Get Inspired!

Looking for home inspiration? Interested in the latest design trends? All you need is a computer or smart phone to find out all you ever wanted to know about new home design.

Meet Houzz – one of the newer social media sites out there with an emphasis on home design. Houzz is a website with over 5 million photos of new homes, home décor, remodeling, landscaping and furnishings.  In addition to photos, Houzz allows you to learn about professionals in the industry, contact them and rate them. You can also purchase some items directly through the Houzz website. Houzz is a free site but does require an account for full access. Sign up with your email or through Facebook. Visit www.houzz.com.

For more home inspiration ideas try Pinterest.  While Pinterest is not exclusive to home design like Houzz, it has become a popular means of finding and storing visual ideas.  Pinterest allows you to store your favorite photos on boards to come back and revisit later. You can also click the photo to go back to it’s original website if you would like to find out more. Like Houzz, the site is free but does require an account for full access. Visit www.pinterest.com.

Have you found inspiration for your new home on one of these sites or others?

Color of the Yeara

Every year the Pantone Color Institute selects it’s “Color of the Year”  for use in fashion, beauty, graphic design and interior design. This year’s color is Marsala, Pantone 18-1438.  Marsala is an “earthy wine red” that is both “hearty and stylish”.

For interior design purposes, Pantone sees Marsala as a versatile statement color good for both rugs and upholstery.  As an accent color Marsala is a perfect fit for tabletop décor, linens, placemats, bedding and throws. Marsala adds a touch of elegance to any room and is especially fitting for the kitchen and dining room.

The Pantone Color Institute has been choosing a color of the year for over 15 years.  The institute makes this decision based on global research in fashion, entertainment and technology.

What do you think about the 2015 Color of the Year? Will you incorporate it into your home this spring?

At Home on Valentine's Day

So you've

got a brand new home, the weather forecast for the weekend is cold, and it’s Valentine’s Day.  Time to celebrate by staying in!

Staying home for Valentine’s Day doesn't have to be boring. Avoid the crowds, traffic and winter weather with these fun at-home date ideas.

1. Cook together! Gather up all of the ingredients for a fancy dish you've been wanting to try. Put on some favorite music and get cooking!
2. Picnic Indoors.  Spread a tablecloth on the living room floor, light some candles or the fireplace and enjoy a casual dinner of your favorite picnic fare.
3. Reminisce! Pull out your wedding album, old letters, photos from when you first met!
4. Watch a romantic movie. Pop the popcorn and pull out the candy. Snuggle under a blanket and enjoy.
5. Be creative! Paint a picture together, work on a puzzle, dream about the future, dance in your living room!

What are your plans this Valentine’s Day? Any ideas for a stay-in date?

Outlook Positive for Spring Home Buying Season

Some of the nation’s largest home builders are seeing signs of an improved housing market based on numbers from the second half of January. Consumer confidence remains high and interest rates remain low – two important factors for the housing industry.  Improvements in the overall economy including job and wage growth, combined with lower gas prices, all led to improvements in consumer confidence and the introduction of more potential buyers to the housing market.

A panel of economists at this year’s International Builders Show, admit that 2014 sales were lower than expected but predicted a stronger 2015 based on improving economic factors across the country. 

A strong housing market is traditionally a backbone of a strong overall national economy. 

The spring remains a strong time for the housing industry as families look to buy new homes and move in over the summer while children are out of school.  Across the Southeast, the mild winter weather may lead to an earlier than usual start to the spring shopping season.

Rethink Cleaning Your Home

Keeping your home up is quite a chore—literally!!! But, it does not have to be all frowns and gloom. There are various ways to get the chores done but without piling it all into a whole day of cleaning. You have worked hard to earn that weekend, why waste half of it slaving away to clean your home? Since most of us cannot afford maids, we have got to find a better way to lessen the stress of cleaning a house but still maintain the neatness we all strive for.

There are a couple of tricks I use to lessen the burden. And while nothing can prevent you from having to clean the house completely, there are definitely ways to make it a lot less of a stress than what you are currently dealing with.

The best way I find to ease cleaning stress is to never truly stop cleaning in the first place. It sounds odd, but it works in the long run. By keeping a daily list of small (no more than fifteen minutes) tasks, you would be surprised at just how much of a difference it makes at the end of the week. For instance, for today, I will wash a load of laundry while I get ready for work. Around an hour later, the clothes are ready for the dryer, and I toss them in as I walk out the door. Upon returning from work, I just have to fold the load, no more than fifteen minutes.

