to come.

Published with permission from RISMedia.