Motivational Quote of the day by John Grisham

"In life, finding a voice is speaking and living the truth. Each of you is an original. Each of you has a distinctive voice. When you find it, your story will be told. You will be heard."



― John Grisham

Busting first-time homebuyer myths

(BPT) - When buying a first home, most people are making one of the biggest purchases of their lives. Without home buying experience, it's hard to separate fact from fiction.



"Buying a first home can be exciting and stressful for most young buyers, especially the financing process," says Clete Thompson, vice president at imortgage, a division of loanDepot LLC. "There's a lot of paperwork, many choices, and sometimes budgets don't stretch very far. Our licensed loan officers specialize in helping first-time buyers navigate the home finance process, which can be stressful if you're not working with a seasoned professional."



To help first-time buyers, the experts at imortgage are uncovering prevalent myths about financing a home purchase:



Myth: It takes a 20 percent down payment to buy a home.



Reality: Required down payment amounts vary by type of loan and they are on average much smaller than people think. Last year, the median down payment for all first-time buyers was 6 percent, according to the National Association of Realtors. One reason is that many first-time buyers use FHA loans, which require down payments as low as 3 to 3.5 percent. VA loans require nothing down for qualified veterans or active military personnel. If you want to take out a conventional loan, many lenders do require 20 percent down, but you can lower that percentage with private mortgage insurance. There are also hundreds of down payment assistance programs that eliminate or reduce down payment requirements for qualified borrowers.



Myth: If you owe a lot of student loan debt, there is no way you can get a mortgage .



Reality: Don't assume that having a lot of student loan debt automatically disqualifies you from getting a mortgage. The key factor is not necessarily the size of your loan obligation, but the amount of your total monthly debt payments compared to your monthly income. This is called DTI. imortgage, for example, has approved thousands of loans to first-time buyers whose monthly student loan payments were as high as $300, and many more could qualify by increasing their monthly income.



Myth: If your credit score is low, you should not even try to get a mortgage.



Reality: Millions of potential buyers assume they will not be approved for a mortgage even though many could qualify, according to a national survey commissioned by loanDepot LLC. Today, median FICO scores for mortgages to buy a home are 683 for FHA loans and 754 for conventional loans. But hundreds of thousands of buyers with scores lower than those are getting mortgages if they have good income and low levels of debt.



Myth: Buying a home isn't a good investment.



Reality: Real estate, like other assets, rises and falls based on supply and demand. Over the past two years, home values in most markets have been rising. While all real estate is local, if you bought a home in March 2012, by August 2014 the national median home price as measured by Case-Shiller had risen 29.6 percent.



Myth: The mortgage-interest tax deduction is going away.



Reality: Though the deduction has its critics, most observers believe it is unlikely that Congress will eliminate the mortgage interest deduction any time soon. Many states also allow homeowners to write off the interest they pay on their mortgages from their state income taxes. Check with your accountant or CPA on if you can qualify for this type of tax deduction.



Myth: I'm about to get married and the wedding is so expensive I won't be able to buy a home.



Reality: According to TheKnot, the average wedding has 138 guests who typically give a gift valued at $100 each. That's $13,800 in spatulas, baking pans and other things. If every guest contributed to a Down Payment Fund, you could have enough saved for a down payment on a $276,000 home in San Diego.



"These are just a few of the myths about home buying that surface frequently in our conversations with first-time buyers," says Thompson. "I always advise potential buyers, especially first- time buyers, to get in touch with one of our local imortgage loan officers if they're interested in straight answers to specific questions about financing a home. We are here to help."

Cost-control tips for bridesmaids-to-be

Standing up for your friend as her maid of honor or bridesmaid is a special experience you'll both remember all your lives. Yet your happiness for your friend, and your joy at participating in her wedding, can be tempered by concerns about the costs associated with being a member of the wedding party.



Just like the bride and groom, attendants often need to use credit to fund their wedding experience, including the cost of a dress, gift for the happy couple, the bachelorette party and perhaps traveling to the wedding location. Still, if you rely too much on credit, you could end up with debt - which is a lot worse than a dress you'll never wear again.

Careful planning and an honest discussion with the bride and groom about cost control can help ensure no one overspends on the big day.

Before you agree:

The first question you should ask yourself is: "Can I afford to be in this wedding?"

If the person asking for your participation is your best friend in the world, and saying "no" will harm your relationship, you'll have to find a way to fund your bridesmaid duties without breaking the bank. But if the invitation comes from a friend you're not particularly close to, it may be appropriate to decline, especially if the associated costs will be a financial hardship.

When the answer has to be "yes," your next move should be to assess your finances. How much cash can you reasonably set aside between now and the time the bills start to arrive? How much of your participation will need to be funded through credit?

If you know credit will be a big part of your wedding party budget, monitoring your credit for a few months may help you manage your finances. Membership in a product like CreditReport.com offers members valuable tools to help them monitor their credit for a monthly fee.

