The colors of autumn are approaching quickly. If your yard falls short each year when it comes to the reds, purples, oranges and yellows of the season, there’s still time to plant so you can enjoy them next year. Add these Midwest native plants to your fall landscaping checklist for colorful foliage.
Author: Laine Smith
Fall Landscaping & Lawn Care Checklist
Fall is the best time to get your lawn and landscaping ready for the next growing season. Cooler temperatures slow aboveground growth, but moist soil promotes strong root development, according to This Old House. Here are some tips to getting your lawn and garden in the best shape before the first freeze. Image courtesy of…
Budget DIY: 5 Ways to Upgrade an Unfinished Basement
Finishing your entire basement can be expensive. The national average of finishing a basement, including wiring, drywall, flooring and plumbing comes to over $8,000, according to home contracting website RedBeacon. If you’re looking to enhance and utilize your unfinished basement, here are some ways to cut costs while adding value to your home. Painted Exposed…
Are Mortgage Misconceptions Keeping You from Buying a Home?
Most consumers want to own a home, according to a new Wells Fargo survey, but their incorrect ideas about what is necessary to obtain home financing may be keeping them from purchasing.
Mortgage 101: What’s a Lender Credit?
With average closing costs ranging from 2 to 5 percent of a home’s purchase price, gathering the funds to close can be a major hurdle for first-time homebuyers. This is where lender credits come into play. Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net If a borrower doesn’t have enough cash for closing costs, a lender…
7 Things to Know About the HomeStyle® Renovation Loan
TV shows like Fixer Upper and Rehab Addict can inspire homebuyers to purchase a home in need of renovations or rehab and make it into their own, but they leave out a very technical part of the process: financing the renovations. Fannie Mae’s HomeStyle® Renovation Mortgage allows purchase and refinance borrowers to include financing for…
24 Ways to Save Water & Energy at Home
Reducing your carbon footprint, saving on utility costs and improving the overall efficiency of your home doesn’t require as much work or money as you may think. U.S. homeowners and renters spend $163 on average on just gas and electricity per month, according to a Intuit Mint survey. Use these tips to decrease your home…
13 Terms to Learn Before Buying Your First Home
Buying a home can be an intimidating process for first-time buyers who don’t know common mortgage terms. Education is key to buying your first home, so here is a list of commonly used terms that may come up in the loan and homebuying process.
8 Tips for Burglar-Proofing Your Home
Your home is meant to be a place of security and safety. The United States leads the world in occurrence of burglaries, with one occurring approximately every 15 seconds. While a break-in can be financially devastating, it is also emotionally taxing. Regardless of the safety of your neighborhood, a false sense of security can leave…
First-Time Homebuyer FAQ: If I Have a Mortgage, Do I Own My Home?
Home financing can be a confusing process for first-time homebuyers, including the concept of ownership after closing on a mortgage. When you purchase a home via a mortgage loan, as a borrower you are, in fact, a homeowner free to make decisions pertinent to the property (decor, renovations, construction, etc.) – but do you actually…