Real Estate Information Archive

There are a few mistakes that many first-time home buyers make. Here are three of the most common mistakes and how you can avoid them when purchasing your first home.

Mistake #1: Assuming your credit is good.

The information in your credit report determines whether you can get a loan — and how much interest you will have to pay – so it pays to be certain your credit reports are accurate.

Check your credit reports for free from all three credit reporting companies — Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion — to make sure everything is correct. If you find errors, contact both the credit reporting company and the information provider (the person, company or organization that provided information about you to a credit reporting company) involved in the errors and ask them to fix the credit report errors.

Mistake #2: Getting pre-qualified, not pre-approved, for a loan.

It’s far better to be pre-approved for a loan than to be pre-qualified. Here’s why…

With pre-qualification, your lender does a preliminary evaluation of your ability to pay for a home and gives an estimate of the mortgage amount they’ll give you. The lender does not verify the information you provide.

Mistake #3: Allowing emotions to influence your decisions.

Buying a home is an investment. It needs to be treated as any other investment. You don’t buy stocks because they are pretty and you shouldn’t pick your home that way either. Make sure the home you buy fits your needs and allows you room to grow over the next few years. As with any sound investment, time is the key to a good return.

If you are a first-time home buyer, we would be happy to help you find (and get the best price for) your first home.

Courtesy of New Castle County DE Realtor Tucker Robbins.   

Courtesy of New Castle County DE Realtors Tucker Robbins.   

1.  The best way to start organizing your pantry is to clean everything out of it and start from the beginning.  It may make a mess at first when you begin taking all of the items out of your pantry but sometimes you have to make a mess in order to get rid of a mess.   Be sure to look through all of your items throwing out anything that is outdated or spoiled.   

2.  

2. Another tip for a creating a perfect kitchen pantry is to install shelving that makes it more efficient.  You can purchase shelving for your pantry at most local hardware stores or you can build them yourself out of wood, whichever works best for you.   You can make the shelves stationary or you can choose to make them where they will pull out so that you can get things out a bit easier.   

3.  

3. Putting all your staples such as flower and sugar into air tight containers then labeling them is a great way to organize your pantry and make it more user friendly.  Once you get all of your staple items into containers you can then more easily organize them.   

4.  

4. Another good tip for creating a perfect kitchen pantry is to use one shelf for each type of food.  For example you can put cereals together all on one shelf,  spices on one shelf and  items that you use daily on a shelf that is eye level.   

5.  

5. If your pantry is dull and dreary, you can always paint it a light color to brighten it up after you organize it all.   

Make your outdoor space more inviting and fun for family and friends using the list below with ways in which you can accomplish this: 

1.  If you already have landscape lighting, why not purchase a few fun colored lights to use in them for different holidays.  This will defiantly make your outdoor space a lot more fun.
2. If you are getting tired of mowing your grass then you may want to replace your grass with a garden.  You might want to add a garden of flowers or a garden of vegetables or even put in a koi pond.  Any of these ideas will help to keep you from spending your summer evenings mowing the grass all the time, therefore making your outdoor space more fun.
3. If your patio furniture is old and outdated, now is the time to go out to purchase some that allows you to show your style more effectively.  Outdoor furniture always makes outdoor spaces more inviting and fun.
4. Adding a new doorbell to the outside of your home may seem like a small thing, however if you find a nice one that lights up the front door area it can do wonders towards making your home seem more inviting at night. 
5. If you don’t already have a swimming pool, summertime is a great time to add one.  Not much can make your outdoor space more fun than a swimming pool for all to enjoy. 
6. If you do add a swimming pool why not go out and make it really fun and cool by adding an outdoor shower to the mix.  This type of thing is pretty rare unless your home is at the beach, therefore your outdoor shower may quickly become the talk of the neighborhood.  

There are so many ways in which to make your outdoor space more inviting and fun; these are just a few of them that you may want to try.  

Courtesy of New Castle County DE Realtors Tucker Robbins and Carol Arnott Robbins.   

1. 1. Many of you may have already seen or perhaps even tried the smart vacuum.  If you haven’t tried it you need to do so.  Just imagine pushing a few buttons and sitting down to relax while your vacuum cleaner does all the work for you.  What a revolution!  Be prepared to dish out $700 to $900, but it will likely be quite worth it in the end.  

2.  

2. 2. Smart trash cans have perhaps not been as heard of as the vacuum cleaners but they are just as cool none the less.  If you are the type of person that cannot stand to touch the top of the trashcan due to the fact that it is loaded with germs, this may be just the thing for you!  Not only will you not have to touch the lid but some of these gadgets even tell you when the trash is full and needs to be taken out!  How do you like that for smart?! $150 to $200 will buy you this luxury item!  

3.  

3. 3. Washers and dryers have had intelligent features for years but are beginning to add more and more as each year passes.  Some of them now have phone apps that let you remotely control them.  Some will sense when you are home and instantly begin using their quiet mode so as not to disturb you.  These types of machines will run you $1400-$1800 each but are well worth the money if you have it to spare.  

