6 Foolproof Ways to Make Your Carpet Last Longer

Carpet has some upsides. It’s cozy on barefeet, looks great in a den and is less expensive to install than other flooring types. The downside? Once carpet starts to show age, gets a stain or is just plain dirty, it’s hard to reverse the nastification process. The average carpet replacement happens every seven years, which can really add up over the lifetime of a house.

To extend the life if your carpet, live by these six rules:

Stick to a No Shoes Policy

When you wear shoes into your house, you’re tracking dirt, grime and worse … feces … into your house. Yup, feces. Over 96 percent of shoes come into frequent contact with fecal matter from public restrooms, and that fecal matter is being rubbed all over your carpet when you stomp around inside. Think you’re safe because of an entryway or mudroom? Not so fast. Tests show that it takes up to 17 steps before the soles of shoes are clean (and fecal-free).

To protect your carpets, enact an ironclad “no shoes” policy in your house. To make it easy for family and guests, place a few big baskets by the door to hold shoes. Tip: Tack up a sign politely asking guests to remove their shoes, so you can avoid an awkward conversation down the road.

Get Your Carpets Professionally Cleaned (At Least) Once a Year

According to the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration (IIRC), all carpets should be cleaned at least once a year. That’s a good baseline, but there’s definitely some flex on it. In low-traffic areas, carpets can go 12 to 18 months between cleanings, but high-traffic areas are better off getting cleaned 2-4 times a year. (If you have kids, pets or a smoking habit, cleaning everything 2-4 times per year is a good idea.)

Professional cleaners may seem expensive, but it’s not that bad if you get a good deal! Check to see if Angie’s List is offering anything in your area.

Buy (and Maintain) a Nice Vacuum

Some home items, like dog food bowls or decorations, are okay to skimp on. With vacuums, on the other hand, you get what you pay for. Not only will cheap vacuums not pick up dirt and grime, they’re tougher to clean and don’t filter the air very well. Instead, opt for a middle-of-the-road price (around $200). If you’re vacuuming a massive amount of area, you may want to go even higher on the purchase price to make life easier. Here’s a more detailed vacuum buying guide if you need it.

Once you have the right vacuum, it’s important to keep it maintained. Before each use, check the bag. You want the bag (or bagless cylinder) to be less than half full. If the air filter is removable, rinse it out before and after each use. Also, do a more thorough vacuum inspection every sixth months.

Vacuum A Lot

Speaking of your vacuum, this is not a once-a-month chore! When it comes to your vacuum, you’ve gotta be diligent. If you skip a few runs here and there it’s okay, but if you’re ignoring the vacuuming week-over-week, your carpet is going to hold too much dirt and grime for you to handle with a vacuum.

Follow this rule of thumb: For the average family, you should vacuum carpets two or three times a week. If your family is really active, you may want to increase that to three or four times a week. (Here are a few tips for vacuuming more effectively in general.) When you vacuum, use four-six passes in the high traffic lanes and two-three passes in low traffic areas.

Change Up the Furniture

Even light furniture will sink over time, causing divots to form in your carpet. And a five-year divot is pretty much permanent. To keep your fibers fresh, reposition the furniture every few months. Tip: Use the change up as an excess to clean up, and assess your clutter situation as you’re moving furniture.

Be Proactive With Stains

What’s a party without a spill, amiright? It’s tough to prevent spills from happening, but if you’re on top of it, you can keep them from becoming stains. When something happens, immediately clean up anything solid (like nacho chips) and sop up any excess liquid. Then, follow these five easy fixes for common stains depending on the type of spill. Tip: Have club soda handy pretty much all of the time.

By Brightnest.com

 Courtesy of Lina Arbelaez.

When you are buying or selling property in today's market, it's important to have confidence in your Real Estate professional. My commitment as your REALTOR® is to provide you with the specialized Real Estate service you deserve.

 
When you are an informed buyer or seller, you'll make the best decisions for the most important purchase or sale in your lifetime. That's why our goal is to keep you informed on trends in Miami Real Estate. With property values continuing to rise, Real Estate is a sound investment for now and for the future. 

