Real Estate and *stuff *

Real Estate and *stuff *

A real person helping real people with real estate

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To stem foreclosures, committee recommends loan modication bill

May 14, 2012

Stop foreclosure! There are a variety of options for distressed home owners such as loan modifications, deed-in-lieu or a short sale. Find out which option helps you the best!

New news and new avenue for distressed home owners!  Please see the Boston Herald article reprinted below.  There is a new hotline in Massachusetts for residents facing foreclosure.  If you are facing foreclosure, there are a variety of options available to you.  Call or email to me to find out what they are.  You can also visit www.dontforeclosenow.com to review them.

“In an effort to stem the tide of foreclosures, a key legislative committee on Wednesday advanced a bill that would require banks to make loan modifications available to homeowners when financially feasible to prevent families from unnecessarily losing their homes.

The Joint Committee on Financial Services unanimously recommended passage of the bill (H 1219) on Wednesday, with 10 of the 17 committee members voting in favor of the legislation, which has been a priority for Attorney General Martha Coakley.

“This is a fair and balanced approach that brings both the bank and the borrower to the table to look at the mortgage,” said Rep. Michael Costello, a Newburyport Democrat and co-chair of the Financial Services Committee.

The bill, filed by Rep. Steven Walsh (D-Lynn), would require banks and other lenders to assess a borrower’s ability to pay and the value of a loan modification compared to the cost of foreclosure before entering into foreclosure proceedings. If a modified loan is worth more than the amount the bank expects to recover through foreclosure, the lender must offer a modified loan to the borrower, according to the bill.

The legislation also addresses two recent Supreme Judicial Court decisions by requiring that lenders produce proper documentation showing they are the legal holders of the mortgage before foreclosing.

Coakley, who says foreclosures are a major obstacle to a full economic recovery, applauded the advancement of the bill on Wednesday. Coakley has said that in addition to pushing families out of their homes, unnecessary foreclosures have led to more abandoned property in cities and towns.

“Addressing the foreclosure crisis is a critical step toward moving our economy forward. This bill would promote reasonable loan modifications that keep people in their homes, keep properties on the tax rolls, and without requiring banks to sacrifice the bottom line,” Coakley said in a statement.

Among those who cast votes, the bill received unanimous support in the Financial Services Committee. Ten members voted in favor, four did not vote and three Republicans reserved their rights. Sen. Michael Knapik and Reps. Nicholas Boldyga and Marc Lombardo reserved their rights, while Sen. Brian Joyce and Reps. Kevin Murphy, Lori Ehrlich and James Cantwell did not vote.

According to Costello’s office, more than 45,000 Massachusetts residents have lost their homes due to foreclosure since the start of 2007. In February, there were almost 1,400 new foreclosures started, more than double the amount from a year ago and showing that the problem has not gone away even as the economy has rebounded.

The Warren Group recently reported completed foreclosures in Massachusetts dropped more than 30 percent last year, compared to 2010, but analysts believe the drop was partly due to lenders slowing the process down.

With $44.5 million paid to Massachusetts as part of a national settlement over illegal foreclosures and loan servicing with Bank of America, JP Morgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Citigroup and GMAC/Ally, Coakley two weeks ago launched a HomeCorps program featuring the hotline (617-573-5333), which makes loan modification experts available to advise residents.

Coakley said last week that the hotline had been inundated with calls from more than 1,000 homeowners calling in the first week, averaging 200 to 300 calls a day.

“We are going to try to help everybody we can to stay in their homes,” Coakley told Fox 25. “For a lot of people this can be real relief.”

Under the national settlement, the banks are also ordered to provide about $14.6 million in cash payments to Bay State borrowers and $257 million worth of mortgage relief across Massachusetts, money that Coakley said can be used for refinancing or principal reduction.

By Matt Murphy / State House News Service

Questions about today’s real estate market?

May 6, 2012

National Open House Weekend…here’s your free pass

April 24, 2012

Well…they are all free open houses but here is your way to go through the houses without being stalked by the listing agent.  Print off this flyer and hand it to the agent as you sign in.  Make sure you include your name as they do need to track who is in their client’s homes.  You’ll be able to freely view the house at your own pace and enjoy your time!

If you have additional questions afterwards or would like a free list of the open houses in your target area – just let me know!

How to Test Your Garden Soil pH

April 23, 2012

If you want healthy, vigorous plants in your garden, you need to get on intimate terms with your garden soil pH.

