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From breathtaking gardens to verdant outdoor living areas, here are a few reasons to invest in your landscape design.

Curb Appeal

Working with a professional landscape designer is a guaranteed way to increase your homes curb appeal.

Better Views

Whether youre using lush plantings to create privacy or designing formal gardens, you can easily improve the views throughout your home.

Improved Outdoor Living

Your landscape design should meet your lifestyle. That might mean a lush entertaining area, a beautiful garden, or incorporating a playground for the kids.

Increase Property Value

According to the American Society of Landscape Architects, landscape improvements can return 100-200 percent of their cost when a house is sold.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

Coming up with enough money for a down payment is a struggle for many people, particularly first-time homebuyers. Family members and others often want to help. If youd like to provide money for a down payment as a gift, be sure that you understand the guidelines, required documentation and potential tax implications.

Why Do Lenders Care About Sources of Down Payment Funds?
A mortgage lender will want to know where a borrower got money for a down payment. If someone received a large sum of money from another person, the lender will want to know that the money was a gift, not a personal loan thatll need to be repaid and that could cause the borrower to be unable to afford the mortgage.

Underwriters will want to know the source of any large deposit in a borrowers account. Some lenders define a large deposit as a single deposit thats more than 50 percent of the total monthly qualifying income for the loan, while others verify deposits that are more than 1 percent of a homes adjusted purchase price or appraised value. In some cases, an underwriter will verify the source of any larger-than-usual deposits, no matter how much money the borrower earns or how much the house costs.

Who Can Provide Money for a Down Payment?
All lenders allow gifts from family members, but various lenders have somewhat different definitions of who is considered a family member. Some lenders allow gifts from employers, labor unions, charitable organizations, sellers, builders, developers and real estate agents.

Although the amount that can be given as a gift is not limited, a lender may require a buyer to provide a percentage of the down payment from personal funds. The rules depend on whether the home will be a primary or secondary residence, whether its a single- or multi-family house, and the type of mortgage to be obtained.

Documentation and Taxes
If you give someone money as a gift for a down payment, the lender will require a letter including your name, address, phone number, and relationship to the borrower, as well as the amount and date of the gift, the source of the funds, and a statement that the money is a gift and that you dont expect to be repaid. The letter should also include the address of the property to be purchased and your signature. You should keep detailed records showing exactly where the money originated and how you transferred it to the recipient.

If you give someone a gift for a down payment, you may need to pay taxes on the money. Check with an accountant to find out if youll owe taxes and how much.

Be Informed Before Giving a Gift
Giving money for a down payment can help make a loved ones dream of owning a home a reality. If you want to provide funds as a gift, make sure you understand the lenders rules and the applicable tax laws.

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

Published with permission from RISMedia.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

Life can change fast. For example, you could lose your job, a family member could fall ill, or an accident could occur. For many homeowners, unforeseen circumstances like these can cause financial problems that hinder their ability to keep up with mortgage payments, putting them at risk of losing their house.

If youre having trouble paying your mortgage for any reason, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) offers 10 tips to help you avoid foreclosure:

1. Don’t ignore the problem. The further behind you get on payments, the harder itll be to reinstate your loan and the more likely youll lose your house.

2. Contact your lender as soon as you realize you have a problem. Lenders dont want your house. They have options to help borrowers through difficult financial times.

3. Open and respond to all mail from your lender. The first notices you receive will offer good information about foreclosure prevention options that can help you weather financial problems. Later mail may include important notices of pending legal action. Your failure to open the mail wont be an excuse in foreclosure court.

4. Know your mortgage rights. Find your loan documents and read them so you know what your lender may do if you can’t make your payments. Learn about the foreclosure laws and timeframes in your state (as every state is different) by contacting the State Government Housing Office.

5. Understand prevention options. Valuable information about foreclosure prevention (also called loss mitigation) options can be found on HUDs website.

6. Contact a HUD-approved housing counselor. HUD funds free or very low-cost housing counseling nationwide. Housing counselors can help you understand the law and your options, organize your finances and represent you in negotiations with your lender, if you need this assistance. Find a HUD-approved housing counselor near you.

7. Prioritize your spending. After healthcare, keeping your house should be your top priority. Review your finances and see where you can cut spending in order to make your mortgage payment. Look for optional expenses, such as cable TV or memberships, you can eliminate. Delay payments on credit cards and other “unsecured” debt until youve paid your mortgage.

8. Use your assets. Do you have assets, such as a second car or jewelry, you can sell for cash to help reinstate your loan? Can anyone in your household get an extra job to bring in additional income? Even if these efforts don’t significantly increase your available cash, they demonstrate to your lender that youre willing to make sacrifices to keep your home.

9. Avoid foreclosure prevention companies. You don’t need to pay fees for help”use that money to pay the mortgage instead. Many for-profit companies will contact you promising to negotiate with your lender. While these may be legitimate businesses, theyll likely charge you a hefty fee for information and services your lender or a HUD-approved counselor will provide for free.

10. Don’t lose your house to scams. If any firm claims it can stop your foreclosure immediately and you sign a document appointing the firm to act on your behalf, you may well be signing over the title to your property and becoming a renter in your own home. Never sign a legal document without reading and understanding all the terms and getting professional advice from an attorney, a trusted real estate professional or a HUD-approved counselor.

These 10 tips could help you safely overcome troubled times and remain a homeowner.

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Whether you have a charming backyard, sizable balcony or spacious rooftop, there are plenty of opportunities to grow your own produce in the city.

Maximize Your Space

Using raised beds and implementing square foot gardening, where each square foot of garden holds a specific plant, will maximize space and efficiency.

Containers are equally well suited to growing vegetables in confined spaces and can provide a unique aesthetic to your garden with beautiful planters.

What to Grow

Stick to vegetables that require a soil depth of less than a foot, like lettuce, spinach, eggplants, radishes and beets.

Vegetables that can grow vertically using support systems, such as tomatoes and squash, are another way to maximize space.

Bring in the Soil

Even if you have a backyard, its a good idea to buy organic potting soil thats rich in nutrients and can retain moisture to keep your plants healthy.

Published with permission from RISMedia.