Planting Fall Mums

If you’ve walked through the stores lately, you’ve likely seen some Halloween decorations out already! Fall is fast approaching and so is the season for beautiful mums. Mums are excellent, hardy flowers that will bring color to places where your summer floral is no longer thriving. Here are some helpful tips when planting mums in the fall:

• Start buying your mums at the end of August.
• Find out your hardiness zone and purchase mums that coincide with your zone. You can buy hardy or tender ones.
• Find an area that gets a few hours (at least 6 or 7) of sunlight.
• Prep the area you are planting the mums with compost or a good planting soil.
• When planting the mums from the pot you purchased, loosen the roots. If you find that they are too tough, you can cut them.
• Water your mums enough so that the soil is moist; make sure not to overwater them.
• Sit back and enjoy the beauty of your mums!

If you want them to come back the next year even more beautiful, make sure to place mulch on the area where they are planted during the winter. This will protect the roots from frost. Once Spring arrives, prune and fertilize them. Before you know it, you will see even larger blooms and stems that will add even more beauty to your garden.

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Free Book for First Time Home Buyers

If you’ve never bought a home before, you may have a lot of questions about the home buying process. Buying a home isn’t a light matter. You need to find a home that you will love now and in a year. With this, you need to know what to look for and what to do to ensure you find the perfect home for you.

Keller Williams Realty is providing first time home buyers with a complimentary copy of Your First Home: The Proven Path to Home Ownership. All you need to do is fill out the online form and wait for it to arrive. The Realtors are based in Charleston, SC but may still send you a copy if you request one. If not, you can find it on Amazon.com.

Of course, if you ever have any questions about buying a home for the first time, you can talk to your Realtor. Realtors understand the anxiety of first time home buying and can answer your questions easily. If you have questions about mortgages, you can also ask your Realtor but a better person to ask is your lender. Just keep in mind, these people want your business, so they will and should bend over backwards to help you understand. These people are also on your side rather than the seller’s side since they are representing you. If you feel at anytime that your Realtor is not working with you and not answering your questions, it’s important that you find someone who will. Don’t go into this home buying experience with someone who won’t make it a pleasant and informative process.

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Finding the Best Neighborhood for You

When you are looking to buy a home, you may tour many of them before you decide on which one you want. You might think that the home is the most important thing when buying a home but the neighborhood is also an essential aspect to consider.

• If you have children, you might be interested in knowing how good the school district is and if the neighborhood is family friendly.
• You might also want to know if there are any criminals living in the area.
• If you are a college student, you may want to buy a home near other students so you can meet some new friends.
• If you are retired, you may want a quiet living area and be around other retirees.
• If you are moving somewhere new, you may be looking for a luxurious area or vacation area to live.

Since you probably won’t know anyone who lives in the neighborhood you are considering buying in, you can use an online tool called Neighborhood Scout. This is one of the most interesting sites! You can search for the best schools in the area you want to move to or choose exactly what you are looking for in a neighborhood and where you want it. The search engine is simple to use and you can find out just about anything you want about the area you want to move to.

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Benefits of Self-Adhesive Vinyl Tile

If you are thinking of remodeling your bathroom on a budget, you may consider using self-adhesive vinyl tile. Self-adhesive vinyl tile is a low cost effective alternative to ceramic tile and it works just as well. Keep reading to find out other reasons why you should invest in self-adhesive vinyl tile.

• It’s easy to install.

You won’t have to pay more money to laborers to install self-adhesive vinyl tile. All you need is some patience and primer.

• You have a wide range of styles to choose from.

You’ll find many different styles and pattern in this type of tile flooring. This means you will probably find something that matches your décor.

• If applied correctly, the tile will last for many years.

Make sure all tiles are flush with each other (no gaps) so that water doesn’t get in between and underneath, which could lift them, decreasing it’s lifespan.

• It’s easy to clean.

This benefit isn’t exclusive to vinyl tile but it is one of the biggest reasons why people choose tiles. Simply mop up the floor and you are done!

• Apply and reapply.

Since they are so inexpensive, you may decide to change your bathroom décor more often.
Make your decision and use self-adhesive vinyl tile. Then you will have enough money for something else you’ve had your eye on!

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How to Replace a Toilet

Whether you are replacing a toilet because your old one is broken or because you want to remodel your bathroom, you will find that it’s not as difficult as you may believe. Anyone can do it and it won’t take you much time either. Follow the steps below to replace your toilet and enhance the beauty of your bathroom.

#1 Turn the water off by reaching to the back of the toilet down below on the wall.

#2 Flush the toilet to remove most of the water from the tank and bowl. The remaining can be soaked up with a sponge.

#3 Remove the water hose from the toilet, which is located where you just turned the water off. Be sure to have a bucket ready to catch any water remaining in the hose.

#4 There are two plastic caps on each side of the toilet where the feet are, pop those off with a screwdriver and then unbolt the nuts on each side to remove them.

#5 If you have caulking around your toilet, cut it to make it easier to remove the toilet.

#6 Reach down, grab the toilet firmly, lift with your knees, and pull straight up.