  • Effort: Low 2-3 hrs. (add soil amendments)
  • Investment: Low $5-$10 (soil test)

Soil isn’t sexy; for some, it’s dull as dirt. But for a brilliant and bountiful garden, you’ll have to test your soil’s pH. Here’s how you can help your garden soil be the best it can be.

Good soil gives plants energy

Just like people must digest nutrients from food to grow, plants must absorb nutrients from soil to thrive. Soil pH and soil texture influence the types of nutrients that are available for plants to scarf up and use for energy.

What’s with pH?

Soil pH measures its degree of alkalinity or acidity on a scale from 0 to 14. Most vegetables grow best in soil with a neutral pH of 7, which is more of a goal than reality.

Different nutrients are available at different pH levels. Luckily, plants have evolved to thrive in all kinds of soils. So whatever your soil’s pH level, there are plenty of plants that would like to call it home. For instance:

  • Azaleas, rhododendrons, and blueberries grow best in acidic soil.
  • Hellebores and clematis perennials thrive in slightly alkaline soil.

When you plant a garden, you have two options: Pick plants that thrive in the soil you’ve got (the easy way), or amend your soil to change its pH (more work).

The importance of texture

Soil texture determines how your soil retains water and nutrients. If nutrients leach out of soil, they won’t be around to feed your plants.

Clay and soil rich with organic matter hold water and nutrients better than sandy soils, even though some plants, like cosmos and blanket flowers, prefer a sandy home.

The best soil is a happy combination of sand, clay, silt, and organic matter from leaves or compost. This combo provides plenty of nutrients and encourages healthy root growth.

How to test your garden soil

Garden centers and hardware stores sell DIY soil test kits for $5-$7, which will give you a rough idea of your soil’s pH and nutrient levels. But the most accurate way to test your soil is to send a handful to your county or state soil-testing laboratory, which you can locate through your local extension agent. The report, which typically costs $10, will reveal your soil’s:

  • pH
  • levels of vital nutrients
  • percentage of organic matter
  • recommendations for soil amendments

How to transform your soil

Adria Bordas, horticulture extension agent for Fairfax County, Va., says transforming soil is a “very slow process.” Figure a year to 18 months, she says. And the only way to know for sure that your soil has changed is to test it again.

  • To make soil less acidic, spread pulverized limestone; or put your fireplace ashes to work and spread them throughout your garden.
  • To make soil less alkaline, dig in aluminum sulfate and sulfur, which you can buy at garden centers.
  • To make sandy soil less porous, add organic matter (compost, manure, old grass clippings) or humus from the garden center.
  • To leaven heavy clay soil, add lots of compost (gotta start that compost pile). Never add a lot of sand, because clay+sand+water = concrete-like soil.
Now that the rain has finally come to us – let’s get planting!

Do You Prefer the Dentist to Lawn Work?

April 13, 2012

Lawn Work Ranks Low on Americans’ Hit Parade of Chores!  When it comes to lawn chores, we’d rather open wide and say “ahhhh” than mow and weed.

Americans would rather see their dentist or visit their in-laws than spend time with their lawns.

In fact, we would rather do just about anything than mow, fertilize, and perform other lawn care chores, according to a Consumer Reports survey of 1,000 adults nationwide.

When asked about which tedious chore they would like to do, only 7% said lawn care. Here are the activities that ranked higher:

  • Cook, 62%
  • Grocery shop, 49%
  • Do laundry, 41%
  • Go to work, 38%
  • Clean the house, 38%
  • Visit in-laws, 33 %
  • See the dentist, 17%
Consumer Reports didn’t mention any chores that ranked lower than lawn work. But I’m guessing that cleaning out the septic tank and unclogging drain pipes might be worse.

What chores would you pick over lawn care? Any chores that rank lower?

No-Mow, No- and Low-Water Grasses Let You Slack the Summer Away

April 10, 2012 — 1 Comment

If you want a yard that demands less time money and water consider low-maintenance grasses in lieu of the traditional lawn.

We love our lawns. Turf grass covers nearly 47 million acres in the U.S., according to the Lawn Institute. But that’s not very green. The average household dumps 60 gallons of water per day on conventional lawns. Toxic lawn herbicides and pesticides run off into lakes and streams. Gas-powered mowers spew pollution. And then there’s the watering, weeding, seeding, sodding, thatching, and mulching commitment.

If you’re looking for an alternative, consider replacing some or all of your high-maintenance turf with innovative grasses that require little or no water or mowing once established, or ground covers that form walkable “carpets.”