4.  

4. 4. Even air purifiers have been added to the list of smart gadgets folks are buying these days.  These items puts your homes air through different filters, then analyzes the data and sends it to your phone to tell you what types of things are prevalent in your air such as pollen, dust, pet dander, etc.  These cost from $200 to $750.   

5.  

Courtesy of New Castle County DE Realtors Tucker Robbins and Carol Arnott Robbins.   

• Clean the toilet using a bit of baking soda and a scrub brush 

• Clean the inside of your oven using some baking soda mixed with vinegar and a rag 

• To brighten up your laundry use half a cup of baking soda mixed with each load 

• 1 cup baking soda with 1 cup vinegar will help to unclog a clogged up drain in your sinks 

• Sprinkle some baking soda on your rugs and carpets, wait 15 min, then vacuum to freshen them 
   

• Mix vinegar with salt to get those pesky coffee stains out of your coffee mugs 

• Spray vinegar in your bathroom for a good sanitization of each surface 

• Believe it or not, let your socks soak in vinegar to freshen them.  This is done by adding 1 cup vinegar to a pot of water and letting them soak overnight 

• Use a bit of distilled white vinegar on our toothbrush to make your smile brighter.  

• If you want your windows to shine and you don’t want to use regular window cleaner, use white vinegar mixed with water in a spray bottle then wipe clean with a paper towel.   
   

• Mop your floors with it!  Mix a couple drops with a gallon of water 

• Clean your granite countertops with some liquid dish soap mixed with warm water then dry with a towel. 

​​

Courtesy of New Castle County DE Realtors Tucker Robbins and Carol Arnott Robbins.   

Fall is the perfect time of year to take care of your home. The days are still long enough to get plenty accomplished, and the cooler weather makes it less taxing than on those sweltering Summer days.  Getting things ready for the cold days ahead will be easy with these tips:

Trees and Leaves

• Rake or vacuum fallen leaves as they come down.  Deciduous trees drop their leaves at different times, making it easier on you, but it’s great exercise.
• Mulch the leaves, or bag them for your local waste management to compost, if such a program is available. 
• Check trees for dead or diseased branches and trim them back.  Trees are going dormant this time of year, and there’s less chance for the diseases to spread after trimming. Call an arborist if the job is too daunting.
• Fall is the best time of year to plant new trees! The roots don’t have to compete with the heat, they get plenty of water from the Autumn rain, and can settle in and get established.
• Clean those gutters.  This can be a dreaded task, so hire a handy person or have the family pitch in to finish as quickly as possible.
• Been thinking about changing the exterior color? Fall is a great time to paint, thanks to cooler temperatures.

General Outdoors

• Bring in any outdoor furniture, or protect it with covers  made specifically for handling cold weather. 
• Firewood needs to be covered with a tarp to minimize moisture from snow and rain. Lift the cover occasionally to let any trapped moisture escape.
• Check all of your outdoor lighting, and replace any bulbs or fixtures.
• Walk around all of the walkways and driveways, looking for cracks, and seal them with approved sealant.  Snow and ice can cause the surfaces to bulge and cause a falling hazard.
• Clean the windows, inside and out, and replace screens with storm windows.
• Service and store the mower, string trimmer, and any other lawn tools you may use.
• Drain water hoses and store them where they can’t freeze. If you have a sprinkler system, drain it and turn it off.
• Check your outdoor fireplace or fire pit to make sure it’s safe for the upcoming cool evenings around the fire.

Inside The House

• Service the furnace. It’s easy to make sure filters are changed and ready to go, but a call to a heat and air contractor is the best way to make sure the heater is ready for Winter.  Sometimes a maintenance contract can save you money.  Ask your provider if they offer this service.
• Check doors and windows for drafts, and seal with caulking or insulation strips.
• See that your chimney is free of creosote to prevent fires.  A licensed chimney sweep would be the best for making sure your home and family are safe from chimney fires.
• Make certain that your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are in working order, and replace batteries if necessary.
• Go in the attic and look for any insulation issues, and replace or repair, if needed.  Be sure that pests can’t get inside and spend the winter in your attic!
• Change the rotation on ceiling fans.  It should be going in a clockwise direction to help distribute heat away from the ceiling.
• Wash and/or air out heavy blankets and quilts to get them freshened up for use.
• If you have a basement in your home, check for cracks in the walls, and if there’s a sump pump, make sure it’s in working order.
• Clean out closets and storage areas and have a tag sale with unwanted items that are still in great condition.

Be ready for a relaxing, warm Winter inside your home.  Home maintenance--indoors as well as outdoors--is critical for keeping your home’s value up, as well as for our own comfort.  

Courtesy of New Castle County DE Realtors Tucker Robbins and Carol Arnott Robbins.   

Photo credit: blog.leviton.com/fall-cleanup-101