As local Broward & Miami-Dade area expert with knowledge of the communities, My objective is to work diligently to assist you in meeting your real estate goals.

If you are considering buying or selling or would just like to have additional information about Real Estate in your area, please don't hesitate to call 954-600-8739, visit our website, or e-mail premiersouthfloridahomes.info@gmail.com 

Tips For Selling Your Home During The Fall Market

 

The real estate market is typically most active at the early stages of spring. However, just because its fall doesn’t mean your home won’t sell. Millennials, empty nesters, relocations and other home buyers aren’t particular about when they move, so you have a good chance of selling your home come fall. To make your home more appealing, you’ll want to take the following tips into consideration.

Move-In Condition   

Before you begin to show your home, have your real estate agent walk through your dwelling first. As a professional, they’ll be able to determine if you need to get rid of any clutter or make repairs. Additional small home improvements like painting the walls a neutral color and cleaning carpets can go a long way.

Tune-Ups and Inspections

As the weather turns colder, you’ll need to ditch your air-condition for heat. Before you set your thermostat to something cozy, you’ll want to have your furnace inspected by a professional. They can help change your filters and determine if your furnace is in need of any additional parts. Homes with older equipment should also be fixed or replaced. Professional companies such as RitzPlumbing.com can replace or service your old water heaters, sump pumps and pipes. If your home has a fireplace, it should also be inspected. A serviceman can check for any blockages such as a squirrel or birds nest. Save the receipts and have handy, so the buyers can see how well-tended your home is.

Clean the Exterior

Your home’s exterior can set the mood for your dwelling. Whether the prospective buyers see the photos of your home on the Internet or by driving around your neighborhood, you want to have the exterior in prime condition. Leaves, branches and other debris can litter your yard as the summer season comes to a close. Try to rake or mow your lawn weekly, so it looks tidy and neat. You’ll also want to clean your gutters to remove leaves and other debris that may be littering it. During rainstorms, this can allow your gutters to overflow and run down onto the sides of your home. Decks, walkways and garages should also be cleaned and treated. Remove your annual flowers in favor of colorful mums. This can brighten up your exterior and give your home added character. If you notice any paint chipping off your home’s trim, shutters or doors, a touch up can make the exterior look brand new. If you live in a warmer climate, you’ll want to leave the patio furniture out and make sure it’s clean for buyers to sit outdoors and take in your view.

Decorate

The fall season is a time for colorful foliage and decorations. While you don’t want to go over-the-top in sprucing up your home for fall, simple adornments can give your outside some charm. Seasonal fall welcome mats are ideal, especially if you have buyers walking through your home. Place pumpkins on your porch or along your walkway and display a festive fall wreath on your front door.

Lighting

As the hours of daylight begin to grow shorter, you’re home’s exterior will need additional lighting. If you have porch lights, this is a great time to change the bulbs. You should also have your garage, walkways and address numbers lit properly. Before a home showing at night, illuminate the home by turning on the lights in every room.

Get Serious About the Price

If you really need to sell your home, the fall market could be slower than the spring. That’s why it’s important to price your dwelling accordingly. Your Realtor will be able to provide the latest comps. This gives you an idea of what the other homes in your neighborhood are currently selling for, the number of days they have been on the market, and the features. A market analysis will also show you what the homes have sold at. While you may think that your home is far superior from the other listings, it pays to listen to the advice from the experts.

By Bethany Mairinger, Realtytimes.com

Courtesy of Lina Arbelaez.

When you are buying or selling property in today's market, it's important to have confidence in your Real Estate professional. Our commitment as your REALTOR® is to provide you with the specialized Real Estate service you deserve.

When you are an informed buyer or seller, you'll make the best decisions for the most important purchase or sale in your lifetime. That's why our goal is to keep you informed on trends in Miami Real Estate. With property values continuing to rise, Real Estate is a sound investment for now and for the future.

As local Broward & Miami-Dade area experts with knowledge of the communities, our objective is to work diligently to assist you in meeting your real estate goals.