In turn, you’ll reduce the need for irrigation, stop washing harmful chemicals into the watershed, add depth and texture to your landscape, and spend your spare time enjoying your yard instead of manicuring it.

Low-maintenance turf grasses

If you need grass for kids or pets, consider new “miracle” cultivars or blends. UC Verde Buffalo Grass, for example, delivers lush, silky blades that require little or no water once established, rarely need mowing, and need no fertilizer or pesticides. The secret to these grasses are long (but noninvasive) roots and thin blades. Make sure you get the right fescue, or grass, blend for your soil type and growing zone.

“No Mow Lawn Mix” is great for open, sunny swaths where native prairie grasses once grew, such as the cooler, medium-rainfall areas of the upper Midwest, Northeast, and Pacific Northwest. And hardy Eco-Lawn thrives even in difficult spots, such as under spreading trees or in clay soils.

The cost of growing these blends from seed is comparable to that of conventional grass seed. No Mow Lawn Mix, for example, costs $3.75 to $5.95 per pound; you need 5 pounds per 1,000 square feet, which translates to about $0.02 per square foot. Planting grass from plugs is more expensive; you’ll need at least 1 or 2 plugs per square foot, at a cost of about 50 cents per plug.

Sedge: One of the most exciting breakthroughs in turf concepts in recent years has been the development of sedge lawns. Sedges look a lot like conventional turf but have more in common with native grasses that existed in America before sod-busting development and agriculture. The great thing about them is that they require little or no mowing, fertilizing, or chemicals. Some require less water than many conventional turf grasses. Others tolerate wet, moist areas, and many thrive in shade.

Ornamental grasses: This term covers both grasses and grass-like plants, such as sedges. For our purposes, we’re talking low-water, native grasses. Low to medium-height species can be used en masse as meadows. Tall ones function as vertical elements in a landscape. Check with your local extension service to find out which kinds are native to your area. What might be native to one region, such as pampas grass, may well be invasive in another.

Synthetic grass: Synthetic grass is starting to get some respect, thanks in part to increasingly urgent water restrictions in parts of the country, and because new versions are so amazingly lifelike. Synthetic turf requires zero water or mowing, which does wonders for your carbon footprint. The grass looks perfect—and perfectly real—and is suitable for either an expansive play area or a little jewel box of a garden nook, particularly where nothing else will grow.

On the downside, lawns made of petrochemical plastics can feel stifling in hot weather and offer no habitat for birds or insects. Some communities have protested the use of synthetic turf in institutional landscaping like school soccer fields, amid health concerns that the recycled-tire crumbs used as infill to provide drainage and keep blades from matting contain high levels of toxins.

While synthetic turf has little or no ongoing maintenance costs, it’s about twice as expensive upfront as conventional turf. Basic installation averages $6.50 per square foot, according to SyntheticGrassUSA.com, versus about $3.80 a square foot for the real thing.

5 Things You Forgot to Clean in Your Bathroom

April 6, 2012

Your bathroom, one of the rooms you clean most, hides areas that rarely see a scrub brush. It’s time to tackle these 5 nasty spots you probably forgot.

If you can’t remember the last time you cleaned your bathroom, we don’t want to know what’s living in your tub. Probably, a host of staphylococcus, the skin infection bacteria that, a recent study showed, more frequently grows in tubs than in garbage cans.

But we presume you or someone else regularly swishes out the toilets, wipes out the tubs and sinks, and mops your bathroom flooring.

But you may be missing some critical areas. With the help of Kristi Mailloux, president of Molly Maid, here is a compiled a list of 5 bathroom spots home owners often forget to clean:

1. Showerheads: A warm white vinegar bath will get rid of mineral deposits, making your low-flow shower head flow even lower. Let the showerhead soak for about 20 minutes, then poke a paperclip into shower head holes still clogged. Scrub with an old toothbrush, then rinse and repeat if necessary.

2. Toilet bases: Mildew can grow on the caulking around the base of your toilet. Spray with white vinegar or disinfecting household cleaner, then scrub with a hard-bristled brush. Dry thoroughly.

3. Shower curtains: Clean soap scum and mildew from plastic shower curtains by tossing them into your washer on the gentle and cold (never hot!) water cycle, with detergent and ½ cup vinegar. If mildew is present, add ½ cup of bleach instead of vinegar. Toss a couple of large towels into the machine to act as scrubbers. Hang curtains back on your shower curtain rod, spread them out, and let them drip-dry. If you turn on the bathroom fan, they’ll dry faster.

