Have you heard this statement? Maybe on the TV? Maybe on the radio? Maybe from family or friends?

You deserve that new house!!

You deserve that new truck!!

You deserve that new phone!!

I absolutely HATE that word, DESERVE. I want to tell you a reality. YOU DESERVE WHAT YOU CAN AFFORD!! Our culture tells us do whatever makes us feel good. And you should do whatever it takes to feel good. Even if that means going into debt to get that feel good experience. It took me 40 years and losing a house to learn that lesson. I had an old friend tell me once, Do not let your WANTs become more than your NEEDs.

Now how does this relate to real estate? Well, if you want to move out of your parent’s home, out of that apartment, upsize or downsize your current property, you need start preparing yourself to buy a home.

• Come up with a strategy. Sit down with your partner (if you have one) and decide on a plan. How much of a down payment can you afford and how long will it take to come up with that money. And do not forget to save a little money for closing cost, earnest month, etc.
• Check your credit score. If you want a quick glimpse to your credit score, go to Kredit Karma website and signup. Also, get your free annual credit report. Look for negative entries. Work on cleaning up your credit, if needed.
• Get started now!! Doing item 1 and 2 only cost you time. It is never too early to get started. Get your plan in action. Work on cleaning up that credit. Start saving that money.
• Find an agent you can work with. If you are buying a new home, most of the time the buyer agent’s commission comes from the seller. An agent will help you navigate the process. Please do not discount the value of have a good agent. If you are wanting to sell, have an agent navigate the process.

I hope my thoughts can help someone. Good luck with your journey.

To rent or to buy is one of the biggest questions prospective first-time homebuyers ask themselves. Renting might feel like you are constantly paying your landlord’s bills with nothing to show for yourself while owning a home sounds like a daunting challenge that feels too out of reach. We all have concerns about doing the right thing for ourselves and our families when considering spending a large amount of money, whether that be on rent or a mortgage. To truly understand what is the right choice for you, let’s consider some of the pros and cons of each! “Renting is just throwing your money away” If you’re paying your mortgage to the bank or paying rent to your landlord, there is no escaping the fact that you will have a monthly payment to live in a home. Homeownership DOES often come with a smaller monthly cost than most rental payments, although some costs come with owning a home that you often overlook while renting. Homeowners have to pay property taxes, utilities, homeowners insurance, and keep up with home repairs. You also have to take into consideration lawn maintenance, fuel costs, and general upkeep costs. If you rent the money you pay to your landlord generally covers what they put into the home to care for these needs. When you’re a homeowner you assume the monthly payment in addition to all of these added fees. “Is renting cheaper in the long run?” While it’s true that when you’re renting a property you don’t have to pay the added expenses of maintenance like roof repairs, new heating system, etc, consider that your rent may fluctuate in price over time. Your monthly mortgage payment is locked in place the day you buy your home. Rents can change as the market changes or if your landlord sells your building. Recently we have all seen that rents sometimes rise faster than we can pay for them, often most renters working multiple jobs. Statistically, it does seem that it is cheaper, in the long run, to own a home due to sustainability and the certainty of your monthly payments.

Have you ever heard of the Hub & Spoke Model? 

The Hub and Spoke Model originated as a visual for the transportation industry. Hubs acted as key airports that planes would route their flights through, and spokes were the different flight routes planes followed to other airports. 

Over time, other industries adopted the Hub and Spoke Model to fit their needs, the overall design and premise stayed the same as it evolves for the specific industry: hubs act as centralized areas of importance, and spokes link hubs to less important sections or to other hubs. 

The Hub and Spoke Model is used in a variety of industries and personally by many who like to track goals and sub-tasks. It can be applied to many different situations, start-up companies, blogs, healthcare, real estate, and more! 

One of the most important things you can do when creating your own hub & spoke is to determine what your hub will be. 

Creating the Hub. 

To create a new hub you need to determine what the end goal is. For instance, if you are creating a website, the end goal would be to launch the website, so that would be your hub and all of the tasks that go into creating the site would become the spokes. Another example would be if you are an investor. The main goal or hub would be to ultimately grow your portfolio. How do you accomplish that? 

Determining Spokes. 

Let’s continue with the example of the investor looking to grow their portfolio – their hub. What tasks might become their spokes? Perhaps some of the spokes could be the following; research areas to invest, find a broker, invest in real estate, hire a team, look for a partner, etc. 

Follow Through and Adjusting 

With any organizational tool, there will always be adjustments that need to be made as well as new goals, or hubs and spokes, to be added. Set a reminder to look over your model every few weeks to see how you’re doing and what you could add. Set yourself up for success this way. 

Spring has arrived with long days, warmer weather, and lots of home projects that you can catch up on! From repairing winter property damage to preparing your home for summer fun, the big question many find themselves asking is what should you do first? 

Not sure where to start? These six basic home maintenance needs are all worth your attention this season. 

Clean Your Dryer Vent 

Quite possibly one of the biggest fire hazards in your home is a clogged dryer vent, yet so many people overlook regular maintenance of it. You can easily prevent a future disaster by cleaning out your dryer vent each spring.  

Clean Your Gutters 

This unpopular task can be put off time and time again, although it’s extremely important to keep up with regular maintenance. Blocked or damaged gutters won’t be able to effectively combat the heavy spring rains unless properly cleaned or repaired. Debris needs to be removed and damaged pieces will need to be replaced. You should also check your downspouts to ensure that they are turned away from your home.  

      Check Your Basement 

This seemingly simple task can be the difference between a small issue or a larger issue later down the road. In addition to examining the outside foundation area of your home for cracks, you should carefully review all of your home systems such as HVAC units, water purifiers, etc. While in the basement you should also be on the lookout for signs of mold or other fungus and areas of dampness.  

Clean and Inspect Window Screens 

Look over all of your window screens as you clean them for small tears that can be repaired. A little bit of work now will keep unwanted pests from coming into your home. 

Trim Tree Branches  

Oftentimes over the winter tree limbs will die off and in the spring need to be trimmed. This can prevent larger limbs from falling onto your home during spring and summer storms and possibly preventing roof or other property damage.  

    HVAC Maintenance 

Have your HVAC professionally serviced so that the A/C will effectively run throughout the spring and summer months. The more effective your system is, the less money you will be spending on energy costs!   

Following these six basic tips in addition to your property-specific needs will ensure that your home is ready for the warmer months ahead of where you can sit back, relax, and enjoy your home to the fullest