#7 Remove the existing beeswax seal.

#8 Reinstall a brand new seal with a flange roughly $5 or below.

#9 When reinstalling the toilet, make sure it is centered on the seal.

#10 Let the gravity of the toilet seat itself on the seal, ensuring the bolts are lined up properly with the toilet’s feet and then tighten the nuts evenly.

#11 Place plastic caps over nuts.

#12 Reconnect the hose.

#13 You can now turn on the water valve and check for leaks.

Congratulations! You just replaced a toilet!

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Questions to Ask Your Realtor before You Hire

Before you settle on a Realtor to help you with buying a home, you should ask a series of questions. This person has a big part in helping you find the home you want to buy and live in for the next few years, you should make sure that you are getting someone who will make that possible and you will be able to work with. You can usually ask these questions when you first call him or her at the Realtor’s office. This way, you won’t have to waste time with a home visit when you know it’s not going to work out. Beware that some Realtors want to only speak to you when coming to your home for the presentation, simply tell the person you want to ask a few questions before going forward in the process.

Here are some questions to ask:

• What types of resources do you use to help people find a home?

• What are your hours of availability to show a home?

• How many people in the past month, 6 months or year have you helped close on a home?

• How long have you been in real estate?

• How long do you anticipate that it will take to find a home I am looking for?

• Do you often network with other Realtors to find out about new houses that come on the market as quickly as possible?

• How long do I have to work with you if I enter into a Realtor contract with you?

Do you have any questions you would like to add? Leave a comment and share!

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Buying a Home at a Foreclosure Auction

If you are considering buying a foreclosure, you may want to look into visiting a foreclosure auction. While this avenue for buying a foreclosure may seem intimidating, it can be one of the best ways to get a great deal on a foreclosure.

What to Do Before Going to a Foreclosure Auction

• Search for foreclosures

Search for foreclosures by visiting a site like, Realty Trac. Once you find some that you like, you can go to the property and look to determine if you are still interested.

• Search for foreclosure auctions

You can also look for foreclosure auctions in your area first. You can do this with a simple search online. Once you’ve done that you can contact the auction and ask about expected foreclosures up for auction at the next event.

• Find out market value

You want to make sure you are getting a good deal so look up the market value of the property. This is how much the house would be sold for if put up for sale rather than foreclosure. Compare the market value to how much the house will start off going for at the auction (which in some instances is how much is still on the lien and any outstanding fees associated with the house such as back taxes).

• Decide what your maximum bid will be

Once you have researched the property, determine how much you want to bid. Have a figure in your mind and commit to it because you may get caught up in the auction and end up purchasing it for more than you brought with you. Keep in mind, for some foreclosure auctions you will need to bring cash with you.

• Call ahead

It’s important to know that sometimes the owners of foreclosed homes will pay on the home, which will postpone the auction date. Call the auction before you head out to make sure the property you want will still be auctioned off that day.

Buying foreclosures means researching and take a chance on a property, but it could end up being one of the best investments you make if you find a good deal.

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Benefits of Buying Foreclosures

In this economy, people are looking to save money or get out of mortgage debt. This is why foreclosures are so popular right now. While many people may be anxious about making this type of purchase, buying a foreclosure can get you a house you wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford.

While there are many negatives to buying foreclosures, the benefits may outweigh them.

• Buy for less

Foreclosed homes are selling for less than what they are worth. You don’t have to worry about the house not appraising because they usually go for way under market value. The bank wants their money as fast as possible, even if they lose money in the process.

• Lower down payment

Since you won’t have to pay much for the house, your down payment will be lower as well. This is because down payments are usually percentages of the purchase price of the house.

• Future profit

Even if you want to live in the house for years, if you sell it at the right time, you can make a nice profit on the house (selling it for much more than you paid for it).

If you can deal with the red tape involved and searching for the right foreclosure for you, buying one can be one of the best investments you will make.

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DIY Replacement Windows

Replacing your old windows can save you a lot of money in heating and cooling costs.  If you’ve ever put your hand up to your window and felt a draft, it’s way past due for replacing it. Putting it off is just like throwing your money out the window.

When you decide to purchase replacement windows, the price tag may shock you. Then there is the cost of installation, which will make you want to forget the whole thing.

While the initial cost may be a lot for you to swallow, the long term savings may be worth it. However, if you are looking for some ways to get replacement windows at a reduced cost, you may consider installing them yourself. Think it’s too hard? Not if you use  instructional videos from HandymanTeacher.com.

Handyman Teacher gives you step by step instructions on how to remove your old windows and put in the new ones. You’ll feel like someone is standing right next to you telling you exactly what to do.

The following YouTube video is the first part (even though it’s labeled as Part 3) of how to install replacement windows by Handymanteacher and can help you get those new windows you want without having to pay someone else to do it for you.

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Once you’ve completed taking out the old window, visit  handymanteacher’s videos section on YouTube for instructions on how to put the new one in.

DIY Resource Tip

YouTube has many videos on DIY. This is great for those of you who are visual learners. You can simply watch the videos before you begin the project or you can prop your computer near the window and follow the steps as you go.