4. Drains: We don’t usually pay much attention to drains until they’re clogged. But all year your hair, toothpaste, shampoo, and conditioner are building up in sink and tub drains. Remove the stopper — unscrew the shower drain — and clear away obvious gunk, like hair and soap. Soak the drain in vinegar to clear away mineral deposits. Then, pour boiling water, or a mixture of ½ cup white vinegar and ½ cup baking soda, down the drain, which will bubble away crud sticking to pipes.

5. Medicine cabinet: Throw out prescription and over-the-counter drugs you no longer need or want. But don’t dump them down the drain, where they become part of the watershed, or into the trash, where anyone can fetch them out. Instead, take them to a local collection site, often at police or fire stations. Or check U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s National Take Back Initiative’s website for dates and sites for their next collection.

Bonus tip: Just for the fun of it, launder those powder room towels you won’t let anyone use. And be sure to clean out your dryer’s lint filter when you’re finished.

Attic Bedroom: Top Features

March 25, 2012

Attic bedrooms are very popular and I see them frequently.  When a family grows or needs additional space, it’s an area they look to if the basement is already being used as a workshop or for storage.  In terms of a remodeling project – this project has a high return on the investment:

  • Effort: High 3-6 wks
  • Investment: High $50,148 (nat’l avg)*
  • Adds Value: High $36,346*
* Actual value varies per area.  Average value obtained from Cost VS Value report’s National average in Remodeling Magazine

What I have seen that holds these spaces back from being attractive to the next buyer is if they were done correctly.  When remodeling unused attic space into an attic bedroom, make sure your new retreat has adequate storage, sound insulation, and safety equipment.

Creating an attic bedroom from unclaimed space is an excellent way to add living area without adding onto your house. An attic bedroom also is a good investment. According to Remodeling Magazine’s annual Cost vs. Value Report, an attic bedroom returns more than 72% of the original cost. Here’s how to make sure your new attic bedroom is a pleasant, quiet retreat with adequate storage, sound insulation, and safety equipment.

Soundproofing your attic bedroom

Because attic bedrooms often are positioned above other bedrooms, you’ll need to “deaden” the sound between floors. Here are your options to quiet down a 15×15-foot attic bedroom floor:

  • Install carpeting with a thick foam pad. Cost: $750 for midrange carpet, pad, installation.
  • Add an extra layer of subfloor to the attic before the carpet is installed. A 5/8-inch plywood subfloor helps block sound and provides additional stiffness that prevents floor framing from squeaking. For maximum stiffness, ask your contractor to apply construction adhesive between the subfloor layers. Cost: $300
  • Install sheets/rolls of noise-reducing cellulose, vinyl, or recycled rubber under your flooring. Cost: $1,100.
  • Install unfaced fiberglass insulation between floor joists before the subfloor is installed. Bonus: The insulation thermally isolates your attic bedroom, preventing unwanted heat transfer. Cost: $100.

Attic ideas for creating storage

Sloped ceilings make creating storage in attic bedrooms more difficult than in other parts of the house. You can pick up some storage space by installing built-in cabinetry in knee walls and by building a flip-top window seat under a dormer window.

Be sure to insulate any cabinet walls or shelf backs that abut unfinished attic space.

 

Provide a safe way out

Residential codes require two ways out of any bedroom in case of an emergency. In a remodeled attic, you’ll need an escape ladder, which you can hide in a built-in window seat.

Ladders for a third-story window can cost $70 to $100; expect to pay $300 for ladders with their own cabinets. Be sure to tell guests where the ladder is hiding.

Have you put in an attic bedrooms?  If so – share your pictures!

10 Stunning Crown Moulding Ideas

March 20, 2012

Looking to add a little magic to your rooms? Call in the magician — crown moulding can make rooms seem taller, shorter, and fancier. It’ll disappear the seam where walls meet ceilings, put an exclamation point on cabinets and built-ins, and camouflage your remodeling secrets. Check out these 10 great crown moulding tricks and ideas.

The Crowning Touch

Crown moulding is a visual treat that adds a touch of elegance. Crown mouldings made of wood come in hundreds of profiles and can be stained, painted, or left natural. Because wood tends to expand and contract with changes in humidity, use flexible caulk at joints and seams. Cost: $1.50 to $45 per foot.