If you are considering buying or selling or would just like to have additional information about Real Estate in your area, please don't hesitate to call 954-600-8739,visit our website, or e-mail info.PREMIERSOUTHFLORIDAHOMES@gmail.com

 

 

8 Yard Flowers We Swear You Won’t Kill

Nothing says, “I don’t have control over my life” like a bunch of dead plants in your front yard.

So what’s the average black-thumb gardener to do?

Turn to one of these eight flowers. We promise they won’t die on you, except under extreme circumstances:

1. Sunflowers

Sunflowers are great plants to have kids help grow, and it’s a lot of fun when they grow 10 feet tall! All you need to do is sow sunflower seeds into a sunny spot in your backyard, and they will take off on their own.

2. Marigolds

The best flower for impatient gardeners is definitely the Marigold. These low-maintenance annuals can start sprouting beautiful blooms in a matter of days and work great as border plants along the edge of your property.

3. Coneflowers

Coneflower is actually the common name for five types of plants from the Asteraceae and Proteaceae families. These prairie flowers can thrive in both full sun and partial shade. Birds love them and – best of all – they come in a bunch of different colors, such as yellow, purple and red.

4. Zinnias

These easy plants are great for landscaped yards or container gardens. Just water them when the soil feels dry and they’ll handle the rest themselves. You don’t even need to prune dead leaves from them if you don’t feel like it!

5. Cosmos

This plant is one of the easiest to grow from seed. Buy a pack at the local garden store, plant them according to the packet’s directions and in just a few weeks you’ll have a spectacular show of bright flowers in your yard. Cosmos are annuals, but they actually tend to reseed on their own!

6. Pansies

Don't be fooled by the name, pansies are stronger than most flowers! (They’re actually tough enough to grow in the winter.) Simply plant pansies where they can get the most sun and they’ll usually thrive.

7. Petunias

If you’re a bit on the forgetful side, this plant is perfect for you. Petunias only need to be watered once a week or so because they’re resistant to heat. Plus, they can be planted in both full sun and partial shade.

8. Californian Poppy

If poor soil quality is to blame for lackluster plants in your garden, try the Californian Poppy! These flowers love low-quality, dry soil and full sun. Scatter poppy seeds where you want them to flower and you’re done. Talk about low-maintenance!

Article on Brightnest.com

 

Courtesy of The Lina Arbelaez Real Estate Group.

When you are buying or selling property in today's market, it's important to have confidence in your Real Estate professional. Our commitment as your REALTOR® is to provide you with the specialized Real Estate service you deserve.

When you are an informed buyer or seller, you'll make the best decisions for the most important purchase or sale in your lifetime. That's why our goal is to keep you informed on trends in Miami Real Estate. With property values continuing to rise, Real Estate is a sound investment for now and for the future.

As local Broward & Miami-Dade area experts with knowledge of the communities, The Lina Arbelaez Real Estate Group’s objective is to work diligently to assist you in meeting your real estate goals.

If you are considering buying or selling or would just like to have additional information about Real Estate in your area, please don't hesitate to call 954-600-8739,visit our website, or e-mail info.premiersouthfloridahomes@gmail.com

 

Is It Really Easier to Get a Mortgage These Days? Well…

This was supposed to be the year that getting a mortgage would become easier. Now that we’re halfway through, we’ve seen home sales and closings substantially improve over last year, including by first-time buyers. This must mean that access to credit is getting better, right? Well, it doesn’t look that way.

After mortgage backers Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac clarified their credit qualification standards last fall to encourage lenders to ease their requirements, it seems like credit access would improve. And then the Federal Housing Administration lowered its insurance premiums, and Fannie and Freddie introduced new low-down-payment programs for qualified buyers.

Looking at the year’s data through June, closings of existing homes are up 8% over last year. And a greater proportion of those buyers had taken out a loan: The share of closings that were all-cash transactions in June was 22%, down from 32% last June.

Meanwhile the share of closings represented by first-time buyers, who are most dependent on credit access, has improved modestly from 28% to 30% this June, and mortgage purchase applications are up approximately 19% over last year.