Another day, I will wipe down all sinks and countertops, or dust all ledges. No matter what the exact task is, spreading out your workload throughout the week might sound like no fun, but you will be grateful on Saturday when you have just that less left to do. Try it out for yourself! It is a little hard to get into the habit, but it will become second nature the more you do it. All in the hopes, that you can enjoy spending a little more of your Saturday with your loved ones, rather than with a jug of bleach.

Tax Time Tips

Tax time is fast approaching. And while you are busy filing those tax returns, it is important to know whether or not you are getting the best refund possible. And unless you are trained in the matters, it is often hard if not impossible to know if you got the most out of your refund.

Do not fret! We have compiled a quick checklist you can use to help you make sure you have checked as many nooks and crannies of tax law as possible, to get the biggest refund possible!

1.     Some Basics: Organization is key to a smooth tax filing process. No matter what breaks you are eligible for, if you cannot find the information to prove you deserve the break, it will not matter. Take a day before you start your return just to put everything in order so you will know where to go for certain documents.

2.     Check your deductibles: Some of the biggest deductibles are being left on the table by most families, which result in giving up as much as $6200 in tax refunds. (For example, the most commonly unused tax credit is the Earned Income Tax Credit. This credit is designed for lower income households and can offer up to $6200 back in refunds based upon your eligibility. Another commonly unused credit is the Saver’s Credit. This deductible is for those who opened up a 401K or and IRA. This credit allows for up to $1000 in deductibles that would end up right back in your pocket—but you have to know to file for it.

3.     Consult a professional: While online companies are expanding with online tax returns, this is often the least effective way to get a good refund. While fast and easy, computers operate online tax programs. These programs take everyone through the exact same process, asking the exact same questions, and giving the exact same deductibles. Speaking with a person, however, you can fully share your year-in-review. You can go over specific events that could lead to deductions and it is possible through conversation, your accountant will find deductibles you qualify for. Let’s face it, the taxing process is one huge gray area of what applies/what does not apply, and computers were not made to operate in gray areas.

4.     Do your taxes early: Not only will finishing early get you a refund quicker, but it relieves the stress of doing taxes most people carry all the way until April. Stress is a silent hindrance that could negatively affect you in subconscious ways, so nip it in the bud and file early.

Filing taxes does not have to be an uphill battle. The best way to handle it is with a diligent hand and eye, along with someone to go back behind you to fill in the cracks you missed. You worked hard for your employer all year to earn that money, do not let the government take it without a fight!

Prep For New Homeowners

Owning your very own home is an amazing accomplishment and is no small feat. You have worked hard, paid your dues, and are now reaping the benefits of all of that brow sweat. But with owning a home, comes great responsibility. A home is no small job. A home requires money, attention, and maintenance. It can seem like a lot, but luckily you are not alone. Use the following topics to get a good idea of everything involved with owning a home, and figure out exactly what you are getting yourself into.

Most importantly, the biggest decision to make is exactly where you are going to live. This is a little prior to the actual owning and upkeep of a home, but it is important when dealing with houses. Before you buy, make sure you love. How much can you afford? What features are, for you, a must-have? Do you already have a real estate agent in mind? Owning a home is all about planning and preparation, so start getting into the habit now of asking questions and considering all outcomes. Once you have decided on all your qualifications, you can find your home.

Once you have found the home of your dreams, it is time to get you a deed! Purchasing a home will require loan approvals, offers, and lots of signatures. After navigating the long road to ownership, you now have a house all to yourself. It is now time to get your home up to your standards. Arrange insurance coverage for whatever you have not covered already (flood, earthquake, whatever you made need for your area.) Cover your bases. Know where local emergency services are and what to do if something strikes. Having all these things completed covers you for virtually any disaster, and will keep you and your family in the best shape possible in case something happens.

Aside from natural disasters and other weather related phenomena, there are other things to watch out for when owning a home. Termites and mold can raze a home if unchecked, so regular inspections and treatments are needed. Your yard will need at least weekly upkeep, and there are monthly utility, insurance, and tax fees on top of your normal monthly expenses, so careful management is required.

Owning a home is one of life’s biggest responsibilities but also one of the most satisfying. Having a space to retreat to and call your own truly makes it worth all the struggles that go into it. A lot of these things might seem to be overkill or unnecessary, but you will be thankful for knowing when the situation strikes. And you will be thankful for preparing early despite not thinking you need to. Life throws many unexpected punches and when it comes to owning a home, makes no exceptions. But you can pad any punch that is thrown, all it takes is a little brain power and elbow grease!