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Here are four ways you can repurpose your old mason jars.

Mixing Salad Dressing

Simply add your ingredients, seal your jar with the metal cover and shake well. Store in the refrigerator for a fresh and leak-free storage solution.

Infusing Alcohol

Create your own flavored alcohol with different flavors and ingredients, such as fruit infused vodka or ginger infused rum, close up your jar and store in the freezer.

Jar Glass

Pour a fresh drink into a mason jar for a trendy new drinking glass. Look online for, or DIY, jar lids with a hole punched for a straw for a quick and easy to-go cup.

Organize Your Pantry

Keep your ingredients fresh, from flour and sugar to pasta and rice. Empty out cans and containers of nuts and seeds for a decorative way to display your snacks.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

Closing costs are 2-5 percent of the purchase price of a home, resulting in an average of $3,700 in fees for paperwork required to buy a house. Thats a lot of money to come up with when you may have already put everything toward a down payment.

Some fees from mortgage lenders are required by federal law to be the same, and there isnt much you can do to change these costs listed in a HUD settlement statement ” origination, underwriting, administrative and doc-preparation, among others.

Other closing costs, however, can be negotiated. Here are some to check into:

Lender fees: All customers must legally be charged the same lender fees by a lender, so you cant negotiate them. But you can shop around for a lender with low fees, as seen in their good faith estimates, which shouldnt differ from the HUD statement.

Higher loan rate: If youre willing to pay a higher loan rate, then lenders will discount the fees. Those can be added to the loan and are seen through a slightly higher monthly mortgage payment.

Title insurance: This type of insurance is required to protect the lender and you if there are undiscovered liens against the property. Shop around for lower title insurance or negotiate the fee.

Home insurance: Lenders require a home insurance policy, which can cost from $300 to $1,000 a year, depending on where you live and the type of home. Shop for an insurer that offers discounts for certain factors, such as having multiple policies, a new roof or specific home improvements.

Negotiate with the seller: If youre in a buyers market, ask a home seller to cover part of your closing costs. The worst that can happen is they say no.

Add costs to the loan: If none of these tactics work and you still have difficulty paying closing costs, ask your lender to add them to the loan. Instead of paying these costs all at once, youll be able to pay them over 30 years or however long your home loan is for; you wont feel the financial pain as much over time.

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Military personnel, both current and past service members, have an option for a housing loan that many dont even realize exists.

TheVA loanprogram is a no-money down mortgage option available to these brave men and women, as well as select military spouses.VA loansare issued by private lenders and guaranteed by the U.S. Department of VeteransAffairs.

Originally established in 1944 as part of the Servicemens Readjustment Act, VA loans are for anyone who has served in active duty in any branch of the U.S. military for a minimum of 90 days.

In addition to not needing a down payment, the 75-year-old VA loan also doesnt allow mortgage lenders to charge private mortgage insurance, which is another big benefit of the program. However, the borrower is required to pay a one-time funding fee on the home purchase, which can either be paid upfront or financed into the total cost of the loan. The funding fee for regular military members is 2.15 percent of the loan. Reservists pay a fee of 2.40 percent.

Additionally, non-active duty personnel, such as those in the Army Reserves or National Guard, may apply for a VA-backed mortgage as long as they have completed six years of service. The spouses of deceased or missing military members are also eligible if they have not remarried. Borrowers who received a dishonorable discharge from any military branch are not eligible.

Since 1944, the program has backed more than 24 million VA home loans. In Fiscal 2018 alone, it guaranteed over 610,000 home loans totaling more than $161 billion.Still, the Department of Veterans Affairs noted there are about 25 million eligible homeowners and less than 15 percent of them have taken advantage of the opportunity when buying a home.

A chief problem is that many veterans, especially those not so recently discharged, arent entirely sure what the benefit is or do not realize that they actually have such a benefit.With the VA loan, the veteran can literally buy a home with little to no money out of pocket.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

Here are a few ways to create a sense of wellness throughout your home.

Reconnecting With the Kitchen

Wellness in the kitchen is about more than eating nutritious foods. The act of preparing food and gathering together to eat does wonders for our wellbeing.

Outdoor Spaces

Fresh air, natural light and open spaces have a significant impact on our mental wellbeing, meaning outdoor spaces have never been more important.

Activity Areas

While it might not fit the traditional definition of wellness, having an area at home to engage in your personal interests plays a role in helping you feel your best.

Sleeping Soundly

Its essential to design a bedroom that promotes relaxation and allows you to get ample rest each night, especially during stressful times such as these.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

Even though a burglary occursevery 20 secondsin the U.S., you can still protect yourself without installing top-dollar security features.

Home burglary generally has a pattern; criminals are looking for an easy target they can rob fast. Learn from the pros. Here are five tips from career burglars you can use to defend your home and prevent break-ins:

1. Nighttime Burglaries Arent the Best Time. Burglars like to break into homes during daytime hours”the last thing criminals want is to encounter someone at home. Weekdays are ideal for thieves, since weekend schedules are too unpredictable. Between 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. are themost popular timesbecause theres a high chance people will be away at work or school.

2. They Know When Youre Not Home”Thanks to Social Media. While its tempting to post about your vacation to your social media feed, wait to share those trip photos and exotic location check-ins until youre back home. Criminals scout public social media accounts on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook to find victims. Even if all your accounts are private, that old friend from high school could be a potential criminal. Never post what times youre not home or how long youll be out.

3. They Dont Like Your Security Practices. Burglars want nothing to do with alarm systems (whether theyre from thebest home security companiesor not). Homes without a security system are almost 300 percent more likely to be targeted for a break-in. If you do install an alarm system, make sure you guard it with a strong code. Dont use your house number or birthday, and clean any dirt or grease off your keypad so a burglar wont guess your code based off the numbers youve hit the most.Also, tricks that make it look like youre home really work. Motion sensor lights, TVs left on and cars parked in the driveway make burglars nervous and run from properties.

4. Shrubs and Architecture Make Great Hiding Spots. Tall bushes are favorites of burglars since they offer an obstructed view from the street and neighbors. Think twice about large architecture features, too, like fences, half walls and big fountains. Such dcor elements give a burglar more time to hide and plot their method of entry. The best defense is a clear view of your front porch.

5. Valuables in the Open Help Them Decide on a Target. Keep your expensive items out of sight. Youre making it too easy for a burglar by advertising the types of valuables they can steal. Dont leave a new laptop in front of your first-floor kitchen window, expensive jewelry on your living room coffee table, or even a nice car in a garage window with a clear sight line to the street. Key hooks”especially with labels for each key”need to be concealed out of view from windows, as well.

Source: Krystal Rogers-Nelson/RISMedias Housecall

Published with permission from RISMedia.