 

Coolest Crown

Not all crown mouldings look like they came from ancient Greece; these jazzed-up plaster mouldings are completely contemporary. In rooms with ceilings 8 feet high or less, the upper portion of your crown moulding (along the ceiling) should be longer than the bottom (along the wall). Custom plaster mouldings and trims cost $25-$50 per running foot; installation requires experience.

The Triple Crown

The three-piece crown moulding on this upper kitchen cabinet matches the classic Shaker-style motif of the door casing. It’s an easy DIY project featuring a slim piece of simple trim and a plain flat board topped with a 2-inch-wide piece of fluted crown. You’ll spend about $15 per cabinet.

 

 

The Light Fantastic

Lighted crown mouldings add a soft, ambient glow and are sure-fire conversation starters. The two-piece system has lights in the lower moulding that project upward, illuminating the upper piece. Cost for a 12-by-12-foot room is about $800, installed.

 

A Turn for the Better

Got a room with a curve? That’s no problem for flexible polyurethane crown moulding that’ll conform to just about any shape. It’s lightweight, and accepts paints and stains. An 8-foot-long piece is $15-$30.

 

Not-So-Heavy Metal

Made for use with stamped metal ceiling panels, crown moulding made of tin or aluminum is lightweight and easy to cut. Pre-formed corners eliminate the need for complex miters, so a handy DIYer can tackle installation. Metal crown moulding comes pre-finished, or can be primed and painted to match your decor. Cost: $1-$5 per lineal foot.

 

 

Not Just Another Pretty Facade

Want to run new wiring in your house but balk at the thought of ripping out drywall? Let crown moulding come to the rescue. Hollow PVC crown moulding is an inexpensive way to hide cable, audio, and communication wires in any room. An 8-foot-section with a 4-inch profile is $10-$20.

 

The Power of Poly

Lightweight polyurethane crown mouldings are easy to install. You can cut and nail them like wood, but they won’t split or crack. Most come with a factory-applied primer finish and are ready to paint. A 4-inch-wide piece of polyurethane crown moulding that’s 12 feet long is $60-$90.

 

Crown Moulding Goes Green

If you like making eco-conscious choices for your home, try crown moulding made from reclaimed timbers. Using salvaged materials means no new timber is harvested, and keeps old building products out of landfills. Beautiful heart pine molding with 5.5-inch profile is about $8.75 per lineal foot.

 

More Uses for Duct Tape

White duct tape covers the line where the blue ceiling paint meets the beige wall color, creating an inexpensive multi-layered crown moulding effect. Bringing ceiling paint color down along the walls helps make tall walls look shorter.

 

Which one are you going to try?

Scammers Already Have Bulls-Eye on $25B Foreclosure Settlement

March 17, 2012

Warning: Scammers are on the prowl, claiming to have your share of the foreclosure settlement — for a fee, of course.

The next phone call you get might be from a crook eager to “help” you get your share of the recent $25 billion foreclosure abuse settlement attorneys general in 49 states negotiated with the big banks.

Reality check: This is a national settlement run by state employees. So the chance that a settlement official is calling you the week after the deal was struck because they’re ready to send you your share of $25 billion is about as likely as the possibility you just won the Nigerian lottery.

The attorneys general of several states warn that fraudsters claiming to be bank employees or settlement officials are calling consumers asking for bank account information, credit card numbers, or other personal information. If you give it to them, they’ll use it to steal your identity or run up fraudulent credit card charges as soon as you hang up the phone.

Don’t fall for that trick or for Internet sites promising to get you your share of the settlement — for a fee. Legit organizations never collect a fee for settlements like this or for helping you avoid foreclosure.

The AGs are saying the settlement will take three years to complete. Just hiring the administrator will take three months. That gives you plenty of time to:

1. See who’s eligible for the settlement.

2. Call or go online to your attorney general’s website to see what your state is doing. (I have a hunch most AGs will put information about a multimillion-dollar payment to their constituents on the front page of their websites.)

3. Check with your lender directly:

  • Citi: 866-272-4749

If you had a loan from one of those five banks, you may hear from your lender at some point during the next three years. The money from the settlement is earmarked for about 1 million households at risk of foreclosure and about 750,000 others who lost their homes to foreclosures.

When the lender calls or writes, you’re not going to have to give them any information about yourself or your loan. Anyone who’s really working on the settlement already has information about you, your home, and your loan. If they don’t, ask for a number where you can call them back and then call your AG or your bank to report them. They’re likely just crooks following the money.

Has a scammer ever tried to get you to give up your credit card number over the phone?