Here's our 5 tips to help you embrace cozy this fall!

1. Decorate with Fall Colors: Bring the warm and inviting colors of fall into your home. Decorate with earthy tones like deep reds, oranges, and browns. You can add throw pillows, blankets, and even consider changing the color of your curtains or tablecloth to create a cozy ambiance. 

2. Light a Scented Candle: Choose a scented candle with warm, seasonal fragrances such as pumpkin spice, cinnamon, or apple pie. Lighting candles can create a comforting and inviting atmosphere in your home. Side note: Only light candles when you are home, please do not leave candles burning for your showings. While it sounds like a nice idea; it's dangerous and buyers may have sensitivities you won't want to trigger. 

3. Create a Reading Nook: Arrange a cozy reading nook with plush cushions and a soft blanket. Make the perfect spot to curl up with a good book and a cup of hot chocolate or coffee on a chilly day. 

4. Bake Fall Treats: Fall is the season of baking am I right!? Try your hand at making pumpkin bars (with cream cheese frosting of course), apple crisp, or maybe even cinnamon rolls! The aroma of freshly baked goods will fill your home with a comforting scent. 

5. Incorporate Natural Elements: Bring the outdoors in by decorating with natural elements. Use fall foliage, pinecones, acorns, and gourds in your décor. If you have a little one in your life this is a great way to get outside and include them in exploring! A vase of freshly picked fall flowers can also add a touch of beauty to your living space. 

These tips will help you create a warm and cozy atmosphere in your home that we are all craving right now with the change in temperatures! 

A simple trip can spoil your day….

GFCI outlets are used to safeguard and trip off the electrical. GFCI is integrated in the outlet itself. When you plug in an appliance, such as a hair dryer, the GFCI outlet monitors the amount of power going to the device. If you accidentally drop the appliance into sink full of water, the GFCI detects the interruption in current and cuts the power...and possibly saves your life.

Do Not plug in your refrigerator or deep freeze to a GFCI outlet, should it trip the electrical current will be cut and power off your appliance, not only spoiling your day, but spoiling your food if not caught in time.

Roxanne & Kelsey, RE/MAX Select Properties

6 Tips to Get Your Home Cold Weather Ready
 

October is one of my favorite months! I love everything from the colorful mums and pumpkins to the falling leaves and crisp clean air! It’s easy to be caught up in visiting corn mazes and haunted houses and forget the cold weather moves in and we will soon be scraping frost from your car windows.

Here are 6 tips to help prepare your home for winter and save on your heating expense.

1. Disconnect your exterior water hose and drain the hose. If your faucet is not a drain back style you may need to shut it off, then drain the line in the basement to prevent the hose bib from freezing and cracking the water line.
2. Check the exterior of your home and garage for loose or missing caulk around windows, doors, AC unit piping, and other openings. Apply caulk wherever you see cracks, gaps, or holes to prevent cold air, insects, and rodents from getting in.
3. If your basement windows are not double paned add a 1-inch insulation board on the inside. Remove debris from exterior basement window well and cover with a hard plastic window well covers. This will keep snow and rain out of the window wells and help prevent leaking.
4. Hire a professional to inspect your heating system annually to ensure it is operating properly and efficiently. Change the furnace filter monthly for efficiency, this is also helpful to reduce dust and allergens in your home.  SAFTEY TIP: for gas mechanicals and appliances ensure your CO2 detectors are in your home to the state guidelines.
5. Clean the rain gutters, removing leaves and debris before winter as this will help snow thawing and rains come spring while maintaining the integrity of your gutters. Make sure your downspouts are clean and in place directing water 3 to 6 feet from your foundation.
6. Check the Insulation level in your attic to prevent heat loss and ice dams. Insulate the rim joist in your basement which will prevent heat loss and drafts.  This will save on your heating costs and keep your warm your toes!
    

Tips for Fall Showings

                What a fun time to decorate your home inside and out! While preparing your house for fall showing keep in mind, we are on the countdown to cold temperatures. Pack away items such as outdoor furniture and lawn art to ensure its not frozen in when it comes time to move!  

                Curb appeal is important all year round. During the autumn months keep up on mowing, trimming trees and shrubs plus raking leaves and cleaning up the landscaping.  We recommend placing a few mums and pumpkins for color and creating a festive and inviting feel for buyers.

                Indoors, keep the house cozy and well-lit. Make sure your windows sills and glass are clean and maintained, many buyers like to check over windows and doors considering colder weather is on the way. Take care of the little To- Do List as a well-maintained home is a great first impression.

 If you really want to make every effort to impress, bake. There is nothing more inviting to a potential home buyer in the fall than the aroma of a freshly baked apple pie, breads, and cookies for your guests.  Supper in the crock pot is always a welcoming aroma for potential buyers and is a great way to have supper ready when you get home!

Your home mortgage is a monthly payment based typically on principal and interest.  When you pay less than 20 % down on the purchase price of your new home, you are required to have the real estate taxes and homeowners’ insurance included in your monthly payment.

The amount for the real estate taxes and homeowners’ insurance is put in a separate account with your lender called an escrow account.  Therefore, we refer to your taxes and insurance being escrowed. 

The lender maintains the account and is required to pay your real estate taxes and homeowners’ insurance as it comes due. Your monthly payment may be adjusted annually based on your property tax and homeowners’ insurance rate change.  

When you payoff your mortgage or sell the property, the lender is required to credit you for unused portions and typically the credit is reflected in your payoff amount.

Many homeowners elect to escrow the property taxes and insurance including it in their monthly payment as it eliminates large expenditures every six months and is easier to work into a monthly budget.

Roxanne Johnson

Broker, ABR, CRS, GRI