When it's time to say "yes":

Once you have an idea of how you can budget, it's time to have a candid discussion with the bride and groom. Let them know what you're comfortable with, and what will be beyond your budget. Determine what their expectations are for the costs you'll bear, and what they'll pay for.

If you find that your financial abilities and their expectations are too far apart, give them the opportunity to reconsider their invitation for you to be in the wedding.

Ironing out money matters at the beginning of the wedding planning process will help ensure you don't have to distract the bride and groom with the discussion as their big day approaches - and their stress levels go up.

When you're committed:

Once you've said yes and agreed on expenses, it's time to put your plan into action. Begin setting aside money right away, even if the wedding is a year away. The longer you have to save cash, the less you'll need to rely on credit as the wedding approaches.

Look for ways that you can cut expenses without impacting the wedding itself. For example, if the bridesmaid's dress must come from a pricey boutique, perhaps you can find matching shoes for less at a different retail store. If you'll be traveling to the wedding in another state - or even another country - shop for the best airline deal, and explore the possibility of using reward miles or hotel points to help defray your travel costs.

Compromise with the bride: If she agrees to let you wear your favorite little black dress, rather than drop a few hundred on something new that you'll never wear again, make it up to her by helping out in some other way. Perhaps you're a skilled crafter who can make one-of-a-kind favors for the reception. Maybe your graphic design skills could help her save money on custom-designed invitations. Or perhaps you can use your flower-arranging skills to help her save money on centerpieces, boutonnieres and bouquets.

With some advanced planning and loving honesty, you can help ensure your friend's big day is as perfect as possible-and that the only thing you're left with afterward are happy memories.

5 easy ways to reduce food waste in your daily life

(BPT) - "What's for dinner?"



For many, the question is uttered nearly every evening, and the answer is easy.



But for 795 million people in the world - those who don't have a reliable meal to look forward to according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations - the question is more open-ended.



You might be surprised to learn that an important step in the fight to end hunger is to reduce food waste. In fact, 1.3 billion tons of the food produced around the world goes to waste each year, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.



The severity of the issue recently prompted the United States Department of Agriculture and Environmental Protection Agency to establish a goal to reduce U.S. food waste 50 percent by 2030. The country's first-ever food waste reduction goal calls for the federal government to join forces with local governments, charities, faith-based organizations and the private sector to find ways to conserve the country's resources in order to improve food security.



Ready to take a stance? World Food Day, Friday, Oct. 16, marks a good opportunity to set your own waste-reduction goals, and if you visit www.dow.com/makeitlast you will find a number of ways you can help reduce food waste and use.



Here are five simple ways to cut back on food waste in your daily life.



Pay attention to packaging. Increasingly, high-performance food packaging makes it possible to better protect food as they make their way from grocery store shelves to your pantry. Take lightweight flexible pouches, for instance. You'll find these packages used to protect some of your favorite foods at the grocery store, from frozen fruits and vegetables to cereals and crackers. The pouches' layers keep contents from being damaged or spoiled. Resealable packaging allows you to use what you need and safely save the rest for later, preserving the remaining portions and making food last.



Learn the dos and don'ts of food storage. Believe it or not, pre-wrapped vegetables purchased at the grocery store can last up to 5 times longer than vegetables without packaging. Take for example a cucumber pre-wrapped in plastic. It can stay fresh up to 14 days instead of just three days if not wrapped.



Call on technology for new recipe ideas. Download an app on your phone to help inspire new dishes that use up last night's leftovers. Several apps available in the App Store generate recipes based on ingredients you've marked as currently stocked in your kitchen. They'll help you look at the food in your refrigerator as delicious opportunities rather than garbage-bound.



Donate to local organizations. Find a local food drive to donate non-perishable foods to those in need. Start by organizing your pantry and piling the items you likely won't use in the near future. Rather than tossing the items, turn your waste into an opportunity to feed the hungry in your community.



Visit the Make It Last Site. The Make It Last site from Dow Packaging and Specialty Plastics offers information about the food waste crisis and leaves you feeling empowered with helpful tips and facts to help you reduce food waste in your home. The campaign also offers information on the role plastic packaging plays in preventing food waste from farm to table.

House Painting: Tips to choose the best house painting colors

House painting is like getting a makeover that adorns your home. You need it timely according to the changing trends of taste for color and design. It's bit tough to know where to get started.



This article will show you how to choose house paint colors that will effectively add beauty to your home's design and style. It highlights the important points of choosing the appropriate colors for various areas of the house. Your home reflects your personality, your way of living and thus by contrasting colors you can give the illusion of your royalty, taste, and your likes. It's also important to know the difference between exterior house paint and interior house paint, considering differences between both types. It's also good to know the color effects and contrasting that your point choices will create. You can explore various colors and select according to your taste through virtual online sources and paint websites.