This sounds good, but when we look at data specific to mortgages, they’re inconclusive. The Mortgage Bankers Association’s Credit Availability Index was at 122 in June, up 5% from June 2014. Before you think that a 5% improvement over last year is an impressive expansion of credit, consider the fact that the index peaked at 869 in June 2004. While no one would suggest that an index of 800 was, in any way, a risk-appropriate level of credit availability, 122 is clearly far from normal.
 
Looking for evidence

I took a spin through useful stats on approved and denied mortgages from mortgage software company Ellie Mae to see if I could find any evidence of looser credit standards or even any insights to help today’s buyer who may be struggling with getting approved for a mortgage. I did not find evidence of easier credit access.

The average FICO score on a closed purchase mortgage in June was 727. That average has remained between 724 and 742 for the past 24 months. In the past year, it’s been stuck between 726 and 732. Across mortgage loan types, credit scores haven’t moved much in the past year—they remain solidly of high quality and represent above-median credit-quality households.

Meanwhile the average denied FICO score has moved a bit. In June it was 672, down from 686 last June. What does that mean? More lower credit-quality households are applying but not getting approved. Yet at the same time, the percentage of purchase applications making it to closing has risen from 64% last June to 69% this June.
 
Times are still tough for those with tarnished credit

This would suggest that at least from a credit score perspective, it’s predominantly consumers with high scores who are applying. Researchers from the Urban Institute reported this spring that borrowers with anything less than pristine credit were having a hard time getting a mortgage. It would seem that their observations are still correct.

Borrowers will find more flexibility on FHA mortgages, where the average FICO score on closed mortgages in June was 689. However, that score was up slightly from the average score of 683 last June.

The data from Ellie Mae also show that loan-to-value ratios, measuring the loan amount relative to the home purchase price, are unchanged on average, despite more options available this year for low down payment loans, which would result in a higher LTV. The average LTV on FHA mortgages closed in June, for example, was unchanged from last year at 95% (representing a loan with 5% down).

There is still hope for borrowers who do not quite fit this credit quality mold. The July Senior Loan Officer survey data from the Federal Reserve indicated that banks have slightly eased lending standards for a number of categories of mortgage loans over the past three months. As a result, we should start to see that affecting the closing averages in the months ahead.

The one mortgage type for which the most banks have reported an easing of standards is the jumbo (both the conforming and nonconforming). So if you are a higher-income buyer looking for a mortgage to buy a home priced above the conventional loan limits, you will likely have more flexibility.
 
The outlook

The strong demand we’ve been seeing all year leading to substantial increases in home sales represents no deterioration in loan metrics. The improving job market and efforts by households to save and improve their credit scores are enabling them to get approved for mortgages.

This is all good, right? Not exactly.

Today’s limited credit availability is at least partly to blame for the tight supply that’s leading to higher prices and higher rents. Builders are not convinced that there’s enough depth of demand to absorb higher levels of new construction, so they are holding back and focusing on their profitable growth instead. Meanwhile, a substantial percentage of today’s homeowners with mortgages underwritten years ago fear not being able to qualify for a new mortgage today, so they stay on the sidelines and keep their homes off the market.
 
Article on Realtor.com
Courtesy of the Lina Arbelaez Real Estate International Group.

When you are buying or selling property in today's market, it's important to have confidence in your Real Estate professional. The Real Estate International Group’s commitment as your REALTOR® is to provide you with the specialized Real Estate service you deserve.

When you are an informed buyer or seller, you'll make the best decisions for the most important purchase or sale in your lifetime. That's why The Real Estate International Group’s goal is to keep you informed on trends in Miami Real Estate. With property values continuing to rise, Real Estate is a sound investment for now and for the future.

As local Broward & Miami-Dade area experts with knowledge of the communities, The Real Estate International Group’s objective is to work diligently to assist you in meeting your real estate goals.

If you are considering buying or selling or would just like to have additional information about Real Estate in your area, please don't hesitate to call 954-600-8739, visit our website, or e-mail info.premiersouthfloridahomes@gmail.com