The whole idea of selecting suitable colors for exterior or interior house paint is a little confusing, but we'll help to explain it here. First is selecting the color type for interior and exterior paint, like latex based paint or oil based paint, a glossy finish or flat finish etc. Painting contractors will help to give you the best options that suit your needs according to your home, type of wall and different areas of the house. Although the idea of painting yourself is tempting, one should understand that painting is a long term addition to your home. You cannot keep changing it every now and then.



If you are going for exterior house paint, than the paint you choose should suit the weather of your area. No doubt painting contractors will surely take care of this and make suggestions. Factors like external moisture, heat, constant rain and other unfavorable weather conditions cause problems like peeling, chalking, fading etc. While choosing interior house paint you should be concerned about easy removal of stains and washable paint, which keeps it looking alive and fresh.



Even if all these provisions are cared by a professional painter, we are still left with one basic question. Which color to select? The color of the paint is a big part of decorating your home. While choosing colors for interior house painting you should consider the following points.



If your house is comparatively small, pastel shades will make it look spacious because they reflect more light. Pastel paints are suitable if there is a limited source of light, such as a basement or the staircase. Also, basic shades of white or light colors will be fine if you already have a color contrast running through your furniture, curtains, and interior decorations. You may go for diverse colors for different areas like the main hall, reading room, guest room, dining room, kitchen, bedroom, living area and so on.



For color lovers there is a wide range of bright color schemes waiting to be explored. Oranges and yellows are known for representing energy and enthusiasm. You can use these bright colors in your children's room to create an energetic environment. These ideas really work in making of their room look cool. One can also add some creative designs like wall prints or wallpapers to make the rooms more attractive, especially in a hall or spacious bedroom.



If you have a garden then lighter shades of green or brown can be used around your gardening area. Even if you have a few planters or bushes, it will appear to be an abundant garden. For a royal look you can paint your house with very light tint of camel brown color and add maroon interior to highlight the furniture.



If you are going for exterior house paint then again try sticking to basic neutral pastel shades of white, pale yellow etc. Or try going with bold colors and use pastel shades for painting windows, and again a dark shade for the roof top. You should try to blend your house in your surroundings. Get more ideas from vast resources available online.



by: Nick Taylor

http://www.articlecity.com/articles/home_improvement/article_7104.shtml

Going green has never been more high tech

Think going green will cost too much or take too much time? You might be surprised at how much time, energy and money you can save by making a few changes in your home to make it more energy efficient. And don't worry that it will be too much work because some new high tech tools are making it easier than ever.

Green living expert Megan McLendon is the executive producer at www.doyourpart.com, and she recommends several options for making a powerful impact.

Take stock of the situation

Do you really know how much energy you use to run your household? Think about everything you run or turn on during the day. Consider your heating and cooling systems, appliances and electronics. The average single-family household racks up more than $2,000 in energy bills each year. Home electricity monitors make it easy to see how much energy you use and what you spend on it. A device called The Energy Detective can monitor the energy your home consumes in real time and the exact amount it's costing you. You can chart 10 years' worth of data and even review your information remotely. The basic model costs around $200. Then, there are free ways to help you see what's using the most energy at home and help you target those hot spots. MyEnergy.com compiles information directly from your utility companies and is able to compare your usage to that of some of your neighbors. You can also earn reward points for using less energy.

Hit the energy hogs

Now, that you know how much energy you're really using at home, it's time to hit those energy hogs hard. Start with making your heating and cooling systems more efficient. So-called "smart" thermostats are now available and are easy to use. The Nest thermostat is one such device that actually learns from your family's behavior. Soon after installation, it will automatically begin to lower or increase the temperature when you go to bed or leave the house. It even allows you to look at its daily energy use and access the thermostat from your computer or smartphone.

There are also other intuitive devices to help you reduce your energy consumption at home. A power strip for sale by Belkin will shut down power going to a series of electronics by simply turning off one of the components. This is a great solution for home offices and entertainment centers. And here's another smart tip: For those items at home which run off batteries, invest in reusable ones. They will cost a little more than regular batteries but more than make up for that cost in the long run. A gadget that will easily help you make the switch is the Energizer Universal Charger. This device will charge AA, AAA, C, D, and 9V batteries, so you also reduce clutter by only having one charger for all of your battery charging needs.

Put it all together

Once you have the information you need, you can easily put it all together to analyze. EnergyHub has a product that works as a command center for your home. You can access all your energy information in one place so you can control your thermostat, lights and appliances from a central home location or remotely. General Electric is also rolling out a hub system called the Nucleus that does the same thing and is compatible with smart meters.

Knowledge is power. When you know how much energy your home is using, it's easier to come up with strategies to lower your energy usage and lower your utility bills. It's another important way to do your part without wasting your energy.

IMAGE CAPTIONS:

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Caption 1: Reviewing your energy consumption regularly can help you see how much energy you use and where you can cut down.

Caption 2: Intuitive devices like this advanced power strip and battery charger help you reduce your energy consumption at home.